Evening star., 1948-02-07
They Protest Too Much

1t is not clear just what the SOVle1
Union is seeking to accomplish with us
sudden spate of diplomatic protests against
alleged American wrong doing in various
parts of the world. Within recent days, IN
swift succession, its complaints have been
directed against % our arrangements
with the British for use of air transport
bases in Libya; (2) our naval visits to
italian ports; 90 our military technical
mission in Iran, and "a our planes in the
Far Pacific, which are accused OF having
'buzzed" Russian vessels. The substance
of the complaints is that we have been
acting aggreSsively and that the Kremlin
wants us to mend our ways without further
delay.
Up to the moment the State Department
has stated it's position regarding all these
protests except the one bearing upon our
planes in the Pacifc-a charge which
probably will be answered in due course.
AS far as Libya is concerned our arrange
ments with the British are perfectly Vald
and fully in keeping with the Italian peace
treaty The same holds true for our naval
visits to Italy, with the added point that
the De Gasperi government acting within
its sovereign rights, has not only permitted
but welcomed the visits. Finally, in the
case of Iran, our mission constitutes tiny
contingent of officers and men, and its
operations have been so openly reported
to the United Nations that the Kremlln has
no grounds whatever for accusing it of
militarizing the country or fortitylng the
northern frontier against Russia.
The Soviet complaints, in short are ILL
founded, distorted and false. What is
more, the Stain government must know
that they are. Yet, going beyond its usual
custom of confining such stuff to propa-
ganda outlets like the Moscow radio and
Pravda, it has been at pains to air its So
called grievances through formal protests
at high level of diplomacy. Why this
new twist to its campaign against the
United States? Do the men of the Kremlin
feel that the diplomatic approach will lend
dignity or plausibility to their assault on
the truth? Are they trying to lay the
groundwork for an anti-American maneu-
yer in the United Nations? Is their real
motive to counter mass discomfort within
Russia by hoodwinking the Russian people
into believing that they must unite against
the imaginary common danger of Ameri-
can encirclement? Or is the objective
simply to try to get us to pull out of places
where we have right to be?
Whatever the answer, the men OF the
Krenlin are protesting too much over TOO
little, and they are doing so for purpose,
no matter how obscure the purpose may
be. OF course, from the standpoint OF
propaganda designed for home conSump-
tion, they may be able to make much OF
American activity around the globe But
If the blindfolded Russian and satellite
peoples can be misled into regarding such
activity as "encirclement," the free world
will recognize it for what it actually is
namely, natural common sense, but un-
fortunately not yet adequate response to
the real danger of these times
That danger is the Soviet Unions clearly
demonstrated policy of direct and indirect
aggression. Until that ends, security con-
siderauons will make it imperative for the
United States in concert with like-minded
nations, to develop as strong global
strategic position as possible. Protests from