RUSSIA’S ABSENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25303, 13 August 1943, Page 5

RUSSIA’S ABSENCE

“ SUSPICIOUS OF INTENTIONS ” (Rec. 1 a.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 11. “ The number and importance of the service chiefs accompanying Mr Churchill indicate that the talks will not be entirely political,” says the New York Times in an editorial, “but it is obvious that the Prime Minister and the President must address themselves primarily to political problems made importunate not only by the course of the war and by the lack of understanding by the people, but also by the failure of inter-Allied diplomacy to agree on questions confronting us. That is why Russia’s absence is particularly unfortunate. Without Russia’s participation, final answers cannot be given.” The New York Herald-Tribune s representative,, Mr Hanson Baldwin, commenting on Russia’s absence, says: “The Soviet is clearly suspicious of British and American intentions. Conversely, there is a growing suspicion in America of Russia’s motives. Hitler hopes to turn those suspicions into a serious cleavage, but even if Hitler’s hopes are dashed there is a grave danger of the great game of power politics becoming the sole rule for Europe before the war ends, unless a better understanding is reached with Russia." Editorials in the London morning papers express regret that Marshal Stalin is not present at the North American conferences, but confess that his absence is not surprising in view of the great battles on the Russian front. The Times says that other means of personal .consultation exist or must be found. . ~ The Daily Mail says that we should remember that the plan for post-war Germany is very much an affair of Russia as well as of Britain and America. The Daily Express "states that Marshal Stalin was invited to attend the conferences, but he was unable to accept. He will be given a report and will send his comments. The Moscow radio announced that Marshal Stalin yesterday received the British and American Ambassadors. The Berlin radio says that the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Eden, has gone to Moscow “ to persuade Marshal Stalin to depart from his previous attitude regarding conferences.”