Atlanta Daily World

A Disappointing Ending

The first session of the Council of Foreign Ministers ended in an atmosphere of disappointment and irritation.

The absence of concrete accomplishment was perhaps to be expected in view of the magnitude and complexity of the problems awaiting settlement, but the disorderly procedure of the Council and its failure to stick to any one subject were disheartening.

The first task of the Conference was supposed to be the drafting of peace treaties with Italy and the Axis satellites. When the problem of the Italian colonies, Trieste, and the Yugoslav-Italian frontier brought up the differences of opinion between Russia and the Western Allies, these problems were dropped. Similarly, discussion of peace terms for Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Finland bogged down over disagreement as to the nature of the present governments of these countries. This, in turn, involved a deeper disagreement between Russia and the Western Allies as to what constitutes "Democracy"; and that finally brought the Foreign Ministers face to face with the most basic of the peace problems, namely:

Is the world truly to become "One World," or is the peace to rest upon a precarious balance of power between two worlds? Is there to be whole-hearted cooperation or competition between Soviet "Democracy" and Western "Democracy"?

Soviet policy has to date been strongly influenced by the fact that Britain and the United States have so far failed to share with Russia the secret of the Atomic Bomb.

Throughout the Conference Mr. Molotoff has acted as if he had a chip on his shoulder. The Soviet Delegation demanded and obtained a voice in the control of Tangiers at the western entrance to the Mediterranean. It sought an equally strong position not only in the Dardanelles but in the Red Sea, by demanding a share in the trusteeship of the former Italian colonies.

Britain on the other hand showed stubborn determination to keep sole control of its "Empire Lifeline" through the Mediterranean. The policy of the Labor Government showed little change from that of its Tory predecessors.

With regard to the Balkan and Danubian countries, the situation was almost exactly reversed. Here Britain and the United States seek to establish their form of "Democracy," or at least to have a voice in political developments.

The Soviet Union on the other hand seems determined to retain sole control of an area which it considers vital to its own security.

None of these problems were solved by the Council. One by one the "hot potatoes" were dropped into the hands of deputies "for study pending the next session of the Council."