Evening star., 1948-02-27
BY cordeII Hull
tAssis.sd by Andrsw Bssdips)
CHAPTER xxx.


CHAPTER xxx.
During q recess In the conference
session that followed my meeting
with Stain, buttonholed Molotov
and re-emphasised the arguments
I had presented to Stalip for a
meeting Of the three chiefs of state
at Basra.
Molotov asked me what were the
programs of international co-opera-
ton I had said thought should
be settled now. I repeated to him
the numerous proposals I had more
than once stated to him since ar
irving in Moscow.
Molotov said that an agreement
should be reached on these pro-
grams. After some thought, he
suddenly remarked:
Isolation was almost your coun-
try's undoing, was 1t not, MIR. Secre-
tary"
yes" replied, ut was. And
isolation was almost your countrys
undoing, was it not, Mr.. Secretary"
Molotov smiled and admitted 1t
was.
After the war;" said, you can
follow isolationism II you want, and
gobble up yo,lr neighbors. But that
will be your undoing. When I was
young knew a bully In Tennessee.
He used to get a few things his way
by being bully and blufhng other
fellows. But he ended up by not
having q friend in the world"
Informed Of Big 3 Meeting.
The President informed me on
October % he expected to turn up"
in North Africa shortly and would
have to leave Washington by No
vember 8. (This was for the Roose-
velt Churchill Chang Kai shek
meeting held at Cairo.) He said he
hoped I could maintain my original
schedule of getting back by Mo-
vember 7 because 1t was impera-
tive that he and should talk
before he left. 4
He suggested that, If Stain found
it impossible to meet him, the
Marshal should fly as far as Basra
even for one day. This was Of
supreme importance. The rest OF
the time, the President hoped,
Stain would let Molotov sit in with
Churchill and him.
I replied to the President on the
following day that had been kept
In Moscow longer than expected,
and would be glad to meet him on
the eastern side. Of the Atlantic.
I said there were increasing indica-
tions that Stain would not go
beyond Teheran, and L doubted
seriously whether Molotov, not
being a military man, would be
sent as a substitute.
Two days later was forced to
cable the President that four mem
bers OF my party had contracted
malignant malaria on the way to
Moscow and could not return. and
7 did not think it advisable for me
to be exposed to malaria, dysentery
and the like while waiting for him
in North Africa, because I had had
no vaccinations or immunizations
The President agreed to postpone
his departure and meet me in the
United States. I thereupon cabled
that I would fly the South Atlantic
rather than take the cruiser. s.&
Delegations Feted by Stain.
The Catherine the Great hall Of
the Kremlin was the scene Of a
banquet given to the delegations by
Marshal Stain on the night of the
last day OF the conference, October
80. This was the first social event
of the conference I attended.
Immediately on arriving in Mos
COW, had told Molotov that In my
state Of health could not combine
social activity and work. At the
beginning he did not seem to be-
lieve me and pressed upon me in
vitations to the theater and to other
gala functions. When I persisted
in my refusal he seemed impressed,
and I was later told that this EN-
phasized to him the intensity of
purpose I had in travelling all the
way to Moscow in my uncertain
state of health so as to help lay
the foundations for a better post
war world. .r
I was seated at Stalin's right.
This gave me q wonderful oppor-
tunity to talk to him during the
long dinner and the entertainment
that followed. I utilized 1t to the
utmost in an effort to discuss our
relations and future, knowing this
would be the last chance I would
have before leaving Moscow. I
approached him somewhat in circles
to draw him out.
Stain was in a most agreeable
state Of mind. No matter whatssub-
ject was discussed, he seemed to