Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-15
only Two Roads

Stripped of its theological extrava-
gance, especially as regards the "invin-
chile" Soviet system and the allegedly
moribund West Nikita S. Khrushchev's
speech to RuSsia's Communist Party
Congress may be regarded as being far
more sensible and reassuring than many
of his past announcements. At least
he now seems willing to admit that the
men of the Kremlin, like certain impor-
tant bourgeois" leaders, are strongly
inclined to the belief that there will be
no winner in any atomic war" And II
that is really his view, and the view OF
his colleagues in Moscow'S collective
leadership" then the world at large can
look to the future with a considerable
measure of hope.
For if the Russian leaders are con-
vinced that they have nothing to gain
from a major armed conflict in this day
and age, if they are genuinely impressed
by the fact that such conflict could be
quite as catastrophe for them as for the
Western powers, the establishment OF
decent and trustworthy world peace
ought to be possible in due course. True,
the outlook for that kind of peace may
seem to be altogether dim at the moment,
but it certainly could brighten percept-
ibly-and faSt-if the Kremlin suddenly
began to act as if it were in earnest (aS
it conceivably may be- about what it
says against war and in favor OF living
on good and friendly terms with every
nation, including particularly and above
all the United States.
In any event. as chief of the Soviet
Communist Party, Mr.. Khrushchev can
be sure that the American Government
and the American people, together with
the West as a whole, are in full agree
ment with his statement that mankind
today has a choice of "only two roads
peaceful coexiStence or war" He can be
sure, too, that our own country and all
other free nations do not want war, that
they inexpressibly abhor it even though
willing to endure 1t If necessary, and
that they infinitely prefer the idea of
peaceful coexiStence-aS we understand
that term. Yet, even though there is no
reason for any real doubt on that score,
the world remains divided and fearful
and seemingly incapable of generating
the kind of mutual trust so sorely needed
to create a global peace in which all
peoples could have confidence and feel
collectively secure.
Why is this so? The Kremlin argues
that the fault lies with the American-led
West. But our side, for its own part, has
good reason to put an entirely different
Interpretation on the situation. Soviet
deeds, as distinct from Soviet words have
been profoundly disturbing. The main
tenance of the Iron Curtain, the refusal
to reunite Germany as an independent
nation, the intrigue in the Middle East,
the drive for dominance in Asia, the
persistent vetoing of effective atomic
hydrogen control, the captivity OF the
satellite lands-these are some Of the
things that oblige the free world to
adhere to it's present course of great
vigilance and armed preparedness.
Still, the fact remains that on both
sides of the Iron Curtain there is general
agreement with Mr.. Khrushchev's asSer-
ton that there are 'only two roads" open
to the world. And one Of them-the road
to a war in which all would lose-seems
so utterly irrational in the atomic hydro
gen age that men and nations will be
worse than witless if they take it instead
of taking the other This seems so
obvious, for the Russians as well as our
selves, that the achievement of real
peace should be inevitable, no matter
how slowly it may come in the teeth OF
present disbursements.