Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-23
Mr.. Dulles, Geneva and Red Chino

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Mr.. Dulles, Geneva and Red China !,
Secretary of State dulles, VINO must soon
fly to Caracas for yet another arduous round of
international negotiations, well deserves the
fine job" accolade the President has bestowed
on him for his work at the gruelling Berlin
conference of the Big Four. Some members OF
Congress have indicated that they do not share
this view, but their doubling attitude is based
on what seems to be an unwarranted inter-
probation of the decision to invite Red China
to take part in the projected Geneva talks
scheduled to begin in late April--on Korea and
Indo-C China.
The critics of this decision have expressed
the fear that 1t may greatly enhance the pres
tige Of the Peiping Communists, that 1t may be
viewed In the world at large-eSpecially in
Asia-aS q move honoring them with de facto
American diplomatic recognition, and that 1t
may mark the beginning Of a program OF
appeasement. In addition, the critics appar-
emily feel that too much has been conceded by
Mr.. Dulles on the point of having the Soviet
Union participate in the Geneva conference as
q acknowledgement sponsoring power instead Of
as q belLgerent closely associated with the
North Korean and Chinese Reds.
However, despite such criticism, and despite
the fact that the Communists are likely to
exploit the forthcoming talks not for peace but
for Notwithstanding propaganda de-
signed to promote further French delay in rati
flying the European Defense Community treaty
it is hard to see why the prospect should
cause extraordinary misgivings or diSmay After
all, together with Foreign Ministers Bidault of
France and Eden Of Britain, MIR, Dulles has
won Soviet concessions that have the effect OF
carefully crcumscribing the nature and scope
of the April conference. Thus, to begin with,
the Kremlin has retreated from its past insist
ence that the Chinese Reds be granted the role
of co-equal participant in a Big Five get
together to deal with every major world issue
They very definitely are not going to have that
kind of role in Geneva. Instead, they will take
part as one of the invited" belligerents and
the agenda will be strictly limited to Korea and
Indo- CHINA limitation that should effec-
lively debar them from sounding of at great
length on their demand for membership in the
United Nations, their Formosa claims or any
other nor-germane question that enters their
heads More than that. over Mr. Molotov's
signature, Russia has joined the Western Big
Three in a specific statement making clear that
China's representation at these discussions will
in no way imply American diplomatic recogni-
ton of the Peiping regime
Actually as practical matter. the confer
ence that has been decided upon In Berlin will
be essentially the same as the one called for
in the armstice agreement on Korea-the one
we have been seeking for months past in the
stalemated and now-ended Panmunjom talks
In the circumstances, therefore the discussions
at Geneva site long ago suggested by the
United States-can hardly accord extra special
stature to the Chinese Communists. OF course,
the mere fact of our readiness to meet with
these people tends to give them prestige, but
that is something that is unavoidable under the
truce terms committing us to negotiate with
them for "the peaceful settlement of the
Korean question, etc"
So Mr.. Dulles has not aSsented to anything
that seems to depart substantially either from
the armiStice or from our country's past posi-
ton on This issue. True, the Geneva conference,
judging from the Big Four failure on Austria
and Germany. probably will make no progress
toward peace in Korea and Indo-China but 1t
can have the negative value of demonstrating
to the world that the Communists are as in
transigant in Asia as they are in Europe AS for
appeasing Red China or extending American
diplomatic recognition to it, that has all the
earmarks of an entirely arfetched fear. Mr..
Dulles firm assurance on that score, not to
mention his recent excellent performance in
Berlin, certainly robs the idea Of all substance.