Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-11

ossession when World War II ended
their offer. The Soviets, however
decline to discuss such posi-
bility, and insist that $240 million
is positively their final figure.
Indeed. the Soviet representa-
tives argue that it is outrageous
for this country to ask for any
compensation at. all.
Old Complaints Voiced
The United States was a schem-
ing and faithless ally during
World War II, Panyushkin asserts
America deliberately delayed
opening a second front in Eu-
rope for two years past the time
1t had promised to do so, for the
purpose of allowing Germany tt
bleed Russia white, the Soviet Am
baSsador declares.
The Soviets claim, furthermore
that their offer of $240 million
closely corresponds to the lend
lease settlement which the United
States made with Britain,
Net total lend-lease supplies in
disable condition in British posses
sion at the end of the war were
valued at $5.5 billion, and Brit
ain paid the United States $472,-
100000, or 8.5 per cent of this
amount, the Russians argue. The
Soviet offer of $240 million con
forms to" 8.5 per cent of disable
lend-lease civilian supplies in Rus
Sia's possession when the war
ended, Moscow claims.
This argument would appear to
indicate that the Soviets estimate
the value of disable lend-lease sup
plies on hand in Russia as of VI
day at 1892 100000, since $24O
million amounts to 8.5 per cent of
that sum. The Soviets have never
admitted that this is their esti-
mate, however. Instead, they go
on endlessly asserting that they
are offering the same kind of a
settlement that the United States
made with Britain.
There are at least three major
fallacies in the Soviet argument,
however:
The first of these fallacies is
that the British paid in cash for
the billions of dollars worth of
wartime supplies they obtained in
this country prior to the going
into effect of lend-lease, whereas
virtually all the shipments this
country sent the Soviets during
the war were financed through
lend-lease.
Second, relatively high pro-
portion of lend-lease shipments
to Russian consisted of supplies
having value for civilian purposes
in peacetime as well as during
the war, whereas a higher pro-
portion of shipments to the Brit
ish consisted of arms, ammunition
and other war maJeriel.
Third, the figure of $5.5 billion
for net total lend-lease supplies
in disable condition in British pos
session when the war ended in
cluded SAT billion worth of war
materiel. London, that is, paid
$472 million in settlement of
civilian account of only $500 mil
lion. This amounts to a payment
of SO cents on the dollar.
A Russian settlement at this
rate on the Soviet civilian goods
account of $2.6 billion would
amount to 1,534.000.00O. This
would be 1924 million more than
the United States ever asked the
Soviets for, almost twice as much
as this country is now asking
and almost six times as much as
the Soviets are offering.
Ships Hard to Get
The United States is also hav-
ing trouble getting back the
ships it loaned and leased the
Soviets during the war.
There were ITO of these ships.
of which 585 were naval vessels,
Sc were merchant ships and 20
were small craft made available
by the American Army.
The United States began by
asking for the return of eight of
the merchant vessels and 217 Of
the naval craft.
Moscow returned the eight
merchant ships and % of the
naval vessels Washington had re-
quested, and certified one further
naval vessel as having been lost.
The Soviets also sent back the
two halves of a ninth merchant
ship-a tanker-which had broken
in two while in their possession.
This left a total of 672 vessels to
be accounted for.
Washington later asked for the
return of 1876 more ships, but
Moscow has never sent any of
these back and, indeed, declines
to discuss the American request
for them.
Early in the postwar period the
United States offered to sell most
of the ships this country had
made available to Russia under
lend-lease. This offer was made
subject to the explicit condition,
however, that a satisfactory gen.
eral settlement of the whole Rus
sian lend lease account be
promptly worked out.
Washington cherished hopes for
a satisfactory general settlement
although hardly for a prompt one
for five and one-half years.
Virtually the last spark of opti-
mism on this score has been extin-
guished by this time, however, and
Washington has, accordingly, now
asked for all 672 of the ships the
Soviets have neither returned nor
accounted for.
RIlt Moscow is running true IN