Evening star., 1949-10-01
Moscow Scraps YugosIov Treaty

MoScoWS summary denunclatlon OF the
"treaty of friendship, mutual alliance and
postwar cooperation" between Soviet
Russia and Yugoslavia i. is perhaps even
more significant for the reasons alleged
as justification than for the action itself
Every step in the noisy quarrel between
the two countries made it increasingly
obvious that this treaty, concluded with
such fanfare of fraternity between Marshal
Tito and Vyacheslav Molotov, had become
a farce. It's formal scrapping by Moscow
is therefore as logical as it was eventually
to be expected, and, as indicated by the
action of Poland and Hungary, presumably
will be followed by similar breaking OF
treaty links between all of Russias obedient
satellites and the contumacious Yugoslavs.
Whether this virtual severance of diplo-
matte relations between the Soviet bloc and
Yugoslavia is, or is not, the prelude to open
hostilities, cannot accurately be forecast,
though the Soviet-Yugoslav crisis has
thereby been further exacerbated.
What was not so predictable is Moscows
justification for this drastic diplomatic
step. It rests exclusively upon the recent
treason trial held in Budapest, Hungary.
There, the chief defendants, former top
notch members of the Hungarian Commu-
mist Party, confessed" to reasonable
dealings with the Yugoslav government
and also with American diplomats and
other official agents then in Hungary.
These confessions" Moscow takes at full
face value, although Marshal Tito has
denounced them as phony Comintern
propa aganda stunt and although the &C
cused Americans have branded them as
the most arrant nonsense. This linking
of the United States with Yugoslavia in
subversive plotting aimed at both the
Communist regime in Hungary and its
mentor, the Soviet Union, renders the
entire testimony highly suspect.
Nevertheless, the Soviet note to Yugo-
slavia goes all out on the assumption OF
Joint Yugoslav and American completely.
1t asserts categorically that the Budapest
treason trials revealed that the Yugoslav
government has already for long time
been carrying on profoundly hostile dis
ruptive propaganda against the Soviet
Union" The note then goes on to assert:
"The Budapest trial has also shown that
the leaders of the Yugoslav government
have conducted and are continuing to
conduct their hostile and disruptive work
against the U. S. S. R. not only on their
own initiative but under the direct in
structions of foreign imperialist circles
$50 that the present Yugoslav government
is completely dependent on foreign i'm
perialist circles and has become trans
formed into an instrument of war OF their
aggressive policy"
Considering the basis on which they are
made, these allegations would be astound-
ing If they had not been made by govern
ment whose diplomatic methods violate all
accepted canons Of international comfy.
Moscow's note will convince few persons
outside the Iron Curtain except Commu-
nists. Under these circumstances one can
only speculate why Moscow chose to base
its action solely on such himsy grounds.
But since Moscow rarely acts precipitately,
it is reasonable to assume there must be
motive satisfactory. at least, to the Soviet
high command What that motive Is will
presumably soon be disclosed.