Schlesinger Attacks Dulles For Yalta Papers Release

The release of the Yalta papers "will persuade the rest of the world that John Foster Dulles is an idiot, if they need any persuasion." Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. '38, professor of History said last night.

"Marking the papers public at this time is clearly and transparently an attempt to make domestic political gains," Schlesinger continued. "However, as a political bombshell, it is a dud."

"As an American who wants the United States to be responsible world power, I am disgusted with their publication," he said.

Schlesinger added that as a result of the release, foreign diplomats negotiating with Americans may talk only for the record. "Beyond that any effect on our foreign relations will be forgotten in two months," he said.

Samuel H. Beer, professor of Government, said that the publication of the papers may have been a move instigated by senator Knowland and other rightwing leaders to prevent high level negotiations of the China problem by making all such negotiations appear disreputable.

No Permanent Effect

While the tendency of Americans to keep nothing secret is a "constant irritant" to our allies, Beer said he did not believe that the release of the papers will have any permanent effect on our relations with other nations.

The attempt to make a political campaign out of the Yalta papers was termed "deplorable" by Bruce g. Hopper '24, associate professor of Government. "President Roosevelt was at the Yalta Conference as Chief of State, not as the head of the Democratic Party," he said. "It is a shame that party politics has caused friction between us and our allies, from which only our enemies can profit," he concluded.

The documents as released are unsatisfactory for historians, because they are incomplete and because Wnston Churchill, one of the principals at the Conference, says they contain serious inaccuracies, Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr., Francis Lee Higginson Professor of History, emeritus said.