Evening star., 1948-07-28
Tito and the Soviet Empire

The passage of time does not seem to
be having a healing effect on the Soviet
Yugoslav rift. If anything, the rift is
deepening and broadening into gulf which
may in fact prove to be unbridgeable. In
any event, as of now, there appears to be
no reason whatever to doubt the genuine
ness of the dispute between the Tito re-
eime and the Communist Information
Bureau. the Kremlin's agency for inter-
national subverson.
Thus in the latest of a long list of bitter
pot-and-kettle exchanges, the heretical
Yugoslav Communist Party, giving COM
plete support to Premier Marshal Tito,
has lashed out at Pravda, the official news
paper of the Russian Communists. The
significance of the development is that it
marks the first direct attact on one of the
chief mouthpieces of the Politburo in
Moscow. Heretofore, the attack has been
confined to the Cominform itself and to
its satellite members, but now it has been
enlarged to take in the all-high Soviet
leadership.
Not to be overlooked. moreover, are two
other developments. The first of these is
the recent YugoSlav-American agreement
amicably providing that the Belgrade
government satisfy virtually all our post
war claims in return for our releasing to
Yugoslavia It's SAT 900 900 in gold and other
assets frozen in this country during the
war. The second is Marshal Tito's sgnif-
cantly timed statement to former Governor
Olson of California declaring that the
Yugoslavs are ready and willing to trade
with the United States on a friendly basis
free OF political conditions
Although it would be risky to read too
much meaning into such events they are
nevertheless worthy of careful attention.
Viewed against the background of the
Belgrade Moscow estrangement, they have
the appearance at least of accentuating
and lntcnSifying that eStrangement. In
any case, it seems obvious that they tend
to discourage a reconciliation, and the
ever-SuSpicious Kremlin, not without
reason. is likely to regard them as further
evidence of the hateful anti Soviet
policy being pursued by the rebellious
Tito and his renegade Communist regime.
Further than that-and again not with
out reason-the Kreulin may view the
attack on Pravda, the Yugoslav- American
agreement and the statement to Mr..
Olson as the beginning of an effort
on Tito's part to lead YugoSlavia out
from the dark world behind the Iron
Curtain and bring it into harmony and
collaboration with the United States and
the free West in general. In that event,
obviously, the Soviet Empire would suffer
serious blow in the strategically crucial
Balkans-a blow that could deciSively up
set whatever timetable the Stain dictator
ship may have set for itself in seeking to
spread Red totalitarianism and dominate
all of Europe clear to the English Channel
Assuming permanent split with Tito
therefore, the Soviet Union has real
grounds for worry. For if Yugoslavia
carries its defiance to the point of complete
secession, other satellite lands may be
tempted eventually to do the same thing
The world behind the Iron Curtain is moi
held together by common love ties with
Moscow. 1t is held together chiefly by
terrorism. Were it not for that, the diverse
peoples who live in it-nearly all of them
intensely nationalistic-would lose nc
time in overthrowing their vassal govern
ments and breaking away from Russia