Evening star., 1949-03-06
New Soviet Isolation
Seen Possible Result
OF MoIotov's Shift
By John M. Hiehtower
Assoeioted Press Staff Writer

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lie at the heart of the Kremlil
policies which brought about tn
replacement of Soviet Foreign
Minister Molotov by his fast-talk
ing deputy. Andrei Vishinsky.
This possibility has emerged ou
of speculation stirred amont
Washington officials and diplo'
mats by the startling Soviet de-
velopment.
1t could mean either a soften
ing or toughening Of Russian
policy toward the West-eithel
Soviet moves for a truce in thu
cold war or the opening up of new
political battlefronts.
If Russian policy is to be soft.
ened, American officials are con.
vinced that it will be done gradu.
ally. They say it probably will
show up in negotiations over long.
standing controversies such as the
Austrian independence treaty
Berlin blockade and related Ger.
man problems. and rearmament
and atomic controls In the United
Nations.
But if the Russians do not want
a truce, their tougher policy will
be manifested In their border
countries. top officials here be-
lieve. 1t might show up in Iran,
Finland and Turkey. and in what
they do about the line up of Nor
way with the Atlantic Pact powers.
More Information Awaited.
Washington officials emphasized
that no really accurate appraisal
of the significance of the Molotov-
Vishinsky shift can be made until
more information Is available.
Neither can the parallel replace
ment Of Foreign Trade Minister
Mikoyan by his deputy be analyzed
fully.
The same was true Of the re-
ported shift of Andrei Gromyko,
deputy. in the Russian Foreign
Of1ice. to be successor to Mr.. Vi
shinsky as first deputy minister
for foreign affairs.
However, it Is believed here that
II q new period Of isolationism
is at hand, Russia's world rela-
tions may follow lines of the pre-
war decades rather than the 10
years that Mr. Molotov held power.
This would mean that the For
eign ONCE would be overshadowed
in real foreign relations by the
Cominform. This Is the old Com
munist International in new post
war dress.
While the issues have never
been too clearly known. 1t is be-
lieved there has been rivalry be-
tween the Foreign ONCE and the
Cominform since its creation a
year and q half ago. The Comm
form was set UP to fight the Mar
shall Plan in the open in Eastern
Europe and under cover In West
ern Europe. It could readily ex-
pand to become the real under
cover instrument by which Soviet
communism operates throughout
the world toward Russia's long
range objectives. 1t may be that
talready. .-
7 American and other Western
diplomats here believe the follow
ing points are probably true with
respect, to the Soviet shakeup:
INF. Molotov and Mr.. Mikoyan,
top-level political figures in Rus
sia for . quarter of century.
were members Of the CONT oifing
Politburo. They probably con-
tinue in power.
2. Mr.. Molotov may have been
moved into q spot from which he
can be prepared to take over
Prime Minister Stalin's duties in
creasingly. Mr.. Mikoyan may be
given some other responsible posi-
ton.
8. The successors to these two
top flight men in the foreign
policy and foreign trade ministries
are regarded by Russian observers
here as "technicians' is,
men accustomed to take orders
rather than to make basic policy
Mr.. Gromyko is regarded in the
same light.
4. If the Russians themselves
share the Western view that Mr..
Vishinsky and the new foreign
trade minister have much less
prestige and influence than the
men they replaced. then the con-
clusion is that the Importance OF
the foreign once and the Trade
Ministry are being minimized by
the Politburo.
May Be Turning Inward.
These points lead to the spec
ulation that the Soviet govern
ment may be turning In upon it
self, leaving direct handling Of its
foreign ministry to men Of lesser
stature than 1t employed during
the past 10 years.
Several other pieces f1t into this
kind of pattern. One Is that the
Soviets a year ago reached the
outer limits of Communist expan-
sion as fixed by the area of their
military power.
Meanwhile. the United States
and other Western powers have
constructed a rough wall Of armies
and policies to block further So
Wet Communist expansion.
Having pushed up to that line
the Russians were also confronted
with a steadying of political and
economic conditions in the West
ern countries. This has made in
creasingly difficult the efforts OF
Communist agents to overthrow
Western governments from within.
Within recent months, there
fore, American officials have be-
lieved that the Kremlin was up
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