Evening star., 1939-10-01

equipment for the oil industry, for
the chemical and electrical indus
tries. ships, vehicles, transport
trucks and other means Of COM
munication, measuring instruments,
equipment for laboratories and
spare parts for all Of the above
named"
Another group Of men on whom
special duties devolve Is the Society
Of German Engineers.
Russia needs technical skill Of all
sorts. Now that relations with Brit
ain and France have cooled, there
Is 4 better chance than ever for
German technical experts to help
exploit Russia's vast reservoirs Of
raw materials. many Of which hard
ly have been touched.
70 Ships Reported on Way.
Germany Is especially interested
in Russian naphrha. oil, lumber,
grain, cotton and manganese and
many other ores.
A government source disclosed
that already 70 ships were under
way from the Soviet bringing raw
materials to Germany. German
engineers likely will soon pour into
Russia to help introduce the most
modern machinery for tapping the
raw materials.
Contracts even now are being
signed for German experts to "in-
stall plants and render technical
help" as Maj. Tschunke put 1t. lin
connection with orders placed with
in the framework Of the present
German Russian credit agreement" !"
These experts will not, oniy install
new equipment. but win replace
many parts in plants furnished years
ago by Germany. On account of the
recent dimcult relations between the
two countries some plants have not
had replacements in years. This
applies, for example, to the vast
power station At Magnetogorsk
which was built by German firm.
Language Difficulty.
One difficulty is the lack of ex-
perts on both sides who know the
language of the other. With con-
unuously bad relations during the
last six years, neither country has
taught its young the language of the
other. Special courses in Russian
are now q feature in German high
schools and universities.
Reviewing the past history Of
German-RuSSian relations, OBJ
servers are struck with the fact that
time and again the two countries
have had rather close ties, but these
have been severed again whenever
Russian nationalism or some other
ism" became especially marked.
During the Cxarist period strong
family ties-the last CEArina was 4
German prtncess-of the royal house
established Germans In many posi-
tons Of influence in Russia. That
ended with the World War.
At the time Of the Russian revolu-
ton, the German "aristocracy" in
Russia was 30 strong that Leon Trot-
sky stressed 1t in his writings. Hitler
has claimed that the leadership OF
these Germans was responsible for
Russia's greatness.
New Collaboration.
After the signing of the Rapallo
treaty in 1922. another period Of
Russian-German economic and in
duStrial collaboration ensued. It
reached its peak during about the
Avo voo re AirAot4 ~, nrAonaS~u TYSx0>-,>
assumption Of power In 1888.
Then two ideologies apparently
stood in the way of better relations
-Naziism and Bolshevism. In No
vember, 1896, Russia and Germany
almost came to blows over the trials
of five German engineers in Russia
accused of sabotage.
February, 1887, witnessed Rreat
excitement In the German preas
over the detention without trial Of
- Germans. Even rs late as Au-
gust, 1887, there were diplomatic
German protests at Leningrad and
Moscow over the arrests Of Germans.
Throughout this time. however,
Russia promptly paid all bills when
due.
Loek to Improved ReAtSeas,
With Meoaogies no longer IN Is
sue, both sides now look confidently
to steady improvements at relations.
Germany's new friendship with
Russia constitutes one Of the great
est about-face actions In German
history. Hitler's "Mein Kampf" de-
votes many pages to showing Why
IN alliance between Germany and
Russia was impossible.
Tn the very fact Of concluding
an alliance with Russia there would
lie the order for the next war whose
end would be Germanys hnish,"
Hitler wrote In his autobiography.
He warned against ENCOURAGING
anything that might help Russia
grow stronger.