Evening star., 1948-06-26
Red Program for Germany

Inc decisions OF the SOVleC piOC al lIo
meeting in Warsaw are interesting not
merely in themselves but also because OF
the background against which they were
formulated.
The meeting itself came as distinct
surprise, and there is reason to believe
that it was called on short notice. ThlS
was, of course, a conference OF govern
ments, represented by top-level representa-
tives, including Foreign Minister Molotov
of Russia. The eight participants COM
prise the Soviet Union and all seven OF
the satellite regimes, from Poland to AL
bania, set up under Russian pressure
behind its iron curtain. Its pronounce
ments, therefore, are official and authorl-
tative.
incidentally, this Warsaw meeting should
be sharply distinguished from another con-
ference, that of the so-called Cominform,
which was apparently held in deep secrecy
shortly before the Warsaw meeting. The
Cominform is an organization, not OF gov
ernments but of Communist parties in
various countries, including those OF France
and Italy, and is concerned primarily with
furthering the Communist cause on
worldwide basis. Naturally, whatever
decisions were taken by the Cominform
conference form part of Moscows grand
strategy, international communism being
under Soviet direction and control. They
thus mesh in with the decisions OF the
Warsaw meeting, which had more con-
crete and restricted objective.
That objective is Germany, and the con-
crete decisions taken may be considered
as tactical rather than strategic in char
acter. Moscow's strategy in Germany has
long been obvious. 1t is the establishment
of a Communist-d dominated regime cover
ing the whole of Germany, non1inally In
dependent, but actually another satellite
of the Soviet bloc There is nothing in
the f1ve-point program for Germany which
indicates any change in MoscoWs strategic
objective The actions of the Western
Powers are denounced as illegal and in
furious, and the speedy setting up of an
alderman provisional government Is
proposed as the preliminary to deflnitive
peace settlement, with evacuation OF all
occupation forces. That is Moscow's
familiar propaganda line.
However, two points should be noted.
Contrary to expectations in the West, the
Warsaw program does not provide for the
setting up of a regime in Eastern Germany
as an answer to that provided for under
the London agreement in the three west
ern zones. This, Of course, will give the
Communists an effective talking point that
it is the Western Powers who have split
Germany, whereas Russia is solicitous for
German unity.
The second noteworthy point is that
there is no mention in the program Of
Germany's eventual frontiers. 1t should
be remembered that the conference was
held in Warsaw and there can be no
doubt that the Polish government would
like to have had specific assurance that
there would be no revision of the former
German provinces assigned to Poland by
Moscow's unilateral action. This omission
presumably is another Russian bait for
German national feeling, whether or not
the implied hopes that may be raised are
valid or spurious.
AS for the program itself, 1t can clearly
form no basis for any negotiations between
Russia and the Western Powers. 1t is
just another major move in the diplomatic
struggle going on over Germany, and its
significance will doubtless be pointed up
by what takes place in Berlin during the
near future.