| Show I I International Unity Unify Aided By B y Moscow Conference x I Results of Famed Tripartite Meeting Continue To Grow Spirit of Compromise Achieved in Moscow x I By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator ServIce Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C Some weeks before Secretary Hull left for his Mission to Moscow I interviewed him in his office in the state department Shortly after he returned he received a number of ofus ofus us in that same office and gave us usan usan an informal talk about his trip One of the things which impressed me greatly as I heard the secretary in the course of the long hour meet meet- meeting meeting ing telling us sidelights on his re- re remarkable remarkable experience was the way one word which he had used in his talk with me kept cropping up again and again It was the word under understanding understanding standing He applied it to personal relationships and exchanges be- be between between tween the members of the tripartite meeting and to the whole discussion and the decisions which grew out of it It seemed to be a case of progressive progressive sive understanding In our first conversation the sec sec- secretary secretary indicating the papers which covered his grea great t desk said they all dealt with Russia I did not know then that there was to be a Moscow meeting And And he made the point with considerable emphasis that there was so much suspicion on the part of persons discussing the Rus- Rus Russian sian situation that it was exceeding exceeding- exceedingly ly hard to work toward an agree agree- ment Open Discussion Then in his talk on his return he repeated this thought saying that many many people because of their heir deep prejudices had made it hard to bring about an understanding be- be between between tween the three nations He said that when he left for Moscow he felt that much of misunderstand misunderstand- the misunderstanding ing was due to misinformation tion which all ll the parties shared concerning the others In order to correct that every effort was made at frank and andopen andopen open discussion and as a result questions which had been consid- consid considered considered ered most difficult to solve auto auto- autom automatically m disappeared And the secretary pointed out that as the conference progressed many points immediately ly developed where what might be called the selfish in- in interests interests of each nation were dis- dis discovered discovered covered to be common interests He explained how military cooperation co op had been achieved as the need for it grew and how with this development it became clear that similar operation co-operation must be established established along political and economic lines especially regarding an in- in international international organization to preserve peace The secretary set off for Moscow under a hail of attack from one sec sec- section section tion of the press which labeled him anti If there ever was justice in such a charge which Mr Hull emphatically denied he came back with no such feeling In fact he made it clear that he was now convinced that few countries had more in common and less in con on- filet especially in the economic field Unconvinced Although all of the official state state- statements statements ments issued in Moscow and in Lon Lon- London London don and Washington after the dele dele- delegates delegates gates had returned to their respective respective tive homes stressed the accomplish accomplish- accomplishments accomplishments ments of the conference their im- im importance importance and the probability of their effect on future negotiations still there were those who chose to see great gaps yawning and between th the three nations Of course course only time can tell how thorough the common understanding really is and how far the respective nations will be able to go to hold to toa toa a unity of purpose through the stormy times ahead But there have already been evidences that a spirit of compromise was achieved which did bear actual fruit This was true in the case of Italy Some time ago a magazine article appeared which purported to out out- outline outline line the plan by which the countries liberated from Axis do domination m i n a t ion would be governed by the successful Allies The plan was a pretty rigid one with the Allied Military Militar y Government seeming to be rooted deeply into the governmental fabric fabri c of Df the liberated nations There was wa s criticism here to the effect that the th e United States was taking on the re re- responsibility responsibility of running the world an and d it was predicted that there could coul d never be an agreement between betwee n three victors one with a hereditary y monarch Britain one with n a com com- communistic communistic form of government Rus- Rus Russia Russia sia sia and one a democratic republic the United States The test came in Italy After the parleys at Moscow the was limited in its functions taking over only the districts nearest the front An Allied Amed military commission was formed which is making maximum use of the local native civilian Italian Government But what about the government which the Allies would accept as satisfactorily representing the will of the Italian people Surely Britain would demand demand- that monarchy be given a chance to remain in power Surely Russia would have no traffic traffic fic with kings and would instead demand de- de demand mand a strong wing left set The supposed American com compro- compro compromise pro pro- promise mise was a temporary regency that thatis is a liberal regent such as Count Carlo who was in exile from the Fascist regime and who left America shortly after the surrender of Italy The little son of the crown prince would remain the symbolic head of the state Many said that neither Russia nor Britain would ac- ac accept accept this suggestion However although no definite step has been taken semi official sources have indicated that when Rome is recaptured and Marshal Badoglio now premier steps out there will willbe be virtual agreement on the part of the three victor na nations on the Amer- Amer American American ican compromise All that remains will be an agreement on the part of the Italian people Even if the lat lat- latter latter ter is not achieved there is evi- evi evidence evidence dence enough already of tripartite compromise and unity to seem to confirm the success of the Mission to Moscow S e Economic Questions The ways and means committee of the house has only been able to agree on methods of raising one one- fifth of the money which the government govern govern- government ment says it is necessary to have to continue the war Not only hasit has it been unwilling to tax the higher brackets further but it also is afraid to recommend the sales tax because be- be because cause that affects the largest group of voters Naturally the first thing that a citi- citi citizen citizen zen leaps to defend is his pocket pocket- book The administration has at- at attempted attempted tempted to lay down as a goal a maximum net income of in wartime perhaps twice as much in peacetime Now perhaps the Amer- Amer American American ican people dont don't want to put any limit whatever on incentive Never Never- Nevertheless Nevertheless there is always an outcry against the accumulation of wealth and we know that when wealth be- be becomes becomes comes concentrated panics result If the various influences resisting taxation which will bring down their ceiling on incomes succeed in forc- forc forcing forcing ing congress to defeat such laws and granted the rest of the people ac- ac accept accept the defeat democracy is not to blame The selfish group has won won- and it has won not because con con- congress congress gress wants to please a few voters but because congress has been convinced con con- convinced vinced that the special interests are represented by a majority of voters in other words the majority m wins Another current issue which is very much before c congress is the threat to little business Right now 70 per cent of the war contracts are held by about firms Senator is proposing g a measure which would produce an a n incentive on the part of the invest invest- investors ors that is those with large capitals s to spend to invest in small rather than large business that would be b done by making t taxes on big business busi busi- business ness so he heavy vy so that the profits re re- resulting suiting to the investor would not no be as large as if he had his money in small business Small business has to be protect protect- protected ed it is admitted if free enterprise in America is to continue If any an single group or groups manage to t convince the elected officials of the th country that they can muster enough votes to defeat the people who are responsible for such a tax to plan it is obvious that the majority majority's will will be frustrated There again agai it goes back to the individual In In- Individuals who do not vote destroy destro the democratic processes by permit permit- permitting ting ling a minority of the people to be be- become come the majority of the voters |
