Evening star., 1963-05-21
Marshal Tito's Blast

If words mean anything in the won
derful world Of communism, YugoSlavia's
Marshal Tito has come to final part
ing Of the ways with Red China.
The YugoSlav leader, according to
an Associated Press dispatch from Bel
grade, has said he will continue to seek
good relations with the West and will
fully support Premier KhruShchev's
policy Of peaceful co-exiStence. This
must have sounded like the rankest sort
of hereSy in Peking. But Marshal Tito
added insult to injury when he de-
nounced the Communist Chinese as
'war-Seeking TrotSkyites very dirty
phrase in the Red vocabulary. The re-
action in Peking must have been akin
to what one would expect should he
walk up to Harry Truman and-to his
face-accuSe him of being soft on COM
muniSm.
The occasion for all of this is the
scheduled meeting on July between
the Chinese and the Russians; oSten-
sibly for the purpose of ironing out their
theological differences. 1t seems unlikely
that much will come of this effort. But
Marshal Tito, who has been condemned
as q traitor and such by the Chinese,
evidently was taking no chances. At any
rate, he warned that a compromise at
the expense Of YugoSlavia could have
serious consequences for the Communist
movement.
There may be some meaning in
this which has special significance for
the United States. Winston Churchill
once said that Russia "iS a riddle
wrapped in mystery inside an enigma"
Doubtless there still is much truth in
this observation. But nevertheless what
John Foster Dulles called the yeast Of
change" seems to be at work in Khru-
Shchev's Russia as distinguished from
Stains Russia. The fact appears to be
nists hold fast to their belief that war
is the essential instrument of world
domination by communism. Mr.. Khru-
Shchev, however, seems to want to avoid
war, or at least a major war, in the
belief that time will work for the Com
munists and against the West.
No worthwhile judgment on these
things can be handed down today. But
If Mr.. Khrushchev is edging away from
the militant Chinese brand Of commu-
nism and is leaning toward the pro-
claimed detectives of Marshal Tito's
own special variety 1t would not seem to
be in the interests of the United States
to weaken or undermine the Tito posi-
ton at this uncertain juncture in the
evolvement Of the Communist commu-
nifty.
This is the burden of the message
contained in two dispatches from Bel
grade in recent days by The Stars
European correspondent, Crosby 8.
Noyes. He warned that relations be-
tween the United States and Yugoslavia
will suffer, and the latter'S economy may
be seriously injured, If 1t becomes nee
eSsary to apply the legislation, passed
last summer, which would exclude Yu-
goslavia from her INSTRUMENTATION
status-a term which means that Yugo-
slavia can trade with us under tariff
conditions applying to our best Gus
toners.
President Kennedy and our return
ing Ambassador to Yugoslavia, George
F. Kennan, have said much the same
thing. Last June, we expressed the be-
lief that Senator Proxmire had the bet
ter Of the argument in opposing a par
ticular development loan to Yugoslavia
on the essential ground that Marshal
Tito seemed to be moving closer to the
Kremlin. The Senator, however, did not
advocate cutting of the most-favored-
nation treatment.
In light Of our correspondents on
the-scene reports and because Of the
ferment which obviously is at work In
the Communist world, the wisdom Of
tying the Presidents hands at this par
ticular moment is dubious to say the
least. He ought to be given freedom
tO nnanpuvpr In mir hast intArastS