Evening star., 1948-02-26

mentioned It q number Of times at
cabinet meetings. / said bluntly ]
thought that the instigators Of the
war, German, Japanese and Italian,
should all be hanged.
As long as I was at the State
Department my idea was not def
nitely rejected. It was changed In
favor of a formal trial after I re-
signed as Secretary OF State.
I do not want. however, to be un-
derstood as being opposed to the
Nuremberg trial. I heartily supported
that course when it was later de-
cided upon. My thought has only
to do with the difference in the form
of trial.
After having been in Moscow
nearly a week, remarked to Molo-
tov that / did not know what the
protocol was with regard to an au-
dience with Marshal Stain; I did
not know how long to wait or
whether had waited too long; but
In any event would be honored If
could see his boss" and would
leave the matter to Molotov.
Eden had seen Stain briefly soon
after getting to Moscow, but he had
made arrangements In advance for
the audience. had made no such
arrangements. My theory was that
I should do business with Molotov,
and not let him think / wished to
go over his head to Stain.
In very short order Molotov in
formed me that Stain would see me
at the Kremlin at 3 pm, October rs.
Conference Agreed To.
One of the foremost topics Of our
conversation, I knew, would be the
proposed meeting of Roosevelt, Sta
lin and Churchill. Considerable diff
ficulties, however, had arisen. Be-
fore and after my arrival in Moscow
the President was exchanging cables
with Stain relating to the meeting.
The conference was agreed to in
principle, but the insurmountable
obstacle appeared to have risen over
the place of the meeting.
In cable on October IL the Presi-
dent suggested Baghdad, capital OF
Iraq, or Asmara, capital of Italian
Eritrea In East Africa, now occu-
pied by British troops, or Ankara,
capital of Turkey, Stain had al
ready proposed Teheran. The Pres
fdent suggested November 20 or 25
as the date. @'i' > '9'1' 'N''
On October 10 Stain replied that
he could not accept any of the places
proposed by the President in lieu Of
Teheran. He said 1t was not a
question OF protection, which did not
worry him, but q question of main
tanning close contact with the Soviet
Army during its present offensive
operations. He said his colleagues
considered that these operations de-
manded hts personal contact with
the high command. Such contact
could be assured at Teheran because
Of the existence Of direct telegraph
and telephone connections with
Moscow.
The President sent me lolg tele-
gram on October 81 saying that
Teheran, as he had learned from
careful check Of the time risk in
volved and his own constitutional
obligations, was impossible for him.
He meant he could not be in place
so isolated as to prevent his receiv-
ing legislation from Congress and
returning it physically within 10
days. Teheran was difficult of ap-
proach by airplane because of high
and planes might have
to wait several days before getting
In or getting out.
Message for Stain.
The President said that Stain had
shown no realization of Mr.. Roose-
velt's obligations in his reply to the
several messages. He
therefore asked me to give Stain
from him and explain to
him orally the definite and plain
reasons for not wanting to go to
Teheran, which were not based on
personal desire, but were fixed con-
stitutionally.
He therefore suggested Basra, Iraq,
instead. Stain could run a special
telephone wire from Teheran to
Basra, which would be controlled by
Russians and would still give him
direct contact with Moscow.