Evening star., 1945-03-17
Stettinius Called
Brave or Innocent
Writer Asks if Secretary of State
Knows Facts of International Life
By David Laurence


By David Laurence
Secretary of State Stettinius is Ger
tainly courageous man, or perhaps
he has the strength of innocence. He
has just inquired about published re-
ports of Soviet Russias unilateral action
in setting up the beginnings of puppet
government in Romania which appears
to be violation of the spirit as we'll as
the letter of the Yalta agreement.
Doesn't he know he must not question
what was done at Yalta or what Russia
does on her own?
The Associated Press declares that
under apparent Russian pressure, the
Romanian government of Premier
Radescu was overthrown and succeeded
on March 6 by the administration of
Premier Groza of the Communist
controlled National Democratic Front"
Now the Secretary of State, in a
formal statement, says:
1--WE think that some aspects of the
political situation require consultation
among the three principal Allies and
we are discussing this situation with
the British and Soviet governments"
Facts Of International Life.
Doesn't Mr. Stettinius realize that a
great victory for Allied unity was
achieved at Yalta and that the i'm
portant thing is the Allied accord and
that any questioning of what Russia
has done is merely furnishing ammu-
milton to Goebbels and Hitler in their
efforts to create dissension among the
Allies?
Or does Mr. Stettinius really know the
facts of international life, which are
that might makes right" and that
pledges solemnly promised even as little
rs month ago can be disregarded by
ny Of the big powers with impunity?
he persists in asking questions he
hay be called a "perfectionist" or char
cterized as one of those "idealists" who
believes that international agreements
mean what they say.
There Is war on, and to question
Russia's motives in seeking to COM
munize the smaller states within her
sphere of influence" will bring down
upon Mr.. Stettinius the denunciation of
the Communist press in this country
and abroad.
And also what does the Associated
Press mean by reporting the following
piece of news which SO many observers
would doubtless wish had been sup
pressed:
Foreign Minister Eden publicly told
the House of Commons this week what
had been commonly talked about by
Allied diplomats for many days-that it
was the Moscow government, acting
without consultation with the United
States and Britain, which ousted the
Radescu administration and helped set
up the present regime"
Isn't this just another case Of uni
lateral action which, quite recently,
President Roosevelt promised the Con-
gress wouldn't happen again, as it did
in Greece, Italy and Poland, and that
hereafter such matters in Europe would
be handled by joint action of all three
Allied governments? The creation of
the puppet government at Lublin was
CLOSED over by the President and Prime
Minister Churchill and, to be consistent,
Mr.. Stettinius should really ignore what
has happened in Romania.
For several days official washington
has been buzzing with stories about the
violation by Russia of the Yalta agree
ment but American officials did not per-
init any confirmation. The President in
his press conference this week waved
aside questions about 1t and directed
inquirers to the State Department.
AP Pulled Curtain.
The Associated Press, however, has
pulled the curtain, as the following
quotation from its Washington dispatch
reveals:
The Crimea Conference ended Feb
ruary llth. About that time there was
increasing criticism in the Soviet press
of the Radescu administration. It was
blamed for failing to eliminate Nazi-
Fascist elements, and for inability to
maintain order. Those criticisms we're
generally rejected here. Washington
considered the Radescu government
bumbling but about the best that could
be done in the circumstances.
"On February 81, the Russian Vice
Commissar OF Foreign Affairs, Vishin-
sky, arrived in Bucharest. He had an
immediate audience with King Mihai.
"On February % Radescu was dis
missed the leaders of the two
largest parties refused to join the Groza
administration on the ground that they
would not submit to minority control"
Doesn't Secretary Stettinius know
that this is the modern or practical way
to ascertain the freely expressed wishes
of the people" as provided in the At
lantic Charter?
The thing for Mr.. Stettinius to have
done was not to write notes to Russia
about 1t but to wait till the next meet
ing Of the Big Three, when the matter
could be regarded as an accomplished
fact and when announcement could be
made Of the appointment of another
Joint commission to deal with "liber-
ated areas'-as was done at Teheran in
l943 and at Yalta last month-after
which chorus of approval and praise
for the great Allied unity achieved
would be Forthcoming. That is the pat
tern for appeasement which has been
set for this war period anyway.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
Quirk Of the Times
From the Boston Globe.
Whv anv one sho,1ld uear m Arn,v