The Republican., 1947-08-21
The Limit Reached

F., The conviction that fol, two years
now we have been foolishly playing
into the hands of the Russian leaders
whose objective is not peace but
chaos, and who have not the re-
motest desire for international friend
ship, is practically unanimous in both
political parties. Differ as they may
on domestic issues, they are united
as to that. The only dissent comes
from the Wallace group on the
Democratic side and a few isolation
lists on the other, Neither means
much.
! Perhaps it was essential to exhaust
every possibility of Russian cooper
alton. Perhaps those two years Of
futllity were necessary to prove that
/ Russian cooperation is mirage and
! Russian strategy from the start has
been to nullify. Illustrate, delay and
! block all efforts to make the Zone
: World' idea a reality. In that, at any
rate they have succeeded. They also
have succeeded in eXhausting Ameri-
can patience, opening American eyes
and creating an overwhelming
! American sentiment against per
hitting the Soviet leaders to con-
tinue making fools of us. So strong
is this feeling that the policy molders
are being forced to make of the No
vembcr meeting of Foreign Ministers
an absolute deadlinc
/ 1t is not only that the best-informed
i men are convinced that anything else
is illogical and ndefensible, not to
say idiotic, but public sentiment has
! reached a pitch where another eX-
hibtion such as occurred in Moscow
/ last spring will not be tolerated. Then
! Mr.. MolotoE imperviOus to every ap-
peal and rejecting every argument,
brought the conference to an utterly
| ridiculous close, making the whole
| business an absurd waste of time,
money and effort The limit has been
reached Everything that could be
done to secure Russian acquescence
has been done. None save the incura-
bic partisan can seriously believe
now that the Russians intend-or
ever intended-to cooperate. No one
not obviously beclouded can be misled
further by softheaded urgings to
understand the Russians.
We were not very smart ever to
have done so, but certainly now it is
imuch too clear to dispute that their
fixed policy is against any kind Of
international cooperation which we
possibly could contemplate. In two
years time they have reduced the
United Nations to complete futility
Through exercise Of their veto they
have prevented an inch of progress
in the supremely vital job Of con-
trolling atomic energy in the inter
ests of international peace BY laying
down impossible conditions they have
brought every conference since the
shooting ended to an inglorious and
innocuous conclusion. They have con-
sistently violated written treaties and
agreements as we'll as verbal under
standings until no one anywhere has
any confidence in Russian promise
Clearly, we cannot continue to be
the egregrious boobs we have been for
two years Clearly, to let the Soviet
leaders longer lure US with the idea
that just little more effort and an
other conference on so will bring US
together in amity and accord is just
| silly. There is such wide agreement on
| this score that a concrete program of
action at the November conference is
| beginning to emerge The first step
in this is not to let that conference
| run along through tedious weeks Of
| shadow boxing, as have the others;
but just as soon as it is apparent the
Russian policy of procrastination and
excuse has not changed, in effect, to
say to them this: Enough. This
conference is over. There will be no
others. We are going ahead on our
own. We will make our own peace
treaties with Germany and Japan. If
| later you want to come in, the door
will be open; but, for all time, we are
! through with this kind of nonsense" J"
We not only should say that but mean
| it.
| Following that, we should say
and mean-to the free nations of the
! West-includng Britain and France,
something like this: Russian cooper
alton concededly is impossible, We
are going to make treaties with Ger
many and Japan. We recommend you
J do the same If you do, and then will
agree to conditions permitting US to
aid you to regain your economic
health without sinking ourselves, we
will aid to the extreme limit of our
capacity. If you will not agree, then
we have but one alternatives: to with
draw all aid and all troops abroad and
confine ourselves to our own CONT
nent and our own welfare. This will
he nainfnl for us but it win be fatal