Evening star., 1939-10-31

MOSCOW, oct. 3l.-SOVlet RuS-
sia's Premier and foreign commits
sar, Vyacheslaff Molotoff, today de-
clared there can be no question of
restoring Poland and that it was
"absurd to continue the present
war for such cause.
He declared that "although the
governments of Britain and France
understand this, they do not want
the war stopped and peace re-
stored"
He accused the allies of seeking
new excuses for continuing war with
Germany and scoffed at British and
French ruling classes which have
lately been attempting to depict
themselves as champions of the
democratic rights of nations against
Hitlerism"
Surveying the international situ-
alton in a speech before an eX-
traordinary session of the Supreme
Soviet. Russia's Parliament. Molo-
toff said Britain and France had de-
clared something in the nature of
an theological war on Germany.
reminiscent of the religious wars of
olden times
Sees No Justification.
''Is it back to the Middle Ages, to
the days of religious wars. supersti-
ton and cultural deterioration that
the ruling classes of Britain and
France want to drag us?" he asked
There is absolutely no justifca-
ton for war of this kind
He said the war which has started
is 'fraught with even greater danger
for the peoples of Europe and the
whole world.
"One may accept or reject the
theology of Hitlerism as we'll as any
other theological system. That is a
matter of political views But every
body should understand that theology
cannot be destroyed by force, that it
cannot be eliminated by war.
1T is therefore not only senseless
but criminal to wage such a war
as a war for the destruction of Hit
lerism' camouf1aged as a fight for
democracy.
Cites Banning of Party.
"And indeed you cannot give the
name of a fight for democracy to
such action as the banning of the
Communist party in France, arrests
of Communist Deputies of the
French Parliament or the curtailing
of political liberties in England or
the unremitting national oppres-
sion in India
Developments of the European
scene have given new connotations
to old terms, he said, and outdated
old political formulas.
Molotoff said that now Germany
Is in the position of state which is
striving for the earliest termination
of the war and for peace, while
Britain and France, which but yes
terday were declaiming against ag-
gression, are in favor of continuing
the war"
Colonial Possessions.
Molotoff asserted the war lis not
a fight for democracy, but something
else of which these gentlemen do not
speak openly, their profoundly
material interests as mighty colo
nial powers.
ut is the fear of Germany's
claim to these colonial possessions
that is at the bottom of the present
war of England and France with
a Germany who has grown substan-
tally stronger lately as a result of
the collapse of the Versailles treaty.
1T is the fear of losing world su-
premacy that dictates to the ruling
classes of Great Britain and France
the policy Of fomenting war with
Germany.
THUS the imperialist character of
this war is obvious to any one who
wants to face the realities.
Sacrifice and Hardships.
"One can see from all this who is
interested in this war. = Certain
ly not the working class. This war
promises nothing to the working
class but bloody sacrifice and hard
ships"
Turning to Russia's own position
In the changing international pic
ture, Molotoh said that thanks to
our consistently pursued peaceful
foreign policy, we have succeeded in
considerably strengthening our posi-
ton and the international weight of
the Soviet Union"
Russia's neutrality was "in no
wise contradicted" by the entry OF
Soviet troops into Poland to par
ticipate in partition of that state,
he said.
"Our troops entered the territory
Of Poland only after the Polish state
had collapsed and actually ceased to
exist. Naturally, we could not re-
main neutral toward these facts,
since as the result of these events
We were confronted with urgent
problems concerning the security of
our state"