Washington to Moscow
The State Department at Washington has been studiously deliberate in the preparation of its reply to the Soviet Government's Note of April 11th announcing that Soviet fighters near Libau had fired on an American four-engined plane, and alleging that the American plane fired first. It is very greatly to the credit of American public opinion that it should have displayed such marked restraint in the face of the knowledge that the American plane was unarmed, and the virtual certainty that it was wantonly shot down over the Baltic with the probable loss of ten American lives. The American Note, which is admirably firm without being in the smallest degree provocative, recites the facts as so far ascertained, and reaches the conclusion that " Soviet military aircraft fired on an unarmed
• American aircraft over the open sea, following which the American aircraft was lost." It calls on the Soviet Government to institute a prompt and thorough investigation into the whole affair and " confidently expects " that that Government will express its regret, punish the offenders and pay appropriate indemnity for the unprovoked destruction of American lives and property. It is obviously more than doubtful whether these expectations will be fulfilled. If not, the natural and proper course will be for the American Government to bring the matter before the United Nations. Russia can no doubt veto action by the Security Council itself, but a decision to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice can be taken by " an affirmative vote of seven members." as was in fact done when Great Britain indicted Albania over the Corfu Channel outrage. Russia may yet adopt an attiti:de which would make such a course unnecessary. Mr. Dean Acheson has no doubt already decided what his next step will be, if a next step be needed.
