Evening star., 1946-03-21
Dangerous Counsel


feels that the motives of the Soviet
Union are misunderstood in the
United States. has come forward
with proposal of his own for i'm
proving relations among the major
powers. 1t is not a proposal which
is apt to find much support in this
country, except in the ranks of the
American Communists and those
who, while not Communists, are ca
ger to resolve every doubt in favor
Of the Soviet Union.
Senator Pepper calls for an i'm
mediate meeting of President Tru-
man, Prime Minister Attlee and Mar
shall Stain. But as a preliminary to
that meeting he urges that this
country join with England and Can
ada in destroying all atomic bombs
in existence as we'll as the machinery
for producing them.
1t is interesting that the Senator
does not demand, as a condition of
this meeting and of the destruc-
ton OF our atomic weapons, that
the Russians pursue a similar course.
Presumably they have not yet devel-
oped atomic weapons of their own.
although we do not know this to be
a TACT. But we do know that Russia
is doing everything in her power to
develop atomic energy, not excluding
resort to espionage activities, and
we have it on the authority of Mr..
Molotov that the Soviet Union will
develop its own sources of this tre-
mendous force for good or evil. The
Florida Senator, however, does not
call upon the Russians to scrap
Whatever progress of a military
character that they have made to-
ward this end. Without knowing
how far advanced the Soviets may
be, he wants the western powers to
destroy their bombs and their facil-
tiles for making bombs, presumably
In the fond hope. although he does
not express it, that the Russians
thereupon would do likewise.
The idea underlying this seems to
be that Russia has legitimate reason
to fear and distrust the United States
and Britain while the latter remain
IN exclusive possession of the atomic
bomb. But if the Soviets. fear the
western powers, there is little evi-
dence OF that fear Does Senator
Pepper believe that the Soviets are
sending troops into Iran, in violation
OF their treaty with that country
and in contravention of every prin-
ciple OF the United Nations Organi-
zatlon, because we have the atom
bomb and they do not? Has Russia
closed Port Arthur and Dairen. in
violation Of her treaty with China.
because she fears Britain and the
United States? Does the same ex-
cuse justify and explain the lootine
OF Manchuria and Northern Korea?
undoubtedly, there is an abiding
fear throughout this world. which
only few months ago hailed what
was thought to be the dawning of
a new era of peace and security. But
that fear is not inspired by western
possession of the atom bomb: it is
the direct result of the policies pur-
sued by the Soviet Union-policies
which embody many of the aspects
OF Hitlerian aggression and which
have raised the fear of another war
While the U. S. S. R. persists in its
present course, it would be the
height OF folly for the democratic
countries to heed the counsel of Sen
ator Pepper. Until the UNO is es-
tablished as an effective instrument
for the preservation of peace, we
must look to our own security, and
the Florida Senator, instead of urg-
ing the western powers to weaken
themselves still further as a gesture
toward Russia, might we'll consider
the advisability of urging the Rus
SLAMS to demonstrate their own
readiness to live in world in which
might does not make right