| Show World View few Soviet Tactics May Change But V t Not Aims B By Barnet Nover No V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON A year or two ago the news of such auch a meeting as was held Monday inthe in inthe inthe the Kremlin between Premier Josef Josef Josef Jo Jo- sef Stalin of Soviet Russia and the envoys of the United States Great Britain and France would hn have ve been greeted everywhere with great jubilation Many allowing ing their hopes to color their beliefs as they so 50 often did between 1942 and 1917 would have seen in this conference conference conference confer confer- ence and the fact that the Western Western Western West West- ern envoys came out of the Kremlin with broad smiles on their faces the beginning of anew a anew anew new era of friendship good will willand willand willand and peace between the Soviet Union and the western cies cles Now having been instructed and chastened by a long succession succession succession sion of hopes that died born a-born- ing the reaction in London Washington and Paris to the news from Moscow is at best only one of cautious optimism Nobody Can Be Sure It is felt that the development development development develop develop- ment may mark the beginning of a new approach toward an West East settlement or anyway anyway anyway any any- way produce an easing casing of dangerous dangerous dan dan- dangerous International tensions But nobody can be sure of that Certainly signs of any moderation moderation aU on in Russia's attitude toward her wartime partners are still few and far between The so not-so-cold war continues to rage in Berlin where Russian pressures on the population of the western sectors and on the Western Vestern powers are still ing In Belgrade backed by her her- satellites who together command command command com com- mand a majority of the votes atthe at atthe atthe the conference Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia is making a mockery of the provisions in the treaties with the Balkan states regarding the internationalization of the Dan Dan- ube Similar indications that Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia is determined to rivet copper-rivet her control over every area where she has established her dominance and expand her domination domination dom dom- to cover the rest of Europe Europe Europe Eu Eu- rope are to be found everywhere For this reason it would be folly to assume that Russia has undergone or is about to undergo under under- go a change of heart The most we can afford to assume is that she may change her her tactics Desirable for fen Soviet There are arc imperative reasons why such a change of tactics from the Soviet point of view is now desirable The continuation of tactics Russia has been pursuing in Europe Eur Europe Eu Eu- r rope pc for some time tithe contained the seeds of disaster She had failed to win over the West Her position position position tion in such countries as Italy and France is now far weaker than it was This has been paralleled paralleled paralleled par par- to be sure by a tightening tightening tightening tighten tighten- ing of her control over such countries as Czechoslovakia Rumania Rumania Rumania Ru Ru- mania Bulgaria and Hungary But this development was from the range long point of view bound to be bo of dubious value as long as increasing Russian domination domination domi domi- nation happened to coincide as asis asis is proving to be the case with growing economic distress in those countries As this column has previously pointed out it was precisely be because because because be- be cause Russia was losing out in her struggle with the Western Vestern powers that she has sought to gain a great victory of prestige by forcing the United States Great Britain and France to withdraw from Berlin or alternatively alternatively alter alter- natively accept humiliating conditions conditions conditions con con- in return for being permitted permitted permitted per per- to stay there I Siege Costly Business The siege of Berlin has been costly business for the Western powers But they have not been brought to their knees and there appears to be no immediate likelihood that this will or could happen in the near future In the meantime tensions generated bythe by bythe bythe the Berlin crisis had become so acute as to create the possibility ity of war There are powerful reasons for assuming that Russia does not want war But it is also no secret that the Western powers do not want war The latter fact the Russians may now seek to capitalize To ease tensions very largely of their own making they may now generously agree to be bought off What the price will be re remains remains re- re mains to be seen It may be the extension of E ERP R P to Russian satellite countries and Russia herself the abandonment of ot plans for a unified west Germany Germany Ger Ger- Germany many Russian participation in inthe inthe the Ruhr incidentally now producing producing pro pro- at the highest postwar level of some other concessions that the Western powers will be asked to make But whatever the Russian price may be the Western Vestern powers powers pow pow- ers era would be well advised to move cautiously Any bargain that would leave Russia stronger than she is might prove in the thelong thelong long run a very dangerous bargain bargain bar bor- gain indeed Distributed by United Features Syndicate |
