Evening star., 1947-06-21
Russian Answer
On Marsha|I's S
Plan Awaited
Stolin Must Decide
To Join in PorIey
Or Go His Own Way
BY the A..oeiat.d Press

LONDON, June 2l.-This week
end may bring one of the de-
cisive moments in Europe's tan
gled history-and the decision
lies in the mind of Prime Min
lister Stain.
His problem: Shall Russia Join
Britain and France in planning an
economic lone world for Europe,
perhaps at the cost of a slipping
Red grip on Middle European gov
ernments, or shall she cast aside
the chance to unite Europe and go
her own way in her own politico-
economic sphere in the east?
British Foreign Secretary Bevin.
practiced in grasping the breaks"
of trade-union warfare, snatched at
American Secretary of State Mar
shall's skeletonized offer of June
to help rebuild Europe.
Russia Considering"
+ Hastily he called on French Pre-
mier Ramadier and French Foreign
Minister Bidault. In two days--in
Paris last Tuesday and Wednesday,
this potent European trio dispatched
to Russia call to join them-and
to decide by next Monday whether
the Soviet Union will come in.
Russia's officially inspired Com
munist newspaper Pravda greeted
Gen. Marshall's plan with a sim
gle blast and then relapsed into
silence: Now the Russian news
agency Tass announces that the
government is considering" the
matter.
moscow dispatches said the
Soviet government was believed
near decision on participation
in the proposed three-power con-
versations and added there is
good reason to believe Russian
representative will be sent. The
invitation has been announced
to the Russian people by press
and radio.)
The Russians undoubtedly are on
spot. They must decide quickly on
a course as momentous to them as
it will be to the rest of Europe.
Prime Minister Stains dilemma
is both economic and political.
Needs Dollar Funds
He needs machinery that he
could get with dollars accruing from
Joining in the plan. If he rejects it,
he gets no share of the dollars and
virtually no hope of promoting a
dollar loan of his own. And Europe's
Communist parties, bidding for pop
ular support on their ability to re-
store torn economies, loses face, for
the aid will not bear the Red mark.
If he accepts, he also must accept
the political fact that the plan will
tend to hold back the spread of
communism.
Mr.. Bevin apparently sees in Gen.
Marshall's sparely defined offer the
economic weapon for which he often
has wished so wistfully. With enough
coal, he has said repeatedly, he
could write his own ticket in Europe's
economic and political affairs-but
Britain itself depends on the United
States to exc out its scraped fuel
bins.
The United States has the coal
and the food.
Now, taking the initiative in
shaping Europe's approach to unified
economic aid from the New World,
Mr.. Bevin obviously sees Gen. Mar
shall's offer as the standard to bear
before Europe's hungering millions.
Russia Interested
The decision, which must come by
Monday night, is one for a single
Europe, virtually on Anglo-French
terms, or two Europes, with Mr..
Stain running his part of it by him.
self.
Tass, quoted on a Moscow radio
broadcast received here last night,
said the. Soviet Union felt that
information on the Marshall plan
was too scant but that she was "of
course interested" in the idea.
The agency reported this as
Foreign Minister Molotov's first
reaction to an urgent British
French request for a three-power
conference on Gen. Marshalls
proposal.
Besides Britain and France,
Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands
and Luxembourg have given forth
right approval to the Marshall
suggestion, but Norway, Sweden
and Denmark have been cautious
in their comments, presumably
while waiting for Moscow's reac-
ton. Eastern European nations In
the Russian orbit likewise have
been non-committal.