Evening star., 1953-11-20
Afraid to Negotiate

France, Britain and the United States, in
their admirably firm replies to the Soviet note
Of November 3, have kept alive their long
standing proposal for Big Four foreign min
iSterS' conference on Germany and Austria. But
they have been at pains to indicate at the same
time that they have no illusions about the out
look for that proposal. Instead, far from being
hopeful, they have declared that they have
been able to draw only one conclusion from
the Kremlin's attitude-namely, that Premier
Malenkov and his colleagues do not want to
"enter into any negotiations which might have
positive results"
The western Big Three have abundant
reason to feel this way. For they have met with
nothing but repeated rebuffs in their four
month effort to get the Kremlin to accept their
invitation to deal with the German and Austrian
issues And the last of these rebuffs-the No
vember note-has been made up of such
preposterous demands and such uncompromis-
ing language as to leave virtually no room for
doubt that the Soviet Union is deliberately in
tent, even at the risk of suffering major
propaganda setback throughout the world on
avoiding any kind of talks aimed at seeking
solutions to urgent international problems.
To that end, as pointed out in the Anglo
French American replies, the men of the Krem-
lin have laid down conditions calling for
nothing less than defenseless West as their
price for agreeing to join in foreign min
lsters' conference on Germany and Austria
These conditions would require, among other
things the aboliShment of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, the scrapping of the
projected European Defense Community, the
elimination of our military bases overseas, and
in general the abandonment by the allied free
nations of "all their plans to safeguard their
own security" Clearly, to quote again from the
Big Three's parallel notes to Moscow, 1.-THE
Soviet government must be well aware that
such demands are totally unacceptable" Yet
they have been made, and that fact in itself
strongly supports the contention that the post
Stain Malenkov regime is adamantly opposed
at this time to engaging with us in any nego-
tiations on any level
Why such reluctance to talk with the West?
A persuasive answer has just been suggested
by Secretary of State Dulles at the CIO con-
vention in Cleveland. AS he has put 1t, 1.-THE
fact that the Soviet rulers now refuse to meet
to discuss European problems is not sign of
strength, but of fear They dare not admit of
a prospect of greater liberty anywhere behind
the Iron Curtain lest restiveness increase every
where behind that curtain" In other words
they are afraid to negotiate at this time because
they are unsure of themselves within their
satellite empire particularly as result of last
June's anti-Communist uprising in East Ger
many-an uprising that has led to renewed
terrorist repression throughout the Kremlin's
European domain.
This Situation-a situation in which the
Red totalitarians are busy dealing with internal
unrest-may not be the whole answer to the
Kremln's refusal to negotiate, but it is at least
part of the answer. AS result, in Mr.. Dulles
opinion, "The Soviet rulers have retreated into
a diplomatic defensive. The free world now
has the diplomatic and moral initiative" If
that is the caSe-and many signs indicate that
it is-then President Eisenhower, British Prime
Minister Churchill and French Premier Laniel
when they meet in Bermuda next month, should
be able to make the most of it by promoting
further increase in Western unity and strength
That is the only way that any progress can be
made toward persuading the Kremlin to CO.
operate in building decent peace.