4 JULY 1952, Page 4

Bullets in the Baltic

In its latest note the Swedish Government has proposed to bring the case of the shot-down Swedish aircraft before the International Court of Justice " should the Soviet Government insist upon its version of the course of events." The Soviet version of events is an elaborated version of the theme "c'est le lapin qui comnzence"; the Swedish Dakota and Catalina, say the Russians, were /flying over Soviet territory, were armed and started the attack. Since both aircraft certainly hit the sea outside Russian territorial water, and since the Swedes insist that neither plane was armed (there was no reason at all why they should have been), this is obviously a case where an impartial enquiry into the facts is required. The Russian technique is by now on the way to becoming established, and it is high time that-it was submitted to analysis. The technique consists of shooting down unarmed planes and then working out an excuse which will fit, if not the facts of the case or the rules of international law, at any rate the scruples of the Soviet conscience. It was thus that in April, 1950, an unarmed American Privateer was shot down over the Baltic (" penetrated Soviet territory; opened fire on Soviet aircraft," &c.); it was thus that Russian fighters fired on a French air-liner en route for Berlin last May. This latter incident was harder to brazen out than the others, because the air-liner succeeded in reaching its destination safely and arrived at Berlin demonstrably unarmed. The cumulative effect of all these incidents is to prove that they must be the result of policy and not of accident. One incident might be attributed to a foolish or zealous fighter-pilot; but four incidents, and Russia's answers to the protests, show the consistency of a plan. If Sweden does bring her case before the International Court of Justice some elements of this plan. may be brought to light, although nothing will be achieved for the safety of Swedish- pilots in the Baltic.