Evening star., 1940-09-30
Russio and the Triple Axis

Russia and the Triple Axis
Semi official statements come from
Berlin that the triple axis powers,
Germany, Italy and Japan, have as
signed Soviet Russia a definite AREA
of leadership in their projected new
world order These reports arouse
much speculation as to just where
the new sphere may be located, and
also as to whether Moscow had ad-s
vance information of the gracious
gift. Late rumor even has it that
German Foreign Minister Won Rib
bentrop is en- route to Moscow in
order to get the Soviet governments
formal assent.
At this stage it is impossible to say
whether or not Stain had been told
what was about to be done. In
either case there Is good reason to
believe that the Russian dictator is
far from pleased with the new setup.
But to jump from this to the surmiSe
that falling-out between Russia
and the axis partners impends, is to
indulge In the same wishful thinking
that has been so often disappointed
during the past year.
OF course Russia distrusts the axis
powers. precisely as they distrust
her-and distrust one another. All
four Of them, Communist and Fascist
alike, follow the same basic policy
OF ruthless, cynical aggression.
Theirs are the ethics of the wolf
pack, each member Of which must
be forever on guard against his fel-
lows. Between such powers, genuine
confidence and abiding friendship
are impossible.
Yet, even the most ravenous wolves
work together effectively when they
are after common kill. And surely
the totalitarian big four can glimpse
in the off1ng the greatest potential
loot the word has ever seen. Already,
Stain has profited enormously by
his association with Hitler. At the
cost Of 'one relatively minor war in
Finland, he has regained almost all
of Russia's western borderlands lost
during the revolution, inhabited by
nearly thirty million people. Even
though no further westward eXpan-
sion is possible without running afoul
OF Germany and Italy, there is still
much to be won through agreement
with the axis powers in the Near,
Middle and Far East.
To begin with, leaving aside the
thorny question of Constantinople
and the straits, there is Asiatic Tur-
key. The axis powers could yield
Stain a generous slice of Anatolia
with small loss to themselves. That
would safeguard Russia's Baku OIL
fields. now dangerously near the
Turkish border Still more impor-
tant Is Iran or Persia, an old field of
Russian imperialistic penetration.
Czarist Russia schemed there con-
eAAuoAy dSdAISG o1I 1Itdul, SccklIlS 10
reach warm water on the Persian
Gulf and the Indian Ocean. In this
connection, we must not forget that
Stain is a Georgian from Russian
Transcaucasia, and that he has al
ways shown special interest in that
region. If the British Empire Is
smashed, Russia would be the logical
heir to the Middle East.
Even in the Far East, Russia could
gain much without clashing too ir-
reconcilably with Japan. Take
China's inland dependencies. Al
ready, Russia controls Outer Mon
golia and has subtly penetrated the
equally vast region Of Sinkiang or
Chinese Turkestan. Probably Tibet
and some adjacent Chinese provinces
might be added, If q RusSo-Japanese
partition of China should become
practical.
These are, of course, mere specu-
lations. Yet they indicate what may
constitute the share assigned Russia
by the triple axis in their grandiose
redistribution of other peoples prop
erty throughout the Old World.