Evening star., 1948-05-17
Possible New Policy
Throughout World
Seen m Red Moves

Seen m ked Moves.
Opening Of Port Of Doiren
After ; Years and Shift oi
Diplomats Held Significant
By David Laurence
Is Russia On the verge Of q grad.
ual change In external policy
throughout the world?
More significant perhaps thar
the recent declaration of the So.
viets Of their willingness to enter
into q discussion Of existing diff
ferences Is the abrupt change ol
front by Russia In reopening thu
port Of Dsiren In China which had
been closed to Americans for three
years and also the sudden recall
Of important Soviet personne!
from various posts.
THUS Andrei Gromyko, who had
skillfully and suavely handled Rus
sian Affairs In the United Nations
for several. months, has been re-
placed by another envoy-JacoE
Malik, Just arrived from Moscow
Likewise, in Berlin, many OF the
high officers OF the Russian COM
mand are being recalled to Moscow
and others are being sent In as re-
placements.
When some governments make q
change either in their presidents OF
prime ministers or parliaments
shifts in national or international
policy are taken for granted. In
the case of a totalitarian govern
ment, a shift in program often Is
brought into being by a complete
change in spokesmen.
Litvinoff Incident Recalled.
When the Russians in 1889 en-
barked on their pro-Hitler policy
they removed Foreign Minister
Maxim Litvinoff, who had been
friendly to the democracies. Other
such changes have occurred many
times since and have heralded i'm
oortant alterations in policy.
II the Soviet Union has deter
mined on an era of mild co-opera-
ton rather than harassment and
annoying nesation in international
conferences, then It is natural TOR
different personnel to be selected
It would not do, for instance. Tor
Mr.. Gromyko now to make state
ments diametrically opposed 10
what he had been saying.
1t may we'll be that in the Krem-
lin a shift in policy is regarded as
a natural reorientation OF policy in
changing circumstances and that
there is no embarrassment felt
about reversing previous positions
in . bargaining process.
Certainly within a week or TWO
1t should be possible to know the
extent to which the Soviets have
changed front. Evidence Will be
forthcoming doubtless in various
committees OF the United Nations.
1t would not be at all surprising
for instance, to see Russia consent
to 4 modification Of the veto on
procedural matters Such a change
is really not substantial but it would
create q favorable impression every
where.
Gen. Smiths Interpretation.
Moscow may be getting ready also
10 show In other ways . concilia- =
tory disposition. A reconvening OF
the fotr-power conferences to set
tie German 'And Austrian questions
n1ay be confidently expected If the
Russians indicate the nat,fre Of the
revisions of previous policy they now
are willing to make:
There is reason to believe that
Ambassador Walter Bedell Smith At
Moscow did not interpret the Molo-
tov treply as meaning a reopenlng
of two-power conversations but as q
rejection of four-power conference
at this time. So much has the
American Government been expect
ing the action of Russia to concern
. resumption Of four-power con-
situations that the significance OF
the Russian willingness to talk
things over first in two-power ex-
changes through diplomatic chan
nels appears to have been over
looked. Maybe the departure OF
the American ambassador on
fishing trip prompted the Russians
to make public the notes rs one
way of accelerating action.
The exposure Of all the details OF
the exchanges of last week has
helped to point up the possibility
that much exploratory work can
be done at Moscow between the
American and Soviet governments
and that an outline of what may be
accomplished in such larger con-
ference now can be made.
Smiths Return Seen Necessary.
One thing seems necessary and
that is q return Of Gen. Smith from
his fishing trip. There Il consider
able puzzlement as to why he did
not receive instructions to cancel
the trip and start in on the con-
situations that could prove the fore
runner Of big developments In the
world.
Meanwhile, the administration is
receiving criticism for failing to
keep the door open wide. The truth
is that the publicity given the dip
lomatic exchanges has been Of such
a varied nature that the Soviets
are tending to discount the harsh
official utterances here that have
greeted Russian willingness to enter
into discussions.
The pressure to pursue the ex-
changes Of notes and to find basis
for agreement Is strong. There is
suddenly conviction that peace
talks need not be futile and that
they could conceivably be construc-
tive, though agreements at an early
date and on all outstanding issues
can hardly be expected until both
sides have indicated true willing
ness to, adjust their viewpoints.
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