Britons Cautious Of New Soviet Tactics

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27736, 13 August 1955, Page 7

Britons Cautious Of New Soviet Tactics

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, August 12. The new friendliness of the Russians, evident in many different ways in recent weeks, has resulted in the not unnatural question being asked in Britain: Is it genuine and will it last? Opinions vary from optimism to, if not pessimism, then suspicion. At the moment, it seems that a lot of the optimism comes from' the lead given by the popular newspapers, which have taken full advantage of the lifting of barriers against reporters visiting the Soviet Union. Many have seized the opportunity of sending representatives to report the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers and also to comment on lite as they see it in Russia. Among the newspapers in the vanguard of the optimists is the “Daily Express,” which appears determined to get the phrase “blue skies” into its headlines as often as possible. Not far behind has been the “Dally Mirror,” which has asked: “Why is peace still a rude word.” It has criticised those who it describes as “woodpeckers on the olive branch." The “Daily Mirror” says it believes the Russians are genuine in their new friendship. It wants the “bleak chorus

of cynics to shut up and give peace a chance.” Without indulging in the arguments over the changed atmosphere, the "Manchester Guardian,” in a leading article, takes a.more objective attitude by discussing Soviet diplomacy on Germany. Russia, it says, wants Germany to become neutral. But since there is no immediate prospect of this, Soviet, diplomacy is apparently trying to achieve its aim in a roundabout way by showing that if neutrality is possible in a non-German context, it could also be advantageous for Germany. The newspaper says indications are that the Soviet is preparing a. broad diplomatic offensive designed to induce some countries to . ask tor neutrality guarantees—including Sweden, Austria, Egypt, and Persia. What, it asks'. do the Russians hope to achieve by fostering neutrality? "The 1839 edition of the great Soviet Encyclopaedia is very instructive on this point. K says the Soviet Union regards its neutrality pacts as a ‘V'eapon in the struggle for the destruction of the front of Imperialist States against the U.S.SJI.’ The 1934 edition gives a slightly revised version which says that the Soviet -Union ’used the institution of neutrality as a means 61 strengthening its own, as well as tffie world’s, security.’

"In the end it all comes to the same thing. Soviet advocacy of neutrality is designed to destroy the Western defence system by nibbling away at it and thus ensuring the ‘security’ of Russia by placing her,in a strategically more advantageous position than the West,” the “Manchester Guardian” adds. * ’. The “Scotsman” says: “How far the objectives of Russian policy have changed, if they have changed at all in recent weeks, is a question which can hardly be answered until October at least when the Foreign Ministers of the Geneva meeting Powers assemble to continue the work projected at the summit talks. “Whether strategy has changed or not, the tactics are certainly different. A determined effort is evidently being made by Moscow to convince the Western Powers that the Russians are Human.”