Evening star., 1948-09-27
The Break With Russio

The decision to take the Berlin case to
the United Nations closes the book on a
dismal chapter of world history.
It is a step which means, three years
after the end of the greatest OF all wars
that the traditional processes of diplomacy
have proved inadequate to the malnten-
ance of peace. The possibilities OF direct
negotiation have been exhausted to no
avail. and the Western Powers, having no
other feasible alternatives, are prepared
to seek an international indictment OF
Russia on the grounds that 1t Is an
aggressor and threat to peace
Although the risks inherent In TINS
decision to appeal to the U. N. should
not be underestimated, neither should IL
be supposed that it is decision which, OF
itself, materially alters any OF the factors
that have been tipping the scales between
war and peace This decision WILL 90 no
more than bring into the open, before an
international forum, the dispute between
The. Soviet Union and the Western Powers.
It will enable the latter to demonstrate
that they have striven for peace In gooo
faith and with good will. 1t will reveal
that the Russians have acted neither IN
good faith nor with good Will; tnat, ON
the contrary they have practiced dupliclty
to such an extent that even when an agree
ment for settlement of the Berlin dispute
was reached with Premier Stain IL was
sabotaeed at the level of the Soviet military
governor in Berlin. When a thing IKE
this can happen, when a suoorolhaOe
ofncial in the Soviet system can tear up
an agreement made by the heao OF tne
Soviet state, it becomes all too clear tnat
it is the Russian government ltseH WHICH,
ts acting in bad faith. And when gov
eminent acts in bad faith, negotiation
with it is not only futile, but in situatlon
like that prevailing in Berlin, 1t Is oen-
nite1v detrimental to the interests OF the
good faith negotiators.
Tf1esT. NJ, of coufses cannot compel
Russia to live up to her lnternacioiiai
obligations, and the appeal is not oelng
taken with any such expectation IN mlno.
r. has been recognized from the beginning
that effectiveness of the U. N. would depend
rnon unity among the major powers, ana
the haling of Russia before the bar OF the
II N means that this essential unity is
gone. Nevertheless, the appeal Will serve
a useful purpose in that 1t WILL ehaoie
the United States Britain and France
to spread upon the record their EFFORTS 10
achieve a peaceful settlement OF the ber-
lin dispute, and to hold up to pubic
scrutiny the tactics of the Russians, whcn
have made such a settlement impossible.
For what it may be worth, the U. N appear
should organize world opinion on the side
of the West.
What happens after the case has gone
through the machinery OF the united
Nations is up to the Russians. With the
veto power capable of preventing any
action in the Security Council, the most
that can be expected from the U. N. is a
finding by the General Assembly that the
conduct of the Soviet Union constitutes
threat to peace. If that finding should be
made there is nothing effective that the
U. N. can do about it. The decision as to
whether there is to be war or peace stlil
will rest with the Russians. But we snouio
remember that this would be true In any
event, that the appeal to the u N. cannot
alter the basic fact that the choice be-
tween peace and war lies not with us, but
with the men in the Kremlin.