Evening star., 1937-09-12
Red Diplomatic Victory.

Candor compels the conclusion that
the outcome of the Mediterranean
piracy" conference at Nyon savors
strongly of Soviet diplomatic victory.
Great Britain and France promoted the
meeting, but it was the determination of
Russia which forced the issue to speedy
and concrete decision. Litvinoffs threat
that the U. s. s. r. would act by itself
to suppress lawlessness if collective
measures were either delayed or ineffec-
tive may have been heavily tinctured
with bluff. Yet the fact remains that
for the first time during the tortuous
"non-intervention" farce in Spain.
Moscow alone has revealed the semblance
Of forceful purpose to call halt on
Fascist pretensions. 1t dared where
London and Paris consistently faltered.
If there are any laurels accruing from
the bloodless result of Europe's latest war
scare, they belong to the Kremlin and
not in Downing Street or the Quai
dOrsay
Barring unforseeable, but now improb-
able, developments, the Nyon plan for
an international naval patrol of the
Mediterranean should accomplish its
object of stopping sinkings of merchant
ships by outlaw submarines. Nine ma
tions-Great Britain, France, Soviet
Russia, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia,
Egypt, Rumania and Bulgaria-will par
ticipate in patrol scheme which will
divide the great sea into zones. Italy,
though her chair at Nyon remained
vacant, will be invited to police an area
not vet designated British and French
warships will guard the Western Mediter-
ranean, while Russian, Greek and Turk
ish fleets will operate in the eastern
segment. Marauding submarines flying
any or no flag will enter the patrolled
sea lanes at their peril.
The background and likely conse-
uuences of the Soviet Unions re-emer-
gence as a factor in European affairs
now become the significant aspect of
the late unpleasantness. Not only has
Moscow's demarche served the imme-
diate end of checking piracy in the
Mediterranean and thus removing the
principal menace to continued shipment
of indispensable Russian war materials
to Loyalist Spain, but, by spiking moves
for an Anglo-Italian rapprochement,
Moscow has effectually realigned Britain
and France in stancher front against
the NaA-Fascist combination, just ex-
panded at Nuremberg into an Italo-
German j japanese alliance. With f1nesse
likely to be more fully recognized as 1t
recedes into perspective, the French and
British, doubtless against their prefer
ence, seem again to have been harnessed
to the broader objectives OF Soviet
diplomacy. While both Hitler and Mus
solini were invoking fresh imprecations
and damnations on Red Russia and all
its works, Italy's hand was dramatically
called. 1t is no small achievement for
Stain and Litvinoff to have rehabili-
tated Moscow's crumpled international
prestige under circumstances that could
not have been more eloquently adver-
tised for its purposes
Spain, for the time being, is prevented
from falling completely under Fascist
domination. If the Loyalists continue to
hold Franco at bay and finally subdue
the rebellion, the devious diplomatic
history just made on the shores of Lake
Geneva will have played a major role in
assuring such curtain for the Spanish
peoples tragedy.