Evening star., 1951-01-17
Essential to Peace

As q kind of climax to their conference In
London the Prime Ministers of the British Com
monwealth-a great company of nations repre-
senting fourth of the human race and extend
ing over all the continents and oceans of the
world-have issued an eloquent statement on the
international crisis. But it is wishful state
ment whose odd timing seems to heap hand
wringing supplcation on top of current moves
for new Big Four conference and the less
than admirable United Nations proposal for
cease-fire in Korea
The central thought of the statement is ex-
pressed in these words: "The problem OF peace
is that OF removing the causes of war; OF easing
tension and promoting understanding; OF assist
ing those less-developed nations which need our
aid; of being at all times willing to discuss our
differences without foolishly assuming that all
attempts to secure peace are form OF 'appease-
ment'." More specifically, besides calling for the
economic and social improvement OF backward
areas and for speedy settlements with Germany
and Japan the Commonwealth leaders, having in
mind both Europe and Asia, have urged that
steps be taken by the free world to see whether
any feasible arrangements can be made for "a
frank exchange of views with Stain or with
Mao Tse-tung."
In the Prime Ministers words, such an ex-
change ought to be encouraged because "We
should, in the name of common humanity, make
a supreme effort to see clearly into each others
hearts and mnds"-the more so because Gin
world worn out and distorted by war, there must
be an overwhelming majority of the people of
all lands who want peace" There can be little
doubt about that last point In Russia as we'll as
in the United States, in China as we'll as In
Britain or France or any other country, the great
masses of men and women are sick of armed
conflict and wish only for an international order
in which they would be free to live out their
lives without fear and with some hope of being
able to improve their lot and be reasonably happy.
The grave trouble of our time does not stem from
what is in their hearts and minds. It stems pri-
marily from what is in the hearts and minds of
the men of the Kremlin and their co-conspirators
in the Communist empire behind the Iron
Curtain-a relatively small band of tyrants
whose actions justify the fear that the United
Nations, in approving such moves as the new
Korean cease-fire plan, is likely to find that
the Reds want abject appeasement and sur
render, not an honorable settlement.
That is why the Prime Ministers appeal,
though eloquent, seems very wishful. 1t seems
wishful because all the postwar experience of the
free world indicates that in the hearts and minds
of the Red totalitarians is dark conspiracy
aimed at nothing less than making the Kremln
supreme everywhere. Certainly, the history of
negotiations with the Russians since 1945,
hardly encourages the belief that anything of
enduring value can be accomplished right now by
"a frank exchange of views with Stain or with
Mao Tse-tung." AS long as the Soviet Union
maintains the Iron Curtain, pursues policy of
aggression and refuses to cooperate in such vital
projects as atomic control, the outlook for
decent and lasting peace will remain dim
In such circumstances, it is understandable
that the Commonwealth leaders, though strongly
denying the inevitability of war and warning
against despairing attitude toward negotiations,
have qualified their bid for talks with Stain and
Mao. They have done so by asserting that their
nations are determined to remain their own
masters and that they will strengthen their de-
fenses with all speed and diligence" against the
threat of aggression In the last analysis, only by
acting firmly along that line, only by building up
it's strength and unity, can the free world hope
to persuade the Kremlin to become aw-abiding
and cooperate in organizing peaceful world
society.