Evening star., 1938-07-17
BY JOHN EVANS,

'yes" or mo" may determine
whether there shall be another World
War-soon. Soviet authorities say
the present prospect is peace.
In the yellow building within high
gray walls where czars lived there sits
Joseph Stain, leader of Soviet Russia,
which has the worlds largest army.
Russia and France are the two great
countries committed to the defense Of
little Czechoslovakia against seizure by
Nazi Germany, four times her size.
Two other men with million-men
armies are Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler
Of Germany and Italy's Premier
Beniuo Mussolini, allied against Rus
sian Communism Mussolini is Hitler's
ally, but he says he would stay out of
any German dispute with Czecho-
slovakia.
War Possibility Recognized.
The possibility of another war has
been recognized publicly by England,
France, Russia and Czechoslovakia
Those four countries have told Hitler
there would be war if he tried to take
Czechoslovakia by. force Soviet Russia
and France have pledged themselves
anew to fight and Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain of England said
''it might be difficult for England to
stay out of fight if Czechoslovakia
were attacked.
There is no reason to doubt Russia
and Germany mean the hostile things
each says about the others political
creed, but they trade heavily with
one another as If they were the best
Of friends. Germany, in fact, supplies
much of the machinery with which
Russia makes arms that might be
used against Germany.
Russia has reason to desire peace.
She is busy with her own problems.
The f1ve-vear plan lags in spots and
there is a great shortage of mate
rial things for the people.
Long Lines at Stores.
Long lines wait at stores to buy,
but frequently can't get things they
want. Some of this shortage may be
because Russia-like France. Eng
land and Germany - gives first
thought to armament
In any case, Russia is trying des-
perately to make soap, socks, auto
mobiles, tanks, airplanes and can
non and she doesn't welcome a war
to defend some one else. War would
interrupt her feverish economic de-
velopment and might encourage trou-
bic with Japan on the Far Eastern
border, 1000 miles away
Soviet Russias position is fairly
clear. Foreign Commissar Maxim
Litvinoff, March IT, said, Where
there's a will there's a way" in
answering the question how Russia
could help Czechoslovakia If Ger.
many attacked.
No one seems to doubt Russia's
sincerity, but statesmen see reasons
why Russia, like France, might find
conditions too difficult to make pow
erful aid practicable.
If Russia and France don't act
powerfully. their action might be
worse than useless. They might turn
invasion of Czechoslovakia into a long
general war.
For the present, Russia and France
speak boldly because they think an
open pledge to fight is the surest way
to make Hitler cease his demands in
Czechoslovakia. These demands are
voiced through Konrad Henlein, lead
er OF the Czechoslovak Germans, but
they are supported openly by Nazi
leaders and broadcast propaganda.
Reasons Russia Won't Fight.
There are other reasons why Rus
sia might not fight
l. Russia herself is an enigma to
the capitalist world. Foreign am
baSsa,dors here have little contact
with Stain or any other governing
powers and don't pretend to know
Russia's mind.
2. The IL federated republics have
standing conscript army of a mil
lion and half men raised from the
169,000,000 people. They are reputed
among military men to have thousands
OF good warplanes, two or more thou
sands of good tanks and some good
artillery. Yet the foreign military at
taches of embassies sent here to know
Russia's armed strength may have
only an approximate idea of it.
3. Russia has a mutual defense
treaty with Czechoslovakia, but no.
where do their borders touch. Russia
would have to 60 through or over Po-
land to Rumania to reach Czecho-
slovakia. If she were to defend"
Czechoslovakia by attacking Germany
she would have to go through or over
Poland. Poland wouldn't like that.
Frances Situation Similar.
France is in similar situation. She
has mutual defense pacts with Czecho-
slovakia and Soviet Russia. Frances
action in war would have to be inva-
sion OF Germany. Too many countries
separate her from her ally.
For the moment there is peace while
Che 3,5o0,O00 Germanic minority in
C5eehoslovakia negotiates with Presi-
dent Eduard Benes' government for
an autonomy which the German Nazis
say must be granted because the pres
ent situation is "intolerable." This
situation is the German contention
that all Germans should be under
Hitler's wing and that the Germanic
people In Czechoslovakia have been
treated badly.
Stains vital importance in this
European squabble lies in his power.
Germany might fight off France and
England, but if Russia joined them and
the admittedly efficient Czechoslovak
Army defended its mountainous from
tier, the German chance to win would
diminish.
German forces would be outnum-
bered two or three to one If all coun-
tries threw in all their armed might,