Evening star., 1951-02-20
|Moscow's Good Faith
On Big -Four Farley
Challenged by u. 5.
By Gornett D. Horner

mechanlzed Russian divisions IN
East Germany and Poland is cited
by the State Department as one
reason for doubling Moscow's good
faith in current proposals for a
Big Four peace" conference.
In an official publication review
ing Soviet pressures on Germany,
the department said yesterday
that past experience and current
intelligence reports have made the
United States skeptical of the
Kremlin's good faith"
Reliable reports indicate" I" the
department added, that Russia's
satellites have increased their
armed strength since the outbreak
of war in Korea and that the
U. S. S. r. has 35 fully armored
or mechanical divisions in Eastern
Germany and Poland alone and
virtually limitless manpower with
in it's own borders.
Reports reveal also that the
Russians have now restored the
rail lines which they had dug up
and taken away from Eastern
Germany shortly after the sur
render. These railways, in the
event OF war with the Western
powers. would be the supply line
from Russia proper through the
Soviet zone of Germany"
Due for Release Tonight.
These reports were published by
the departments Office of Public
Affairs soon after the United
States. Great Britain and France
delivered in Moscow the latest of
a series of notes. concerning
proposed conference of the Big
Four foreign ministers.
Withheld from publication until
Z o'clock tonight, the note is re-
ported to propose that deputies
meet in Paris March to try to
work out agreement on what sub
jectS should be discussed at such
a conference.
From Paris the Associated
Press reported the French gov
eminent appeared confident the
Soviet Union will accept terms
of the notes. The government
is reported already looking for a
suitable place for the deputies
to meet. However, some diplo-
matte sources there expressed
belief that the western notes
insistence on a Big Four ex-
ploration Of major points of
tension in Europe might pre-
vent Big Four meeting or even
a gathering of the deputies to
/ prepare an agenda)
Russia first proposed the meet
ing last November to talk about
demilitarization of Germany. The
Western Powers countered with
insiStence that other problems
causing East-West tension should
be covered. Reports from Paris
say the Western notes delivered
in Moscow yesterday suggest
armament of Russia's Eastern Eu-
ropean satellites as one of the
topics.
| Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia has
publicly estimated Bulgarian. Ro-
manian and Hungarian forces at
100000 men-far in excess of
peace treaty limits. Czechoslovak
exiles in Paris say the Soviet bloc
is preparing a military attack on
Yugoslavia April Is. the Associ-
ated Press reported.
Limitation Called Absurd.
The State Department publica-
ton yesterday described as lab
surd" the idea of limiting a Big
Four conference to the subject of
demilitarizing Germany.
It pointed out that Russia "in-
sists that the Western powers are
rearming Western Germany when
they are not and that the Soviet
Union is not arming Eastern Ger
many when it is"
The very nature" of the Soviet
notes about Big Four meeting
full of what Secretary of State
Acheson has termed propaganda
blasts against the Western pow
ers. have aroused serious doubts
that the Kremlin actually wants
a conference" the publication
said.
| In addition to the intelligence
reports about Soviet divisions and
rebuilding of railways in East
Germany. the department cited a
purge on January Is in the East
German Communist Party as an
indication of Soviet intentions.