The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1948. BERLIN SITUATION: NEW HOPE OF SETTLEMENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22696, 22 July 1948, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1948. BERLIN SITUATION: NEW HOPE OF SETTLEMENT

IT is reassuring to note from the latest remarks of the American Secretary of State, Mr. Marshall, that, although the United States will refuse to be intimidated or coerced, she will make every effort to reach agreement with Russia on a friendly and co-operative basis. One of the anxieties of these times has been that America, in her consciousness of great strength and in her New World spirit of impetuosity, might do something rash that would turn the cold war into a shooting war overnight- Admirable sentiments have been expressed by a diplomatic columnist, Walter Lippmann, who states, inter alia, that America should not place herself in the position of resorting to war before exhausting the possibilities of negotiation and peaceful settlement. “The records show that the possibilities of negotiation have not been exhausted,” he adds. Evidently similar ideas are also held by the Foreign Ministers of the Western Union, and it is likely enough that Mr. Marshall’s statement lias been partly inspired by the Ministers’ opposition to any spectacular attempt to break the Berlin blockade, together with their advocacy of the resumption of Four-Power discussions. Such discussions are needed on the whole of Germany and not on Berlin alone. That is one of the points made by the Russians themselves. The next difficulty to he solved lies in overcoming the deadlock over the issue as to whether the Soviet blockade should be lifted before a start is made on the talks. Since the Russians, with thenown peculiar impetuosity, created this dangerous situation in the first place, it is surely up to them to make amends now and show their good faith by relaxing their economic grip on the unfortunate people of the western sectors of Berlin. If they can only believe that by doing so they will not lose prestige in the eyes of the world and will, in fact, earn universal gratitude, they should not be slow to take this step. If all else fails, there is still a chance that reference to the United Nations will provide the way out. At one time it was thought that 1 he organisation was going to be as powerless to keep the peace as the old League of Nations, hut the stronger stand taken over Palestine, with temporary success at least, holds out a new hope that, it may yet he able to’fulfil the functions laid down in the Chari cr. It must be remembered that Russia remains a member of the United Nations and that, in spite of all the international bickering that has been going on, has never at any time given a hint that she contemplates a withdrawal. Last year the former British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, expressed the opinion that the real danger signal would go up only if the Soviet Union cut itself adrift from the'United Nations. And. although the present situation is undoubtedly delicate, it is more than probable that the views of Mr. Eden still hold good.