Evening star., 1947-03-27
Russia Is Not Ready
To Strike Bargain on
Reich, Actions Show
By NewboId Moves, Jr.
Star Stoff Correspondent

MOSCOW, MAI. Zf.-1Iie SfSIlS,
such as they are, seem today to
indicate that Russia is not ready
to make a serious try at striking
a bargain over Germany at this
conference.
Secretary of State Marshall said
so yesterday He told the Council
of Foreign Ministers that it was
becoming "ensnarled" in unim-
portant complications making the
possibility of reasonable progress in
negotiations unfortunately re-
mote"
The remark is being variously in
terpreted by delegation spokesmen.
Plainly, however, Gen. Marshall was
accusing the Russians of stalling.
Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov,
thus admonished, agreed before the
close Of the meeting to allow the
ministers to talk this afternoon
about German assets In Austria, key
to the Austrian treaty 1ogjam. But
he had already made clear that Rus
sia would prefer to put the issue
of until Austria comes UP as the
last item on the conferences
agenda. Feeling this way there is
little doubt but that he can make
sure the ministers talk today about
disputed German assets, which Rus
sia wants without deciding anything.
Long Quibbling Session.
The whole tenor of yesterdays
session four and three-quarter
hours of tedius quibbling on proce-
dure-strengthened the doubts of
the majority of observers that the
Russians are not yet anxious enough
for an agreement on Germany to
bargain seriously here.
So did the fact that the co-ordi-
mating committee, which was to have
clarified areas of agreement and
disagreement for the council last
Tuesday, is still embroiled in its
task. According to the understand
ing of American and British dele
cations, at least, that task should
have been a relatively simple one.
The committee almost certainly
won't have its report ready by this
afternoons session, although there
is some hope that it will be available
tomorrow.
These, of course, are very in
tangible sign posts. 1t Is true that
Council meetings these days are
relatively free from the sort of
savage recrimination which one has
come to expect at Big Four meet
ings. The result is that the atmos-
phere here is still good-better than
at previous gatherings.
1t is also true that Mr. Molotov
has made statements in the course
of these negotiations which could
reasonably be interpreted, and were
interpreted, as indicating that Rus
sia was really anxious this time to
get substantial agreement.
Marshall May Set Limit.
But he has yet to follow through
on these statements. And in the
light OF the general drift of the
last "a hours persons close to Gen
Marshall think it is quite possible
that If nothing positive develops
within the next few days he may
tell the Russians things must be
wound up and all possible agree
ments reached within a certain
time limit.
This would be the tactic the Rus
slams themselves have used at other
conferences. AS one official put it
last night 1--WE may be slow, but
we can learn"
If events do take this course it
seems likely that the conference
may finish as early as April 10. No
really authoritative prediction, how
ever, Is possible. How long it would
take to wind up the negotiations, of
course, depends on the number of
peripheral conference issues which
seem near conclusion at the time
the decision Is taken to speed nego-
tiations to a close.
Thus, for example, if the only
prospect next week is that the con-
ference can agree on certain
directives to the control councils
and deputies, 1t might be possible
to close shop here early the follow
Ing week If the Austrian treaty
agreement seems in the cards the
closing process would take a little
longer.
Limited Results Expected.
This sort of limited ACCOMPLISH
ment would be in line with what
was generally expected of the con-
ference when it opened. The con-
ference would, under these circum-
stances. occupy a position in history
roughly equivalent to the London
meetings of the Council in the
autumn of 1945 when the ministers
started feeling each other out on
the satellite treaties.
Such speculation clearly depends
on the supposition that nothing
positive will develop here soon. 1t
is still possible, of course, that,
under pressure of her need for rep
arationS and her anxiety to get a
share of control of industrial West
Germany Russian may have to start
an overall German settlement here
But the feeling today is that this
is definitely an outside chance; that
Russia is indicating now she will
not pay the price we are asking for
what she wants without first trying
everything else. And everything
else includes letting this Moscow
Conference close without an overall
agreement.
The Russians, after all, have been
getting things pretty much their
own way at these conferences. 1t
must be hard for them to get used
to the new resistance path which
they are faced and to the idea that
now they must start coming our
way if they want meeting of minds.
1t may take them a little time.