CHURCHILL’S 1945 PLEA TO STALIN FOR POWERS’ AMITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22818, 13 December 1948, Page 5

CHURCHILL’S 1945 PLEA TO STALIN FOR POWERS’ AMITY

(10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12. The text of the private and personal letter referred to in the House of Commons on Friday, which Mr. Churchill sent to Marshal Stalin on April 29, 1945, affirming- the desire of Britain, America and the whole English-speaking world to be friends with Russia and begging Marshal Stalin not to underrate the divergencies which were then opening up, was:—

“There is not much comfort in looking into a future where you and the countries you dominate, plus the Communist Parties in many other States, are all drawn up on one side and those who rally to the English-speaking nations, with their associates and Dominions, are on the other, “It is quite obvious that their quarrel would tear the world to pieces and all of us, leading men on either side who had anything to do with that would be shamed before history.

“Even embarking on long periods of suscision, abuse and counter-abuse and of opposing policies would be a disaster hampering the great developments of world prosperity for the masses which are attainable only by our trinity. “I hope there is no v/ord or phrase in this outpouring of my heart to you which unwittingly gives offence. If there is let me know.

“But do not, I beg of you, my friend Stalin, underrate the divergencies which are opening up about matters which you may think small, but which are symbolic of the way the Englishspeaking democracies look at life.” Mr. Churchill said that was his outlook in 1945. It was his dearest wish. He believed that the trinity of cooperation of the three great Powers would have been the golden age of mankind for productivity and peace, and for their moral and intellectual- wellbeing. He deeply regretted the reasons which were known to all which made it difficult to share and express this now.