Evening star., 1949-04-02
A Peerless Spokesman


lantic Pact was timed for release in the
hope OF, canceling out the impact of Win
ston Churchill's Boston speech, the men
in the Kremlin were guilty of exceedingly
poor judgment. For one has only to lay the
Soviet message alongside Mr.. Churchill's
splendid statement In behalf of the West
to see where the equities lie.
In limited sense, there is some truth
to the Russian complaint. The Atlantic
Pact does set up a coalition against Rus
sia, or, more accurately, against the threat
which Russia poses. There Is no need TO
bubble about this. And 1t can be argued
with some logic that the obligations which
Britain and France assume under the At
lantic agreement cut across one Of their
undertakings in their agreements with the
Soviet Union.
But this Is no more than q fragment of
the story. Behind the Atlantic Pact lie
three years of history-three years In
which what Mr.. Churchill calls the as
has driven the Western nations, step by
reluctant step, into the coalition Of which
the Russians now presume to complain.
Their complaint is precisely what was to
have been expected-a compound of truth,
half-truth, distortion and outright lie. 1t
will have no effect on the march of events,
and the Russians did not expect that 1t
would have. 1t Is akin to what the lawyers
call a dilatory pleading-a stall for time
while Moscow considers Its next move.
Meanwhile, that part Of the Western
world which lies beyond the oppressive
reach of the Kremlin moves ahead. Threats
and recriminations will not stop this move
ment, for 1t grows out Of an understanding
Of the facts which has come slowly, but
which may be all the more firmly held be-
cause OF that.
The great majority Of US have come at
least to the realization that the Russians
do not want peace. Perhaps they do not
want war either, but we cannot be sure
that the thirteen men who hold the
power Of decision in Russia will not resort
to war II the time comes when they think
they cannot retain power In any other way.
30 we are making the necessary prepara-
tions. The foundations Of economic recov-
cry in Western Europe have been laid. The
Atlantic Pact and the forthcoming arms
agreement are designed to provide the Sc
curity which must prevail II the Europeans
are to build on those foundations
There is nothing in this that is an az
gressive threat to Russia, and the Russians,
despite their protestations, know 1t. If the
men in the Kremlin are afraid, and they
may be, 1t is not aggression that they fear.
What they are afraid Of is revived, stable
Europe, for in such q climate communism
could not expand, and the Soviet leaders
know that, with q system like theirs, the
alternative to expansion Is apt TO be
collapse.
This cold war will not 90 on forever.
Some day one side or the other will crack
And II we hold firmly to the course upon
which we have embarked, II we 60 forward
with the work Of rebuilding free Europe
and reinforcing its security, the crack will
not appear on our side.
It was fascinating to listen to Mr..
Churchill In Boston as his mind ranged
across the centuries and probed as far as
any man may probe into the future He Is
q spokesman for the decent forces at work
in this world, spokesman whose wisdom
Is attested by time and events. We know
that he has been right about most things
In the past and we may believe that he Is
right now when he says this: IF we per-
severe steadfastly together and allow no
appeasement Of tyranny and wrong doing
in any form, 1t may not be our nerve or
the structure of our civilization which will
break, and peace may yet be preserved"