Evening star., 1939-09-19
Allies Face Possibility
OF War With Japan
And TotaIitarian Bloc
Four May Work Together
To Slice Up the Rich
British Empire
By COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.
AS we try to get our bearings
after the first shock of the Soviet
move in Poland, the question is how
far it will affect future military
operations. Is it as bad for the
allies as it appears at first glance?
Never has there been more telling
example of how abrupt political de-
cisions may change the military
situation, which Is supreme over all
diplomacy and craftsmanship in
war. We are back to the period Of
the Roman civil wars and jealous
Oriental satraps, when a subordinate
general might move his troops from
one side to the other just before
the battle.
Soviet and German officers meet
at Brest-Litovsk and shake hands
as they proceed to establish a friend
ly boundary line between the two
armies. Will the fraternal relations
continue on German airfieldS in the
Rhine country as Soviet and Ger
man flyers strike for common
objective on the western front? Or
will there soon be glares instead
of smiles across that boundary line
in Poland?
With Italy and Japan timing
their turns by secret understanding
to follow the Soviet suit, magma
ton easily pictures the three die
tators and Japan in united action.
Their object would be for each to
get a slice of the rich British En-
pire.
How 1t Would Work.
Japan would force the British out
of Chinese waters and ports in the
Far East; Germany would move
through the Balkans to the Near
East and possibly through Belgium,
as in 1914, to strike the British and
French armies; the Soviets would
take Bessarabia from Rumania and
move southwark to Persia and
threaten British India, and Pre-
mier Mussolini, with the British
and French heavily engagIl. would
strike for the mastery of the Med
iterranean.
After they had their slices, they
could continue the task begun in
Poland, of mapping their spheres of
influence as they smack their lips
around the festal board of their
conquests, but with their carving
knives kept sharp and ready for
one another. We know that pacts
and promises made to the democ-
racieS are merely the passing con-
venient aids of shifting oppor-
tunism, but We have yet to learn
whether they will keep them among
themselves in totalitarian free
masonry.
We have to consider how far their
present self-interests favor such a
fighting alliance. Self-interest gov
ernS each one.
Stalin's Game.
Russia no less than Germany must
have known through espionage in
neighboring Poland the weakness of
the Polish Army. 1t is quite under
standable how Joseph Stain fore
saw that Germany was bent on
striking Poland, with the inevitable
result Of complete conquest. This
would place the German border on
the present eastern border of Po-
land.
At the time of the signing of the
German-Soviet non-aggreSsion pact
there was mention of certain sup
Elementary secret clauses. These
may have provided that Russia
should have a share of Poland, with
possibly buffer state between the
two countries. Russia now has taken
her share by march against little
opposition after the German Army
prepared the way. The card which
Stain had in hand to play for this
bargain was that he, too, had pow
erful army which could be useful
accomplice or an embarrassing
enemy.
What next in the terms of force?
If Germany should move southeast
to Adolf Hitler's previously much
advertised goal of the Ukraine,
Stain is already in a stronger posi-
ton to bar the advance, and in
evitably would set up further bar
rier by demanding a share in any
Balkan and Black Sea dismember-
ment. Having concluded truce
with Japan, Stain holds his legions
ready on his new frontier, oppor-
tunisms frontier, while the Reich
has war on with the British and
French Armies and the British Navy.
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