Evening star., 1947-08-10

III vi GIlS NIOfCl llllCllU lICSly
ize, of course, that the Soviet moves
are calculated and are the result of
long planning. The Russian experts
in the State Department admit that
nothing but blunt talk on our part
can avoid another war in the near
future. But in the same breath they
say that the country is not prepared
for showdown; hence, strong talk
can only do harm and destroy what
little international prestige we still
have.
Much has leaked out about the
eventful conferences at Teheran,
Yalta and Potsdam. But not half
the story has been told. and cer-
tainly not by the keepers of state
secrets.
The public is entitled, two years
after VI day. to know what really
happened at these meetings where
the fate of so many nations was
sealed. 1t will help us understand
the Chinese situation, the European
situation and our relations with
almost every nation in the world.
Disclosure Of the whole truth, no
matter how unpallatable 1t may be
to some survivors Of the wartime
administration or damaging to the
prestige of some persons in i'm
portant Government positions, would
help the American people to Judge
and determine the policy its Gov
ernment should follow.
Russia Builds Subs
Recently the Navy Department
was very troubled by the fact that
the Russians we're building a large
number of submarines. According
to available reports the keels of
some 200 have been laid in Russian
Navy yards in Europe and the Pa
cif1c.
The Russians, who are notorious
for their lack of Imagination in
naval construction, at Potsdam were
given the right to take from Ger
many four prototypes of submarines,
the latest German designers had
constructed for an unrelenting sub
marine warfare.
These submarines have great
underwater speed-about 20 knots
and can carry, besides aircraft, buzz
bombs and launching devices. They
can also be fitted to launch other
types of missiles, such as micro
bombs, which the Russians have de-
veloped on a greater scale than any
other nation.
1t is said that some American and
British naval experts, having in
mind lasting peace, suggested that
all the German warships, particu-
larly the newer types which were
not actually used in the war, should
be destroyed. The Russians opposed
this at Potsdam.
The Usual Communique
Instead of putting up a fight and
bringing the whole. matter to the
notice Of the peace-hungry public
in the west, American officials
husheo up the matter and the public
was given the usual communique
which said innocuously that once
more the Allies were in full agree
ment and decided to share the
remainder of the Nazi navy.
American newspapermen may,
justly be accused of occasionally
letting out information which it
might be ill-advised to print pre-
maturely. But their mistakes are
far less damaging in the long run
than actual concealment of vital
information which the public Is
fully entitled to possess. 1
Suppression of information is the
basis of totalitarian power. With
out this powerful weapon in its
hands it could not last long. Open
diplomacy, embarrassing as it may
be to officials, is the only way to
bring about harmonious collabora-
ton between governments and their
peoples.
Por the past 10 years there has
been no such policy of open diplom-
acy in Washington. This may
account for the fact that Govern
ment officials, particularly those in
the State Department., complain so
frequently that public opinion and
Congress are not backing them
enough.