Evening star., 1951-06-24

discussions. ANY furCnef eHoft al
session, the Western representa-
tives stated. must come through
normal diplomatic channels.
The Soviet deputy. taken mo-
mentarily by surprise but armed
with 30-page speech fitted to
the occasion, closed the final
meeting with a surly re-hash of
Russian charges and accusations.
If the world needs more proof
than this that the men in the
Kremlin do not have the slightest
intention Of even considering some
kind Of solution to the present
tragic situation. the antics OF the
Kremlin's deputy = the gloomy
Andrei Gromyko-is the best
example.
It may be that some Diplomats
and some legalistic-minded opti-
|mists inside and outside the Gov.
|ernment still cling to the hope
that even now, when the guns
speak so loudly in Korea, we can
patch up the situation. This is
to be gathered, at least, from the
statements heard so frequently in
recent months to the eject that
we must do nothing rash and thus
provoke the Soviets to open ag-
gression against either the United
States or her Western Aliles.
The leaders of the Western
nations, which are threatened by
Soviet expansionisA imperialism,
lstill believe that Russia could be
induced to change her policies SO
long as we go through the n1otlons
OF rearmament and talk publicly
about the risks she would run II
| she decides to go into action with
lher own forces, as well as those
of her satellites.
Power Overestimoted
There is an unfortunate tend
lency on the part of the Western
leaders to overestimate the often
| siye power and ability Of the Rus
sian armies. They seem reluctant,
probably because their policies
have been dedicated to peace in
our time or peace at any price. to
! turn to another page of diplomacy.
/ to break of the present peace
advances.
The Russian intelligence serv-
lice, operating in every Western
country, knows better than most
| of us the actual potential of Rus
| lsia's enemies. It is on the basis
lof what the Kremlin actually
thinks about our fighting capa-
Utilities, and not on the basis OF
what we tell them, that the final
decision will be reached.
Throughout their history the
Russian armies have never been
successful when their leaders
started an aggression. In the
dozen or so wars over the last two
centuries with the Turkish en-
lpire, the Russian armies were con-
1sistently defeated when they
fought without outside help
They won victories principally be-
cause they bought off the Sultan's
negotiators.
It was the Russian climate and
1.-THE long lines of communication
which defeated Napoleon. It was
| the blundering policies of the Ges-
| ltapo in the Ukraine in 1941 and
l1942 and the destruction Of Ger
man war potential by the Amer
lican and British air forces which
enabled Stains armies to take
the offensive and defeat an al
ready beaten German Army in the
last war.
| It is now a matter of historical
record that both Stain and Molo-
Itov cringed and whimpered three
weeks before Hitler launched his
forces against Russia on June 81,
l1941. Molotov called the Nazi
Ambassador to the foreign Office
lon several occasions and offered
to straighten out whatever mis-
understanding existed in the
mind Of the dear friend Hitler
about his loyal Soviet ally. The
Soviet Ambassador in Berlin
called on Foreign Minister Won
Ribbentrop to urge him to ex-
plain in what way Moscow might
have offended the Reich.
Only one week before June 81