The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-18
Position In Pacific
BY JOSEPH C. HARSCH

~
WASHINGTON - The aftermath Of relaxed
Russian-American tensions at Paris PROVIDES
a graphic example of how complicated and
difficult it is to fit the interest Of all three OF
the worlds biggest Powers into a tidy pat
tern.
When the Russians suddenly announced that
they no longer insisted on an Italian colony,
it was like taking the lid off an Anglo-Ameri-
can pandora's box. Up to that moment, Brit
ish and American diplomacy had been pre-
sentiag the appearance of a common front to
Russia. Immediately after it, British and
American interests plunged into a complex
disagreement involving North Africa and the
far Pacific.
Here is the way it works out: Up to the
moment of Russia's tactical shift at Paris,
American diplomacy was preoccupied with
Just one objective - keeping the Russians
out of the Mediterranean Neither Washington
nor London gave much thought as to what
would be done with the various former Italian
colonies, except to keep them out of Russian
hands.
In the meantime, however, Britain had &C.
Quired a new motive for wanting a special
position in one Of those colonies Cyrenaica.
That sprang from the Palestine report. Until
it was released Britain ejoyed a reasonably
good chance of getting a military agreement
with the Egyptians. But that possibility went
by the board the moment the joint Palestine
committee recommended letting down the i'm
migration bars to Palestine for an extra l00,-
600 refugees.
London tackled quickly to this and scrapped
Egypt as a future military base. But it still
needed a base from which it could exercise
some strategic powe" in the Eastern Medi-
terranean. With base ir Cyrenaica, it would
hope to maintain Malta and also protect Suez,
at least from any future threat that might de-
velop from Europe, if no: from farther east.
But this met with no enthusiasm in the
American delegation at Paris. AS Mr.. Byrnes
and his staff saw it, why should Britain have
an Italian colony if Russia did not?
Just at this -delicate moment, matters were
made more complex by a news break in
Washington. The story got out that America
was dickering for sovereignty over three Brit
ish-controlled islands in the P~acific-Christ-
mas, Canton, and Funafuti. And the dicker
was going badly over one stumbling block.
The British said they would give the Ameri-
cans equal, if not exclusive, sovereign rights
these islands if America would enter
into a joint defense plan for the Pacific Ocean
area. But Washington baked at this. 1t want
ed free use of these islands for its own de-
Tense strategy, but declined to accept any
responsibility for defense of British interests
n the Pacific.
The two together set the British press off
IN a chorus of protest. Why should Britain
give up bases in Pacific islands to Ameri-
exclusive strategic advantage, if Ameri-
AN diplomacy would not even back them up
n Cyrenaica?
London also argued that there was a detect
lble trace of inconsistency in the American
position. How, they asked not too politely,
.ould American diplomacy 60 on challenging
he Russian arguments for expansion in the
OF security if America was going to
'ick up more Pacific islands in the same
lame of security?
The Dominions enter the problem, too. The
more the British life line through the Medi-
erranean and the Middle East is weakened.
ne more Australia and New Zealand depend
or their security on America. America, they
eel, should do one of two things-either back
Whatever is necessary to give them a safe
INK with Britain, or take them under the
iaelter OF American defense plans in the Pa
'lflc. But here, according to their lights. was
America declining shelter in the Pacific and
the same time baking at giving Cyrenaica
9 Britain.
1t seemed to London-also to Canberra and
velllngton-that American diplomacy was in
lining once more to reconciliation with Rus
Ia at British expense
Altogether, it served to point up the extent
o which the diplomacy of all the Big Powers
S still dominated by strategic considerations
Science Monitor.