Evening star., 1937-01-24
BY ALEXANDER I. NAZAROFF.

BY ALEXANDER I. NAZAROFF.
~ ANKS, planes and heavy can
non made in the Soviet Union
are opposing the rebel forces
in Spain's civil war. Red
army soldiers, officers, aviators and
high military experts have built up
and are helping to man and manage
the Loyalists' military machine. In
a word, IN Spain's Loyalist camp the
murderous show is being run to a con-
siderable extent by the hand Of Mos
cow-just as on the other side of the
front line a similar role is being
played by Germany and Italy. These
facts long since have become mat
ter of general knowledge.
What, however, is noticed by few
and clearly realized by fewer still, is
that, just as Moscow is influencing the
course of events in Spain, SO also the
developments in Spain are affecting
bloodlessly, but none the less effec-
tively-the progress of the Soviet gov
ernment's foreign and domestic pol
icies. No matter what the ultimate
issue of the Spanish conflict may be,
the shots fired on the Manzanares
River already have played a role
and not an unimportant one-in the
life of the Russian nation. For changes
of enormous historical importance
have been taking place recently in
Moscow.
We all are familiar with the IA
nous movie trick of transfguration; a
human face which you see with ex-
aggerated clearness on the screen sud-
denly gets befogged; then you notice
how, at first timidly, and then more
and more aggressively, the features of
a new. entirely different face begin to
show For a few moments the two
countenances co-exist in the picture as
though pathetically struggling for su-
premacy; but finally the old one ccm-
pletely fades away, leaving the field to
the newcomer.
Fascist Nationalism Develops.
Now, just such process has been
taking place in the Soviet Union dur
ing the last four years. The land of
the Soviets has been unostentatiously
but relentlessly Transforming itself
from state of communistic interna-
tionalism, as it was from 1917 to.
roughly speaking. 1882, into state of
Fascist nationalism. BY the time
when civil war broke out in Spain last
Summer, the evolution had gone so
far that the country, both in its psy-
chology and organization, already re-
sembles Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy
more than the classical red Russia of
1920 or 1928.
How did this change come about?
In Russia's history there is a pecul-
iarity which may be regarded as one
Of its immutable laws. Since time
immemorial, most Of the important
changes in the life Of the Russian
people have been caused not by in
ternal, domestic factors, but by the
nations contacts and collisions with
the outside world. And it is a reac-
tion of this kind that has brought
about Russia's recent striking trans
formation.
In the years 1s31-1e33 Soviet rulers
suddenly found themselves confront
ed with two new and alarmingly sig
nificant facts.
First, there arose a very real and
serious military threat to Russia's
frontiers and territory. This threat
was personifled by Japan, which, after
having swallowed Manchuria, was
generously eyeing Eastern Siberia,
and by Germany. gone Nazi, which
did not hide its intention of appro-
priating the Ukraine.
Secondhand this. perhaps, was
even more acknowledgements
leaders became aware that, instead
of bringing nearer the longed-for
world conflagration," the activities
of the Third International were re-
sponsible for the rise OF wave OF
violent nationalistic reactions against
communism-that is to say, for the
birth and growth of Fascist move
ments all over Europe.
Transformation Begins.
No sooner had Stain and his lieu
tenants grasped these two alarming
new facts in world politics than the
transformation began.
The idea of the world revolution,
which for IA years had been the piv-
otal dogma and the chief battle cry
of bolshevism, Stain invNibly, in
audibly, but none the less resolutely,
dashed overheard.
Moreover, he replaced the inter-
nationalistic idea with the formerly
forbidden slogan Of patriotism" As
for the Third internationally was
stuck under the mattress and sternly
told to behave itself.
And 50 in the following four years
Moscow rulers were busily, carefully
and-one must admit ton the whole
very skillfully rebuilding all Of Rus
sia's national life along newly adopted
lines.
Polite bourgeois" manners in dip
Iomacy replaced notes filled with in
solent abuses. The Soviet Union en-
tered the League of Nations, which
formerly was described by the Soviet
press as "the gang of capitalistic swim
dlers and scoundrels duping the world
proletariat." Finally, the Russo
French defensive alliance was con-
cludsd-aa alliance which, n tho