Evening star., 1951-03-04
The Paris Meetinq


ing beginning In Paris tomorrow Conceivably
the Soviet Union-whose delegation will be
headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Gromyko-
will surprise the world with seeming willingness
to be conciliatory and cooperative. But even
if it does, even II 1t acts agreeably throughout,
the sincerity of its intentions will be open to
serious question. It's record to date makes that
inevitable.
The Paris meeting is to take place as result
of the exchange of notes that began last Novem-
ber when the Kremlin called upon France,
Britain and the United States for new session
of Foreign Ministers to deal with the problem
of German demilitarization. The impending
talks-proposed by the three Western Powers and
agreed to by the Russians-are meant merely
to determine whether or not mutually &C
ceptable" agenda can be worked out to warrant
the holding of full-dress conference here in
Washington The Anglo-French-A American posi-
ton Is that such conference, If 1t is to be con-
vened at all must deal not merely with Germany
but with other places and things that have at
least an equally important bearing on the grave
East-West tensions that have raised the posi-
bility of another world war.
In agreeing to the exploratory" meeting,
the Russians have in effect conceded that the
West is right in contending that another Big
Four conference would be waste of time if it
IL.
But the actual extent of their concession re-
mains to be seen. Are they willing to accept
an agenda broad enough to include discussion
OF why they have blocked peace settlement for
Austria? Will they consent to take up the issue
OF the fear-breedng Iron Curtain? Will they
agree to consider their refusal to join with the
overwhelming majority of the United Nations in
establishing an effective system of atomic con-
troll? Will they go along with the idea that the
Foreign Ministers should deal with such matters
as the Kremlin's violation of treaty pledges it's
policy of direct and indirect aggression, its sub
versive activities through the Cominform, and
the maintenance of huge armed forces within
the Soviet Union and satellite countries?
These questions-which point up some of the
issues accounting for present international
tensionS-speak pretty much for themselves and
Mr.. Gromyko will have an opportunity to answer
them in Paris. Possibly he will respond in q
way that will oblige France, Britain and the
United States to agree to another conference of
the Big Four Foreign Ministers In that event,
however the doubling Thomas attitude will still
be justified, and the West will have to be ex-
ceedngy wary OF accepting attractive-looking
Soviet proposals-particularly as regards Ger
many-whose hidden purpose, apart from propa-
ganda, might well be to undermine the Atlantic
Pact and befudde the free nations into state
of wishfulness and indecision making them fall
down on the vital job of building up their de-
fenses and righting the balance of power in
Europe
That is why our American delegation has
gone to Paris in a highly skeptical frame of
mind That is why the British-and to a lesser
extent the French-feel the same way The men
OF the Kremlin have established such record of
bad faith that the West finds it virtually impos-
sible to believe them capable of good faith now
1t will take much more than another Big Four
conference to remove the fears and suspicious
they have created against themselves It will take
nothing less than profoundly deep and far
reaching change in their policy-a change ex-
pressed in concrete acts of cooperation Until
that time comes, the free world, while making
clear its willingness to engage in honest negotia-
tions, must look to it's to insure its survival