Evening star., 1939-03-26

MlCUeleurOpa empire OF which the
Kaisers dreamed.
What is now the Ukraine was settled
IN the Middle Ages by Lithuanian and
Polish tribes from the north. Until 1867
it formed a part Of the Lituanian-Polish
empire, but in that year the Gar gained
lying west of the Dnieper. Russian con-
troll of the entire country was completed
in 1893 at the time of the second parti-
ton of Poland.
For more than a century the Ukraine
was component part of the Russian
Empire. The Czars attempted to destroy
all vestige of Ukrainan culture and Ian
guage and completely to Russianize the
population.
Toward the end of the 10th century,
however a strong nationalist movement
fourished under cover in the Ukraine
with the twin goals of reviving Ukrain-
ian culture and recovering some measure
Of political autonomy.
elimination of this movement, how
ever, did not come until the Bolshevik
revolution of 1917. When the red flag
was raised in Petrograd, the Ukrainian
leaders called a national convention and
proclaimed republic. This was in ac-
cord with the Soviet ideal of racial SELF
determination and the patriots in Kiev
received warm congratulations from the
Bolshevik leaders. Their approval turned
to hostility shortly afterward, however,
when the Ukrainians concluded sep
arate peace with Germany and agreed
to give that country access to its wheat.
Between 1918 and 1920 Ukrainia was
bloody battlefield as the armies of Ger
many, Austria, Poland and both the
White and Red Armies of Russia
marched and counter marched over it.
Governments changed frequently, rising
and falling with the fortunes and mis-
fortunes of the contending armies. Gn-
cidentally, the most popular drama Of
the post-revolutionary Russian theater,
THE Days of the Turbins," deals with
this period of Ukrainian history.)
Soviet Imposes Dominance.
Peace came at last to the war-torn
Ukraine in 1920 when the Third Soviet
government was established there A
treaty was signed defining the relation
ship between the Ukrainian government
and that in Moscow. Finally, when the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was
formed in 1928, the Ukrainian govern
ment entered it as one of the seven con-
stituent republics.
In the early days of the u S. S. r. the
Ukrainian Republic enjoyed a wide
measure of local autonomy. But after
the rise of Joseph Satin to dictatorial
power and the beginning of what has
been called "Russia's Iron Age" Ukrain-
ian independence dwindled year by
year. Now, although the present masters
Of the Kremlin unlike the Cars, permit
the use of the Ukrainian language and
the Towering of a national Ukrainian
culture, final political control of the re-
public is firmly held in the hands of
Moscow.
IT, as has been SO long predicted, Hit
Ter should challenge Russia by an at
tempted conquest of the Ukraine, two
questions would be raised:
l. Would Soviet Russia fight, or yield
to Germany in order to avoid q war
against both Germany and Japan, which
might mean the end of the Bolshevik
regime?
2. Would the Ukrainians, ardent ma
tionalists, choose German invasion in
preference to Russian domination, and
so attempt to sabotage the Soviet de-
fense?
Fight Predicted.
This writer put the first question re-
Gently to high-ranking diplomat with
close contacts in Moscow. His answer
was that Russia would fight.
Even if Stain should be in favor of
making concessions in the Ukraine
rather than fight Germany-which prob
ably would not be the case-the Red
Army would not let him." this close OBJ
server of Soviet affairs said
i He then pointed out what study of
the map makes obvious-that once Ger
man troops have crossed the Carpathian
Mountains and have mastered the
Ukrainian plain, they face no further
obstacle in Greater European Russia
until they reach the Urals, some 1000
miles to the east. In other words, the
German military machine, provided its
lines of supply were well laid and pro-
tected, could advance north and east
like sweeping wave. Domination OF
the Ukraine by strong military power
like Germany might mean, in time, its
complete control of European Russia
Hence, in protecting the Ukraine the
Soviet Union would be fighting for its
very life.
Moreover, Stain and the Politbureau
could not back down in the face of
German threat without losing caste with
the Russian people. Month after month,
Year after year, whenever Russias enc
mics have made warlike moves toward
her borders, Stain, Commissar of War
Klementi Voroshilov and other Soviet
leaders have shouted oratorically:
1--WE shall never surrender one inch
of Soviet soil"
Peasants Would Remember.
The Russian peasant, stupid and plod-
ding though he may be, has had that
phrase drummed into his ears so un-
remittingly that he will not forget 1t in
time of crisis Should the men in
the Kremlin fail to keep that promise
they would be revealed before the Rus
sian masses as gods with feet of clay.
The Russian masses are ruled by fear,
and those who rule them do not dare