Evening star., 1939-06-04

Whlch ne does with pure dictatorial
methods. None of these countries knows
any longer what freedom of speech,
OF thought or of action means. They
differ from the axis states only in this,
that they have no further territorial
ambitions; they are satisfied with their
postwar geographical boundaries and
there is nothing that they want to con-
quer. They merely want to preserve
what they have. Poland did have a few
hundred square miles of Czecho-Slo
land in mind as a national revindica-
ton. She did not hesitate for frac-
ton of a second last October to rush
and occupy Teschen and the railways
junction Oderberg, when Hitler told the
Warsaw government that they had the
Relch's blessing to do SO. In fairness
to these mentioned states, it must be
said that they do not claim to be de-
mocracies; they are merely the satel-
lites of the British and the French gov
ernments and have been drawn into
the orbits of Paris and London only
because they are afraid of the extending
tentacles of the axis.
Soviet No Democracy.
To all these, the British and the
French are striving to add the u S. S R.
OF course, nobody can pretend that
there is anything democratic left in the
huge Eastern European republic which
gave only year ago, by the purging of
her political and military leaders, a
shining example of the way dictator
ship acts. But the French and British
statesmen, who have pressed Chamber
lain to overlook his Tory scruples, laid
stress on the fact that, regardless of the
form of government Russia may have,
her military strength is such as to make
her an essential ally.
In the last war the allies were near
defeat because they were a medley of
countries with different aims and op-
posing conceptions. They had one COM
mon goal-the defeat of the Central
Powers. But as soon as these were
brought to their knees, the allies parted.
There is similar situation today.
There is no more cohesion between
these various nations which form the
anti-axis bloc than there is between
the Carter Glass Democrats and the New
Dealers.
Up to last week the Poles and the Ru-
manians were adamant against bringing
Russia into the concert of democratic"
powers. They had to be coerced into
accepting Russian support only after
Britain and France made themselves
fully responsible for the good behavior
and the good faith of the Russians, if
their intervention is needed.
Axis May Have Silent Partners.
The axis appears more viable-mostly
because it is not composed of so many
different nations. 1t consists of Ger
many and Italy, with Hungary Bulgaria,
Yugoslavia and Spain as its probable
adjuncts. But even if these four coun-
tries definitely throw their lot with that
of Germany and Italy. they will not be
required to fight. They will be merely
the purveyors of food and raw materials
for the fighting forces of Germany and
Italy. They will be the axis silent part
ners. The Far Eastern branch of the
axis, Japan, has definite role-to men,
ace the members of the triple alliance
in the event of general war. Each
member of the axis has definite role
has an assigned job which it must fulfill
under the penalty of otherwise suffering
military and social defeat. Their aims
are concrete-the economic expansion of
their countries.
There is nothing so definite in the
democratic" bloc as there is in the axis.
The military agreement between Italy
and Germany provides that as soon as
one decides to march the other will fol-
low without further discussion
The agreement among the powers op-
posed provides first for consultation,
then for consideration, and finally, after
these are out of the way, for action i. :.
if and when.