Mission to Moscow

A plane from Peking slipped into the Moscow Central airport early this week and handed the world another great big question mark. On the plane were 15 top-level Chinese government and military leaders, headed by Red China's Premier and Foreign Minister Chou Enlai. On the ground to greet them was Russia's No. 2 man, Politburocrat Vyacheslav Molotov.

This was no ordinary meeting of Kremlinites and satellites. Something was stirring, as could be judged by the fact that Chou's team included the chief of China's air fleet and the deputy chief of her artillery, as well as such industrial experts as Communist China has.

Earlier in the week, the Korean war had produced some contradictory words between North Korean and Chinese Communists. In an hour-long speech, North Korean Premier Kim said that his country "does not consider it dishonorable to conclude an armistice . . . after fighting against 19 powers for three years," and added that the war should end with "neither victor nor vanquished." But next day, as if to quash such defeatist talk, the Peking radio declared that "we must exert every effort" for victory, and promised that North Koreans and Chinese together would "smash the schemes of the American aggressors," who are really only "paper tigers."

The last time the Russians and Chinese had got together, including the Number Ones of both countries, Stalin and Mao, their talk had lasted an unexpected two months. The experts took this delay to mean that there was some rift between the two. The actual result of their conferring was not felt until 4 1/2 months later. Then the Korean war began.

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