Evening star., 1948-05-27
Soviet Peace Drive
Branded Propar linda
by Boh|en in Speech
Nv IN. As,oe;oted Press

The United States pinned be-
lated but ofhcial propaganda" label
today on Soviet Russia's spring
peace offensive.
Charles E. Bohlen, State Depart
ment counselor and Secretary Mar
shalls principal adviser on dealings
with Moscow, charged fatty that:
l. Foreign Minister Molotov mutt
lated" Ambassador Walter Bedell
Smiths restatement of United States
policy to make it sound like pro-
posal for direct negotiation of So
Wet American differences.
2. The way in which Moscow pub
llished. the Smith Molotov exchange
and Prime Minister Stalin,s re-
sponse to Henry A. Wallace's open
letter-showed Russia was acting
in the propaganda field and not in
the realm of serious policy"
Mr.. Bohlen furthermore predicted
/ in a commencement address at the
University of Arizona last night
that Russia will resort again to the
same tactics OF distortion" in an
effort to confuse people Of the
United States and the Western
democracies. :
Deal Ruled Out.
Mr.. Bohlen thus went beyond
President Truman and Secretary
Marshall in declaring that the
United States never intended to
try to settle differences with Rus
sia by means of big power deal.
Mr.. Bohlen's speech at Tucson left
no such uncertainty as to the State
Departments final and, official view
of the short-lived Soviet peace Of
fensive.
When Moscow Unexpectedly dis
closed the May approach Gen.
Smith made to Mr.. Molotov, Mr..
Truman hastened to explain that
Gen. Smiths purpose was two-fold:
To stress (a) that the United States
lis determined to press its. policies
without change and (b) that this
country has no aggressive designs
toward Russia.
Gen. Marshall went one step
further in stating that Moscow
should prove its expressed desire
for better relations with the United
States by agreeing to press for set
Elements in the United Nations and
other international agencies.
Omissions Were Noed.
The administration thus left it to
Mr.. Bohlen-speaking with the full
authority of the State Department
to write off the whole Soviet
maneuvering as a propaganda Of
fensive.
The department had called at
tention to omissions in the Moscow
radios version of Gen. Smiths con-
versation with Mr.. Molotov.
But it used no such language as
Mr.. Bohlen did last night in saying
the Kremlin had "mutilated" the
final paragraph of Gen. Smiths
statement 'in order to convey to
the world a thoroughly misleading
impression"
Mr.. Bohlen noted that Gen. Smith,
in referring to members OF the So
Wet government, had told Mr..
Molotov:
They have it in their power to
alleviate many of the situations
which weigh so heavily on all fn-I
ternational life. 1t is our earrfesta
hope that stltey will take advantages
ot these possibilities"
U. S. Integrity Is Cited. i
BY this omission, Mr.. Bohlen said.
"it was possible momentarily for the
Soviet government to create the i'm
preston throughout the world that
the United States had. proposed
direct negotiations when the, fuli
text was not susceptible of any such |
Interpretation" IN -
Mr.. Bohlen went on:
ITO negotiate bilaterally on matters
of vital interest to other countries
without their being present is not
the type of negotiation which this
country would be prepared to un-
dertake. It would not barter terri
tory or peoples in any game OF great
power politics.
THE integrity of our actions and
OF the reputation of this Govern
ment for honest dealing is one OF
the most priceless assets which the
United States possesses. 1t cannot be
bartered away for temporary prop |
aganda advantage or even to offset
temporary propaganda disadvan-
tage."
I:L>Ic..:. Al. CEn nm