Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-31
The Bevin WARNING

In declaring that the British government
is considering halt to all further de-
mobilization of its armed services, Foreign
Secretary Bevin has addressed himself
primarily to the Kremlin. His words have
somber significance. Translated into
blunt terms, they mean that Britain is
determined to meet force with force If the
Russians persist in blockading Berlin and
reject the idea of working out settlement
through peaceful negotiation.
At the moment, despite continuing hope
that the crisis can be resolved without
military explosion, Soviet policy seems as
provocative as ever France, Britain and
the United States apparently are willing
to stage a full-dress four-power confer
ence on the overall German problem If
only the Kremlin will lift the blockade.
But Foreign Minister Molotov-who has
been calling for such conference-is re-
ported absent from Moscow just at the
time when he knows that the Western
ambassadors are seeking to approach him
on the subject. This has all the earmarks
of studied and slightly insulting indiffer-
ence Coupled with the unrelaxed pug
nacity of Russia'S actions in Berlin, 1t does
not augur we'll for the effort to find
peaceful way out of the present dynamite
laden situation.
In the circumstances, Mr.. Bevin has
taken timely action in warning that unless
the next few days produce some clear in
dication of Soviet willingness to participate
in honest negotiations, Britain will stop
demobilizing its army, navy and air force.
At the same time, of course, it will continue
with its peacetime CONSUMPTION, under
which young Britons are being drafted into
service for period of twelve months.
Originally the period was for eighteen
months, but it has been reduced third
as result of political pressures from the
Labor Partys left wing-a cut that seems
dangerously unrealistic in the light of
current events. Nevertheless, as Mr.. Bevin
has made clear the British government is
preparing to take whatever new military
measures may be necessary in case the
Russians keep on being belligerent.
This may or may not impress the men
Of the Kremlin, but certainly they would
be we'll advised not to brush 1t aside as
If it were lot of meaningless talk. They
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with the determined position taken by the
United States, and with the fact that
France, even if it seems to waver at times,
is bound by its history, tradition and self
interest to be as one with the rest of the
free Western world in any armed show
down over Germany. In Short the Rus
slams should realize that they are playing
with fire and that if they keep on playing
with 1t, irrespective of warnings from the
West, war can result in which they may
find themselves to have made as terrible
mistake as the Nazis decade ago.
The men who rule Russia think de-
viously and in secrecy. No one can be
sure of what they may decide to do next.
It may be that their provocations will end
and that they will come forward with pro-
posals making a peaceful settlement pos
sible. But short of such a change-and
there is no sign of 1t right now-the pres
sures building up toward eventual war will
be difficult to control And in that case
the free Western Powers will have to do
more than merely consider hating de-
mobilization, as in Britain. They will have
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