Evening star., 1948-07-22
Administration Urqed
To Deery All Talk
OF Possible War
Case Should Be So Clear
Thot Any Action Should
Not Smell of Politics
By David Laurence


By David Laurence
The worst thing that could
happen In the present crisis In
United States-Russian relations is
for the impression to develop that
President Truman and his admin
istration might, through incom-
petence or mistaken zeal, foment
a war.
The pointed comment from
Messrs. Dewey and Stassen, warn
ing that the slightest degree OF
"mismanagement" by sthe United
States in the Berlin area might
bring grave consequences" is un-
questionably the result of a political
fear that war may be precipitatec
during a campaign year as means
Of influencing the election.
The Truman administration wise
ly put out a statement through
Secretary Marshall to the effect
that every diplomatic resource
would be utilized to avoid war. Un-
happily, this statement does not
strike at the most dangerous de-
velopment of the last few days. Dis
patches have gone out from Berlin
and from Washington limiting that
an armored column or train would
be sent into the blockaded area
and the Russians would be chal-
lenged to halt such train or
column.
Immediately, the Russians have
let it be known that they would
halt or interfere with such an
operation.
Unwise Suggestion.
The mystery is that anyone in
the American Government should
be responsible for such an unWlse
suggestion, and it is surprising that
neither President Truman nor Sec
retary Marshall have not yet public
ly repudiated the idea.
For If the American people are
asked to 90 to war, it is to be hoped
that the case will be so clear that
it will not smell of partisan politics
or a provocative act To send an
armored train into the Berlin area
is to ask for war. The issue has not
yet become one of asserting rights.
The overall problem of finding a
basis for agreement with Russia
concerns not merely the Berlin area
but all OF Germany. The question
of what rights America has In Ber-
lin is one for a higher tribunal to
decide-obviously through the legal
processes of the United Nations. 1t
is unthinkable that the United
States Government would resort to
show of force, or an assertion of
rights, or a challenge until all
courses of diplomacy and the use
of United Nations tribunals have
been exhausted.
The publicity for the idea of send
ing in an armored train has done
a lot of mischief already. 1t Is
amazing that so many days can
pass without a realization by high
officials of the American Govern
ment that the armored-train idea
not only Is inconsistent with Amer
lean tradition but would make for
the Russians exactly the case in
ternaily they might need to solidify
their own public opinion.
The Russians, to be sure, are try
ing to harass the Americans in Ber-
lin, and the more they exhibit their
pressure the more the whole world
will recognize the nature of the
steps being taken by the Russians
to get the Americans to withdraw.
The situation calls for patience as
the Russians make the record.
To withdraw from Berlin would
not be a dishonorable act for
United States forces if it were ac-
companied by a decision of the
Allies insisting that the Russians
and all other forces likewise with
draw from Germany at the same
time.
Blunder at Potsdam.
The dispute over the right to
supply the Berlin area is not suffl-
GENTLY important in itself to be
worth risking a war. The fact is
that President Truman and his
advisers made a colossal blunder at
Potsdam-as Gov. Dewey and Har-
old Stassen have pointed out-in
failing to get explicit agreements
for the use of the corridor for supply
purposes. The record of rights in
the matter is somewhat fuzzy-and
again it isn't worth war to try
to cover up a bad piece of diplo-
macy or negotiation on our part at
Potsdam.
The American note insisting that
the blockade be lifted as condi-
ton of a conference has been re-
jected by the Russians, who, how
ever, want to confer. The situation,
therefore, calls for an immediate
conference anyway and for an at
tempt at an agreement on a general
withdrawal. The problem Of en-
forcing such agreements as exist
and which the Allies claim have
been broken-is one for the United
Nations to resolve on the theory
that the present situation consti-
tutes threat to world peace. 1t
was not intended that the U. N.
charter would examine questions
growing out Of World War II but,
if war is on the horizon, the U. N.
can step in.
Until that step has been taken,
all talk of war should be decried
and those American off1cials who
inspire news dispatches about
armored trains ought to be warned
to avoid that kind Of mischievous
conversation with the press.
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