Last week the tension between Russia and her western Allies became particularly pronounced. The arrest of the Polish delegates on trumped up charges which nobody believed looked like a reversion to the old Bolshevik method of ending an argument and this at a time when some people were beginning to applaud Moscow on the efficiency of its new diplomacy. The firm attitude adopted at San Francisco by Eden and Stettinius on this question was as unexpected by the public, as, apparently, it was by Molotoff. Up till then he had been accustomed to having his own way. He will find Truman a more difficult man to negotiate with than Roosevelt as his policy will depend on the Senate which is jealous of its newly recovered authority and is not inclined to be compromising where the Soviets are concerned. It is believed here that Senator Vandenberg more than the Secretary of State is the spokesman of the American delegation. The position of the latter is particularly weak as he has no political experience or affiliations.

The occupation of Vienna by the Russian forces created further tension between the Allies. At one of their meetings held some months ago the 'Big Three' agreed that this should be threefold;the British in the South, the Americans in the West and the Russians in the East with the headquarters of the Allied Commission of Control in the Capital. This Commission was all set to proceed to its destination nearly a fortnight ago and its advanced guard actually arrived at Vienna only to be requested by the Russian Commander to return forthwith to its starting place. The order was peremptory and had to be obeyed. Most of the members of this Commission are now here in Rome waiting to see if Marshall Alexander who is now in Belgrade will be able to effect a satisfactory compromise with Marshall Tito.

To add to the troubles of the British and Americans in this theatre of operations the Yugoslav forces beat them on the road to Trieste where they had established themselves before the New Zealanders arrived. They began post haste to organise the services of the city as if it were Yugoslav territory. The police, the magistrature and other functionaries only obey Tito's orders. Open fighting has already broken out between the Italian patriots and the Yugoslav forces in which several of the former have been killed and many injured. There have also been conflicts in which Slovenes, Croatians and Cetnics have been involved. These bands are so numerous that it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. The archbishop of Trieste has been confined to his Palace while the Bishops of the neighbouring Dioceses of Gorizia and Ljubljana have been placed under arrest. Scores of Italian partisans who helped to liberate the city have been thrown into prison and others are being sought for. A reign of terror actually prevails and famine is threatened. The Anglo-American forces are powerless to act before the outcome of the negotiations now underway. The Italian Government are naturally much perturbed by the situation and have addressed an appeal to the Allied Commission asking them to ensure that the terms of the Armistice are not violated as under them all Italian territory should be administered by the Allies and could not be alienated unless the Peace Conference decided otherwise.

On the Italo-French frontier trouble is also brewing. The French army has now occupied the Val d'Aosta and a good part of Piedmont including the towns of Cuneo and Ventimiglia. Several weeks ago, they fought the Fascists and the Nazis in that region but, to-day, they are fighting the Italian partisans. It seems that General de Gaulle is acquiring in advance some Italian territory for bargaining in anticipation of the forthcoming peace negotiations with Italy.

When the British troops crossed the Elbe, eight or ten days ago, it was interesting to note that they did not encircle Hamburg but made a dash to reach Lubeck and Wismar in order to bar the road to Denmark to the Russians. With the help of air borne troops they succeeded in reaching the latter towns in the nick of time. Had the Russians arrived at Kiel or Copenhagen first, it would be no easy matter to dislodge them. It is apparent that Stalin is not too anxious that the war should end at once. He is in a quandary as to what to do with the military aristocracy which has grown up around him. Many of these have proved themselves to be men of brains and ability which, once demobilised, would inevitably be diverted into other channels. Such men are dangerous for dictators. Some method will in all probability be devised by which they will be kept at a distance from Moscow.