Evening star., 1950-10-07
The Political Mil
COP Heads Fight Shy
Of Stussen's S Peace Bid
Minnesoton Seen Engaged
In q ThunkIess Tusk
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

CHICAGO, Oct. Harold E. Stassen's
proposal that he, accompanied by other
widely known Americans, discuss with
Red Russia's Marshal Stain world peace
which means peace between the United
States and Russia-may be considered
an American peace offensive or an i'm
pudent effort to diScredit the Truman
administration and its handling of Rus
sian relations, depending on the political
affiliations of the holder of the opinion.
Senator Lucas of Illinois, Democratic
leader OF the Senate now running for
reelection, puts it this way:
THE question raised by Stassen Che
discussion of peace between the United
States and Russia, and for the rest of
the worlD is obviously one to be handled
by the President and the State Depart
ment. under the Constitution, which
places foreign relations in their hands.
Every one knows that Harold StaSSen is
a candidate for the presidency in 1882
Do you suppose that this move to by pass
the President and the State Department
could have anything to do with his
candidacy?"
Russians Like Generalities. -
Russian officials have been willing in
the past, even the most recent past to
talk glibly with unofficial Americans re-
garding relations with America. Rus
Sla's Malik only week or two ago took
occasion to speak in generalitieS in sup
port OF peace when he was approached
at Lake Success by a group of American
citizens. He appeared to be entirely
ready to make concessions, even in regard
to international policing of the atom
bomb His statement was Immediately
seized on in some quarters as an indica-
ton that the Soviet Government was
ready and anxious for peace.
Mr.. Stassen himself visited Stain in
Moscow a couple of years ago and came
away declaring that the Russian leader
not only wanted peace but felt that
capitalist America and Communist Rus
sia could live in the same world without
fghting-in other words, that war be-
tween the two was not inevitable. Mr..
Stassen's effort at that time was widely
hailed-although in some quarters, too,
it was roundly denounced as playing into
the hands of the Soviets while the Gov
ernment of the United States was en-
gagged in stiffening the backbone of the
country against Communist Russia
which was seeking to undermine, from
within as we'll as from without, the
United States.
Americans generally speaking want no
war with Russia, but they do not care
to be lulled into a sense of security by
fair words-particularly when they have
observed that the Russian government
has never lived up to its promises.
Taking on Thankless Task.
Mr.. Stassen, now president of the
University of Pennsylvania and formerly
Governor of Minnesota, in his move for
a meeting with Stain has insisted he is
acting purely in a personal capacity;
that he does not speak either for the
Government or for the Republican Party
of which he is member. He admitted
that he has talked the matter over with
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, fellow
college president, and with some Re-
publicans.
Republicans who have been insisting
on firm policy toward Russia and ac-
cusing the Truman administration with
seeking to appease the Reds have been
a bit dabbergaSted by the Stassen pro-
poSal-coming as it has from an out
standing Republican. One Republican
leader here was quick to point out that
the proposal cannot be charged to the
Republican party and showed consider
able reluctance to be associated with the
idea.
In the more than two years since Mr.
Stassen brought away from Stain rosy
suggestions regarding American Russian
relations, those relations have deterio-
rated heavily. Even now we are engaged
in war in Korea which was undoubtedly
sponsored by the Russian Communists.
Granting, as is just, that Mr.. Stassen is
thinking only in terms of preserving
peace in the world, it looks as though
he were taking on thankless task.
rs