RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 130, 17 March 1950, Page 3

RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

MR ACHESON SPEAKS ON U.S. POLICY “PEACE, BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE" (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) NEW YORK, March 15.- . The United States Secretary of State (Mr Dean Acheson) said to-day that he could see no evidence that the Soviet’s leaders would change their conduct until the progress of the free world convinced them that the creation of tensions was profitless. Declaring that the United States wanted peace, “but not at any price,” Mr Acheson said that the United States was ready to negotiate with the Soviet Union, but not at the expense «f arousing false hopes which would be dashed by new failures. He was addressing a conference at the University of California. Mr Achdson said that the world would have greater hope of peace if the Soviet Union would observe its pledge, given at Teheran, that all peoples of the world should be allowed to live free lives. Other points which he said were necessary for the creation of a normal relaxed atmosphere in which the hope of making progress towards peace included: (1) The Soviet should withdraw its military forces from satellite countries and refrain from using the shadow of those forces to keep undemocratic regimes in power. (2) Russia should abandon its policy of obstruction in the United Nations.

(£}) Russia’s leaders should join the United States in seeking effective control of atomic weapons and the limitation of armaments in general. (4) The Kremlin should stop using its world-wide Communist apparatus to attempt to overthrow established governments. (5) In general, Russia’s leaders should refrain from /‘systematically distorting” to their own people the picture of the outside world, particularly that of the United States. Mr Acheson said: “If the Soviet Union would join in doing these things we should all face the future Avith greater security. I fear, however, that I must Avarn you not to raise your hopes. No one Avho has lived through these post-war years can be sanguine about reaching agreements in which reliance can be placed and Avhich will be observed in good faith by the Soviet leaders. “We must not in our yearning for peace alloAv ourselves to be betrayed by vague generalities or beguiling offers of peace Avhich are unsubstantiated by good faith solidly demonstrated in daily beTaviour. We are always ready to discuss or negotiate, but Ave are understandably loath to play the role of an , international sucker.”