Evening star., 1946-12-15
Soviet Policy
Trend Eyed
Reports About Stains
/ Illness Linked to
Changed Attitude
BY Constantine Bro.gn

by U OUStUWttMS DYOtUU
The attention Of top-ranking Of
|fcials Of the American Government
Is focused on what is happening to-
day in Russia.
A multitude of rumors and spec
ulations is being received daily In
the State and War Departments
from such border countries as Tur-
key, Iran, Bulgaria and Finland.
About 80 per cent Of these reports
based on hearsay and conjecture
are being discounted. The rest
which have basis Of probability
indicate two things: That Prime
Minister Stain, who has been all
ing for some time. is getting weaker
and OF necessity is playing a smaller
part in the conduct Of Russian af-
fairs, and that there is q real do
mestic crisis in Southern Russia
which, while still under control by
the state police, may become serious
If reports of Stains condition are
confirmed.
1t is obvious to all who follow the
developments in Russia closely that
there are today two foreign policies
in Moscow. This leads to the as
sumption that Stain no longer
holds the wheel of the ship of state.
Molotov More Conciliatory.
One foreign policy is represented
by Foreign Minister Molotoy and
his deputy, Andrei Vishinsky. For
the last few weeks they have shown
themselves far more conciliatory, in
their outward attitude at least, to-
ward the policies of the western ma
tions, particularly the United States
and Great Britain. The adamant
Molotov, who had established the
reputation of never being able to
say yes to any major proposal OF
Secretaries Byrnes and Bevin, now
shows himself to be more concili-
atory than at any time in the past
Important questions such as arma-
ment control, the matter OF Trieste
and the equal rights of the western
powers to trade in the former enemy
satellite countries apparently are
no longer referred by him to Mos
COW. He seems to have exhausted
his stock of mos" and gives at
least lip service to the proposals
made, by representatives of the
western countries.
The question which arises in the
minds of the American diplomats is
whether his conciliatory attitude
will hold and for how long.
The Moscow press and radio are
the best weathercocks for those who
follow the Russian situation. These
powerful propaganda organs are
goyernment-owned and have never
departed from the line Of policy
dictated by the Kremlin.
American observers In the State
and War Departments are disturbed
over the fact that while Mr.. Molo-
tov shows an unexpected friendly
attitude. the Moscow press and ra-
dio continue their violent and vitri.
olic attacks on American and Brit
ish imperialistic capitalism. There
are long editorials in all the i'm
portant Soviet newspapers attack
ing the aggressive policy this coun-
try is pursuing in the Far East and
the Middle East. There are daily
attacks against the misdeeds and
immixture of the American CAPT.
talistic government in Greece and
Turkey and against the dollar and
atom bomb diplomacy of Washing
ton. The tone OF the powerful Rus
sian propaganda machine, which is
broadcasting in all known languages
for "a hours q day, has not changed
an iota from what it was when Mr.
Molotov was making a daily sport
Of slapping us down in Paris.
This Country Singled Out.
Not only do these instruments oi
the Kremlin continue the attacks
in which this country is being sin.
gled out as the chief cause of The
world unrest. But they print off,
cial orders and speeches from the
highest-ranking officials in Moscow
to the Soviet Army, warning its
members not to forget that the war
is not yet over and that they mus
keep themselves in readiness to de.
fend the growing dangers to the
fatherland. The defeat of the Ger.
mans, the soldiers are told, has not
yet removed the dangers which are
besieging the U. s. s. r. since Nazi.
ism still lives in a different form ir
the western imperialistic capitalistit
countries.
This discrepancy between the
agreeable attitude of the Soviet
Foreign Minister and his assistant
vishinsky, and the powers which
are in the Kremlin is regarded al
an indication that there is a cleav.
age somewhere in Moscow which
can be explained only by the as.
sumption that Mr.. Molotov is nov
acting on his own hook.
So long as Stalin was the effective
head of state and dictated policies
there was no difference between
what the Russian diplomats-ant
this includes the Foreign Minister
(see BROWN, Page C-39
[anherc nf Cor