Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-04
Breokthrouqh-We Hope

IhoSe who prefer to take counsel
OF their fears can find many reasons
Tor miSgiving in the forthcoming ex-
change of visits between Premier Khru-
Shchev and President Eisenhower. They
can point to the risk that a wedge will
be driven between the United States and
some OF its allies; they can say that this
exchange will serve to build up Mr..
KhruShchev, that it will diShearten the
captive peoples, that the crafty Soviet
boss will take the President into camp,
and so forth and so on.
For our part, we think that more
hopeful estimate is warranted. This
could be major breakthrough in cold
war which has produced IS years of
deadlock. BY this we do not mean to
suggest that the worlds problems are
going to be settled in a day or two of
private conversations between the two
men. The chances are that nothing of
great consequence will be settled. But
there is high probability that a new
start can be made, that both heads of
state can break out of the frozen atti-
tudeS which have paralyzed diplomacy,
that a mutual willingness to discuss
reasonable concessions can prepare the
ground for fruitful negotiations, which,
in turn, could lead to settlements which
would enable this world to breathe a
little easier.
Is this WiShful thinking? Perhaps
so, but we do not believe that Mr.. Khru-
shchev is coming here merely to play
games or to crafty his curiosity or to
ease an itch to travel. Nor do we put
any stock in the contention that he
is making the trip to build himself up.
Where does he need to be built up? Not
in Russia, certainly, and if the propo-
nentS of the build-up view have the
satellites in mind, any modification of
EaSt-WeSt tensions would be more likely
to relax than to tighten the Kremlin'S
grip on the satellite countries.
We prefer to believe, and hope, that
Mr.. Khrushchev is coming here because
the whole logic of his situation, and of
ours, calls for improved relations. I'm
less one has resigned himself to the in
evitability of rot war, continuation of
the cold war ma keS 40 sense whatever.
Russia is not ountry that is starved
for natural resources or pressed for
living space. 1t has an abundance of
both and what Russia needs is time
and opportunity to develop and build on
what it has. A nuclear war could destroy
both the Communist regime in Russia
and RuSSia'S prospects for the future.
And of course the same holds true for
our own country.
Mr.. KhruShchev knows this per-
fectly well. And whatever one may think
Of his past, he gives every indication of
being ShreWd and practical man. So
why should anyone take it for granted
that he is coming here on a sinister
mission, rather than to explore the pos
Sibility of settlements which would be
to the advantage of his country as we'll
as our own? Why throw in the sponge
before the bell has even sounded?
From the Presidents point of view,
there are, of course, political risks in
agreeing to this exchange of visits. If
things go badly the Republican Party
will suffer at the polls next year. There
also are risks in terms of Mr.. Khru-
Shchev's personal security in coming
here.
But we should not forget that there
are risks, much graver risks, in doing
nothing. UnreSolved international diff
ferences cannot nationally be allowed to
drift along toward an eventual collision.
The time is ripe for action, and if action
must be initiated by an exchange Of
official visits and private consultations
between the heads of the worlds two
greatest powers, we see no reason to
shrink from the prospect.
Mr.. Eisenhower is not going to sell
anyone down the river. He is not en-
barking on this exchange under any
illusions respecting Soviet past per-
Torrance. The record on that is only
too painfully clear. But progress is not
made by thinking alone in terms of past
performance The future must be taken
into account We should remember that
at various times in the past we have
counted as our mortal enemies the
French, the British, the Spanish, the
Germans and the JapaneSe-and all of
that has changed with the passage of
time. There is no memorable reason why
our relations with Russia are not also
subject to change.
In any event, the momentouS step
has been taken. The decision to try for
a change has been made. 1t is our ear
nest belief that President Eisenhower
should enioy the trust and the whole