TALKS WITH SOVIET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27317, 17 February 1950, Page 5

TALKS WITH SOVIET

America Would Insist On Proper Forum

ALL AVENUES STILL OPEN New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 8.50 p.m. WASHINGTON, Feb. 16. The United States was “prepared to discuss outstanding issues with the Soviet Union and to leave all possible doors open for an exchange of views,” Mr Dean Rusk, Deputy Under-Secretary of State, said today. Mr Rusk said the exchange of views could come through the United Nations or “ordinary channels of diplomacy.” He emphasised, however, that the United States was not willing to “ sit down in a corner ” with Russia and discuss problems affecting other nations.

“We have insisted upon a proper forum because we believe we cannot build for the future unless those who have a genuine interest in the matter can be heard and take part in the final decision,” Mr Rusk said. “ The record of the past eight years will show the unusual effort which has been made by the United States and the Western world in taking the initiative to find possible points of understanding with the Soviet Union. This initiative has been continuous and persistent. On the other hand, there have been remarkably few instances of initiative on the part of the Soviet Union to find common points of contact with the West.” Mr Rusk said the United Nations Charter was the basic overall agreement with the Soviet Union. “We do not need another overall agreement; we need performance on the ones we already have,” he said.

“ If Russia would abide by the basic provisions of the Charter American-Soviet relations would become tolerable.”

President Truman declared today that he remained unshaken in his belief that world peace could and would be attained, probably in his own lifetime. He said this in an interview featured by the New York Times. He held this view in spite of the atomic bomb developments and lack of good faith in the good intentions of the Russians.

The agreement the Russians made at Yalta to enter the war against Japan was the only one they ever kept out of nearly 40. He has no hope that they will keep any which now it would be good policy to seek, but he remains hopeful of the outcome. When the Russians, after the Potsdam agreements, blocked east-west trade he- began to lose the last vestige of hope that what had seemed so good a peace prospect at San Francisco had survived.

The interview was reported by Arthur Krock, veteran chief of the Washington bureau of the New York Times. Mr Krock wrote: “In the age of atomic energy transmuted into. a weapon which can destroy great cities and the best works of civilisation, the serene President of the United States sits in the White House with undiminished confidence in the triumph of humanity’s better nature and the progress of his own efforts to achieve abiding peace.”

The then Secretary of State, Mr George Marshall, he recalls, came back from Moscow deeply discouraged when the Ambassador, General Walter Bedell Smith, reported to the President that the Russians were carefully concealing from the people all the facts about' war assistance we had given them, and what our proposals had been for the joint reconstruction of the world. The last vestige of hope then disappeared. It would have been the same in Japan as in Germany if the President had not demanded an American general there at the signing of the surrender on the battleship Missouri. Otherwise the Russians would have divided that country as they have Germany. The situation in the Far East would have been so much worse than it is that one can take comfort from it. “The real trouble with the Russians is that they are still suffering from a complex of fear where we are concerned. If the presidential campaign had not been in progress in 1948 the President would have sent Chief Justice Fred Vinsen to try and straighten out Mr Stalin and other Russians leaders on this and on our real intentions,” writes Mr Krock, “Maybe that will be the thing to do some time, but in nothing must we show our attitude. “The President is reliably informed that the Russians have 16,000,000 people in concentration camps. This is the way of the police State which he finds utterly abhorrent.”

Mr Krock gave an account of President Truman’s views. These were questions, with answers, mostly in indirect speech for the protection of the President and the United States. 'Among them were:—

Q.: You recall the hopeful prospect of peace that surrounded you, and you expressed it, at San Francisco in 1945 when the United Nations was organised. What has happened since to bring about the deterioration? When did you conclude that normal negotiations with the Kremlin were hopeless? A.: The President said he remembered that time well and with what goodwill towards the Russian people and their rulers he went to Potsdam shortly afterwards. There he planned to offer help for the reconstruction of Russia as well as of the rest of the world on a very large scale. He found that all that Mr Stalin wanted, to talk about was the abrupt cessation of lendlease. Hence the atmosphere was unfavourable to what President Truman had in mind. “To abolish lend-lease at the time was a mistake,” but he was “new” then.