Roanoke Rapids daily herald. (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1948-1949, 1948-10-10
Marshall Advises
Against Plan;
Says U. S. Will
Negotiate if
Blockade Lifted

Washington, Oct. (AP)-
President Truman disclosed to-
day that he had considered
and rejected on the advice Of
Secretary of State MarshaIl-an
extraordinary mission by Chief
Justice Vinson to tell Moscow
how the American people feel
about "the atomic problem"
Vinson was to have under
taken personal attempt to
straighten the Russian leaders
out on this grave matter, Mr..
Truman said in a statement.
The plan was dropped, he said,
because of the general situa-
ton as reported by Marshall ande
because of the possibilities Of
misunderstanding" which might
grow out of a single &C.
ion by the United States.
Marshall, in a late day news
conference, noted that he had |
seen reports Of "a split between
the President and the Secretary
of State" He added emphatically, !
there is no foundation for this"
Marshall flew home from the
Paris meeting Of the United Ma
tons this morning to give Mr..
Truman his views; the President
himself cut short his political
campaigning to talk things over
with his Secretary of State.
They met amid published re-
ports of a projected and aban-
doned mission to Moscow by
Vinson. These reports went un-
confirmed and undenied up to
the late day White House state
ment.
Then, after two White House
conferences in which Marshall
and Undersecretary Of State
Robert Lovett sat in, the White
House released Mr.. Humans ex-
PLANTATION of what he had pro.
posed and why he had dropped
it.
The facts, said Mr.. Truman,
are as follows:
"On last Tuesday, when I
communicated with Secretary
Marshall, / t. him Of my con-
tinuing great desire to see peace
firmly established in the world,
and of my particular concern at
this time over the attitude taken
by the Soviet representative re-
garding the atomic problem.
II said that I was wondering
whether their attitude did not
reflect a, misunderstanding in
the minds of the Soviet leaders
so serious, from the standpoint
of world peace in general, that
we would be remiss if we left
undone anything that might con-
ceivably serve to dispel it. I ask
ed the Secretary whether he felt
that useful purpose would be
served by sending to Moscow
Chief Justice Vinson, in an ef-
fort to make the Soviet leaders
understand the seriousness and
sincerity Of the feelings Of the
people of the United States about
these matters.
Secretary Marshall described
to me the situation which we
faced in Paris, and, in the light
of his report and the possibili-
ties Of misunderstanding to
which any unilatera1 action, how,
ever desirable otherwise, could!
lead at present, I decided not
to take this STEP"
Marshall at his news confer
ence - which was timed right
after the White House statement
said that the United States
stands ready to enter any neso-
tiations with Russia in the eo'un-
Gil of foreign ministers-provids
ed that first the Berlin block.
ade is lifted.
The Russians have shown anl
interest in the idea Of talks on
the foreign ministers level cow
ering the whole problem In Gers,
many. y
As for agreement with Russia
on international control Of atomic
energy in a way that would sat-
isfy the Western Powers, Mar
shall said this would be highly
unlikely without what he called
a peaceful intent,