Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-13
Separate Treaties?

When authoritative American
quarters suggested some time ago
that the United States might draft
separate treaties in case of RuSSia's
refusal to agree on basic peace
issues, highly placed BritonS
strongly indicated that the Attlee
government would oppose such a
step. Now however, Foreign Secre-
tary Bevin has bluntly served notice
that If the four-power Paris con-
ference continues in deadlock after
1t reconVeneS on Saturday. Britain
Will move to sign pacts with the
defeated European countries re-
CARELESS Of Soviet holdout.
In Russian eyes, Mr.. Bevin's state
ment probably will be viewed as an
other example of the threats and
lntlmldatiOnS" which Foreign Min
lister MolotoV has accused Britain
and America Of using in an effort to
impose their will on the Soviet
Union. But what is to be done if
the Big Four again fail to agree on
fundamentals at Paris? What if
Russia proves to be the sole dissenter
on major matters? What if it re-
fuses, in face of such a stalemate.
to submit the whole situation to the
long deferred general conference of
Il nations or to the Assembly of the
Y. N? Must the processes of estab-
HSAlng peace be suspended in
definitely? Must Europe keep on
living for years IN an abnormal
state merely because Moscow insists
on holding fast to the line it has
already taken?
These are the questions that Mr..
BeVin has been asking himself. and
undoubtedly Secretary of State
Byrnes has been bordering them,
too. Obviously. if current Interna-
tlonal irritants are not to become
dangerously acute, the making of
peace cannot be delayed much
longer. For to the extent that italy
and the other defeated nations are
denied an opportunity to return to a
normal order, Europe-and indeed
the whole World-Will face drearv
and uncertain future freighted with
perllouS conflict. So Mr.. Bevin, if
need be, IS in favor of having Britain
sign separate pactS in an effort to
make matters perhaps a bit more
tolerable. In any case, with an I'M
disguised thrust at Russia. he affirms
that no one nation is going to keep
me in a state of war forever with
other countries"
That said, however. it is a grave
question whether any peace worthy
OF the name could be fashioned
without Russia's participation. Mr..
BeVln himself admits that he does
not know just how Britain would
go about drawing up separate
treaties. Would Romania, Bulgaria,
Hungary and Finland, all geograph-
lcally close to the Soviet Union, feel
disposed to accept the Vests terms
If Moscow objected? Would Italy
enjoy normal status if it had pacts
with France, Britain and the United
States, and none with the other
member of the Big Four? With the
Russians holding out, in short, how
could international relations as a
whole be healthy and mutually sat
isfactory?
Clearly there could be no real
peace in such circumstances. There
could only be what every sane per-
son must ardently hope against
what Mr.. Bevin calls this awful
business" of dividing the world into
two antagoniStic camps. Yet, given
continued Russian intransigence, it
is hard to see how the western
powers can avoid experimenting
with separate treaties as last re-
sort. 1t is small wonder that Mr..
Byrnes, who leaves today for an
other try at Paris, has said, without
testing, that the situati calls for
genuine prayer.
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