ARBITRARY LINE

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22612, 17 May 1945, Page 5

ARBITRARY LINE

RUSSIAN ACTIONS OPINION IN BRITAIN SACRIFICES IN VAIN? (Special Correspondent) (Received May 17, 1 p.m.) LONDON, May 16 Relations with Russia have been discussed in the British Press with some freedom following upon the arrest of 15 Poles. It is clear that there is concern lest Russia and the Allies should drift apart, but the general tone of the comment is that differences and difficulties should be faced fairly and squarely in an attempt to reach a permanent and friendly understanding. Asking what lies behind Russia’s attitude of taking her own arbitrary line on one issue after another, the Observer in a leading article says a fair inference is that at the heart of Russia’s attitude, explaining both her insistence on a buttress sphere of influence and her single-handed methods of obtaining it, lies a deeprooted suspicion that Germany next time might not act alone, in fact the old suspicion of a reactionary western alliance directed against herself. It is still very hard for the Russians to believe that the capitalist countries will not be impelled to turn against the Soviet Union in the long peacetime run. Meaning of Democracy That is one source of the current troubles. Another is that by tne word “democracy,” which appears in so many important passages of the Yalta statement, I ritain and Russia mean different things. For Britain 1 democracy means a system ; n which | the Government is chosen by and is | responsible to the people, who are i free to oppose, criticise and form as j many parties as they choose. For Russia democracy means a j system in which economic security j and the right to education zre guaranteed by the State; political liberties are considered unimportant. The Observer expresses the opinion that I Britain should say to Russia first that' just as the Russians have faith in j their system, so have we in ours; | secondly, if our loyalty to this faith I proves to be an obstacle to Anglo- ; Russian co-operation it will be a! tragedy for Europe and ukimately | for Russia herself. I Russia is strong and confident. She j may feel that she can afford to disre- ! gard the wishes of her Allies so long as she takes care to protect herself, j but a policy of alienating western, Europe and America is the one policy that might in time bring the iragedy of anti-Soviet combination *o pass Policy of Conciliation The Economist expresses the | opinion that it is the policy of con- j cilation and compromise that has j brought the British Government j slowly and unwillingly to the; tragedy of Poland, in which it finds ; itself not only helpless to assist the I ally for whom the war was begun but directly implicated in handing over their gaolers 15 Polish Democrat leaders. The policy pursued j has done great injury to the moral i standing of British policy and to the j British claim to stand for *he rights j of small nations. These sacrifices i have been made in the hope of elicit- | ing friendly co-operation from the. Soviet, but if anything of the; sort has, been secured it is not visible from this distance. To all appearances the sacrifices ; have been made in vain, concessions ; have been made without purpose. If' the object of the policy was closer j understanding, it has failed. The ; economist suggests that perhaps the best way to win the Russians’ respect and friendship is to drive as hard I bargains as they do themselves, and adds that there will be great reluct- j ance both in London and in Washington to come to such a conclusion. ] Hard bargaining with a friend is not customary among English-speaking peoples, but it would be idle to deny j that those who have the responsi-1 bility of managing the foreign poli-, cies of the western Allies are being 1 compelled to ask themselves whether, they will not have to change their j tactics in this direction. Russians Call The Tune And it is the policy of the Rus- j