Evening star., 1945-02-25
Senators Seek More Light
On Agreements at Yalta
Try to Penetrate Secrecy Around Farley to
Determine Whether Commitments Go
Further Than Public Statement
By Constantine Broyn

AS far as official Washington dis
ference will not reach the front page
of the newspapers until President Roose-
velt returns to Washington and Secre-
tary of State Stettinius is back from
Mexico City to set the propaganda
machinery in motion for the San Fran
cisco conference on April Is.
But while the rank and file of
the American people are giving little
thought to the question, some Senators
have turned their attention to the
historical and dramatic decisions taken
in the marble palace which once housed
the Cars Of Russia.
They are already trying to peer
through the heavy curtain of secrecy
which was drawn after the heads of
the American, Russian and British gov
ernments adjourned and gave the world
an exhaustive communique concern
ing only those points deemed advisable
to reveal.
Concerned Over Commitments.
The communique issued at the end
Of the political conversations among
President Roosevelt, Premier Stain and
Prime Minister Churchill is believed to
have been the handiwork Of a former
Associated Press reporter now Presi-
dent Roosevelt's press secretary. Stephan
Early. The communique did not at
tempt to conceal in overvague diplo-
matte sentences the fact that the Polish
and the Yugoslav questions had been
settled in accordance with the wishes
and desires of Premier Stain.
This was not news to the ma jority OF
the Washington officials and newspaper
men who. mad known few months after
the end of the Teheran conference in
1943 that 1.-The goose" of all the formerly
sovereign states on Russia's borders ex-
tending as far as the Adriatic had been
cooked"
The legislators in the upper house,
however, are concerned over what other
commitments have been undertaken by
President Roosevelt outside those al
ready announced in Mr.. Earlys COM
munique The Golden Gate conference
will provide for world security Or
ganization patterned more after the
recent Yalta decisions than after the
outlines of Dumbarton Oaks.
Accept Secret Diplomacy.
The people of the United States and
their elected representatives have been
compelled to accept the principles of
secret diplomacy. There was no way to
force the administration to put the dip
lomatic cards on the table because 1t
was said that in wartime a premature
disclosure Of what was happening in
secret conclave might injure the war
| effort. ....
Consequently, the members of the
Senate have no means Of learning, ex-
cept through some pipeline" and gos-
sip what actually is happening to Amer
icas foreign relations which they event.
ually will be called to indorse in the
form of treaty Members of the For
eign Relations Committee have made
many attempts to find out what has
happened at all the diplomatic parleys
since Casablanca.
Told Exactly Nothing.
Witnesses such as former Secretary OF
State Hull, Gen. George C. Marshall
| and other insiders" have testified in
executive session and told the Senators
exactly nothing more than what the
White House permitted to be told. And
that was little more than had already
been published in the daily newspapers
and weekly and monthly magazines.
Whenever some pertinent questions
were directed at these high-ranking
ofilcials, the answer was that is all we
know" or "this Is now in the realm OF
military security and cannot be dis
| closed"
In wartime it can be said by those
who prefer the dark to the light that all
diplomatic transactions have military
meaning and consequently must be kept
secret. And there is no way to change
this situation. Even "first-hand gossip
about the various conferences from
what is conceded to be reliable source
never gets direct confirmation.
| Seek Direct Information.
The Yalta conference was shrouded in
greater secrecy than the Teheran meet
ing. When President Roosevelt returns
to the United States hesmay consent to
give the treaty-making body of the
legislative branch of the Government
more details than were contained in the
Early communique. But he does not
have to 60 into detail since all the Yalta
conversations and decisions are covered
by military considerations" and the
Senators cannot learn definitely any
more than is given them voluntarily by
the Chief Executive or his agents.
But because the Yalta agreements ane
deals have direct bearing on the worle
security organization which must b,
approved by the Senate before 1t be.
comes final, a number of Senators wns
are thinking in terms of representing
the American people rather than fol
lowing the Chief Executive blindly. art
now seeking more direct information
on what has been decided by the Biz
Three. These men who share the de-
sires of the entire Nation in having {
lasting peace suspect that some of til,
deals entered into at Yalta do not full,
answer the purpose for which we hav,
gone to war.
Fear Usurpation Of Rights.
The Senators also are afraid that tn.
world security organization will be moth.
ing but the establishment Of a dictator.
ship of the Big Three over the rest O.
the world. They are afraid that tht