Evening star., 1948-04-23

WIFI NuSSlu OlSVu
Soviet Overture Rejected
By State Department in
Jonuory, Says Writer
By David Laurence
Many people who are wondering
II there isn't some way for Russia
and the United States to get to
gether have assumed that the only
kind Of conference which could &C
complish anything would be between
President Truman and Marshal
Stain.
Mr.. Truman, however, squelches
the idea Of q personal meeting, say
ing that he doesn't want to leave
the country but would be glad II
Marshal Stain came here. ObW-
ously MIR. Stain can't 60 far away
from Russia, 50 o personal meeting
u out of the question.
But is a personal meeting between
the two heads Of state the only
way7 Last January the top diplo-
matte adviser to General Clay in
Berlin, former Ambassador Robert
Murphy, had an informal meeting
with the Russian diplomat who per-
forms the same service for the
Russian commander in chief In
Berlin. The upshot Of the CONVEX
sation was that there ought to be
some way for the two governments
to get closer together. Mr.. Muir
ply came to Washington soon after
ward and told the State Department
the details of the conversation.
Overture Rebuffed.
This overture by the Russians
was rebuf1ed by the United States
Government. The reasons have
never been made clear, although
officials of the American Govern
ment now say 1t wasn't signifi-
cant episode and could hardly be
classed as a real gesture Of cooper
alton. In any event, they chose
to regard it as informal and not
official, and nothing has happened
since.
Although a man of Mr.. Murphy's
diplomatic experience evaluates the
Russian initiative as significant, 1t
may we'll be that the State Depart
ment, for reasons of its own, chose
to regard the approach as without
Importance.
The American people want to find
an honorable basis Of understand
ing with the Russian people. Secre-
tary Of State Marshall on his last
trip to Moscow purposely stayed
away from Marshal Stain until the
Foreign Ministers Conference was
almost over and commitments had
been made to disagree on vital SUBJ
Jects. Many people in Congress have
wondered why Secretary Marshall
did not 60 earlier to see Marshal
Stain.
One explanation given hereabouts
Is that Mr.. Stain isn't as powerful
as he once was and that the Polit-
buro, or group of Communist leaders,
directs the strategy and that the
Premier merely has the power Of
recommendation. 1t Is being said
here that Molotov is more of a pow
or in the Politburo than is Marshal
Stain.
Whatever the difficulties of per-
sonal meeting between President
Truman and Marshal Stain or be-
tween Secretary Marshall and the
Russian government, there is still
another way. 1t is for the President
to appoint a commission CT five to
ten outstanding Americans to visit
Moscow and discuss all. manner of
questions in. an attempt to bring
about an overall settlement.
Power of Recommendation.
Such a commission-composed of
educators, diplomats, churchmen, |
egislators-would have only the
power of recommendation to the
State Department, but it is a fair
assumption that, if the mission
reached some real adjustments of
pending questions, the recommended
tions would form the basis for
formal agreements.
There is precedent for such a step.
When relations between Russia and
the United States were strained
after the Bolshevist revolution of
1917, President Wilson sent Elihu
Root to Moscow at the head of
citizens mission. Mr.. Root was at
the time the elder statesman of
the Republican Party and had
served with distinction as Secretary
of State for many years under Re-
publican Presidents.
The advantage Of an informal
mission over a Secretary of State
In the present circumstances is that
the informal approach would be
possible. This means covering
wide variety of subjects without
the official inhibitions that am
bassadors must necessarily feel in
official parleys.
There are many who say that 1t
Is futile to talk with the Russians
and that nothing can be accom-
plished. Those who hold that view
are merely saying that military
force Is the only answer. If that be
so, then Congress and the Presi-
dent are admittedly wrong in refus-
ing to accept the $4,000 00O,0O addi-
ton to armament expenses recon-
mended by the United States Joint
Chiefs of Staff as the only way to
assure the American peoples safety
against attack. If, on the other
hand, neither the Russian govern
ment nor any other government in
Europe wants war, the task Is still
one for diplomacy. and the sending
Of mission is a normal device used
to attempt to settle international
disputes.
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