Evening star., 1946-07-14
By Harold J. Loski
North American Newspaper AIIianes

answers from the Kremlin t.
straightforward questions.
Particularly British Socialis
would like to know:
l. Does not Mr.. (Vyacheslav M
Molotov agree that the sooner tn,
European war is liquidated the bet
ter for everybody?
z. Does he take the view that OF
every issue the war can only b,
ended on Russian terms?
3. Does he think that an injustice
to the Italians in Trieste can b.
compensated for by an injustice tt
the Senussi in Somaliland?
Reich Portion Questioned.
4. Does he propose to maintain
without time limit the division O.
Germany into its present zones with
the tragic economic consequences?
5. Does he assume that regiona
arrangement under the principle.
of the United Nations is evil, bu
that the organization Of Russian
satellite states in the east is good;
If SO, why?
6. Can he see no way Of givins
Russia access through the Oar.
danelles to the Mediterranean with
out making Turkey satellite powe
of Russia? If British ships, as MI
Bevin said, can 60 to the Balti'
without the subjugation of Scan
dinavia, why cannot Russian ship
go to the Mediterranean without tn
subjugation of Turkey?
Persian Issue Cited.
7. On the Persian issue, Wher
the Russians have real case, VIII,
not propose an international bod,
both to develop oil and to end it
shameless feudalisms?
3. In the Middle East why no
offer cooperation through the socia
and economic, trustee and Securit
councils to settle differences which
will remain power politics on boil
sides on any other terms?
9. What specific proposals doe
Russia itself make to solve tn,
Spanish and the Greek questions?
10. Does Mr.. Molotov propose, il
Germany, an enforced unity of tht
Socialist and Communist parties
and does he intend to push it a
sll costs, including arrest and i'm.
prisonment for its opponents anC
the conferring of favors upon those
who support it?
Russian Views Sought.
All these questions relate to certain
assumptions about which we ough
to know the Russian view:
l. Is Russia's present attitude due
TO sense Of insecurity caused by
the maintenance of atomic secrecy:
IT that secrecy ended, would the
fear disappear?
2. Has Mr.. Molotov made up hi.
mind that western democracy is E
waning asset and that the greater
Its problems become. especially its
economic problems, the more certain
is Communist victory?
3. If he believes 2, how does he
account for the fact that save in
France free elections have always
resulted in Communist defeat?
4. Is it not possible that his policy
is based on the assumption, made as
mistakenly by Lenin after 1917. that
a racked and tormented world turns
to Communism? Is not the fact
rather that such a world hands it
self over to counterrevolutionar
adventures whose main safeguard is
an attack on Russia?
Peace Aims Stressed.
1 am quite certain that Mr.
Molotov has grossly underestimate
the desire of Mr.. Attlee and Mr.
Bevln for peace. I think he at
tributes to power politics judgments
mat are largely the result of his
own curious maneuvers. I doub,
whether MS policies, as thus ia,
revealed, enlist any support in an,
Tree country except from those who
invariably give support to Russia
whether it be right or wrong. HI
seems to me to be asking for exactl,
mat appeasement from the western
powers which Litvinov so stronpl,
condemned from 1884 until hi
retirement, if that be the word
in May, 1899.
1hefe Is no reason for disagree
ment on any major issue betWee,
the British people and the Russia,
people. The response the forme
would make to one clear sigr
from Moscow of a genuine desir
Tor understanding would be over
WheImlng, and the force of publ
opinion would compel the govern
ment to act without DELAY. 7
would dispel the bewilderment a
RUSSIAN policy of which M,
Churchill and his friends are takin,
slcn obvious advantages.
IL Is no use saying that ther
Is no iron curtain when the min,
ohscured from lis all, as Mr. Bevi,
Oh the Russian government j
mas made plain. 1t was obscur
at the United Nations Assemb]
IN London. 1t was still more oh
scure at the Foreign Ministers Con
ference in Paris.
Reds Silence Criticized.
1 suggest with great anxiety tha
1t is the duty of the Russians q
this grave juncture to answer th
questions we are all asking an,
to tell US the motives upon whicl
they proceed. Twelve months afte
the end of the war the prosnect
seem more grim than while it wa
going on.
No doubt we have all made mis-
takes: Great Britain has mad
mistakes in Spain and Greece a
America has made them in Chin
and Japan. And I do not thin]
Russia is entitled to throw stone
when I look at Hungary. Romania
Manchuria and Austria. I thin,
our business is to find terms O
common understanding and no
allow ourselves to drift to eve
graver differences.
Mifsrher fo TIL T.I