Huff & Puff

The Russians filled their lungs for a mighty huff & puff at next month's San Francisco Conference. The nation which fought the Japanese exactly six days wanted to have a loud last-minute say in the Japanese peace treaty, though it had steadfastly refused to be cooperative during the past eleven months the U.S. has been patiently negotiating terms with its allies.

"We hope . . . that the Russians are [not] sending a wrecking crew . . ." said John Foster Dulles, the treaty's chief architect. Next day in Moscow, the U.S. Embassy delivered a stiff little note to the Soviet Foreign Ministry. Chief point: the San Francisco party "is not a conference to reopen negotiations on the terms of peace." Its proper business will be a final explanation of the treaty, then the signing.

The Communists made plain that they were out to wreck rather than ratify. Radio Peking let forth a blast by Foreign Minister Chou Enlai. Just to make sure it would reach home to a land which does not recognize Red China diplomatically, Chou cabled his message, in plain, uncoded English and delivered by Western Union, to Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Gist of Chou's remarks:

The proposed treaty with Japan is "basically unacceptable ... It is in reality a treaty for ... the purpose of rearming Japan and preparing a new world war of aggression for the U.S." An acceptable treaty, continued Chou, would 1) grant Red China control over Formosa, the Pescadores and other islands off the China mainland, 2) approve Russia's Yalta title to South Sakhalin and the Kuriles, and 3) bar U.S. armed forces in Japan. Knowing that they could make no headway against the U.S., the British and the French, the Communists evidently hoped to keep India, Indonesia and other Asian governments from accepting the treaty.

Dulles has planned Pacific security with four stout walls: the peace with Japan; a defense arrangement allowing U.S. garrisons in Japan until that country can defend itself; a mutual defense pact with the Philippines; a similar pact with Australia and New Zealand. Washington is reasonably confident that huffing & puffing will not blow the walls down.

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