Show Marquis Childs French Think West Faces Reich ich Danger I V WASHINGTON In In his memoirs me me- Winston Vinston Churchill pays high tribute to the capacities of Soviet foreign minister minister- minister V. V M. M Molotov In one of the most impressiVe impressive impressive im im- im- im passages in his extraordinary story Churchill analyzes analyzes ana arm the brilliance of the steel- steel cold mind of the man who guides Russia's foreign policy This Is tribute from one master of world politics to another Molotov has now once again demonstrated that mastery In the way he handled the American note of May 4 and the Russian reply reply broadcasting broadcasting them on the Moscow radio without without without with with- out any warning whatsoever whatsoever-he he put the United States in an embarrassing embarrassing- role The obvious intention of the Soviet maneuver was to make it seem that we hinted at at the thc need for negotiations negotiations negotiations that th thy y came forward readily desiring such negotiations negotiations negotiations and that now if nothing comes of it the fault will be ours Russ Propaganda Russian propaganda can be stepped up immediately toward that goal And in the wake of the hopes the fears the doubts stirred in troubled Europe by bythe bythe bythe the incident this propaganda would have a fertile field From all an over Europe comes the rumor that the Russians in intend intend intend in- in tend to pus push pusi the U. U S. S Britain and France out of Berlin by June 30 Molotov may well wen have decided to exploit the American note in the game he is playing to force the western powers to abandon their isolated position The time has come it seems to me to re-examine re the policy of the western powers on Ber Ber- lin un It was altogether too easy to assume after the of some ve e-ve weeks eks ago had subsided that the Russians had given up upon upon upon on Berlin The U. U S. S has believed believed be be- lie ed that the western powers could maintain their position in inthe inthe inthe the German capital regardless of what the Russians might do French Viewpoint But there is another point of view that should be considered It comes from the French who have been deeply concerned over U. British-U. S. S policy in Ger Ger- many While they have reluctantly gone along with the plans to set setup setup setup up a separate German administration administration adminis adminis- in the zones occupied by bythe bythe bythe the western powers they have several times pointed out the thet dangers in creating or Only recently they made strong representations to the state department The French believe that in insetting insetting setting up a separate or ort ort ort t r i z 0 o n fl naP a I 1 administration the western powers will lay themselves themselves themselves them them- selves open to a Russian charge that they no longer have any real business in Berlin The power four-power occupation of the capital exists theoretically in m order to develop a government for all an of Germany under the terms of the Potsdam agreement With their great sense of logic the French point out that the Russians can say Since you have formed a separate government for your part of G Germany you can have no more reason to stay in Berlint Ber Ber- lint lin Therefore we must ask you to go since Berlin is in the Soviet Soviet So So- viet iet zone and since the Soviet zone is now a separate entity Draw Analogy Analog The The French also talk of the calculated risk and wonder if the U. U S. S has taken Into account the hazards in our German policy They draw an analogy with French policy before World War Var I when the French understood understood understood under under- stood very well that each step the they took in Morocco risked eventual war with Germany To take such a calculated risk a nation must have the resources to act if it t turns out badly Following a provocative policy the U. U S. S and Britain do not have the resources in manpower to buttress a failure The gra grave ve concern concernS of the French can be put down of course to the fact that they live next door to the dynamite mill If the Russians determine to push the western powers out of Berlin and if war follows as asIt asit asit it probably would France would be occupied in ten days or two weeks The fact that this is an election election election elec elec- tion year in the United States with the odds heavy on a new administration makes it impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible to put a new ambassador ambassador ambassador ambas ambas- in Moscow at this point Ambassador Walter Valter Bedell Smith has served for two years and reports from Moscow indicate that he is in a state of ot intense irritability his nerves worn down by the constant pressure of Soviet antagonism The best evidence indicates that Russia does does does' not want war and will go a long way to avoid a shooting war She will continue to press for her objectives short of war It is just here that negotiations negotiations tia igns conducted ducted perhaps by a anew anew anew new man with sufficient background background background back back- ground but without the nervous tensions built up through two years of cold war might bring about what the Washington Post has aptly called an accommodation tion with the Soviet Union Copyright 1048 1948 by United Feature Syndicate |