Evening star., 1939-10-15

The whole of Eastern Europe is now
directly. or indirectly, in the pockets of
the two dictators. Hitler and Stalin
After this accomplishment the Fuehrer,
again according to schedule, made his
peace bid. He said nothing new He
offered nothing but a surrender by his
western antagonists to the military
might Of the totalitarian states. He let
loose few peace doves, but they re-
turned to Berlin. They could find no
branch on which to land with their
heavily armored wings. Not even the
peace-loving United States was prepared
to shelter the Fuehrer's peace emissary.
The unofficial approaches made in
Washington for Mr. Roosevelt to act as
an intermediary for the conclusion of
truce, preliminary to peace negotia-
tions. were not listened to.
This peace effort having failed, again
according to schedule, the German mill
tary machine is now ready to proceed
with the utmost energy on a campaign
designed to break the backbone of
Frances resistance. The fight will be
difficult and uncertain.
But while the German forces will at
tack the allies violently on the western
front, the Soviet forces will not remain
inactive. Representatives of the Ger
man general staff are at present in Mos
cow discussing with the Russian general
staff means of cooperation in other
fields in far-away theaters Of operation,
which will worry the British more than
what is going on along the Maginot Line
and other fronts in Europe.
Thinking Towards India?
Stain is reported to have decided to
take leaf from the history of Czarist
Russia. While wanting to put into effect
the Communist ideal of a world revoIu-
ton, he Is at the present moment be-
1ieved to be thinking about expanding
Russia's influence in the east towards
India.
Reports recently received here in
dicate that the Russian mobilization
has been more thorough than originally
reported that it started long before
the British and the French were sure
that the Soviets would not join them
in an anti-Hitler pact; that Russian
forces were being concentrated along
the Caspian Sea and along the Turkes-
tan border and near the Iranian
frontiers.
The old military center of EliZavotopol
In Azerbaijan is reported to have re-
verted to the military splendor of the
Czarist days. 1t is the starting point of
the military road to Tabriz, Iran, and
indicates that the neutrality of that
state might be violated by the Moscow
government. The Iranian government,
which is at the present time under the
influence of the "capitalistic states"
might have to pay the supreme penalty
OF having too much oil and being close,
at its southern end, to Baluchistan and
India. German experts are reported in
Eastern Europe to be arranging up-to-
date flying fields for Russian aviation.
A Russian force, reported to be $780,
OOO men strong, is stationed near the
Chinese Turkestan border This forca
was said to have been sent by the Mos
COW government to reinforce Chang
Kai-shek's troops. But there is suspi-
cion that its role might be diverted to
an attack on India.
Another battle-ground.
Important Russian cavalry is also re-
ported to be massed in Bokhara for the
purpose of entering Afghanistan. That
country has been the fighting ground
OF Russian British diplomacy since the
end of the last war and there, so far,
money has talked. The various revolu-
tions which have occurred in Afghan
istan since King Ammanulah was de-
throned were engineered by the rival
powers in their efforts to obtain a strong
permanent foothold in that country.
Russia's role in the present conflict
appears to be that of keeping Britain's
attention focused on her empire and to
divert British forces from the European
battlefelds to the more distant theaters
OF operation. In military quarters it is
believed that the Russian Army is nei-
ther sufficiently strong nor sufficiently
well organized to threaten India sert-
ously. Despite the many years of prop
uganda among the Indian nationalists,
despite the fact that the British gov
ernment is strongly supporting the de-
OkOeAS 4A1oAo4I ~ AACCo, 4AOAl I'LL ISQUTCS IL
appears that the Indian people are not
quite ready to be communized. But
these preparations of the Russians close
to the Indian border are not taken
lightly by the British high command
It is realized that, however inefficient
the Red Army may be, however difficult
the system of communications between
the various concentration points of the
Soviet troops and India, however i'm
passable the border between India and
her neighboring countries, the present
$4,000 white troops and some 250,O00
natives will not be sufficient to meet
even q mild threat from the Russians.
Hence, while Britain is preparing to
send troops in large numbers into
France, portion of the new army viii
have to be sent to India and other parts
OF the empire. And while 1t Is now an
open secret that the Moscow govern.
Ment Is endeavoring to play m tmpor-