Evening star., 1940-06-29
Expanding Russiu

AS the tragic climax to many
months of fearful apprehension Ru-
mania has become the victim of ter
ritorial readjustment which threat
ems to reduce her to the two prin-
cipalities -Wallachia and Moldavia-
out of which she was created in 1851.
Gone first, to Russia, are BeSsarabia
and the northern part of Bucovina,
the World War spoils which Rumania
acquired from Russia and the Austro-
Hungarian Empire. Pennsylvania,
taken from Hungary, and Dobrudja,
formerly Bulgarian, may be next.
King Carols domain Is undergoing
totalitarian surgery, and now that
the specter of diSmemberment has
become reality, Rumania's hope, and
the worlds hope, must be for as
nearly bloodless an operation as pos
sible. AS far as Russia is concerned,
the transformation is being effected
not entirely peacefully, but the great
est danger not only for Rumania
but for all the Balkans is that Hun
gary and Bulgaria, too will attempt
to satisfy their irredentist claims at
this time.
Although Nazi Germany stands
aloof, protesting cool diSinterest in
the excision, there is reason to believe
that the master hand behind the
scenes is that of Hitler, and that
the Reich has sacrificed Rumania to
Russia. In this way Germany may
be paying Russia for the conStraint
she exercised on Turkey, preventing
her from entering the war when Italy
brought the conflict to the Mediter-
ranean. This belief is strengthened
by the prompt reputation in Berlin
OF the Bucharest German legations
hostile reaction to the Russian occu-
patton of Bessarabia and Northern
Bucovina.
What value do Bessarabia and
the other concessions from Rumania
possess for Russia? There can be no
question of added material resources
Rumania might bring to great,
sprawling Russia, already so rich. 1t
Is not need for LebenSraum"-as
in the case of Germany-which has
impelled Russia to carve out a piece
of Rumania.
The aspect of national pride and
the restoration of land to which the
Soviet never relinquished title is
nothing more than superficial 1t is
the mask for Russia's ulterior and
more far-reaching motives, for
BeSSarabia, which was Russia's until
1918, is only a part of this operation.
Bucovina has not been part Of Russia
since the eighteenth century and
Russia has never laid claim to 1t.
Nor has Russia ever, even under the
Cars, exercised control over Con-
stanta, where it is reported Russia
will be permitted to establish naval
base.
Bucovina and ConStanta point to
a Russian program of expansion in
the Balkans. Lying on the slopes of
the Carpathians, Bucovina COM
mands mountain passes which lead
directly into Pennsylvania and the
heart Of Central Europe. Constanta
is within easy striking distance of
the Turkish straits. These, then,
are Russia's two fingers pointed in
the direction she is moving-south-
westward into the Balkan Peninsula
and southwark toward the straits.
How soon and how violently Rus
sian aspirations will come into COL
lision with German and Italian
Interests will be determined by many
factors, chief among them the length
of the present war against Britain
and the degree of exhaustion it works
on the Reich and Italy. But clash
Is inevitable, for Russia is expanding
directly into an area where Germany
and Italy already have divided hege-
mony. Russian influence in the
Balkans can be gained only at the
expense of one or the other.
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