Show p o Ir t T Tripartite Picture e Clearer K o Since Meeting in In Quebec r a J Y d U. U S. S England Russia Agreed on Fundamental Fundamental Fundamental Funda Funda- mental Policies Observers Optimistic Con Concerning War War Post-War Cooperation t y By BAUKHAGE a News Analyst and Commentator rte Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C The ink is now dry on the secret footnotes which appear in the memoranda memoranda memo memo- randa officially recorded after thelong the thelong thelong long and ond quiet conversations which took place in the presidential study In the White House when the Allied strategists worked out the end of another chapter In the history of World War ar II F My own modest nota notations scribbled scribbled scribbled scrib scrib- bled on the backs of envelopes envelope and andon andon andon on scratch pads and written in taxicabs taxicabs taxicabs taxi- taxi 4 cabs leaning lemIng against a White House elm after a press and radio conference conference conference con con- ference taken down while the President President Pres Pres- 4 ident dent or other officials were speakIng speak speak- speaking ing make a clearer pattern Words and phrases take on new meanings rough sketches are filled out in revealing detail x The speculation the criticism the attacks and the apologies which swirled about the Allied policy toward I Russia for instance it is plain now was built mostly on half hal knowledge While press and public were crying crying cryIng cry- cry Ing for a tripartite meeting of the I representatives of Russia Britain and the United States the arrangements arrangements arrangements arrange arrange- ments for a whole series of meetings were already being made It was wasa a not until almost the end of the Roosevelt-Churchill Roosevelt visit that we I learned first that the tripartite meetings on the foreign minister t level lever had been definitely agreed upon and second which no one then guessed that a commission was to be formed of representatives of all three powers to discuss the situation arising out of the Allied victories in the Mediterranean in which Russia is so deeply concerned but which militarily speaking she has been forced to view from a dis dis- tance When we received that news we were unable to indicate its source The Dorian Darien Question Another source of bitter controversy controversy controversy contro contro- versy which has been allowed to fester was cleared up at the same time Certain groups in England and America from the very beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning violently objected to the choice of Darlan as ns the man with whom the Allies dealt in North Africa There have been two revelations on that score which had they come earlier might have cleared the air One concerns the Russian attitude i and and the Russians certainly ought to lean as far to the left as anyone It now seems that the Soviet leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers frankly opposed to Darlan and andall andall andall all he stood for actually accepted the British and American policy on the basis of an old Russian saying 4 that in matters of military strategy or or comparable situations situations-it It is y sometimes necessary to deal with the devil and his grandmother A word from the chief of staff revealed revealed revealed re re- in his annual report to the secretary of war is interesting inthis in inI inthis I this connection He says of the diplomatic diplomatic diplomatic dip dip- preparation before the invasion in invasion invasion in- in of Africa Should an approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap be made to a single Frenchman Frenchman Frenchman French French- man who proved unsympathetic to our purpose we risked the slaughter of our soldiers on the beaches of North Africa as well ns os decisive ih losses to our shipping une unexpectedly unexpectedly edly Admiral Jean Darlan Petain's designated successor and command- command chief in of all French forces was f found und to be in Algiers visiting I his sick son when our forces landed He was taken into protective custody custody custo custo- dy and when it was found that French leaders stood loyal to the Vichy government a series of conferences conferences conferences con con- Immediately followed with the purpose of calling a halt to the French resistance against General Pattons Patton's task force in the vicinity of Casablanca 1 The Background Then on the morning of November November November Novem Novem- ber 11 the Germans invaded France and Darlan obligingly rejected the pseudo-independent pseudo Vichy government government government govern govern- ment and assumed authority in m I North Africa in the name of Marshal Marshel Marsh Marsh- al el Petain and ordered the French to cease all hostilities Just what pressure or argument was used in getting Darlan to yield to Allied wishes has never been ref revealed revealed re re- f or what his motives may have been they been they may indeed have been prompted by the devil or his j grandmother grandmother but but those who knew the thA inside military expediency did not quarrel with his action Death took Darlan from the picture It did not end the arguments but since we know now that the head of the Communist state of Russia was able to swallow Darlan the squeamishness squeamish squeamish- ness of some of the critics seems a little far fetched In the days that followed the recall recall re re- re- re call caU of the Soviet ambassadors to toI London and Washington the outcry I over the absence of Stalin at Quebec increased Roosevelt Churchill and Secretary Hull were blamed there blamed there I was the up blow-up over the charges by a columnist who said Hull was I anti I I talked with Secretary Hull about j that time Whatever his feelings ma may be regarding communism he indicated from his remarks to me that Russia was looking sympathetIcally sympathetically on the attempts at a joint conference and a few days later a high British source stated flatly there was no great divergence of views between the Soviets and the Allies I Agreement Both were thoroughly agreed on the necessity of the destruction of Nazi tyranny and Prussian militarism mill mili and it was revealed that Marshal Stalin was rising in prestige prestige prestige pres pres- tige with the army and that the Soviet Soviet So So- viet army was rising in prestige with I the Russian people until it was already already already al al- al- al ready on a level with the communist party itself itsel This seemed to indicate indicate indicate indi indi- cate as Captain said when he returned from Russia that the ideologies of the policies and the capitalist nations were growing nearer Today as Washington looks back backon on this last visit of Prime Minister Churchill there is a feeling that not only are Britain and the United States closer in both their war and their war post aims but that the possibility of bringing the Soviets into the circle is greater One reason reason reason rea rea- son for this is that certain problems on which there has been disagreement dIsagreement disagreement disagree dIsagree- ment have been met and thrashed out successfully between Roosevelt and Churchill and the way is open to a much more extended discussion with Stalin's representatives Meanwhile the position of Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Hull within the administration has been greatly strengthened as one after another he has taken over the functions of all agencies which have any dealings whatsoever with foreign countries He has placed the question frankly before the President President President Pres Pres- ident who had to choose between his secretary of state and those who opposed him inside and outside of the state department Hulls Hull's Position Secretary Hulls Hull's position is this the policies which I have sponsored and insisted upon have justified themselves Either my department must have full authority in the field of foreign relations or I will hand in my portfolio The President faces first a congress congress congress con con- gress which has had time to think over its position has heard the complaints complaints complaints com com- plaints and received the advice of its constituents It returns determined determined determined deter deter- mined to imprint its will on national policy foreign and domestic Its texture Is and has been for some sometime sometime time strongly away from the so- so called new-deal new policies strongly toward the conservative side s Secretary Sec Secretary Sec Sec- c- c Hull probably stands higher has more friends and can exert more influence with congress than any member of the cabinet The President needs a congress which will stand behind him if it he is to carry out the plans for further conduct conduct conduct con con- duct of the war and the winning of the peace according to methods be he believes it is necessary to employ And of course there is the fourth term ahead for continuance in office office of of- fice flee is essential the Presidents President's friends believe if he is to mold the war post world Secretary Hull is his anchor to windward This is due to his politIcal political poUt poUt- ical teal influence and also because he and what he be symbolizes both at home and abroad have become Inextricably inextricably inextricably in in- bound up in world And for the President there is but butone butone butone one objective now that now that is to be the peacemaker as he was the war leader lead lead- er er cr All else else choice choice of counsellors domestic policies must dovetail into that purpose |