Detroit evening times., 1946-01-16
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MolIon

WAsmNGToN' Jan. 18th. s,,,ra.
W way State Secretary Byrnes
has been siding with Moscow
has impelled assembling con-
gressmen TO ask IL sdbig two Is
supplanting the big three or hve,
~ this IL new American policy
and whether Byrnes has the
backing Of President Truman In
these matters.
Prying insiders have been able
to dig out this much:
When Mr.. Byrnes stepped
from his Moscow plane with
agreements practically validat-
ing the Russian position in Eu-
rope, he said he would go home
for few days, take a bath and
sit and enjoy the remaining
yuletide He did not even get
the bath. He was summoned
Immediately TO the presidential
cruising yacht.
Returning TO Washington
thereafter, he said he would
spend the New Year day open
ing his Christmas presents and
cards, but he was called back to
the yacht.
These circumstance caused
the White House crowd to
surmise MIR. Truman was dis
pleased, II not angry.
But the explaining which Mr..
Byrnes then started publicly at
tempting. was concerned only
with assurances that the atomic
bomb would not be given away
before we found the answer.
Nothing was mentioned about
giving away Bulgaria, Romania,
YugoSlaVia, or other nations.
MR.. TRUMAN. subsequently,
NI went beyond the usual man.
ner of his responses in press
conference. TO endorse what
Byrnes had done. The Presi-
dent said there was no reason
for dissatisfaction" with the
accomplishments at Moscow and
the agreements were a CON
Structive" step forward.
The change Of front of
American foreign policy was
thus established by these
events. and What 10 noU de-
UeIoping in London is merely
the result.
News readers may have tossed
their heads from the paper in
shocked surprise when Mr..
ByrneS voted with the Russians,
against the British, in the in
itial world organization step of
electing a president of the UNO
assembly.
Actually this was part of a
deal which the Russians thought
went even further.
They had asked Byrnes if he
would approve their choice OF
the Norwegian leader, and he
said he would.
They thought he would pub
licly second their man, mis-
understanding privately attrib-
uted here to the difference In
languages.
When the state secretary
merely voted. without a second
ing speech, the Russian UNO
delegation started their move
ment to change the rules so as
to require public nominations
and voting.
TN THIS situation. Mr.. Truman
Il is concerning himself 80 per
cent with domestic affairs" his
closest observers concede.
Certainly he is relying on
Byrnes to establish foreign pol
icy to a greater extent than any
president since Harding relied
on a state secretary Gt was
Charles Evans Hughes them.
Intimate, or calling associates
of the President do not include
any known names of a person
who might be regarded as a
heavyweight counselor in the
foreign field.
And, in recognition Of the
new power of the state secre-
tary i'm world affairs. the
Byrnes authority today IL
without precedent In our his
tory.
He can give away nations "a
the influence of one foreign
power or another. without a
treaty requiring senatorial ap-
proval, or without any real re-
view of his actions by any
superior American authority
except the President, who Is
forced by his domestic circum-
stance to be only 10 per cent
concerned.
For this task, Mr.. Byrnes has
set up no new or secret board
of counsel.
HIis old South Carolina law
partner recently brought into
the department has been con-
cerned more with politics than
other affairs)
His only top. close adviser
still is Ben Cohen, the silent
half OF the old Cohen-Corcoran
team which wrote the early
New Deal reform laws.
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