Evening star., 1948-08-08

Nations General Assembly.
Only limited optimism prevails ir
Warrington on the outcome OF the
conversations between the western
ambassadors and the Kremlin. Rus.
SLAMS experts in the State Depart.
ment are modestly happy becaus'
Mr.. Stain himself agreed to receive
the representatives Of the United
States, Britain and France. They
consider such q concession by tht
great hermit" sufficiently indica'
tiye to justify a measure Of hopt
that diplomatic conversations car
still solve international problems
even outside Of the U. N.
May Be Another Munich
Others in highly placed position
in washington fear that we may b
going to another Munich. 1t is re-
called that we stated before the
world that we wo1ild not permit tht
u. 8. 8. r. to coerce US into any
kind Of conference through hel
manipulations in Berlin.
We announced solemnly that the
Berlin situation, which was caused
by Russia's wanton violation Of in.
|ternational agreements. has nothing
to do with the other problems which
Russia has created between east anc
west.
Our State Department emphati-
cally expressed its willingness to dis
cuss an equitable solution Of the
issues which have brought the world
to the brink of third world war
but it refused to accept any connec-
ton between Russian gangster meth
ods in Berlin and the rest of the
world situation.
The change of front, which was
caused by the conviction in military
and political circles that we were
faced with probably immediate hos
tilities, Is explicable and praise
worthy, provided it does not merely
serve to delay briefly Soviet plans
for western Europe.
Two Schools of Thought
On the basis of such an analysis
there aIe two schools of thought in
Washington today. State Depart
ment experts, who have never
ceased to believe that diplomatic
actions eventually will succeed in
averting the tragedy of another war
are Of the opinion that with some
of give-and-take, an agreement can
be worked out with the U. S. S. r
and we will not be forced out OF
Berlin in the immediate future.
Other responsible ofncials in dip
lomatic and armed services believe
that willingness to meet the U. S
S. r. at the conference table. prac-
tically on Russia's own terms, will
result in another Munich and we
will lose the few shreds Of prestige
we still enjoy in Europe-and par
ticularly in Germany.
Sacrificing prestige for the sake o1
peace may be a worthy contribution
in preventing war, but the prospects
of coming to terms on an equitable
! and lasting basis are as dim now as
they were 10 years ago.
Then, as now, the world wa!
peace-hungry. British Prime Min
lister Chamberlain and French Pre-
mier Daladier did not trust Hitlel
any more than our own polio!
trainers in the White House ane
State Department trust Stain.
In fact, in the last two years th'
Soviet dictator has given ampl'
proof that he regards solemn obi
cations even more contemtuousl!
than Hitler did.
There were plausible reasons VIII.
Mr.. Chamberlain and Mr.. Daladie
thought that II Csechoelovakia wer'
sacrificed to the Nazi hunger TO
power, a world war could be avoided
They suspected Hitler, and. unit
positive proof were given them Ii
the following year that he had lied
they had sufficient reason to believ
that their surrender might saw
the world from the tragedy we ar
now witnessing.
Policy Is Set
! No such hope can reasonably b.
entertained now. : Soviet action
in Berlin were not prompted b,
any mood on the part Of the krem
lin, nor by any fear that we nigh
steal a march on the Soviets. The.
are the elimination of q polio!
which was set by the KreHlin wher
Mr.. Stain discovered how easy i
was to handle the western democ
1racies at Teheran and Yalta.
The difficulties which the Russians
created for us in Berlin were in
tended to soften the western power!
with the threat of an immediate
war, which Moscow is convinced
neither European powers nor thu
United States can afford.
Like Germany 10 years ago, Rus.
sia does not want shooting war
provided that she can obtain al
she wishes without it. But any
real attempt to prevent further ex-
pansion of Red domination o1
Europe. Asia and finally the whole
world will be met. according tt
those who have followed the Krem.
| Inns policies, with as loud and cleal
"No" as the Soviet representatives
have spoken in the U. N. Security
Council.
When Hitler double crossed the
peace-hungry western powers. he
took a chance Western Europe wa,
weak, but not in as bad shape a
she is today. The United States
1