Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-11
DipIomocy's Chance

years ago, when a British Ambassador
would hardly have had the temerity to
travel from Washington to Chicago to
address the Governors Of our States. Had
he done so. his remarks probably would
have been drowned out by the rantings Of
big Bill" Thompson, best remembered as
Chicago's Mayor for his threat to punch
the King of England in the>nose.
But times have changed. Sir Roger
Makins, currently Britain's Ambassador
to the United States, has addressed the
Governors in Chicago. Furthermore, he
expressed some thoughts which, II not
new, were at least eminently sensible. And
1t is appropriate that they should have
been put into words in what is, perhaps.
the last stronghold of American isola-
tionism.
The burden of Sir Rogers address was
that the Big-Four Geneva Conference, If
1t accomplished nothing else, has at least
given diplomacy chance to come to grips
with and find solutions for the worlds
problems.
These problems, of course, were not
solved at Geneva, and no one in his senses
thought they would be solved there. This
negative aspect Of the meeting, however,
has encouraged those who seem capable
only of preaching the gospel of despair,
who say that the leopard has not changed
his spots, that Russia's smiles reflect only
a tactical change, that the Kremlin's
long-range detectives remain the same.
Sir Roger did not dispute this. Nor
was he dismayed by it. Agreeing that
prudent caution and skepticism at this
stage are desirable, he nevertheless made
the valid point that the fundamental OBJ
jectives Of nations seldom do change,
except over long period Of time. This
certainly is true Of the Russians, and of
ourselves.
The fact that Russia's fundamental
detectives probably have not changed is
no reason, however, to fear and shrink
from negotiations designed to and solu-
lions for outstanding differences. Sir
Roger struck hard at one notion, assidu-
ously fostered by some mouthpieces for
the remnants Of isolationist America. II
have long detected in this country" he
said, "a distrust Of the processes Of inter-
national negotiation as being something
which implies weakness and is bound to
lead to appeasement and defeat. Distrust
of diplomacy and diplomats is common to
most Anglo-Saxon countries, and it has
been particularly strong here where the
mythical figure Of the simple-minded
American entrapped by the insidious guile
Of foreign statesmen dies hard"
It is true that this myth dies hard.
But it Is dying. And there Is reason to
believe that the British Ambassador was
JUSTIFIED in expressing the hope that the
American people will face the ensuing
months, perhaps years, Of negotiations "in
the confident expectation, not so much
that solutions will Immediately be found,
but that your strength will not be dimin-
ished; your position will not be compro-
missed; your allies will not be parted from
you In the course of the negotiating
process"
Big Bill Thompson would not have
liked this kind Of talk in the Chicago Of
his day. But two world wars and their
aftermath have worked a profound
change. The American people now are
prepared for the trials of protracted ne
gotiations because they believe that there