Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-03
Up to Them

Since Premier Khrushchev and the
Kremlin blow hot and cold SO often,
and since they are practiced in the con-
fusing art of being amiable one moment
and snarling the next, the latest news
from Moscow must be read with con-
siderable measure of reserve. Even so,
II words and appearances mean any
thing, it is news of slightly hopeful
sort. For 1t at least suggests that the
Soviet high command does not really
want to push the Berlin issue to point
where It might plunge everybody over
the brink.
What seems significant, in any
event. is that the Kremlin, while declar-
ing its preference for heads-of-gov-
eminent summit meeting, has accepted
in principle the Western proposal for
Big Four foreign ministers conference
to deal with Berlin's status, German
reunification and related questions.
True, the acceptance, which is con-
ditioned on our sides willingness to let
Poland, Czechoslovakia and the two
GermanyS participate in the get
together, is very grudging one whose
terms may be rejected by us. But it
is nonetheless an acceptance-a COM
mitment of sorts under which Mr..
Khrushchev and his colleagues have
stated their readiness to start the show
next month, either in Geneva or Vienna,
and to carry it on for period Of as
much as three months thereafter.
All this comes as bit of surprise
after Mr.. Khrushchev's surly remarks
of last Tuesday. These were made at
the height of Prime Minister Macmillan's
visit. They indicated, in effect. that the
Kremlin considered it waste of time
to hold a foreign ministers meeting
on Berlin and Germany According to
reports, however, the Soviet Premier
has since declared that the remarks
amounted "only to an electioneering
speech" Moreover, he is said to have
explained that his toothache-the one
that kept him from accompanying Mr..
Macmillan on their scheduled trip to
Kiev-was not diplomatic illness" but
very real pain in the jaw. In short,
he seems to have made a special effort
to dispel the general impression that he
was deliberately discourteous to his Brit
ish guest and wished to suggest that his
government was in an absolutely un-
compromising mood.
1t is noteworthy, moreover, that Mr..
Khrushchev has wound up his talks with
M. Macmillan in an atmosphere of
cordially, with lots of emphasis on the
need for friendly negotiation between
East and West, and with expressions of
hope that the two contending sides will
yet be able to agree on mutually salts
factory decisions regarding the grave
problems that now hang like pail over
the world Indeed, the Soviet leader has
been almost eloquent, and certainly he
has been rather poetical, in declaring
that men everywhere expect such de-
ciSionS as would diSperSe the clouds
which prevent the rays of the sun from
warming our wonderful planet and
would create such conditions on earth
as would help the flowers of peace to
blossom forth, for the JOY of the peoples
of all countries"
These are fine words and maybe
they mean what they seem to say. May
be they mean that the Kremlin is gen.
timely prepared to cooperate with the
West in making this world better and
safer than it is today. Unhappily, how
ever, because of the Soviet record up to
now, free men have reason to be skep-
tical. Perhaps foreign ministers
meeting on Berlin and Germany will
prove otherwise, but the proof will have
to come from the Russians. It's all
up to them.