Evening star., 1946-10-20
Mr.. Byrnes to Russia

Mr.. Byrnes to Russia
In his simple but eloquent report
on the Paris Conference, Secretary
of State Byrnes dwelt not so much
on the details of treaty-making as
on "the continued II not increasing
tension between US and the Soviet
Union"
Like most Americans, he considers
this the primary problem Of the
peace. # 1t did not exist, If there
were genuine understanding between
our two countries, such explosive
issues as Trieste, the Danube and
the future of Germany would lend
themselves to relatively easy set
tlement. But since we suspect and
fear each others motives, mutual
bad feelings tend to worsen to q
point where reckless talk about an
inevitable war begins to seem
plausible.
Mr.. Byrnes has hit hard at such
talk. Belief in it on the part OF the
Soviet leaders may be "at the very
root of our difficulties" If we our
selves succumb to it and 1t comes
to dominate the minds OF men" 1t
can wreck the peace-making and
tear asunder a world which God
made one" It is psychological
poison, and before it does irreparable
harm all peoples and governments
must realize that war is inevitable
only II they fail to tolerate and
respect" one another's rights to
ways Of life they cannot and DO
not share"
For his own part, in q renewed
effort to foster liberation and re-
spect, Mr.. Byrnes devoted q large
portion Of his Paris report to what
was, In effect, q direct appeal to
Russia to cultivate a better under
standing Of Americas motives. TO
this end, he declared that our
patient but firm" foreign policy
(neither soft" nor "tough") is
predicated on the belief that differ
ences must be reconciled through
mutual give-and-take and not
through "a yielding by one state to
the arbitrary will Of the other"
We hold, he said, that agreements
cannot be made in good faith IL the
parties to them launch false and
misleading propaganda against one
another; that no great country
should use its veto to delay peace
and economic reconstruction, and
that although the status quo is not
to be sanctified the different powers
must not unilaterally by threats,
by pressures or by force disturb the
established rights of other nations"
Clearing the air further, Mr..
Byrnes, taking note Of the vast
amount of wartime aid we extended
to the Soviet Union, categorically
denied the absurd and mischief
making Russian charge that the
United States has embarked on q
course Of dollar diplomacy" to cen
slave" Europeans or that 1t is bent
on Imperialism involving the forma-
ton of q western anti-Slav bloc
designed to gang up against the
U. s. s. r. and "encircle" the Com
munist countries. This view OF our
policy is altogether false. What we
stand for is freedom for all nations
and friendship among all nations
for a Just and lasting peace in which
we stand ready, in concert with the
rest of the world, "to defend, with
force If necessary, the principles and
purposes of the Charter of the
United Nations"
What Russia must understand is
that when we say these things we
mean them. There are no hidden
subtleties in our proclaimed objec-
tives. Our motives are honest. We
want justice, fair play and a good
peace in the world. We want them
because we deeply believe that all
nations will benefit thereby, our own
as much as any other. It the Rus
slams will only meet US halfway,
If they will give us similar assurances
and cooperate with us sincerely,
they will find that our word is as
good as our bond. That is the sub
stance of Mr.. Byrnes' excellent re-
port on Paris. If his appeal does
not fall on deaf ears in Moscow,
talk of an inevitable war should