Evening star., 1946-03-17

tine Bro,On
tween saving or destroying the U. s.SR.
Throughout the war, while the Amer
lean and British governments spoke to
each other firmly in many instances,
they both humored and cajoled the
Russian government. None Of the ter
ritorial demands Of Premier Stain since
the Teheran conference was denied.
He dominated countries which we had
promised to return to full independence
and territorial integrity. Russia became
the spoiled child of the American and
British governments not only because
the military advisers of both countries
figured that without her the war might
become more protracted but because
President Roosevelt and Mr.. Churchill
believed that the future peace of the
world must be guaranteed by a close
cooperation among the three powers.
When the war ended there was i'm.
mediate rehabilitation in both English
speaking countries. We went much
further than the British because our
people believed that military victory
against the Axis ended all dangers to
peace. We ended the war as the most
formidable military power in the world
Today We have disintegrated our land
and air forces to such an extent that it
would take between 9 and IL months to
get them in shape for fighting.
Britain was lesser military power.
But today she, too, has hardly more
than police force under arms.
Both the United States and Great
Britain have only one aim-wolfd peace
for which they are prepared to sacri-
flee almost anything.
Britain Tired and Worn.
Our own people, who are less interna-
tionelly minded than the British, want
to get back to work and put the house in
order after the tempest which lasted for
four years. The American fighting men
are sick and fed up with wars The
lamentable figures shown by the Army
in its enlistment campaign speak more
| clearly than any speeches or statements
to the contrary.
Britain is tired and worn out. The
British government is aware that an
other war in the near future might b
fatal to the United Kingdom and the
empire. Far from desiring to pin-prick
Russia into another fight, the British
government is doing its utmost to pla-
| cate the vast empire in the east. She is
| now keenly aware that Russia is after
| Britains scalp, but alone she can do
| nothing unless she wishes to choose an
honorable death.
| The bitter exchange OF words between
| Foreign Minister Bevin and Deputy
commissar vishinsky during the debate
about Iran were not a show" for the
public while behind -the-scenes agree
ments had already been made. There
have been many such instances in the
history of international gatherings.
Both Mr.. Bevin and Mr.. Vishinsky were
| in dead earnest.
United States Wants UNO to Work.
| Mr.. Bevin was sure that Russia in
tended to encroach further into Iran
and move eastward toward India. He
looks apprehensively at the massing of
an enormous Russian army on the east
| SAtA dAfo WOotCA41 bOld dC1S Ol i QlhSy dllQ
realizes that Russias demands for bases
in the Eastern Mediterranean and the
Red Sea are intended to squeeze Britain
out OF her empire. He feels that the
chances Of Britain surviving depend en-
tirely on Americas attitude, and it is
quite probable that Mr.. Churchill ex-
pressed at Fulton not only his private
view," but also those of his majesty's
government. A private" individual who
happens to be at the same time the
leader of the opposition in his own coun-
try has much more freedom of speech
than member of the government who.
regardless of what he thinks, must
watch his diplomatic Ps and Qs.
1t was only in the last four weeks that
the American Government realized that
the policy of appeasement at any price
was not yielding the desirable results.
President Truman and his chief advisers
have only one aim in the domain of for
elgn politics: To make the UNO real
instrument for the preservation of peace.
But they realize now that the UNO
may become farce as gigantic as the
defunct League of Nations unless all it's
members agree wholeheartedly to live
up to the letter and spirit of the organ.
ization
So far, Russia has been guilty of
trampling under her feet only the vari-
Gus agreements signed by the Big Three
or their representatives since the Tehe-
ran days. And this is bad beginning
which, however, could be overlooked il
our former war associates show any def.
mite indications that they do not intend
to go further in their aims to insure
Russia's strategic frontiers" which now
extend much further than Stain him.
self ever believed possible a few years
ago.
Omin0us Indications
But there are ominous indications that
Russia intends to go even further. In
spite OF the Official denials" in which
people have now learned to place little
credence, there is an unquestionable
massing of Russian forces on the borders
OF Turkey-a member of the UNO. Re-
ports from the best American sources in
Eastern Europe and in the Middle East
not only confirm these "speculations"
but add that powerful fifth column
with headquarters in Moscow and Baku
is working" all over the globe.
The purpose OF this fifth column is to
disrupt the countries internally and thus
make easier the task of the Red war
riors. Russia has not demobilized a
single man without replacing him. It's