Evening star., 1939-09-24
ukraine, Rich Granary, May
Decide Outcome of the War
Major Objective in Nazi Drive to East Became
Bone of Contention to Weaken German.
Soviet Friendship
By John Lear.
Associated Press Stan Writer.

Associated Press
IN the international poker game known
d.. as war, each player has "hole card"
which in tight plays decides who takes
home the chips. That card is dealt face
down and the rest of the boys must place
their bets before they see 1t.
In Germany's war against Poland, the
bets now have been placed and France
and England have called Adolf Hitler's
hand.
What will his "hole card" be?
No one knows, but some armcheir kib-
ttzers are putting side bets down that his
hidden play may involve an ace that has
decided war games before.
That ace is the Ukraine.
1t might properly be called the ace of
= spades. For the Ukraine Is one of the
most fertile pieces Of farm country in the
world, big bread basket" sitting in
Eastern Europe. resting partly in Poland,
partly in Russia, partly in Rumania and
partly in that section of Hungary which
was Czecho-Slovakia
Has Trade Outlet.
This rich granary is watered by the
Onieper and Dniester Rivers. 1t is
bounded on the south by the Black Sea,
a natural outlet for trade; on the west
by the Carpathian Mountains, natural
barrier against invasion; on the east by
the Don River and in the north 1t ex-
tends past Kiev.
It's 100000 people thus inhabit a
natural empire bigger than present-day
Germany. Yet they have no nation of
their own. They comprise the largest
minority in Europe to which Woodrow
Wilson's famed peace principle of self
determined government has not yet been
applied.
Economically, the Ukraine is histori-
cally important because it symbolizes the
problem of all of Eastern Europe 1t
has too many people trying to exc out
a living under an almost feudal agri-
cultural system. Consequently, its stand
ard of living is low. 1t needs industry
to supply more jobs, but lacks capital
to finance this industrial revolution.
Politically, the Ukraine is historically
important because it has been the pivot
rope for centuries. Napolean calculated
on it. So did Bismarck. And Empress
Catherine of Russia
In September, 1899, the Ukraine is of
immediate Importance because Hitler, if
he could control it, could use it as his
next stepping stone on his drive to the
east"
Two Paths to Control.
With Poland conquered, he might
achieve this control in one of two ways:
l. Declare Polish Ukrainians indie
pendent and offer their part of the
country (the provinces of Eastern Ga
lcia and Volhynia) to Ukrainians as a
whole as nucleus for Ukraine state.
2. Encourage Russia to do the "liber-
ating' either by making the Ukrainians
independent, or by setting them up in
autonomous Soviet provinces.
Russias invasion of Eastern Poland
last week end opened the way for this
= second possibility. The Russians said
their purpose in entering Poland was
to protect" Poland's Ukrainian and
White Russian minorities now that the
Polish government had collapsed under
Germany's warfare. The Germans said
the Russian action was Gin close COL
laboration with Germany"
Some observers questioned whether the
Soviets were not acting purely in their
own interest, with the intention of Gre
ating buffer" state to protect Rus
sia's borders from German expansion
after Poland falls. They pointed out
there was nothing necessarily contra
dlctory to such course in the Rus
sian statement that Russian troops do
not pursue any aims which are against
the interests of Germany, or the U. S.
r. r., or against the spirit and letter
OF the Soviet-German non aggression
pact"
Might Drain Friendship,
If these observers are right, the
Ukraine might become bone of con-
tention to weaken the newly found
Russo-German friendship. For Hitler
has made it very clear-in his auto
biography, "Mein Kamp"-that 'the
wheat fields of the Ukraine" are one of
the major objectives of Germany's
drive to the east"
If, on the other hand, Russo-German
amity is accepted at its face value, it
makes little practical difference which
of the two countries actually holds the
Ukraine. The area would be Just as
prodigal in raw materials for Germany
whether Hitler had it directly under his
thumb or whether it was in the hands
Of a friendly, cooperative power.
Hitler said, in his speech at Danzig
on Tuesday, that he does mot want the
Ukraine" This is contradiction of
"Mein Kampf" and may or may not
4. represent Der Fuehrer's true feelings
Since he had not said it before and
since the statement now comes so soon
after the signing of the Russo German
pact, it may be merely temporary con-
cession to Russia within whose borders
the greater part of the Ukraine lies.
An independent Ukraine is a part of
traditional German foreign policy. The