Evening star., 1939-10-15

JOSEF STAIN.
A. P. Photo.
actions when he came into power with
Lenin. He had been Lenin's trusted
agent in Russia, and from Lenin he
got his ideas. his enthusiasm and tech
nique.
Human Life Cheap to Him.
Stains disregard for human life is
incomprehensiblet to Western European
or an American. This undoubtedly comes
from his early abject poverty and his
experience in the Russian prison camps.
The irrepressible Lady Astor during q
sojourn in Moscow asked Stain: How
long are you going on killing people?"
"As long as it is necessary the die
tator replied.
This was before the 1888 famine, in
which millions died in order that Stains
farm collectivization program could be
carried through, and before the "purges"
and trials" which rid Stain of his ac-
tual and potential political rivals.
Souvarine recounts in detail the esti-
mates made of the deaths resulting from
the 1888 famine and the havoc wrought
in the army by the killing Of Marshal
Tukhachevsky and other ranking mill
tary leaders, all heroes of the civil war"
and the possessors of many Soviet deco
rations.
The few American correspondents who
have interviewed Stain have been i'm
pressed by his knowledge Of everyday
Russian conditions as well as by his
grasp Of international affairs. It would
be il-informed or wishful thinking to
accept the Trotsky and Souvarine thesis
that Stain is Of low intellectual caliber,
and that he reached his present emf.
nence only through cold-blooded cum
ming. His thinking is ruthless, but it is
fast, and it has given him control of the
Eastern Baltic without battle. If the
war against Hitlerism continues he will
be in a strategic position to extend his
influence around the Black Sea and into
the Balkans.
BY striking with Hitler for territory
but marching separately ideologically,
Stain has restored territory to Russia
taken away after the World War. His
Red Army in Eastern Poland has already
aided in the breaking up Of the large
estates for the benefit of the peasants.
BY securing naval bases in Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania he is protecting
Russia from a possible future attack by
Germany via Leningrad, which was vul-
nerable by water in the last war. BY
occupying the southern border of Po-
land touching on Rumania he has ap-
parently blocked Germanys ambition to
reach the Black Sea.
Why did Stain join with Hitler when
Great Britain and France were trying
to negotiate military alliance with
him? The implication of Souvarine's
study, which was written before the pres
ent European war, is that such move
would be in keeping with Stains greed
for personal power.
Stain said he rejected the British
French alliance because Soviet Russia
refused to be the catspaw of other ma
tions. Stain has a long memory, and
he never forgets or forgives. Poland
OPPOSCO CllS HI
lance insofar as it would permit Rus
sian troops on Polish soil; Estonia, Lat
via and Lithuania objected to the Rus
sian proposal that the major entente
decide for itself whether the sovereignty
OF any of these smaller nations was
threatened by the Nazis. Stain has now
acquired old territory, which he would
tio
alliance, and he has taught the smaller
nations a lesson.
The Long View" Differs.
This, like Trotsky's may be the short
view" According to revolutionary "long
view," 1t would be to the Communists
advantage to have Europe in long war,
with the subsequent economic and po-
litical weakening of Germany, Great
Britain and France, so that at the oppor-
tune time Stalinism would replace Nazi-
ism and democracy.
He has now reached pinnacle where
he can disregard the wishes of the Rus
sian masses. By his absolute control Of
all means of propaganda, his merciless
police system and his command of the
army, he can take the short view" or
the long view" as the occasion demands,
regardless of the proletariat. Now
events rather than popular opinion are
the determining factors. So far he
has been the only gamer from the in
vasion of Poland. If war continues, he
may be the only eventual winner. His
career demonstrates that he has been
quick to take advantage Of events and
to gain his end through the weaknesses
OF his enemies-and MS associates. His
old observation holds:
mo revolution can be made with silk
gloves"
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