Evening star., 1946-11-29
A BRIGHTER Picture


Trieste has been ended, there is good
reason to hope that the Council OF
Foreign Ministers soon will succeed
in reaching full agreement on final
treaty texts for Italy, Romania,
Hungary, Bulgaria and Finland.
This is q happy prospect Assuming
sincerity all around, 1t strongly sug-
gests that settlements for Austria
and Germany may be speeded up
and that Europe as whole and
indeed the world at large may take
this as 4 sign that the period OF
slow motion peacemaking is def
initely over.
Reasonable optimism on this score
seems justified for more reasons
than the fact that the Trieste issue
has been resolved. There are eyi-
dences that new and friendlier
temper has come to mark the gath
erings of the top Allied statesmen.
After his private and informal meet
ing with Secretary OF State Byrnes
last Monday, Foreign Minister Molo-
tov was in mood to make conces-
sions. Later, after similar sociable
talks by. all four members Of. the
Council, the announcement Of the
Trieste agreement was coupled with
highly significant reports OF an ap-
parent Russian willingness to sup
port special treaty provisions OPEN
ing the Balkans to world trade and
establishing the principle OF free
navigation on the Danube de-
velopment that could do much to
take the curse of the iron curtain"
Moreover, : another encouraging
sign can be read into this fact: That
Foreign Minister Molotov, though
he argued vigorously against the
methods proposed for taking it, gave
full Endorsement to the principle of
an inventory of Allied military forces
at home and abroad. In the form
fins lily recommended by commit
tee Of the General Assembly, Mr..
Molotov voted against the proposal.
but he did SO with enough good
humor to suggest that he may not
resist It seriously when the Assembly
as a whole passes upon it--a prospect
made to seem the more likely in view
of the far-reaching concession he
has just made in agreeing to the idea
of an inspection system to verify
arms cuts and back up world control
of the atom. In itself, the inventory,
when taken, is not likely to produce
results of great immediate irnpor-
tance. but it may be regarded as q
hopeful reflection Of a desire on the
part of the Allies-not least OF all
Russia-to begin taking active and
concrete measures to promote troop
Withdrawals, general international
disarmament and more trust
worthy peace than the one We have
now.
The existence of such a desire. Of
course, will not of itself bring about
an early realization Of the kind of
peace the world needs. Nor will the
Trieste compromise, nor Russia's re-
ported readiness to open the Balkans
to trade, nor any other understand
ings and agreements In principle
that lend themselves to being
honored more in the breach than in
the observance. That said, however,
the fact remains that new spirit
seems to have come over the Big
Four within the past few days.
marked change for the better, dis
position to get things done on q give
and take basis, an atmosphere con-
ducive to settlements that can serve,
however imperfectly, to promote
order, mutual trust and q greater
sense OF security In the life OF
nations.
To be sure, since the problems OF
peace still remain numerous, COM
plex and explosive, this picture is
subject to change. But at the mo-
ment 1t represents an encouraging
trend in international relations, and
on the morrow OF THANKSGIVING
even though the all-around better
temper may prove to be shortlived-
that is something In which all OF us
can flnd at least some measure of
hope.