Where the News Ends

...The arguments went on like worn and cracked records endlessly repeated...

...Why There Is No Peace IN the raidot of tke gloom which sai-rounds the failure of tbe London Conference, Jhere is one result for whfrh we may grimly give thank...

...It is easy to imagine how impartial Menshikov would be in the distribution of relief in Poland as between adherenta of the Lublin Committee: and those who adhered to the London Polish Government...

...It is to be hoped that every important witness will be carefully cross-questioned, that every source of relevant evidence will be explored...

...They would not allow any action or even fruitful discussion of what lies eaat of the line which they have drawn down across central Europe...

...why not...

...It is to be hoped that the Pearl Harbor investigation will lead to constructive recommendations for more efficient unified control of the armed services and also for closer association of the majority and minority leaders in both Houses of Congress with steps which nisy be of decisive importance in settling the issue as between war or peace...

...Where lhe News Ends By WILLIAM HENRY CHAMBERLIN Open Season For Investigations THE Congressional investigation of the Pearl Harbor disaster should be ax impartial, aa exhaustive and as far-reaching as possible...

...Tbe head of the American delegation spoke eloquently of the sacrifices that had been made—by Russians aa well as others and of the urgent cry of men everywhere for peace...

...So a recent report in that paper from an eye-witness observer to the effect that UNRRA relief in Datmatia is being grossly abused for the benefit of the local agents of the Tito dictatorship deserves careful examination...

...In his carefully worded and enlightening statement Secretary Byrnes suggests a peace conference including "the permanent members of the Security Council, the European members of the United Nations end the non-European members which aupplied substantial contingents against the European iueiiili.*is of the Axis...

...Many of the headaches and difficulties which the American delegation at London encountered may be attributed to the inept and weak handling of America's relations with the Soviet Union during tbe war...

...Another appropriate subject of inquiry would lie the conditions under which U ? RR A has been compelled to operate in Yugoslavia and Poland...

...At the .start it had been unanimously agreed that all five great powers would sit in on all discussions and decisions...

...His withdrawal ef the words was nothing more than diplomatic forea...

...Letts, Lithuanians, Estonians and Serbs, together with s considerable number of Soviet Russians...

...Molotov arted like Hitler, not because he is a Fascist, but because he representa a government which, while not identical to the Nasi government, ia very similar in Us methods and strategy...

...AnD what now...

...If not...

...Another suitable subject for investigation would be American policy toward "displaced persons" who, usually for very good reasons, fear the prospect of repatriation...

...It is a matter of record that UNRRA was only able to get a representative into Poland when the Russian Menshikov replaced the original nominee, an American named Gregg...

...In this category would fall large numbers of Poles...

...It would be interesting to bead Hopkins answer In two quest ions: Why, on the occasion of hin first visit to Russia, when America was in a Hlron|rer bargaining position her·use it was not yet formally involved in the war, and when the very survival of Stalin's regime may have depended on a prompt flow of munitions and supplies from abroad, was there no attempt to tie in lend-lease aid with specific, concrete assurances of the future independence of Poland and tbe liallic States...

...I recently received a letter from a Russian in Paris, a person of the highest intelligence and integrity, to the effect that Soviet agents are allowed to conduct raids on Russian cultural and lienevolent organizations for the purpose of catching "deserters" from the "Socialist Fatherland...

...a 1 l'' il would mil be too mach like trying to square the circle, il would be instructive to inquire why the Atlantic Charter, always mentioned with gestures of profound respect in official circles, has so conspicuously little relation to tha practical decisions announced at Yalta and Potsdam...

...within the sphere of competence of a Congressional Committee...

...All the delegates knew that he had apoken the truth...

...And it was on the difference with regard to this matter that the conference finally splil...

...When in hia blunt British way Ernest Bevin blurted out that Molotov wan acting like Hitler, he left a clear shaft of light down to the cause of the whole trouble...

...Did this knowledge teas} to adequate precautionary measures at Pearl Harbor...

...Why, on the occasion of his more recent visit tn Moscow, did Hopkins tamely back down on Ihe protest which Kteltinius had registered against the treacherous arrest of Ihe sixteen leaders of Ihe Polish .....In ? round...

...Ia the text of thia Chinese communication available...

...Tbe Russian attempt to rule the French delegation out of the discussion of European problems was typical and significant...

...And a' prompt stoppage of inhuman mass deportations and the drawing of unnatural frontier and demarcation lines would help Kurope recover more than any amount of direct relief which can be sent from America...

...Popular control of foreign affairs is difficult to achieve...

...Waa former Secretary HnH'a demand, in his note ef November 26, that the Japanese quit < lima, a demand which, in the opinion of former Ambassador Grow aad the Army Board which investigated Pearl Harbor, touched off the Japanese aggression, taken with the knowledge and approval of the entire Cabinet...

...The end of the war should be the beginning of an open season for inquiries and investigations, although perhaps not all these would be...

...The testimony of Hairy Hookius would be interesting and valuable in this connection...

...A despatch to The Christian Science Monitor from Frankfurt reported the disturbing news that American troops were being used to round up unwilling Soviet repatriates, with the additional information that the American soldiers didn't like the job at all...

...Another subject which calls for all the public and private study which may Ire possible is tbe diplomatic conduct of the war...

...It is a fair proposal...

...There will be no end to our difficulty unless we ran put an end to silence and secrecy...

...Pearl Harbor is a date of tragic remembrance in American history, and the problem of historical responsibility should be settled on the basis of the fullest and most accurate information...

...Throughout the fateful three weeks the American and British delegations, supported by tha French and thd Chinese, defended the democratic decencies, 'l lie Russians, on the other hand, ware ruthlessly and rigidly holding what they have anil reaching out for more...

...There should be no UNRRA work unless it ia accomplished by full provisions for supervision by independent representatives of the organization...

...And it will be a good thing if the American people Itegin to obtain accurate history of the origins of World War II at the earliest possible moment...

...Molotov would not budge...

...In time of peace, concealment ran serve no purposes hut those of die latins...

...But the prime requirement of tke present tragic sit nation is the participation of the peoples of the world in the di-ciiss:on and decision makiiu...

...The control of the world by the three great powers, just because they have most guns and tanks" and planes, is in line With dictatorial theories of government...

...Is it true that thia Hull "ultimatum" was a sequel to a Chinese "ultimatum" to the United Statea Government, threatening that China would withdraw from the war if there were further temporizing with Japan...

...It is a basic principle...

...ference adjourned without being able even to agiee upon a form in which to announce its failure...

...It it to be hoped that rumor and pas-alonata partisanship will give way to sober, courageous, factual examination of all the relevant evidence bearing on the answers to the following questions: Haw much did President Roosevelt and his Cabinet know about Japanese aggressive intention before Pearl Harbor as a result of the American aacceaa In deciphering the Japanese code...

...On the contrary, they demanded extended power in Africa and the Mediterranean...

...But this effort must not take the form of pouring water into a sieve...

...Then, near the end, Molotov dernanded that France and China be ruled out...

...Though the proceedings were at every point aurrounded bp a cloak of secrecy, the rock upon which the parley was shipwrecked is plainly revealed for all mcn.i,, see, It ia not meiely * matter of procedure or phi uses or manners of national pride...

...7'«* Christian Science Monitor is well-known for the careful accuracy of Its reporting and Is editorially inclined to lean backward in efforts not to disturb that somewhat frail concept, Big Three unity...

...Nu argument of military secrecy can now be reasonably invoked for limiting the scope of the investigation...

...Tbe con...

...Ukrainians...

...It is of a piece with Hitler's way of lb inking and acting...

...And it would lie a good thing if priority under existing American immigration regulations could lie assured the Polish troops of General Anders who have been left "men without a country'' by the Yalta and Potsdam decisions...

...It ia, in fact, the very principle for which, at tke beginning of the War, we called upon our men to sacrifice theii lives...

...The misery in Europe calls for a major American relief effort...

...One may be sure that most of these men, who fought against one kind of totalitarianism and suffered cruelly from another, would be excellent and loyal American citizens...

...If the Russians fail to accept it, they will once more be demonstrating their opposition to democratic ways of doing things...

...Byrnes and Bevin sat there for days and patiently argued and pleaded...

...Stalin had decided that this postwar world is to lie run on dictatorial principles—and that was that...

...If they do accept and such a conference is bold, we can have a broad discussion of all the vexatious problems of the peace...

...The questions aboat Peart Harbor which have become mors and mora insistent and which are ably posed by John Chamberlain in his recent article in Life fall into several categories—military, diplomatic, administrative...

...A clear official statement that America will not countenance' the unwilling repatriation of any refugee from territory under its control would be a gain for humanity and decency...

...But even in the era of the atomic bomb, we may work out a more effective system by studying tbe mistakes of the past...

...But it was all to no avail...