Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-16
A Diplomat Views
Dealing With Reds

NONsEseofeEfsCtss1 etA 0ONtCt~~Aff
lean relations in recent years
has been the exchange agree
nlent, copering individuals. pub
lic0tionS, entertainment. science.
industry and other fields, signed
last month. Ambassador VIII
ham S. B. Lacy. iDho headed the
American negotiating team, gaze
revealing picture OF dealing
NTH the Russians Wednesday at :
a National Press Club luncheon.
The following Is ercerpted from
his speech:
There were present in these
negotiations. as there always are
at some stage of the practice Of
old-fashioned diplomacy, two es-
sentials. The first Of these was
privacy.
Anyone who successfully ham
dies affairs Of any sort learns
quickly that all business cannot
be transacted in the middle Of
Main Street at high noon. Few if
any major industrial mergers are
consummated without at some
point a quiet, man-to-man,
straight-talking session, where f.
nal differences are resolved, and
rough edges removed. Governing
bodies, be. they city councils or
committees of Congress. find it
necessary from time to time to 60
into executive session, either to get
to the bottom of some delicate
matter, or simply to discuss what
to do next, without opening them
selves to pressure to take one
course or another.
Any employments Of privacy
may be abused, just as any means
Of publicity may be abused, but
this does not mean that either
privacy or publicity are evil things
in themselves. And if privacy is
necessary for discussion of mat
tiers of business or government
iOithin nations. it is wholly indis-
penSable for discussing matters
between nations, especially at a
time when any difference standing
between us has in it the potential
of our preservation or destruction.
corefuI Progress
The second essential to the
success Of this negotiation was
that 1t was from our side a STEP
by-step affair.
The approach of diplomacy
varies with the nature and diff
Guilty of the problem faced, of
course, much as the approach of
a mountain climber would vary
with the type of slope he wishes
to climb. But with an agree
ment difficult of achievement, as
with rock-face difficult to climb,
a realiSt must as rule make his
beginning at whatever point offers
the least difficulty and the most
promise. and then must work his
way ahead. step by patient labori-
Gus step. If he approaches the
matter carelessly or hastily, If he
tries to skip any important steps,
he at best will fail to reach his
goal, and at worst may have bad
fall. 90
We opened our side Of the nego-
tiations with very simple. limited
proposal. the proposal for radio
and television exchanges. At that
time voices were raised to say we
were not proposing enough. But
with patience and effort, and with
continuous negotiation, an agree
ment was hammered out to cover
that point and a great many
others as well.
And just as one proposal can
provide the seed of an agreement,
so We can hope that one agree
ment can help eventually to pave
the way for other, broader discus
sionS, on a meaningful and real
iStic basis.
In addition. we needed patience,
not only in getting through the
negotiations, but in getting to
them. This is perhaps the most
important lesson of all to be
learned from these negotiations.
Long. Long Rood
AS We face dealings with the
Soviet Union, we must be pre-
pared If necessary. and our peo-
pie must be prepared. to live
through a generation. two gener-
atoms. ten generations, with no
further progress toward a settle
ment between US. Indeed, the
more willing and able we are TO
wait. the less waiting in the long
run we win be required to do. Our
opponent is skilled at knowing the
limits Of our patience. If he comes
to see that he cannot exhaust
them. he will be less tempted to
try. He Is a realist.
And just as we must be capable
OF waiting as long as waiting may
be required. so We must be pre-
pared TO make another attempt at
negotiating whenever a legitimate
meaningful opportunity presents
itself. If necessary, we must be
able TO make a hopeful beginning
q thousand times, and be disap-