Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-07
The Proffered Hand

It is quite interesting to examine
Ambassador MenShikovS address to the
Press Club against the background of
Secretary Dulles most recent press
conference
In both instances articulate, fervent
and seemingly sincere men were speak
ing. Both profeSSed their devotion to
the cause of peace and better interna-
tional relations. And yet, when the
essential positions of the two are COM
pared, they appear to be almost as far
apart as the Poles. Why is this? Must
It always be so?
Mr.. MenShikov, echoing the stand
bf his Superiors in the Kremlin, pressed
hard for a summit conference. He
called it the most important step today"
In the interests of lessening interna-
tional tensions. And his arguments,
though generalized in nature, were at
least specifically persuasive. Mr..
Menshikov thinks that the "key" to a
reduction of tensions lies In the charac-
ter of relations between the United
States and the USSR. And he pledged
that all of his activities as Soviet Am
basSador will be dedicated to that end.
Is this proffered hand, this gesture Of
good will, to be rejected?
Mr.. Dulles does not quite say yes,
and he does not quite say no. In his
lucid press conference remarks, he GER
tainly did not close the door to summit
conference. It is equally certain, how
ever, that MIR. Dulles, under prevailing
conditions, is most apprehensive with
respect to the consequences of such a
meeting.
He fears that it might turn out to
be spectacle" which would increase
rather than allay tensions. He is dis
truStful of a summit meeting in the
absence of advance arrangements which
would give what he considers some as
surance that significant agreements
could be reached. He thinks the Soviet
notes suggest great danger-that tho
Russians are clamoring for summit
meeting in the hope that they may be
able to substitute the fiction that the
cold war has ended for the reality that
1t has not ended. A summit conference
which lent itself to such fiction, Mr..
Dulles says, would do great disservice.
So where do we stand? Perhaps
we are standing at preliminary point,
point at which both sides are bargain
ing and maneuvering for more favor
able conference position. But we may
be standing before barrier Of mutual
fear and diStrust which will prove to be
impenetrable.
We hope that this is not the case,
and in saying so we are not siding with
Mr.. MenShikov against Mr.. Dulles. But
1t is difficult to see why summit con-
ference must necessarily result in
Russian propaganda triumph or in the
substitution of fiction for fact Presum-
ably, representatives of "uncommitted"
countries would be present at such a
meeting. If the United States submitted
the serious proposals to which Mr.. Dulles
alluded, and if these were to be rejected
by the Russians without any serious
proposals being offered by them, just
how would it be possible for the Kremlin
representatives to pull the wool over the
eyes of the world and perpetrate
fraud" or "hoax" on mankind?
Mr.. Dulles should try by all means
to establish the most favorable climate
for summit meeting. 1t should also be
recognized, however, that the factor OF
world opinion is going to make it very
difficult indeed for the United States
to accept responsibility for or to seem
to be responsible for rejecting a summit
conference. And we might also bear in
mind the old admonition against taking
too much counsel with ones fears.