Evening star., 1948-10-21
u. 5. War With Sovie'
Seen Not Necessarily
Sequel 10 Friction
Kennon Talk Regarded
As Return to ldeu of
Containing Soviet
By DaHd Laurence.

By David laurence
War is not necessarily the logi.
cal sequel to continued friction be.
tween the United States and Soviet
Russia.
George Kennan, director of the
policy planning staff of the Depart.
ment of State and the man who Is
generally credited with being the
author of Americas policy of trying
to contain" Russia within her own
borders, has just made a rather in
formative speech.
Mr.. Kennan originally wrote an
article for the magazine Foreign
Affairs" which was signed "Mr. X
He outlined extensively his ideas
on Americas future policy toward
Russia. The article attracted world.
wide attention. Since that hap
pened nearly two years ago, he has
been an influential factor in the
shaping of American policy. What
he says, therefore, today is parti-
cularly significant of the Department
of States thinking. In addressing
the Herald -Tribune's forum in New
York, Mr.. Kennan declares:
I'VE have now reached one of the
most complicated and delicate
phases of this long and difficult ef-
fort. We have been compelled tc
place before the United Nations
a matter of great seriousness which
1t had proven impossible to compose
by peaceful means outside of the
United Nations.
Would Have Avoided Step.
"We were aware that this would
constitute severe test of the Or
ganization, and one which we would
have preferred to have spared it
But we had no alternatives other
than to meet the threat of force
with action in order to break the
blockade of Berlin, or to do nothing
at all and thus permit this threat
ening situation to develop in an
ominouS silence and uncertainty
conducive to every sort of alarmist
speculation and hySteria."
Mr.. Kennan goes on to say thai
this lis a situation on the successful
handling of which "hangs more
than the removal of restrictions or
the supply Of a single city-thers
hangs the removal of one more
great obstacle on the road to worlc
in which international organization
can really function"
But it is in the final paragraph
Of Mr.. Kennan's speech that he dis.
closes his answer to the oft -heare
question-what Is America going tt
do about it? He says:
Either we must find means tt
bring wisdom to those who's,
thoughts are today oriented solely t.
the pursuit Of political greatness, il
the form Of world dominion, or if W.
cannot do this, and If these peopl.
remain Stubbornly unwise, then WI
must persuade them, In their owr
interest, to stand aside and to per,
NIT the other peoples of the worle
to proceed at last with this bushes.
Of the development of internationa
association, for which the condition.
Of life in our time cry out so urgently
and which have been so long de.
layed."
Russia Fly in Ointment.
This IS g return to the origina.
concept which Mr.. Kennan has haC
in mind from the beginning-name-
ly, that if America could confins
Russia to her borders and check
mate not only her territorial ex-
pansion but her efforts to inhltrate
the governments of countries out.
side her own domain, the two sys-
TENS could get along together on 9
sort of live and let live" basis.
The fly In the ointment, of course
is that Russia must see the impor.
tance of staying within her own or.
bit. Up to now. there are no signs
Of curtailment of Russian aggres.
sion, political or otherwise. Al
times in their history, the Sovie,
has relaxed its propaganda in othel
countries and has been content tt
Let its fifth column" work die
down. Unless, however, the Rus.
slams can gain concessions by grant.
ing concessions, they are not likely
to cease their intrusion in the in.
ternal politics of other countries
particularly France, Britain, Ital!
and Belgium.
The price of forbearance which
Russia has hinted at from time te
time Is something In the neighbor-
hood Of $4,000, ,O00, 900 Of German
and Austrian reparations. Since this
is considered fantastic by the West.
ern powers, the chances are that, al
Russian intransigeance is continued
the opportunities for collecting ever
modicum Of reparations will dim.
inish also. Already the blockade oi
Berlin is resulting in a counter.
blockade that is pinching the eco.
nomic activities of the eastern Ger.
man area now controlled by the
Russians. Chances of exploiting that
section are not as good as the Rus.
slams had hoped they would be.
Politburo Decisive Factor.
All the forecasts about standing
aside" depend in the last analysis
on whether any group of influence il
the Politburo decides to authorize
some overt act that would throw
the fat in the fire. Then all thought.
Of preventing war by standing
aside" would necessarily have tt
be revised.
The important thing is tha
American policy visualizes a world II
which Russia can pursue her owl
way provided she does not delib.
erately tread on the territory o.
rights Of the Western powers, in
Guiding the United States.
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