Evening star., 1951-01-08
Lend-Leose and the KremIin

Lend-Leose and the KremIin
At moment when relations between our
two countries have hit new and dangerous low,
the Soviet Union has agreed to renew talks with
us IN an effort to work out a settlement of its
wartime lend-lease obligations Some may regard
this development as slightly conciliatory ges-
ture, but whether it is or not-and 1t probably is
MOTT at least serves as reminder of how close
we were to the Russians, and how faithfully and
generously we allied ourselves with them, little
more than five years ago.
Thus, wholly apart from the great battles
fought by our tremendous land, sea and air
forces-battles which were carried out chiefly in
concert with the British and which made it i'm
possible for Naz Germany to concentrate it's full
power on the Russians and thus defeat them-we
extended to the Soviet Union approximately $11
billion in lend-lease aid during the Second World
War. Of this aid, about SAT- billion was in the
form of aircraft, tanks, small naval vessels mer-
chant ships, military land vehicles and other
munitions; $37 billion in such things as industrial
equipment needed to expand arms production;
$ls billion in food and farm products; and the
rest in what has been classified as services"
There can be no doubt that all this help
played vastly significant role in enabling Russia
to Withstand the onslaughts Of Hitler's legions
and finally hur them back with counteroffensives
that the Germans could not hope to stop after
our Allied forces had landed in Western Europe.
Indeed, Stain himself Is on record as having
declared, in a toast to the United States, that
American production including, of course, the
production that went into our Soviet lend-lease
aid-was great decisive factor in insuring the
defeat of the Rome Berlin Tokyo Axis. Yet,
almost as soon as that defeat had become
historical reality, the men of the Kremlin began
to deal with us not as with friend, not as with
an ally whose fidelity and sincerity had been
proved beyond the slightest reasonable doubt, not
as with Nation full of immense good win toward
the Russians and eager to cooperate with them
in establishing decent peace, but as with an
enemy-an "imperialist aggressor," a "capitalistic
conspirator" menacing the U. S. S. r.
As far as their lend-lease obligations are
concerned, the Russians began to display this
attitude early in the postwar period. Unlike all
the other allies that had undertaken such obliga-
tions they declined to work out settlement of
accounts in keeping with terms they had agreed
to prior to receiving our aid We have never
asked them to repay anything but mere frac-
tion of the $11 billion extended to them We
have asked merely that they return certain
things like ships and reimburse us fairly-on a
relatively small scale-for number of items
clearly designated as reimbursable in their orig
inal agreement with us. But up to now, despite
much prodding and number of talks they have
refused to settle, and 1t is question whether
the renewal Of negotiations will end the stale
mate.
Comparatively speaking of course this par
ticular dispute with the Soviet Union has been
the least of the troubles that have come to poison
relations between our two countries. Yet, since
lend-lease was one of the great wartime express
ions of our good will toward the Russians and of
our fighting solidarity with them, the way the
men of the Kremlin have dealt with the ISSUE
the way they have blocked a settlement, con-
stitutes an especially bitter commentary on their
overall policy of deliberately sabotaging our
friendship. That policy has been tragic for the
whole world. If it had never been adopted, If
the Stain dictatorship had chosen cooperation
instead, mankind would now be we'll on the road
to an enduring peace full of the brightest
potentialities for peoples everywhere.