Evening star., 1939-09-24
Reich Now Faces
War in West as
Cost Of Successes

Regardless Of Outcome,
Triumph Of Winner
Will Be Hollow
BY WALLACE r. DEUEL.,
Ohieaso Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
BERLIN, Sept. 23.-The first phase
Of the European war drew to an end
today with one single power the only
obvious victor-Soviet Russia and,
with 1t, world Communism.
Germany has won smashing
victory in the east. but it seems likely
that the Reich will have to pay a
bitter price for this victory in the
form of war in the west, where the
final outcome of the war in the east
also probably will be decided. The
apparent deadlock in the west makes
1t impossible to tell who is likely to
emerge the final victor there and
whoever wins" the war-if any
body does-will probably have to pay
such q price in blood and treasure
that the victory will be a hollow one.
But the Bolsheviks have won a
smashing victory without paying any
appreciable price for it at all. The
Communist victory is twofold:
First, the very fact that the West
ern European powers have become
involved in war means they are
tragically weakened and therefore
less able to oppose both Russian i'm
perial aims and the subversive
doctrine of world Communism:
Second, the Soviets have acquired
two-thirds of the area of Poland,
one-half Of its population, virtually
all Of its mineral and oil resources
and wheat areas and most of its
timber land without any cost or
casualties worthy Of the name.
Soviet Adds 10o, 1000 Square Miles.
As the first outstanding and clear
result of q war between Western
European capitalism and German
national socialism, world Bolshevism
has moved more than $50 miles
westward into the heart of Europe
100 miles west of the line reached by
the victorious German troops-and
has brought 100000 more square
miles Of territory and $4,000, 900 more
human beings under the rule of
Communism.
Even If the war in the west
should cease tomorrow, this would
be an imposing achievement for
the Soviets and even if France and
England win the war it is hard to
see how they can undo what the
bolsheviks have done in the east.
Reports from the line OF demarca-
ton already give an inkling of some
Of the minor implications of this
new addition to the strength of
Communism. For the Russian troops
are reported to be treating the Poles
with extraordinary kindness, giving
them plenty Of good food, providing
them with warm, comfortable cloth
ing, loading them with Communist.
literature in German-and sending
them over the line into the Ger
man-occupied area as missionaries.
The new German Russian demar-
cation line closely follows that laid
down In the second partition of Po-
land and the line originally demand
ed by Germany at Brest-Litovsk-
but which was later moved farther
east.
Three Chief Considerations.
German official quarters say there
were three chief considerations In
drawing the demarcation line:
First, they say. the line had to be
q clearly drawn one, easily recog-
1ized and eliminating the posi-
bility Of confusion and misunder-
standing.
Second, according to the Nazis,
the line was drawn in accordance
with the principle of nationalities.
Third, the line was laid down in
such way as to cause minimum
Of economic hardships and incon-
venience.
Germany and the Soviets were in
complete agreement as to where the
line should be drawn from the first
day of the Russian invasion of
Poland, 1t is said here. Further
more, it Is added, the present line is
only q temporary one and proves
nothing as to where the final politi-
cal frontier may run.
Definite reservations are made in
some quarters here to certain of
these assertions however. It is
true that In the South the line
does roughly correspond to the Ma
tional Frontier" of the Ukraine. In
the center and north the line also
certainly gives all the Lithunians,
all the Ukranians and all the White
Russians to Russia. It also Ger
tainly gives all the Germans in the
wester part of Poland to the Reich.
Get Millions of Poles.
But the line does much more
than this-so much more that it
obviously violates the principles of
nationality to a much greater ex-
tent than it respects them. For
the Soviets get millions of Poles in
addition to the White Russians and
Ukrainians and Lithunanians they
obtain, and the Nazis get further
millions of Poles in addition to the
Germans they obtain. while the
Polish people are left without any
nation of their own.
The drawing of the line right
through Warsaw, Furthermore, with
part of the city on the Russian
side and part on the German side,
seems hardly reconcilable with
principles of either nationality or
economic convenience.
And if the line is only a tempor-
ary one and likely to be moved east
ward again, why move it 12O miles
westward from the line which the
German troops had already
reached? Is the final frontier 60
ing to lie even farther toward the
west? Why did the Reich advance
as far eastward if it intended all
along to turn over thol1Sands of