Evening star., 1935-01-06

Continued From First Page)
upon capitalism and democracy. Stain
would make it the residuary legatee
of system which he confidently be-
lieves is doomed.
The invasion OF Manchuria and the
rise of Hitler were phenomena which
gave fresh impulsion to Stains policy
of associating with the western ma
tions. At the moment when the Man
churian affair broke the Soviets were
seized by new form of the old night
mare. They saw both Japan and Ger
many not impossibly acting together
as the soldiers of the western capital
istic powers-Britaln, France and the
United States-in a corrugated attack
upon the Soviet Union. And against
such an attack they realized that they
were as yet helpless.
In the minds of my Soviet friends
with whom talked during the Dis
armament Conference at Geneva in
1882 this idea of a combined capital
istic attack was an obSeSsion. At that
moment, of course, the notion was
purest moonshine. The western ma
tions were too divided among them
selves to agree about anything. Never
theless it was at least arguable
that France, fearful of Germany, and
Britain, disturbed over Japan, would
welcome the involvement of both
countries in operations, the one in the
Ukraine and the other in Siberia,
which would keep them occupied and
aSior,
in directions which would be least
harmful.
In any event it is now patent that
all Soviet craftsmanship must be di-
rected to keeping Germany isolated
in Europe and Japan in Asia, for Ger
many and Japan are the two powers
whose purposes constitute undis-
guished threats to the bolshevists. It
Is equally plain that the Soviet Union
could only hope to profit by the hos
tility of the western nations alike TO
German and japanese policies II 1t
abandoned the attempt to promote
the world revolution within these
countries. Its own security depended
upon the extent to which it acted in
good faith with the western nations.
1t was confronted by the deadly peril
of possible double attack by Japan
and Germany. 1t was matter of life
and death that such an attack should
not have the backing of the West
During the last few years, therefore,
ever since the Manchurian affair and
particularly since the German revo-
luton, the Soviet Union has associated
itself closely with all attempts to pre-.
serve peace, to promote disarmaments
ard to multiply non-aggression pacts
It has sought understandings with
Washington, Paris, London and Rome
It has disassociated itself with all &C
tive intrigue with the Communists ir
western nations. But, in doing this
1t has brought down upon itself the
passionate resentment of those who
like Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev
would have invited the risks OF con-
certed action in the hope of realizing
the world revolution during the period
of world depression.
It has been suggested frequently
ON this side of the Atlantic that the
recent purge in the Soviet Union dis
closes serious domestic weakness on
the part of the Stain regime. Con-
ceivably that is true, but should
doubt it. Such evidence as I car
assemble leads me to think that II
was rather an evidence of a strong
dictatorship resolved to have done
.pnce and for all with minority which
at a moment when matters of foreign
policy we're of utmost importance, hao
undertaken by an act of violence tc
weaken the Soviet Union abroad.
In q word, the conspiracy, 80 tel