Evening star., 1939-06-02
Baltic Commitment
Essential 10 Win
Soviet 10 Pact
Moscow Believes Small
Stutes Are VituI to
Own Security
By WALTER DURANTY.

by WALT En- DUhANI1.
LONDON, June 2 (N.A.N.A).-
There is no denying that Soviet
Premier Molotoff's speech caused
some dismay and no little bewilder-
ment in London. The British pub
lie had been led to believe that "it
was all over but the shouting" as
far as an Anglo-Soviet pact was
concerned, and it was rather start
ling to discover that, far from this
being the case, the Russians now
were raising a lot of objections for
their part.
To speak quite frankly, there is
considerable ground for criticism re-
garding the manner in which the
Anglo-Soviet negotiations have been
handled in London. At the outset,
two months ago. the London news
papers indicated the Russians were
eager to meet the British more than
half way, and, early in April, there
were constant reports in London
"U. S. S. r. accepts British terms"
and so forth. Indeed, it was not
until Maxim Litvinoff's dismissal as
foreign commissar that the British
public began to realize that the
shoe really was on the other foot
the facts of the matter were that
Britain appealed to Russia for as
Sistance against German aggression
and that the Russians were willing
to give it-rather reluctantly-but
only on their own terms.
I say reluctantly because it is
| difficult for anyone outside the u.
S. S. r. to appreciate the extent
to which that country was disguised
and infuriated by the way it was
treated before and during the peace
Of Munich" Achilles sulking in his
tent was urbanity itself compared
to the Kremlin's attitude toward
the British and French govern
ments in general and Messrs. Cham
berlain and Bonnet in particular.
Soviet Terms Stiff.
After Litvinoff's dismissal, it be-
came apparent that the Soviet terms
were so stiff and definite as to ac-
complish the Kremlin's double pur-
poSe-hrSt, to extract full measure
OF balm for the wounds received at
Munich, and. second, to make an
agreement that would be binding
though the British government
Wrlggle ever SO nimbly. In short a
defensive alliance of the three pow
ers, Britain, France and the U. S. S.
r., backed by military convention,
to come into force the moment any
OF the three or their possessions in
Europe, the Near East or North
Africa were attacked by the axis.
The Russians believed and still
believe that thus alone could peace
be lnsured-by placing before the
axis a barrier too strong for it to
break. especially since it would be
backed by the moral and almost GER
tainly the material-as far as sup
plies of munitions are concerned
support of the United States.
| What the U. S. S. r. wants most
at present is the maintenance of
peace, for variety of excellent rea-
sons, and the U. S. S. r. thought
that, unless the axis was faced by
firm barrier, war. into which the
U. S. S. R. would be bound to be
dragged. was inevitable sooner or
later. Hence. the proposed alliance
o1sather SeRee1hent Because the
Russians dis1ke The word alliance
as savoring Of aggressive intentions
around which smaller powers
might later group themselves for
protection.
It seems imperative to the
Russians first to get an agreement
signed and then later arrange the
details Of such assistance when and
If required. Instead of accepting
this-ln Russian eyes-straight-
forward proposition. the British, in
Russion opinion. quibbled about de-
tails, each of which the Russians
regarded as new evidence of British
insincerity, if not actually as at
tempts to use the Russians to pull
chestnuts out of the fire." in Stains
phrase, which Molotoff repeated.
And in judging Molotoff's speech,
it must always be remembered that
it was "the voice of Molotoff, but
the words of Stalin." In his speech
at the Communist party congress
on March 10, Stain said, "They let
Germany have Austria despite the
obligation to defend Austrias in
dependence; they ceded the Sudeten
region; they left Czecho-Slovakia to
its own fate, thereby violating all
and every obligation, and then be-
gan to lie vociferously in the press
about the weakness of the Russian
Army about decentralization of the
Russian air force about riots in the
Soviet Union urging the Germans
to march further east, promising
them easy pickings and prompting
them, Just you start war against
the Bolsheviks, then everything will
be fine"
There, in his own words, you have
Stalin's opinion about Munich, and,
whether the opinion is justified or
not. it helps to explain the Soviet
attitude during the past two months.
Sop to Portugal.
Finally, In the week ending May
81, the British and French govern
ments seemed to realize that the
Russians meant what they said and
were in position to get what they
wanted. Once more the London
press announced that an agreement
had been virtually attained. this
time because France and Britain
at long last had accepted the Soviet
terms.
But even now it seemed that
Downing Street was unwilling to
yield without qualifications, and in
serted a phrase about the League
Of Nations upon which the Russians
seized as further sign of evasive-
ness. 1 understand this was inserted
as a sop to the feelings of Portugal,
!. the fifth power to which Molotoff
alluded as being already protected
ds 8 Entries