Evening star., 1947-01-26


not replaced by leaders who would
tie her to Moscow.
The United States and Britain
appear now to have given up most
of the hope they held originally
of prying open the iron curtain
which encompasses Finland, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania
and Yugoslavia, and are witnessing
iungary's final feeble effort to starve
off devourment in the Communist
mass. Only in Greece and Turkey
is there still hope of warding of
Red domination, and as long as
they can be held in close relations
with the western powers the Dar-
danelles and the Mediterranean are
safe from Russian control.
Evidence of Russia's growing con-
viction that she has been fought
to diplomatic standstill in her
expansion Is provided in
a variety OF ways.
Moscow De-emphasized.
In France the Communists under
Maurice Thorez and Jacques Duclos
are proving more tractable and
more disposed to participate IN
coalition government with other
parties. They are demanding less
positive control for themselves, but
seeking to intrench themselves in
the lower ranks of French official
dom-particularly the armed forces
where they can quietly carry on
the party's work.
The situation in Italy is some
what different, with the Com
munists a bit better intrenched,
particularly in the trade unions.
However, the line against them is
being more tightly drawn.
On Moscow's side of the "iron
curtain" the evidence of political
and economic solidification, as a
consolidation of gains already made
is extensive. Under Moscow's aegis
the effort is being made to establish
"a Balkan bloc which would provide
economic unity, sought for so many
years before World War II, as well
as political unity, which derives
from similar domestic systems and
which would serve to freeze the
Balkans as an appendage of Mos
COW.
Soviet Eyes German Output.
In Germany itself the Russians
are actively making use of their
deeply intrenched position to COM
pete with the western powers
avowed intention to reconstruct the
German economy in the west.
Moscow's announced purpose to ease
the reparations burden on her zone
of the Reich and to raise the indus
trial level there 200 or 800 per cent
is not only an obvious bid for Ger
man favor, but reveals the extent
to which Moscow desires to harness
German economy to her own, draw
ing on Germany's industrial po-
tential.
Evidence that the Western pow
ers are resigned to a prolonged divi-
sion of Europe, and particularly
Germany, between the two major
blocs of nations, has been accumu-
lating for some time.
As the deputies Of the Council
of Foreign Ministers proceed with
their work in preparation for the
Moscow conference March 10 it be-
comes increasingly evident that a
basic cleavage of purpose exists
in occupation policy between Rus
sia on the one hand and the United
States. Britain and France on the
other.
In political matters Russia wants
a highly centralized German gov
ernment in which her tightly Or
ganized and militant Socialist Unity
Party Is. E. d. would have the
broadest scope for its operations and
the widest area in which to force
through the merger of Social Demo-
Gratis and Communist Parties in the
hope of obtaining a Communist ma
jority in any new unified German
government.
The western powers political aim
is for a decentralized federated Ger
man government, with the national
political arena split up as much as
possible to give each land (state) a
government of its own complexion,
in the hope that Communist politi-
cal activity could be counteracted
easier on a limited stage than Oh
national one.
Srlit on Reparations.
Economically the two sides con-
tinue to be split over the ques-
ton of how reparations are to be
paid-out of current production or
out of existing plants and equip
ment. Russia is drawing heavily
on the output of her zone OF Ger
many, but promises the Germans a
great increase in the level of their
industrial output as means, pre-
sunaably, of paying off reparations
quickly. Russia is also crediting to
reparations account her present in
dustrial removals.
On the side Of the western powers
reparations removals have all but
ceased and the aim now is to restore
German industry to a peacetime
basis as quickly as possible to make
the western occupation zones self
supporting.
Perhaps the most significant de-
velopment along this line from the
American side was the exposition
OF Republican foreign policy given