Evening star., 1948-07-27
Negotiating With Russia

Negotiating With Russia
Despite the Anglo-American action ban
ming rail traffic into the Soviet zone, Gen.
eral Clay's remarks in Berlin and reports
on the Western diplomatic talks in London
make 1t seem probable that the United
States will 60 along with Britain and
France in agreeing to new Four-PoWer
conference on Germany as whole. Ap-
parently the only important condition
attached to this is that the Russians, for
their part, must be ready to end the block
ade of the former German capital.
In view of their evident desire for weeks
past to convene an overall German con-
ference, the men of the Kremlin can
hardly consider the lifting of the blockade
too high price to pay for such meeting.
After all, as the Anglo-American airlift
has demonstrated, the blockade itself is
an obvious failure in the sense that it
cannot force the withdrawal of the West
ern Powers from Berlin or prevent us
short of war-from meeting the essential
food and fuel needs OF the population for
as long period as may be necessary,
regardless of weather conditions.
Actually, If they are reasonable or If
they have any real desire to avert armed
conflict through conciliation and negotia-
ton, the Russians should find it better
than-fair exchange to lift the blockade in
return for an Anglo-French-Americ
concession to discuss with them again the
problem Of Germany as whole, not merely
Berlin. Certainly it should be as obvious to
them as 1t is to the Western Powers that
the blockade adds up to duress of kind
under which no self-respecting govern
1t must therefore be ended before a four
power conference can achieve. anything
Under the best of circumstances, of
course, even without the blockade, such
conference-presumab on the foreign
minister level-will have hard going unless
the Russians are prepared to retreat from
some of the proposals they have made in
demanding it. These proposals include
Cd that provisional government be set
up for the whole of Germany, (2) that
final peace treaty be written and occupa-
ton forces withdrawn, and (3) that the
industrial Ruhr, now under the thumb of
the Western Powers, be subject for fixed
period to four-power control, under which
Moscow would have voice and a veto in
determining the disposition of the areas
great actual and potential production. It
is scarcely conceivable that France, Britain
or the United States would agree to the
latter idea. AS for a provisional govern
ment a peace treaty and the withdrawal
Of the occupying armies, all such measures
are greatly to be desired, assuming that
they are accompanied by ironclad guar
antees against rigged elections and the
danger of an eventual coup by Kremlin-
serving German Communists. What needs
to be guarded against, in Short is any
arrangement that would give the Soviets
chance to convert the country into a
satellite and thus insure their domination
of all of Europe.
II the Russians are looking for an
honest and workable agreement, however,
If they are ready to put an end to the
kind of policy they have been following in
places as far apart as Korea and Czecho-
slovakia, then the Western Powers have
good reason to suspend the effort to set
up separate West German state. That
effort-an effort simply to make the best
of bad situation-has been forced upon
them by chaos-breeding Soviet obstruc-
tionism In Germany. 1t will be abandoned
with pleasure If the obstructionism itself
Is abandoned. The Kremlin has only to
show concrete evidence of good faith
such as lifting the blockade-to make pos
sible settlement that can lead to enduring
peace in Europe and throughout the
world
But the 'ifs" involved are very big. The
Soviet Unions past record on abiding by
agreements Is far from encouraging. A
new four-power conference on Germany
cannot succeed unless the Russians have
at last made up their minds to cooperate
sincerely and honestly. Accordingly, al
though the Berlin outlook has frightened
perceptibly, optimism must be decidedly
qualified until they show by specific deeds,
and not mere words, that they are truly
in favor Of building a good peace With
out that, little but futility can be expected
from any fresh negotiations with them.
Longevity Report
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