The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-12
BY n. R. KNICKERBOCKER

pOSStOuILy " nHSSN7NS' "SSS'S
military alliance.
BY n. r. KNICKERBOCKER
(world Copyright, 1897. Reproduction
in whole or in part strictly prohibited
LONDON, June II d.N.SO.
Chancellor Adolf Hitler Of Ger
many and Dictator josef Stain
of Soviet Russia remain sworn
enemies today. .. -,
Both dictators have repudiated
attempts of their military chief
tainS to bring about an under
standing between the red army
and the Reichswehr which could
have led to peace between the
two countries, but also to an ALI
ance dominating Europe.
Meaning Of Death Penalties
This is the meaning Of the
death sentences for treason
melted out to eight red army
generals in Moscow. European
authorities best qualified to ap-
praise the danger to others OF q
partnership linking vast Russia
and potent Germany welcome for
its international significance the
trial which seems to postpone the
possibility Of such an alliance In
definitely. 10
Stain today is repudiating with
Iethal violence the same suggeS-
ton which Hitler put aside five
months ago. But important Is
the fact, now emphasized by the
MOSCOW trial, that both red army
and Reichswehr leaders favored
cooperation.
early this year the Reichswehr
high command submitted Q
memorandum to Hitler pointing
out in the most tactful terms
first that Germany under present
conditions is SO hemmed by
enemies that success IN war
would be unlikely, and second
that the Soviet Union has BE-
come too powerful to be attacked
successfully.
Bismarck Policy Cited
Third, 1t was pointed out that
It might be wiseSt to turn to Bis
marck'S policy of an alliance with
Russia, which, combining natural
resources with Germany'S indus
try, could present Europe q force
capable of sweeping everything
before 1t.
Hitler refused to consider II. de-
claring the idea of association with
Bolsheviks utterly repugnant.
He thus ignored the unpleasant
observations of outsiders that evo-
luton of Stains Soviet Union
toward nationaliSm and NaZi Ger.
many toward state capitalism has
brought the two countries Structur"
ally much closer to each other.
Hitler, however, merely rejected
the suggestion, leaving the gen
erals to hold their own opinions
privately as long as they obeyed
his. There Is good evidence they
retain their views regarding the
military deSirability Of an alliance
with the Soviet Union.
Stain Reaction Severe
It Is obvious the Reichswehr
would not make such a suggestion
to Hitler without knowledge it
would meet the sympathy Of lead
ing groups In the red army.
To these groups belong by
more than inference the defend
ants Of the Moscow trial from
Marshal TukhacheVSky to Gen
eral Putna.
Stain reacted to these Sug-
gestionS with severity much great
er than Hitler'S, just as the So
VETS two-year blood purge of
thousands since Sergei Kirow's
murder was greater than Hitler's
weekend purge Of hundreds on
June 80, 1884.
Instead of merely reprimand-
ing the generals for meddling in
politics. Stain arrested and
brought them to the present
trial, charged with treason.
Penalty, Death
They are punishable with
death, although their crime ap-
pears identical to that Of their
German colleagues, namely an
attempt to suggest putting their
country's military arrangements
with abroad on what appeared
to them a more realistic basis.
All the defendants have I'm.