BRITISH SCEPTICISM

Evening Star, Issue 26041, 4 March 1947, Page 6

BRITISH SCEPTICISM

THE MOSCOW CONFERENCE

NOT MUCH EXPECTED

(From E. G. Webber, N.Z.P.A. Spl. Cor.)

LONDON, March 3

Opinion in Britain, so far as can be gauged from the Press, from public statements and from man-in-the-street conversations, does not expect much from the Moscow Conference, and therefor© will be agreeably surprised if it receives more than it expects. In view of the bitterness of the continuing antiBritish propaganda campaign emanating from Moscow, pessimism and scepticism are to be expected. To the ordinary British citizen it is difficult to understand why any nation genuinely desiring international accord should permit its official organs of opinions to do so much to jeopardise it. it is suggested that it may be designed to provide in advance reasons for concessions which the Russians may be compelled to make, to place the AngloAmericans on the defensive so that they on their part may be ready to make concessions for the sake of peace and amity, or to distract attention from Russia’s own domestic difficulties. The Foreign Secretary’s announcement that the Russians have now submitted specific proposals for a revision of the Anglo-RuSsian Treaty, taken in conjunction with the further announcement that the Russians are also contemplating a similar treaty . with France, seems to provide some evidence that the Russians are anxious to reach an agreement with their AVestern allies. Whether the conditions they may attach to the revision of the treaties can be reconciled with British and French policy is still to be seen, but the fact that, the (Russians are ready to negotiate is regarded as distinctly encouraging. The chief influence on the side of co-operation, however, is the fact that by whatever means they reach it an understanding on the future of Germany and Europe is still essential to the interests of all the major Bowers. There appears to bo increasing support in Britain .for Mr Bevin’s publicly-expressed belief that this compelling reason must in the long run bring about a reconciliation of the various conflicting claims which at present obscure the real issues. It is possibly unfortunate from

the British point of view that Britain’s present domestic troubles

appear to' have encouraged a disposition abroad to _ write her

obituary notices. The British people have not forgotten that

obituary notices have been written for them before, and that none of them have yet been used.

Nevertheless, the possibility _ that circumstances will compel. Britain to cut her Imperial mantle to an austerity pattern is recognised. A knowledge of this may weaken Mr Bevin’s hand in Moscow, but it is offset, by the fact that since the Paris conference British and American; policy in Germany and Europe has drawn closer together rather than further apart. At the moment (British public opinion appears to regard the prospects of any sudden improvement in the international atmosphere with much the same scepticism as it regards its own much-deferred thaw. Nevertheless, it is realised that both the international atmosphere and British weather are dominated at the moment by conditions in Russia, and that sooner or later a thaw must come.