Evening star., 1949-05-30
ChoIlenqe to Russio

The second week OF the Paris session
of the Council Of Foreign Ministers opens
today with the Russians facing a chal-
lenge they cannot easily meet. The
challenge Is the proposal Just placed
before them by the West. II they agree
to 1t, they must stage a spectacular re-
treat from past policy On the other hand,
If they fatty reject it, they will be in the
unenviable position-from the standpoint
Of world propaganda and German public
would keep Germany split in two, with
their zone remaining a Soviet province
lacking any freedom worthy of the name.
Stated briefly, the Anglo-French- Amer
lean proposal Is made up of these main
elements: % That the Soviet Union agree
to unity Germany by letting the Eastern
zone subscribe to the Bonn Constitution
which the three Western zones have
already adopted for the formation of a
federal republic; t2) that the Eastern zone
be granted and guaranteed all the basic
freedoms OF democracy-Such as freedom
of movement, freedom of speech, freedom
of press, freedom of elections and an in
dependent judiciary; 90 that there be
an overall German government would
exercise complete self-rule except in fields
limited by the four powers; az that the
Russians abandon the idea of reparations
from current production and give up most,
If not all, Of the industrial enterprises they
have acquired in their zone; and (5 that
the new quadripartite control system func-
ton on the basis of a majority vote save
in exceptional circumstances" when the
unanimity rule, or veto right, would have
to be mutually agreed upon.
After the three Western powers had
offered this plan to him on Saturday,
Foreign Minister Vishinsky observed that
1t puts the Soviet delegation in consider
able difficulty" Up to now, though prob
ably not final the Russian position at the
Paris Conference has been pretty much
the same as 1t has always been--namely,
for huge reparations from current German
production, for quadripartite control with
veto, and for the creation of q new
unified Germany, not along the democratic
lines OF the Bonn Constitution but along
lines that would open the way to ultimate
Red dominance. In effect, France, Britain
and the United States have now answered
this with proposal that would require
the Kremlin to make virtually complete
about-face and embrace policy calculated
to remove the German people from its
grasp by integrating them into the COM
munity of free Western nations The
probability seems to be that the Russians
will refuse to 60 along with such an
arrangement, but II they do refuse, they
will be hard put to pose as anything but
aggressive oppressors intent on denying
freedom to the Eastern Germans and
keeping the country partitioned.
In other words, II Mr.. Vishinsky-as
expected-replies to the Western proposal
today, he will have the problem of trying
to reply in way that will not make the
Soviet Union lose additional face in the
eyes of the German people and the world
at large. Conceivably, he may have pleas
ant surprises up his sleeve, or at least his
comment may be sufficiently conciliatory
to support the hope that the Paris Con-
ference will reach some good preliminary
agreements. In any case, one thing seems
certain: He cannot answer with an un-
qualified mo" without torpedoing the
meeting and putting an extremely heavy
onus on the Kremlin.