Evening star., 1946-10-11


his own person.
ality; obviously,
he made many Frank 4. Kent.
unnecessary concessions. In brief,
50 far from being a wise and skillful
leader in international affairs his
vanity made him extraordinarily
gullible.
All this talk of getting back to
the Roosevelt policies" which ema-
mates from Soviet sources in Russia,
from Soviet adherents here, from
men like Henry Wallace and Mr..
Roosevelt's bumptious son, Elliott, is
absurd. For one thing, it is not IN
the least clear what these Roose-
velt policies were. For another, 1t Is
quite certain If Mr.. Roosevelt were
alive he would be unable to do more
than President Truman and Secre-
tarv of State Byrnes are doing. he
might put on better show, but ne
would get no better results.
Everything Held Up.
The truth is that the calculated
course of obstruction which the RUS
slams have steadily pursued both IN
the Security Council and the Peace
Conference has made it exceedingly
dificulr to believe in the sincerity
of their professions. They do not
object to one thing; they object TO
everything. They pull back on little
things as well as big things.
Russian opposition to every Amer
1can or British proposal, however
fair and generous, has become rou-
tine. Everything is held up. The
whole movement toward guaranteed
peace and complete cooperation;
the effective control OF atomic
energy: international understand
ing and good will, are all retarded
bv a Russian recalcitrancy which
our representatives and our people
are unable to reconcile with reason.
For many months we assumed as
did Mr.. Roosevelt, that the Russian
leaders really are fine fellows eager
tn go along" with us, and that all
we need do is to syrnpathize and
understand them. For many montns
a very articulate group in this
country has made excuses Tor the
Russian attitude. They have trleo
to Justify 1t In every possible way.
They have talked about the great
sacrifices made by the Russians
during the war and of their mill
tary prowess. They have pointed
out that they are suspicious OF the
purposes of other nations and are
themselves greatly misunderstood.
They have insisted that the great
Russian desire is to protect her
self and that she really is as anx-
jous to have the United Nations
succeed as either the British or
ourselves.
Friendly Attitude Changes.
ALI this and more have been pre-
sented by the pro-Soviet press and
spokesmen here. and any effort to
hold the Russian representatives to
the same collective and individual
code that applies to the rest OF. US
and is accepted by every one else
has been denounced as Red bait
ing" or Russian hating"
But the excuses for the Russian
behavior have become strained and.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Wallace and
Senator Pepper, those who put them
forward are becoming less numerous
and assertiye. Sentiment among the
American people has changed. I'M
mediately after the wars end. pub
lie opinion here was overwhelmingly
friendly toward Russia. Today 1t is
anything but that.
This change is wholly due to the
Russians themselves. They have
been So unreasonably obstructionis-
tic that olH friendliness has worn
thin. This was inevitable. The Rus
sian strategy is clearly seen by
those in best position to know as a
calculated effort to get what they
want by exhausting our patience.
Few, indeed, can now reconcile the
course of the Soviet leaders with
the principles to which we are COM
mitted and which they have pro-
fessed to accept.
Wants Dominant Role.
Efforts to explain the Russian
attitude on satisfactory basis are
unconvincing. Our diplomats at
Paris and authorities in Washing
ton do not believe the Russian
leaders want war now. They know
they are unprepared for war and
are not trying to provoke one. But
they are convinced that the Rus
sian strategy at Paris. in New York
and elsewhere is deliberately de-
signed to persuade the American
people that the great goal Of in
ternational cooperation at which
we aim cannot be achieved on any,
thing like our terms; that real
peacemaking in Europe is impos-
sible; that eventually we must
recognize that, get tired and get out.
That would leave Russia a free
hand to dominate, economically and
politically, Germany and the whole
of Europe, which clearly is what
she wants. The simple fact is that
If it were not for Russia everybody
could begin to disarm and that
would mean tax reduction, debt re-
duction, solvency, safety, sanity
Britain wants this; we want it;
France wants it; everybody wants
it-and badly. But, so long as Rus
sia pursues her aggressive, i'm