National Affairs: Dear Joe

To Harold Stassen, who had chatted with Joe Stalin in the Kremlin back in 1947, it seemed a good time for another talk. He sent the Soviet embassy in Washington a letter to be delivered to the Russian dictator. It began: “It is now three and one half years since I talked with you . . . I write to you. . . in the interest of world peace and the progress of mankind.”

With this, Stassen gave Stalin the back of his hand for several long paragraphs, making it clear that Stassen had been right and the Premier dead wrong on a variety of subjects which they had discussed in the Kremlin. He recalled that Stalin had announced that the U.S.S.R. wanted world peace. “I find it impossible,” he wrote, “to reconcile that statement with the North Korean aggression . . .”

He warned the Soviet Premier that the U.S. was not to be fooled with, that it could carry on a long rearmament program without economic collapse, that U.S. Communists could not undermine its strength, and that U.S. youth—no matter how much they hated war—would not back out of a fight.

Having thus fortified himself against any charge that he was aiding a phony Russian peace offensive, Stassen softened his tone. Stalin, in effect, was urged to change his spots, lay down his gun, wipe the frown off his face, join the club and quit causing trouble in the U.N. Stassen guaranteed that the U.S. would not attack him without provocation. “If you doubt any of the things I say to you,” he added, “I believe I can prove each point through . . . further conferences.”

The State Department quickly announced that Stassen, president of the University of Pennsylvania and a private citizen, was acting strictly on his own. But if he wanted a passport, he might have one.