Evening star., 1950-06-09
Confusing Statements
On Russian Situation
Require Explanation
High officioIs' Words
On War Possibility
Have Public BuffIed
By David Laurence

tIilo Gull O1ACoPOAlOSAI, oCCuAo W Dc
one of bewilderment and confu-
sion as to whether war is near OF
remote or unlikely at all.
Without intending it, the Gov
ernment of the United States /.
perhaps the principal distributor
of confusing and contradictory
statements.
Every day some high official /.
quoted as saying something tina
causes concern. Contradiction
multiply from day to day, not onl!
as between officials but as be.
tween statements made by the
same official.
Thus, here is the latest quota.
tion-from an authorized state.
ment by Secretary of State Dear
Acheson:
GAS I have said before, the free
nations of the world have a hart
task ahead of them so long as the
Soviet government continues its
present policies. We can't afforc
to wait and merely hope that
those policies will change. We
must carry forward in our own
determination to create situations
Of strength in the free world be-
cause this is the only basis on
which lasting agreement with the
Soviet government is possible.
This in our judgment is the
road to peace and because we be-
lieve 1t to be the road to peace it
Is the road which we are follow
ing. This road does not lead away
from negotiation; it leads to the
kind of negotiation which may
prove fruitful"
Phrases Don't Jibe.
What does Mr.. Acheson mean
by lasting agreement with the
Soviet government" What does
he mean by ''negotiation?" The
two things have heretofore been
held to be incompatible or not
feasible. This was emphasized
in Secretary Acheson's recent
speeches in California. It has been
echoed again and again in our
official propaganda-that there
can be no agreement with the pres
ent Russian government because
its word cannot be trusted, that
any signature to a document by
the SovietS isn't worth the paper
it is written on, and so forth
Likewise. the very idea of "nego-
tiation" has been denounced az
"appeasement" or near-treason.
What Secretary Acheson say.
publicly is. of course, intended a!
much for consumption in Russis
as in the United States, and alsc
in Europe generally.
So far as the United States /!
concerned. the Secretary must say
publicly the things that will cause
Congress to keep on appropriatine
billions for the defense program
II he says the situation has eased
then maybe Congress will want
to ease up on the spending. After
all, big deficits of nearly five
billions a year are not COM
Portable for the voting taxpayers
to contemplate year in and year
out.
So far as Europe is concerned,
Mr.. Acheson must publicly con-
vince the free nations" that they
are to stand staunchly and not
weaken or succumb to Communist
infiltration or begin to talk OF
staying neutral" because of fear
of RuSsia's atom bombs.
Skepticism Aroused.
Sc far as Russia is concerned
Mr.. Acheson must publicly talk
tough" and refer to "firmness'
and strength" But what good
are such phrases If at the end OF
the road we are going to have
to deal with the Kremlin anyhow?
When the Secretary speaks OF
a lasting agreement with the
Soviet government" it will be
asked by skeptics if he thinks
evil men can become good men
overnight and honor their sig
natures on an agreement. If he
thinks. so, then many Americans
are being told the wrong things
about the present Russian gov
ernment-and maybe we do in.
tend after all to rely on an agree
ment with the Kremlin. If
however, Mr.. Acheson is talking
about some future government
in Russia that may arise wher
a revolution has occurred, he
might accelerate this process BY
frankly saying so.
If, therefore, the average Ameri
can outside of Washington is con
fused and bewildered, he ha
nothing on those of us who ar
on the scene in Washington try
ing to figure out whether tn
policy of the State Department
Is predicated on inevitable war
inevitable revolution or inevitably
surrender by the present Russian
government when it become
thoroughly scared by our threat
to destroy Russian cities and Rus
sian men, women and childrel
with atom bombs.
Maybe a Russian surrender
expected as a prerequisite to 9Th
kind Of negotiation which ma,
prove fruitful" To assume tn
other fellows surrender is
strange way to hope for a sue
cessful negotiation" and to as
sumo a compromise" is nowaday
considered traitorous "appease
ment." Plainly somebody in ou
Government needs to do some ex
planning.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)