Khrushchev in Berlin
PrHE offensive tone of Mr, Khrushchev's first I impromptu remarks on arriving in Berlin, With vituperation of America, threats against `capitalism' (the Soviet cypher term for de- mocracy), cheers from the Wall, and embraces for the unpalatable Herr Ulbricht, was not so evident in. his set-piece speech to the East Ger- man party congress. In fact, it became apparent that his most violent language is largely directed to vague menaces about the distant future, when capitalism will be buried, and Germany be `red,' while on immediate issues a greater prudence prevails. There is nothing new on the Berlin question itself; the Soviet threat has now petered out to vague face-saving talk about UN, instead of NATO, flags. Even in speaking of his 1 00- megaton bombs, this time he used a cautious tone expressing awareness of the seven or eight hundred million deaths to be expected in a nuclear conflict. This was partly, of course, a defence of his line against the Chinese, now obliquely called Stalinists and worse than Stalinists. But in general the Russians seem to have given up hope of a reconciliation on that side, except on the vague expectation that time may one day heal wounds.
Previous page
