Evening star., 1955-11-10
Some Old .Nyet'

The so-called Geneva spirit" THE
vaguely amiable international temper
created at the Big Four summit confer
ence in July-has been 1blighted more
than little, perhaps fatally, by the un-
compromising tone of Foreign Minister
Molotov's latest definition of Soviet poll
icy toward Germany AS far as its sub
stance goes however, the definition is
too old thing to be really shocking. In
effect, it merely confirms what many in
the West have long suspected namely,
that the Kremlin is In no mood as yet
If it ever will be, to agree to German
reunification on genuinely acceptable
terms.
Mr.. Molotov has made that much
very clear at the foreign ministers meet
ing in Geneva. He has fatty rejected
the Anglo French American proposals
That is to say, he has fatty rejected the
idea of holding free elections to reunite
Germany as sovereign nation-a nation
at liberty to join the Atlantic alliance
within an all-European security system
designed to give the Russians and others
extraordinary guarantees against the
danger of resurgent German militarism.
Instead, rejecting an understandable
but not necessarily sound Soviet fear OF
that danger. Mr.. Molotov has insisted
that Germany's partition must continue
unless and until the Kremlin's terms are
accepted by the West.
These terms include the following:
~ The West Germans must quit the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; (2)
LII, -
ernment-like the type that destroyed
the independence of Poland and other
European lands-with the puppet East
German Communist regime, and (3) a re-
unified Germany must be neutral and
relatively unarmed Quite obviously, as
emphasized by our Mr. Dulles and by
MessrS. Macmillan and Pinay of Britain
and France, the acceptance of such con-
ditions would pave the way for eventual
"sovietization" of the entire German ma
ton. And that would have the effect,
in turn, Of enabling the Krem1in to
oyerrun all of Europe and hold razor
against the throat of the whole West
er9 world
But all this falls far short Of being
9 stunning surprise, and the Western
foreign ministers have little reason to
be greatly shocked by it, For Mr.. Molo-
tov has simply reafirmed what have been
the essentials of Soviet German policy
ever since the end of the Second World
War. Indeed, even amid the enchanting
affability Of the July summit" confer
ence, Premier Bulganin though speak
ing softly-stressed substantially the
same terms. So why should anybody be
astonished or dismayed by what the Rus
sian Foreign Minister has said? Actually,
only the wishful have been banking on
basic change In Moscow's position. AS
for others, including President Eisen-
hover, they have expected no more than
modest progress toward agreement on
Germany's reunifcation.
As indicated by Mr.. Molotov, how
ever, even a slight advance seems too
much to hope for at present. But this
does not mean that the Western powers
should throw up their hands in despair
or be immobilized by a sense Of futility.
On the contrary, 1t should serve to inject
new vigor into their common defensive
efforts, including the effort to rearm
free Germany as member Of NATO.
Certainly, whether or not the Geneva
spirit" survives, the United States and
It's allies as matter Of self-preserya-
tion--rnust continue to follow such q
course as long as the Kremlin keeps on
saying "nyet' to the basic agreements
that must be reached before the world
can begin to enjoy 4 decent and en-
during peace.