Evening star., 1948-07-23
Peace and the KremIin


seem nearly so good as President Truman
has declared, but at least they have
frightened some since last week end when
fears were widespread that the Berlin
crisis might erupt at any moment sinto
war.
One reason for the improved outlook
is that reliable intelligence reports have
tended to put check on emotional and
too-grim interpretations of the situation.
What the reports strongly indicate is that
the Russians, despite the extremely pro-
vocative nature OF their Berlin blockade,
do not appear to have been taking the
kind of military measures they would
have to take If they were getting ready
to prod us into an armed showdown this
summer.
Another reason for the leSsened tension
has been official emphasis of the fact that
the avenues of negotiation are still far
from closed. In their note rejecting the
Anglo-French-Americ demand for a
lifting of the blockade, the Russians did
not slam the door on the possibility of a
peaceful compromise. On the contrary,
although turning down the demand, they
described the blockade as temporary,
implicitly recognized our right to be in
Berlin by saying we ourselves had nullified
1t, and went on from there to intimate
they were willing to negotiate further.
Taking their cue from this, the United
States, Britain and France-the latter
without cabinet at the moment-are re-
ported ready to dispatch new notes de-
stoned tn tho ~ of y,
way, without in any sense appeasing it.
Their position has been to insist, as
precondition, that the blockade be ended
and that a four-power meeting then be
held to work out a Berlin settlement as
"a first step" toward a later full-dress
conference on the overall German situa-
tion The Soviet position, on the other
hand has been that the precondition Is
unacceptable and that negotiations on
Berlin cannot be separated from negotia-
tions on Germany as whole Accordingly,
the task Of diplomacy is to find a salts
factory middle ground between these two
opposing viewpoints.
To that end, as Secretary Marshall has
just made clear, the United States will
invoke every possible resource of negotia-
ton and diplomatic procedure" What we
seek is an @acceptable solution to avoid
the tragedy of war" This has been our
policy all along, and 1t has been carried
out faithfully and with great ability,
under severe tests, by General Lucus Clay,
our military governor in Germany, who
Is now here to counsel with the President
and the State Department. Undoubtedly
|ahe sees eye to eye with Secretary Marshall
In favoring negotiation to the full, but in
refusing at the same time to be coerced
or intimidated into withdrawing from
Berlin, view plainly implying that moth
ing can be discussed or settled until the
blockade-a kind OF pistol held against
our heads-is ended
But If the Russians withdraw the pistol
as their occupation commander now hints
they may be willing to do then it should
be possible for the United States in return,
to join Britain and France in meeting part
OF the Kremlins demands by broadening
the Berlin discussions into at least pre-
liminary four-power conference on Ger
many as whole. Such conference
assuming Soviet sincerity and good faith
could improve the situation throughout
Europe and make the peace outlook as
excellent as the President says it is.
Unless the Russians are prepared to
effect basic policy change, however,
shift from dominance-se seeking obstruc-
tionism to genuine co-operation-a new
German conference is not likely to &C
complish anything. The best that can be
said In the circumstances is that If the
blockade is lifted there will be at least
another chance to establish decent peace.
Conversely, if the blockade continues, there
will be little left to do but take the case
to the veto-ridden United Nations and
prepare for eventual war;
In sum, even though the intelligence
reports suggest that an early explosion is
unlikely and that it is premature now to
talk of sending armed conveys into Berlin
we must be ready for the worst. Every
type of negotiation and diplomatic action
must be tried, but the central fact is that
nothing will change much for the better
until the Kremlin itself changes for the
better.
1t is too soon to count Truman ont
There are those who can't coo hin, +o y.