CAB129-78 — Page 243

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Mr. McNeil (Minister of State)-Political Committee of United Nations,

16th November, 1949

Most of the world has no appetite for the Soviet peace; it is a peace that destroys and does not create. Mr. Vyshinsky should return to Moscow and tell his Government that they alone are cutting off the Russian people from the sympathy of the world, the conscience of which is revolted by the mechanical cynicism of the Soviet régime.

The reason is that the Soviet continent is walled off in darkness. I appeal to the Soviet Government to pull up the blinds in Russia, however slowly, and to think over this barren. reactionary attempt to extend the scope of State sovereignty.

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Mr. Bevin (Foreign Secretary)—United Nations General Assembly,

25th September, 1950

We soon discovered, when we began discussions on the five Peace Treaties, that the Soviet Government were simultaneously carrying out policies in Poland, Roumania, Hungary and Bulgaria which seemed to us to be a clear indication of their intention to dominate those countries; to convert them into satellites; to destroy all prospects of free elections; to stage purges and political trials; and to get rid of any free political expression.

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In so doing, the Soviet Government were disregarding agreements arrived at between the Allied Powers before the end of the war.

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It soon became quite clear to us that nothing would satisfy Soviet policy except Peace Treaties designed to ensure that the countries of Eastern Europe should be under Communist régimes which were subservient to Moscow.

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"I do not believe that the Soviet Government ever had any sincere intention of acting in accordance with the spirit of the agreements which had been entered into during the war. . . .

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We had to meet the terrible decision of the Soviet Government to try

to starve Berlin."

Mr. Bevin (Foreign Secretary)—At the Labour Party Conference, 5th October, 1950 With the support of every member of the Cabinet I tried from the day I took office until 1947 to be friends with Russia. There is not a speaker who has been on that platform this morning and urged the adoption of this resolution who would stand more insults, more abuse and put up with more than I have put up with from Molotov and Vyshinsky.

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Mr. Eden (in Opposition)—Press Conference, 25th October, 1950

Soviet aims are furthered by the interplay of ideological appeal, political manœuvre, economic sabotage, and armed aggression, even if only by proxy. Defence measures taken by the free world must have regard to all these aspects of Soviet policy.

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Mr. Ernest Davies (Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign Affairs) in a written reply-House of Commons, 7th December, 1950

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It is not clear what prompted the Soviet Government to procure the escape of a man charged with a sordid crime (Eugen Stefanowics: a warrant for his arrest on a charge of murder had been issued in this country), or what advantage they expected to reap by so doing. Nevertheless, their action was clearly contrary to accepted standards of international behaviour and demonstrates once more their disregard for the practice of civilised nations, even in matters devoid of political significance. His Majesty's Government consider it useless to pursue the matter further and can only regret that the Soviet Government should have gone to such lengths to defeat the ends of justice."

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