University of Virginia Library

Salisbury Commends U.S.
For Post-Stalin Realignment

By ROSEMARY COONEY

CD/Jim Brunetti

Harrison E. Salisbury:

U.S. Has Dropped Polarization

In the 20 years since Joseph
Stalin's death, the United
States has dropped polarization
to become part of "the greatest
diplomatic realignment"
between Russia and China,
Harrison Salisbury told a
near-capacity crowd in Gilmer
Hall auditorium yesterday.

Mr. Salisbury, a Pulitzer
Prize winner and New York
Times associate editor,
defined the changing roles which
Russia, China and the United
States play since the era of
Stalin's death and the
power struggle which followed.

Mr. Salisbury explained
that this change was not
expected at the time of Stalin's
death. While in power, he said,
Stalin was able to control his
triumvers to the degree that
they feared what would
happen to them if they should
dissent against the
"fundamental policies" Stalin
had set.

However, Stalin's death
caused a "powerful coalition"
by men who had awaited
change in Russia, Mr. Salisbury
added.

According the Mr.
Salisbury, a "cold war" existed
between the U.S. and the
Soviet Union in 1953. He
added that no cultural
exchanges, interaction, or
nuclear collaboration were
attempted at that time.

On the other hand, a
relationship termed by Mr.
Salisbury as "unrecognized"
has been developing for the
past 13 or 14 years. Mr.
Salisbury explained that his
new connection did not take
place earlier because "Stalin's
mark was so strong that the
world did not accept the
change."

He sees this new relation as
a result of President Richard
M. Nixon's visit to the Soviet
Union as vice president in 1959
and Premier Nikita
Khrushchev's return trip to the
U.S. in the same year.

Although he felt this first
communication was "movable
and strong," Mr. Salisbury
explained that our relationship
was set back 10 years by the
U-2 incident which canceled
President Dwight D.
Eisenhower's planned visit to
the Soviet Union in the
summer of 1960.

However, President Nixon's
visit to Moscow last summer
strengthened gradual union
with the Soviet Union, Mr.
Salisbury added. He said the
U.S. and the Soviet Union
have signed on "unparalleled
group of agreements" such as
SALT, and the treaty against
building more nuclear arms.

The "interchange of
cultural attractions" has also
encouraged "a better and more
normal relationship between
the two super powers," Mr.
Salisbury said. Nevertheless,
this understanding was not
reached without crises like the
Bay of Pigs which   which have
"taught us to try to live
together and make the world
great without giving up."

U.S. relations with China
have also improved since
Stalin's death, Mr. Salisbury
remarked. He said that "a
dramatic change" has come
about as result of Chinese
initiative for the renewal of
the Warsaw talks 10 days
after Mr. Nixon's election in
1968. So far the U.S. has no
vast trade connections with
China, Mr. Salisbury said.