INTERNATIONAL

Why

As the Russian delegates moved out of Dumbarton Oaks last week, and the Chinese delegates moved in, a crucial fact was highlighted again: no factor is more important to the world's future peace and security than the mind and the mood of Russia. Few could doubt that Russia passionately desires postwar peace and security. And that desire is no mere emotional urge. After World War II, none of the Allies except the U.S. would be capable of sustaining a major war for at least a generation. Russia must have peace and security.

And yet Russia, at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, had insisted that, in the proposed security league, any one of the Big Four (the U.S., Britain, Russia, China) must have the right to veto any attempt by the league to discipline an aggressor--even if the vetoing power was itself the aggressor. Clearly, Russia's mind was wary, her mood was suspicious. Why?

Ticklish Topic. The N.Y. Times's James B. Reston offered an explanation. What Russia feels, he pointed out, is that Estonia,* Latvia, Lithuania and Poland east of the Curzon Line are her legitimate business,.not to be meddled with by outsiders. She fears that at some future time the Baltic States or Poland might appeal to the security league, charge Russia with aggression against them. The U.S. and Britain might be inclined to listen.

Russia does not consider her occupation of those lands to be aggression. She considers them rightfully hers in the first place, and vital to her security. Joseph Stalin has tenaciously held to this position in his talks with President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Plainly, Russia's hesitations, her wary mind and mood of suspicion were the realistic Russians' way of saying to their Allies: Face the facts. Stop talking about the Baltic States and the Polish question. If you want world security, you can have it, but you must first recognize our right to national security.

Timesman Reston put the Russian attitude in a nutshell: "Her attitude is that we should not ask her to give up the Baltic States any more than she should ask us to give Texas land back to Mexico."

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