Evening star., 1948-12-29
Truman Speech Seen
Easing Tension Over
Possible Early War
Existence in Moscow
OF Divided Leadership
Is Reussurine in Itself
Bv David Laurence

By David Laurence
When a President Of the United
States makes a statement about
what Is happening in so isolated a
country as Russia, it may be taken
for granted that he has excellent
sources Of information and is talk
ing unquestionably reliable facts.
This is why Mr.. Truman's dis
closure that there is division inside
the Politburo, which rules the Soviet
government, is about the most SEN
sational piece of news that has
emerged for many months In the
international situation.
There have been rumors before
that differences of opinion prevail
in Moscow with respect to the poll
cies TO be followed in relations with
the Western Powers, but each time
such reports have been denied by
State Department officials familiar
with the problem.
It was noted in these dispatches
last summer that Stain was placed
in an uncomfortable position by the
reversal of his word given during
the course of the negotiations de-
signed to lift the Berlin blockade.
1t was asserted then that Stain had
too much knowledge of the un-
favorable impression such public
reputation might convey to peoples
abroad to permit it to happen if he
could prevent it.
Blunt Declaration.
Mr.. Truman says frankly that
there are elements inside the Rus
sian government which want to
reach an understanding with Amer
lea. He couples this with the blunt
declaration that the Russian gov
ernment has not kept specific agree
ments made at Yalta and at Pots
dam. This is familiar argument
by American officials, but in all fair
ness it must be recorded that the
Russians say the same thing about
the attitude Of the Western Powers
toward those same agreements.
The Russian thesis Is difficult
one to accept, but 1t is important
not to overlook the rationalizations
that lie behind it. For one thing,
the Russians feel that the failure of
the London Conference did not JUS
tify the Western Powers in going
ahead with their plan to split Ger
many into three zones. The Allies
Of the West say. quite impatiently,
that they were tired Of waiting for
the Russians to agree on an over
all plan. But to the Russian mind
this does not mean that sovereign
nation can be coerced into an agree
ment or that the Western Powers
had q right to take matters into
their own hands.
What Russians Seek.
The Berlin blockade has to be
viewed as a reprisal set up by Mos
cow in answer to the initiative taken
by the Western powers in establish
ing a Western German economy.
The Russian idea is that q deadlock
cannot be resolved that way.
What the Russians are seeking, |
Of course, is to impose as hard q set |
of conditions as possible in order to
induce the kind of settlement that |
they want. They fail to see that
the Western Allies cannot be coerced
either.
The whole problem has grown
more and more complex as the cold
war has developed. Incidentally, the
declaration of the Truman doctrine
in connection with help to Greece
and Turkey was viewed inside Amer
lea as a natural step to aid democ-
racy, but to the Russians it was in
effect declaration of cold war.
During war many nations regard |
previous agreements as having been |
repealed. If Russia has not lived up |
to her Yalta and Potsdam pacts, it |
could well be that the Soviets con-
sidered all bets were called off when
the cold war started.
Fresh Start Needed.
What is needed is a fresh start
toward q settlement of the overall
problem of Germany. The Russians
have now seen a demonstration of
the strength of the Western Pow
ers, and America has been made
aware that the Russians do not in
tend to abandon their antipathy
toward capitalism as system. Un-
der such circumstances, it would
seem that some constructive steps
could be taken for a method of ad-
tustment whereby ultimately a COM
plete settlement could be attained.
Merely to accuse the other side of
breaking agreements has not thus
lar yielded a spirit Of reconciliation.
1t will be interesting to see what
reaction from Moscow will be pro-
duced by Mr.. Trumans comment
II the situation were reversed and
some one in Russia accused America
OF divided counsels, there would be
every effort made to submerge diff
ferences and present united front.
About all that can be derived from
the Presidents remark is that the
tension over the possibility of an
early outbreak of war has been
eased. The mere existence of di-
vided counsels in Moscow is reassur-
ing in itself.
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