Evening star., 1939-09-16
Whut of Russia?

ing how the wind may be blowing
in Russia. The United States En-
bassy yesterday advised American
tourists, who have no compelling
reason for remaining, to leave the
Soviet Union. Clearly our repre-
sentatives in the Communist capt.
tai believe events may be impending
which it would be we'll for ma
tionals of this country to avoid
if possible. The warning follows
the mobilization of more than
million Red Army troops on the
Soviet-Polish frontier, toward which
the German invaders Of Poland are
advancing ever nearer hour by hour.
The occasion for massing huge
Russian forces in war strength re-
mains the Kremlin's well-kept secret.
1t obviously can mean but one of two
things-either Cd Stain, in secret
agreement with Hitler, is preparing
to make war on Poland, looking to a
Joint partition of that country; or
(2) Moscow is taking measures to
safeguard Russia against the mo-
ment when she will face great
victorious German army on her
Southwestern front, possibly menac-
ing the Ukraine, that vast treasure
trove of mineral and agricultural
riches, which the NaZis notoriouSly
| covet.
Until the veil is lifted on Moscow
Berlin purposes one can only specu-
| late on the true inWardness of cur
rent developments. Marshal Goer-
ings boast that Germany's ability to
draw on the Soviet for foodstuffs and
raw materials, and thus nullify the
British blockade, remains the only
official indication of what Hitler ex-
poets from his strange Communist
bedfellow. Some authorities profess
doubt of any substantial or steady
flow of Soviet war sineWs to the
Reich. They contend that Russia
produces few exportable surpluses of
supplies essential to Germany, such
as cereals, steel, iron, copper or oil.
Germany, moreover, it is pointed out,
is not able to pay cash, while Russia
is in no mood to sell on a barter
basis, i. e., exchange her produce for
Nazi manufactured goods.
This thesis leaves out of account
that Hitler may have dangled before
Stain quite another form of quid
pro quo-namely, acquiescence in
Russian territorial aspirations in
Poland, Rumania and the old czarist
Baltic provinces" of EstOnia and
Latvia. The Soviet's long unSatisfed
post World War claim on Rumaria
comprehends Bessarabia, which was
owned by Russia from 1875 until it
was given to the Bucharest govern
ment at Versailles in 1919. Moscow
is said even to crave to restore Fin
land to Russian control.
Stains designs on Poland have
Just been disclosed between the lines
of a TRADE in Pravda, official Com
munist party organ at Moscow, which
has launched a campaign of protest
against Polish oppression" of the
large Ukraine minority in Southeast
ern Poland This is precisely the sort
of provocative technique which pre-
ceded Germany's seizure of the Su-
deten provinces of Czecho- -Slovakia
The desire to restore these "persecut-
ed racial brethren" may partially ex-
plain Moscow's military movements
and Stalin's apparent search for
preteXt for war.
Meanwhile, the car of the Krem-
lin continues to be credited with
desire that overshadows all the other
plans and plots attributed to him.
He is said to cherish no fonder wish
than to see unleashed in Europe a
general war of long duration, from
which all the great powers except
the U. S. S. R. would emerge so
weakened that Russia alone would be
Oh OllS, oliN SNClleuolly dDlC w ILL
pose the Communist tyranny yoke
on all her neighbors. Yet another
theory is that, in desperation to Sc
cure Russian aid against Britain and
France, Hitler swallowed hook line
and sinker all and sundry of Stalin's
territorial demands, stretching from
the Baltic to the Black Sea.
In the maze of double crossing du-
plicity and deceit in which the Euro
pean conflict began, it would be q
rash soul who would essay to assert
just what has happened lover there"
what is now happening, or what may
happen. Mystery envelops not only
Russo German relations, but, to no
less an extent, Italo- German rela-
tions. On the turn either or both of
these impenetrable situations take
may we'll depend the outcome of Hit
ler's war.