Evening star., 1939-05-12
Soviet Lays Cards
On Table in Frank
lzyestia Editorial
Notice Served on Allies
That U. S. S. R. Will Fight
In q Just War
Ry WALTER DURANTY.

RIGA, Latvia, May IL (N.A.NA).
-"Latvia and Estonia will accept
the German non-aggression pro-
posal, although not without slight
anxiety that Hitler has an economic
or other joker up his sleeve. Finland
may also accept despite the probable
refusal of Sweden and Norway.
Thus, the chief attention of Latvia,
Estonia and Finland is today con-
centrated not on the German pro-
posal, but on the Anglo-R Russian
negotiations, and more particularly
on the attitude and foreign policy
of the U. S. s. r."
That was the statement OF one OF
the best-informed Latvian author
tiles, who is in close touch with
Estonia and Finland.
It seems that Moscow has been
good enough to provide the answer
to his problem through the medium
OF Yesterdays leading editorial in
Izvestia. The "editorial' reads like
an official pronouncement, which,
indeed, 1t might almost be consid-
cred because the new commlsSar
of foreign affairs speaks not only
for the Soviet foreign office or the
Soviet government, but as member
of the Kremlin Politburo. The
words may be the words OF 1zvestia,
but the voice is the voice OF the
Kremlin.
Frank Statement of Position.
- l.. . f~ool, etotor,opt of the
Soviet position since the negotla-
tions with Britain began, or at least
since the time when the British re-
iected the Soviet proposal-during
the German economic ultimatum to
Rumania-for consultation among
the six powers, Britain, France, the
U. S. S. r., Poland, Rumania and
Turkey, as premature. From then
on, the Soviets have taken one line
and stuck to it-that the only way
aggression can be successfully re-
sisted will be by a hard and fast,
absolutely binding mutual agree
ment of France, Britain and the
U. s. S. r. to come to- the rescue
Of any small power menaced by any
other words, something like triple
alliance, backed by military con-
vention.
Such proposal, in Soviet opinion.
would have got rid of the compli-
Gated nonsense about specific guar
antees to this small nation or that,
but also removed the element Of
contingency-"if such and such hap
pens. so and so will do this or that
which the Russians found so unWel-
come in the British suggestions and
whose final repetition in the reply
which British Ambassador Seeds
handed to Foreign Commissar
Molotoff last Monday was one of the
major causes of Maxim Litvinoff's S
downfall as foreign commissar.
The objection, raised in some
quarter. that such an agreement
would be tantamount to guarantee
"a word which the Russians think
the British have on the brain-of
the Soviet Far Eastern frontier
against Japan appears to the Krem-
lin ludicrous or deliberately malici-
Gus. The U. S. S. R. has no fear of
Japan, no need for that guarantee
or others, and would not hesitate
for a moment to say so and reiterate
that its proposed three-power pact
would apply only to Europe, to the
Near East and North Africa, and was
intended to serve as a solid nucleus
around which potential victims of
aggression might rally, to which they
might look for moral stimulus and
material aid.
Insists on Full Alliance.
The Izvestia editorial repeats all
that in no uncertain terms, and does
not fail to point out that the Italo-
German alliance, which it considers
obviously directed against France
and Britain and their friends, is not
only the death blow to any hopes
OF a rupture in the axis, but a
further proof of the desirability and
necessity of the closest, most definite
comprehensive agreement (Which
really would be an alliance also) be-
tween France, Britain, the U. S. S. R.
and possibly Poland, but anyway of
the first three, on a basis of strict
mutually" that is that all three
are equally committed and equally
pledged to pull alr their weight in
the boat" That would be some
thing concrete and real for the axis
aggressors to contemplate, and would
be franker, simpler and fairer than
any guarantees or contingencies.
In other words, the Kremlin has
now laid its cards on the table, and
1t Is up to France and Britain to
decide if they want to play. You
may call this a sweeping change in
Soviet foreign policy and say that
1t implies reversion to the power
politics practiced in Europe before
the World War and the abandon
ment of the collective security prin-
clple. And so, in sense, it does,
at least as far as the cumbersome
system of interlocking pacts and
guarantees is concerned, which the
League of Nations elaborated with
slow and careful futility 1t is Ger
tainly change of method, to deal
with changing world and with op-
ponents who are swift and ready
unhampered by scruple or pledge.
For the last time, the u S. S. R
serves notice on Britain and France
that 1t is willing to stage "just
war"-as the new history of the
Russian Communist party terms it
to protect and aid small powers
which are the victims of aggression