Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-21
Good Faith and the Soviet Record

Although the Kremlin may respond afhrma
lively to the latest Anglo-French- American notes
proposing Paris meeting next month to prepare
for full-dress conference of the Big Four, there
is little or no reason to be optimistic about what
such conference is likely to accomplish when
and if it is held. That is so not simply because
of GeneralisSimo Stalins recent blast against the
West More important as measure of what to
expect is the long and dreary record of Moscow's
postwar aggression and double dealing.
1t is because of that record that the State
Department. in connection with the proposal for
preliminary Paris talks, has made special point
of declaring that it doubts Soviet good faith in
the matter. That is why it has been openly
skeptical ever since the Kremlin, on last Noyem-
Der g. first called upon the three Western Powers
for new Big -Four meeting to deal with the
problem OF German rearmament. And that is
why it still remains skeptcal even though the
Russians seem to have accepted the Anglo
French American demand that the projected
conference, if 1t is to take place at ALL must deal
not merely with Germany but with other major
issues responsible for the grave tensions now
spreading fear through the world.
The issues stem from the fact that the Soviet
Union has done such things as the following
since We day and VI day: CD Violated the
Yalta agreement by denying to Poland and other
East European countries the right to elect demo-
cratic governments of their own choosing, i'm
posing upon them instead the tyranny of puppet
Communist rule; 60 Knocked its Potsdam pledges
by blocking Germany'S economic and political
unihcation and by creating German army in
its occupation zone; 90 inspired and helped the
Greek Reds in their effort to seize Greece; a.
subverted Czechoslovakia; 60 blockaded Berlin
in an attempt to drive out the Western Allies;
te) did its best to sabotage the Marshall Plan;
inc in, cfip
peace settlement for Austria; (S) torpedoed
every effort by the overwhelming majority of the
United Nations to establish effective atomic con-
troll; 90 maintained huge armed forces (Still in
being while the West drastically demobilized
Q0) resorted to policy of mounting threats and
pressures against Yugoslavia-a policy involving
a marked, treaty-violating build-up of neighbor-
ing satellite armies CID persistently supported
the aggression in Korea; and (12) made tighter
than ever the Iron Curtain, behind which, in an
atmosphere of oppression and blacked-out truth,
it continues to arm and conduct systematic
campaign of hate and subversion against the
free world
All this represents only part of the Soviet
postwar record. It is the thing that has driven
the free nations-as matter of self-preserva-
tion-to try to build up their defenses as fast
and as thoroughly as possible It is the thing
that has given rise to the explosive tensions that
are forcing the world to hold its breath today.
1t is the thing-the only thing-that makes the
threat OF a new global war seem dangerously
real Were the story different-were it one of
cooperation, compromise give-and-take moder-
ation honest negotiation, fidelity to treaties
then mankind right now would have little to
fear. For in that case peoples and govern
ments-working together in the open instead of
being cut off from each other by the fear
breeding Iron Curtain-would be well on their
way toward establishing good and decent
peace.
Can new Big Four Conference brighten
the prospect? Unfortunately, in view of the
Soviet record to date the State Department
seems amply justified in its rather pessmstic
skepticism. This is no time for self -delusion.
Another full-dress meeting with the Russians
will achieve nothing of enduring value unless
they attend it in good faith undertake to effect
basic change in their policy and show by con-
crete deeds that they want peace.