Evening star., 1946-01-03
Wave of NutionuIism
Besets Moscow Pact

beSetS MOSCOW fdct
Writer Sees Factor Embarrassing
to international Understanding
By Dauid Laurence
There is something bewildering and
confusing about the way the headlines
report developments in our foreign pol
icy from day to day. When the COM
munique about the Moscow conference
was first announced, the American peo-
pie were given the impression that a
significant accord had beeen reached
on everything from the use of the
atomic bomb to the writing of the Eu-
ropean. peace treaties and the oper-
alton of Allied controls in Japan.
Scarcely had the news been cabled.
however, when murmurings were heard
here and there. Then, in a few days,
Secretary Byrnes was reported by tie
headlines to be reassuring the Amer
lcan people that the atomic bomb Sc
cret had not been given to Russia, that
General MacArthur's rule of Japan
would not be obstructed and that moth
ing important really had been conceded
by the United States with respect to its
previous positions
The incident is important because it
reveals the most serious aspect of pres
ent-day affairs-the presence OF a ma
tlonal feeling in each country which
must be placated or, to put it another
way, national feeling which can be
played upon and aroused to the polit-
ical disadvantage of the governing ad-
ministration.
VetOes Can Kill Meaning.
Actually, the agreements reached at
Moscow will be meaningless if every
nation exercises its veto power Sow
ereign nations can hold out to the full
limit of their rights. If, for instance,
the United States does not want to
consent to some Russian proposal with
respect to the governing of Japan, ;lotn-
ing can be done about it by Russia.
The situation simply drifts on then
without any action and presumably the
Japanese will never become concerned
about the maintenance of the status
quo such as might arise from a dead
lock-
Gen. Macarthur undoubtedly has
some positive views about what our pol
icy should be in Japan. Whether or
not he was adequately consulted be-
forehand or whether it is necessary to
consult him at all before the State
Department makes up its mind what
to do, Is unrelated to the situation in
which an American Secretary of State
finds himself when he sits down to bar
gain with Vyacheslav Molotov in Mos
COW.
Faced Other Problems.
Unquestionably Mr.. Byrnes strove to
protect the single administrative con-
troll which America now applies to
Japan but he could not consistently ad-
here to that position and at the same
time persuade the Russians to loosen
their tight hold on some of the Balkan
states and neighboring countries, where
Russian commanders in chief feel It
to be bit of intrusion whenever the
United States or Great Britain under
takes to make suggestions or issue in
structions
So what has happened is tina. the
prestige of the Allied commander in
chief in Tokyo is preserved. Whatever
orectlVes or orders are issued by the
Allied Policy Commission, including
Russia. will be transmitted to Gen.
Macarthur so he can put them into
effect. 1t could happen, of course, hat
the general might find some practical
obstacles which would necessarily delay
the application of particular phase of
policy he chances not to favor. This
has happened before in the case of
other countries where the generals be-
come temporarily confused and then
walt Tor instructions and possibly meet
lngs OF the Allied commissions in oues-
tlon and finally Big Three meeting or
diplomatic accord is developed and all
is well again.
May BE Russian Lever.
Gen. Macarthur says he will try to
make the new plan work. But it could
happen that he would encounter obsta-
cles. Actually Russia isn't going to
worry too much about what is happen
ing in Japan. What the Russians are
concerned about is the entry of the
United States into European affairs and
the manner in which so-called demo-
cratic methods about free elections and
other freedoms are injected into Euro
pean affairs, upsetting the plans of
the Russian military to, see to it that
outside interference is reduced to the
minimum. It's only when American in
huence becomes bothersome in Eurcpe
that Russia may needle the United
States in the Far East.
Natlonalism of superpatriotic sort
usually follows in the wake of war
Inc tendency inside the United States
IS to think that whatever the Amer
lean Government wants is all right but
Whatever foreign government wants
must De wrong. Until some inroads
into the excesSes of nationalism ara
maoe. the cause of international IN
oerstandlng will be embarrassed. If not
materially retarded, and this. in an Or.
OF atomic bombs, will not be healthy,
Hence the Byrnes mission, the Moscow
communique and the aftermath NAV be
considered to be significant proof of
the fact that nationalism still holds
sway despite the cries of the scientists
and others for world states and feser-
ations and leagues.