Evening star., 1947-10-15
Byrnes' Book Throws
Light on U. S..Soviet
Diplomatic Relations
Shows Wide Cop Between
Information Given People
And Thot to Insiders
By David Laurence

by former Secretary of State James
F. Byrnes Is the fact that there has
been given to the American people
at long last some vital information
on their relations with Russia.
Only by perusing this volume can
one realize the tragic gap which
exists between the information
available to the public and to the
insiders. Small wonder that rela-
tions between the United States
and Russia have deteriorated WITH
out a corresponding effort at I'm
provement. The people generally
hear one side-they get the United
States Governments view as handed
out In Washington and the Russian
governments view as 1t Is handed
out In Moscow.
While there is censorship in Rus
sia, there is form Of patriotic
restraint in America that effcctually
gags the critics, so many OF whom
are told that anything they 1lay
say will give laid and comfort" to
Russia. So far gone Is this psy-
chology that there Is a temptation
often to complete the phrase by
saying bluntfy-aid and comfort ito
the enemy"
Background Of Conferences.
Mr.. Byrnes tells the background
OF the conferences between our gov
ernmental representatives and those
Of Russia. He does not mince
words. He talks frankly and forth
rightly. But the more he tells the
more one wonders why some OF the
essential facts in our relations with
Russia have been kept 50 long from
the people. One wonders, too,
whether the whole cause of good
relations between Russia and the
United States wouldn't be bene-
1ited even at this late date If all
the documents and memoranda ex-
changed between the two govern
ments were to be made public.
Certainly with the bitter ex-
changes In the United Nations As
sembly, 1t cannot be argued that
the sensibilities Of the one or the
other of the governments would be
wounded by complete and conipre-
hensive publicity. Too many peo-
pie already are despairing Of the
possibility Of achieving an under
standing with Russia to worry much
about "sensibilities.
Mr.. Byrnes traces American policy
from the days Of the unfortunate
conference at Yalta. Today, every
body admits mistakes were made at
Yalta. Yet those Of us who at
tempted to raise a warning CRY at
the time of the Yalta Conference
were assailed for not going along
with the Government and for criti-
cizing the President of the United
States. The tendency in this country
to do goose step" in the matter of
refraining from criticism of our
foreign policy enabled the Russians
to get more In secret than they
could have got If American public
opinion had been we'll informed.
Also the policy that was pursued
gave the Russians the impression
that the United States was ready
to give away almost anything and
was not interested in reciprocal
obligations. ~s
Patience Wah Firmness."
To-Day there is greater need than
ever. says Mr.. Byrnes, for patience
with flrmness. What he means by
this is that America must not be-
come impetuous and cease to adopt
q course of patience and persistence
In dealing with Russia. Firmness
alone, he indicates, however, will not
persuade Russia to modify her
course. This Is but another way of
saying that the get tough" policy
was misinterpreted abroad as SO
much bluster. Unhappily, the Tru-
man Doctrine was surrounded with
an atmosphere of threat and coer-
cion which the Russians resented.
Unquestionably the sharp change in
Russo American relations dates
from the time the Truman doctrine
was announced as a means Of STOP
ping Russian aggression"
There have been times in recent
months when q direct understand
ing between Russia and the United
States might have been consum-
mated without loss Of national
honor to either side. But there
has been q tendency here to assume
that Russia could be intimidated
tust Is Russia has mistakenly as
suined that America could be har-
assed and annoyed to the point of
withdrawing from Europe alto
sether.
The most frequently heard COM
ment in Washington nowadays is
that the Russians are not going to
provoke a war and that Russia
eventually will weaken from within.
Both points ignore the Importance
Of national pride that can be- hurt
and cause strange things to happen
suddenly in international relations,
The Byrnes book is a valuable
contribution to the sum total of
knowledge Of our relations with
Russia. If more light could be
thrown ON the Russo American
problem, opinion In this country
would certainly be less confused and
there might be a determined effort
to find q basis Of understanding
rather than to let matters drift into
more serious stages when little can
be done to avert conflict.