Evening star., 1946-08-23
YuqosIoviu Yields

clarified, Yugoslavia's response to
our ultimatum apparently Is salts
factory enough to make unnecessary
our threatened appeal to the Sc
curity Council of the United Nations.
Marshal Tito has released the sur
vivors of the first American trans
port plane shot down by his fliers
and has promised to satisfy our de-
mands. relating to this incident and
to the downing of the second Ameri-
can transport whose passengers, all
of whom may have been killed, con-
tinue unaccounted for. In addition,
he has issued orders calculated to
put an end to such outrages in the
future.
On it's face at least, this would
seem to break the crisis in Yugoslav-
American relations and to open the
way to new understanding doing
away with the Tito governments
extraordinary policy of provocation
against us-a policy of particular
danger because Russia, rightly or
wrongly, has been linked with it.
1t remains now for the United
States, in accordance with the terms
of it's ultimatum, to determine what
further steps to take in the light of
any new evidence that may be un-
covered and on the basis of Yugo-
Slavias sincerity in making amends.
This probably will involve negotia-
tions over such matters as an in
demnity bill and ironclad guarantees
regarding the future safety of our
forces.
Such negotiations should go far
toward creating a new atmosphere
in the relationship between occupy
ing forces everywhere. At any rate,
if they result in better and safer
arrangement between us and Rus
sia's satellite in the Venezia Giulia
area, they should at least have the
effect OF encouraging the same sort
OF arrangement between our own
and Soviet forces in all parts of the
world. The firm and blunt stand
we have taken in this respect, wholly
apart from being completely justi-
fed, thus may prove to have a
powerful influence in reversing the
trend toward deeper and deeper an
tagonism between the western Allies
and the east ess~i a
The United States, in any case
may take proper pride in the way
it has handled this potentially grave
situation. In times past, if a great
nation were wronged by small ma
ton, the great nation more fire.
quently than not would tell the small
nation to give prompt satisfaction
or face immediate armed retaliation.
But here America, the most power
full country on earth, restrained It
self and said that If its demands
were not satisfied Yugoslavia would
have to answer not to us but to the
Security Council of the United Ma
tions.
This represents something new,
and something altogether whole<
some, in history. In living up honor
ably and admirably to it's obligations
under the United Nations Charter,
the United States has demonstrated
its active faith in the international
machinery that has been set up to
maintain peace. To be sure, had
Yugoslavia not yielded, the U. N.
would have had to face by far It's
most crucial test to date and had
Russia used its veto in favor of its
satellite, the whole organization
might have collapsed in paralysis
and failure.
The fact that Yugoslavia has not
forced this test, however, is evidence
OF its respect, and of Russia's re-
spect, for what the United Nations
can accomplish, If only as a focus
point Of world opinion and world
Judgment. This is encouraging at
time when it is all too easy to be
discouraged. The American ultima
tum clearly appears to have yielded
good fruit.