Evening star., 1936-01-11
Soviet Armaments.

If there were any doubts that Europe
has its being in an atmosphere OF alarm
and has succumbed to the psychology
OF war, the uncertainty is removed by
developments in Moscow. Addressing the
Central Executive Committee Of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
Premier Moloto1 painted grim picture
of the situation alleged to confront
Russia. He accused Japan and Germany
of making intensive preparations for
aggressive war and revealed Soviet belief
that they are in a secret alliance which
has as its purpose the crushing OF the
u. s. S. R. by simultaneous attack on
its eastern and western fronts. Point
ing out that both Japan and Germany
have left the League, the Soviet premier
charged them with imperialist expansion
ambitions and with having converted
themselves into armed camps" for the
realization of such program.
To meet their challenge, the Soviet
administrative body was admonished, the
u. s. s. r. must forthwith increase its
ornaments on an extensive scale, IN
order that the country's military equip
ment may be placed on plane OF
highest efficiency. The premier called
for more and better tanks, artillery,
bombing aircraft and chemical defense.
It is evidently thought that the existing
army of a million men, when supplied
with additional and improved weapons,
will be able to ward off aggression on
Russia's 1880 miles of eastern and
western frontiers.
Soviet fears of having to face Russia's
powerful neighbors, singly or in alliance,
are based, in the case of Japan, on two
concrete developments. One is Tokio's
refusal to sign non-aggresSion pact.
The other is Japanese expansion policy
as evidenced by Siberian
border incidents" and current machina-
tions in North China. Germany's sim
lister plans are detected in Hitler'S book,
my Battle"-the NaA bible-in which
her need to acquire new territory is un-
blushingly avowed. The direction in
which the Reich Graves to extend Its
domain, as the Soviet sees it, is the
Ukraine region of Russia. To aggrandize
herself there, Germany is believed at
Moscow to have an understanding with
Poland whereby that country, as
reward for making common cause
against the Soviet, would absorb the
Baltic states. Declination Of both Ger
many and Poland to enter an Eastern
European pact is regarded as further
proof of warlike intent.
These contentious as to plans ana
plots against Russia may or may not
be well founded. What is certain is that
they are to be exploited for the pur-
pose of a marked" expansion Of Soviet
armaments. These in turn are more
than likely to provoke counter increases
of ornaments in Japan and Germany,
and not alone in those countries, but
upon the part of others which must
envision the possibility of being drawn
into war.
The entire situation presents a bleak
outlook for peace. Premier Molotof did
not contribute a reasSuring note by
laundering that "the old world must
make way for the new!" That assertion
may be interpreted, rightly or wrongly,
rs a recrudescence of Soviet determine
ton to bring about world revolution"
against capitalist nations. 1t is the
kind of illumination that compels people
70 think the present rulers Of Russia
may harbor some aggressive designs Of
their own.