BIG POWERS NEARER OPEN BREACH

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1946, Page 7

BIG POWERS NEARER OPEN BREACH

Keceived Mohday, 10.50 p.m., LONDON, June 3. In this week of Victory celebrations with contingents from all parts of the world busily rehearsing for the parade, with flagpoles and buntiug sijroutmg in London's most celebruted tlioroughfares, it is a sobering tliouglit that the relations of the big powers are nearor to an open breach tlian they ever liave been since the war. Whetlier there will bf\a breach "and whetlier the world will spfit into two blocs, Communist and non-Communist, is a question that will stir the Victory flags uneasily. That this sombre point has been reaclied after a year of uneasy peace, is not doubted here. It is regarded as a sequenee to Mr. Byrnes' plain wafning tliat if an agreement is not reached on peace treaties by the Big Four at the adjourned meeting of Eoreign Ministers in the middle of June, he will submit the question to U.N.O., and to Mr. Molotov's denunciation of the Amerir can threat to defeat Russia by outvoting her at U.N.O. Opinions whetlier there wili be a breach are reserved and divided. a There are some who believe the long series of agreements to disagree can be ended in iio other way tlian in Mr. Byrnes' method and that Kussia, realising she has gone as far as she can with her policy of political predominance in Eastern Europe, will conform to world opinion. They think Mr. Molotov 's recent statement is not entirely uncorapromising. They emphasise his more conciliatory spirit at the reeent Paris meetings and his disappointment at not achieviug a European settlement. There are others who remark that his statement is as bad as it could possibly be, revealing the fevered suspicions of the Soviet leaders at their worst. Tliey believe that if Mr. Byrnes is blufting, he will liave the bluff called and probably followed by the end of attempts to secnre an agreed policy among tlie great powers, and by a new pliase in which eacli side will pursue its own policy. Mr. Bevin's cautious silence — which he is expected to break in the Commons on Tuesday — is the measure of tlioughtful consideration Britain is giving the problem. There is the hope that Britain and Franee may be able to act as a bridge betweeu Kussia and the United States who now stand openly opposed, and that the suggestion by M. Bidault may be aeceptabie. This is tliat the Foreign Ministers sliould draft treatres and submit tliem to a plenary conference of the 21 nations. Th(en the Foreign Ministers could re-examine the treaties and have the &nal say. The possibility of a breach is regarded gravely by British public opiniqn. The events of the past year and Kussia 's atlitude to Britain, have caused Loubled surprise but by no means has yet led to the point where a break Avitli Kussia would be acceptod as inevitable. The ultimate consequences, it. is felt, a-re obvious for although . a war would not be immediate — Kussia 's internal econoniy is believed to be too weak for that — an eventual war betweey Communism aud non-Communism -miglit be unavoidable. And while the breach between the East and tlie West would mean the parting of the ways with Kussia, it would not automatically mean close alliauce with the United States. It is truo that the Kussiun atlitude has thrown Britain und tlie United States closer togetlier but it would be an exaggoration to say their relations are entirely smootli and easy. Nor is it bolieved that tlie United JStates administratioii has yet qiroduced a coiisistont or coutinuous foreign polKy though her reccnt vigorous diiilomaciv Jead lias been we'comed. Tlius the sliadow of opposing world political forces overliangs the Victory celebrations. It is a shadow which lias been deepeued by world f,imine, for food is v 'i important political factor wlien those with empty bellies are t'aced with a ehoice between Communism or non-Coinniunism.