Evening star., 1940-11-17

It Is only Is months, though it seems
much longer, since Germany and Russia
announced to a startled world the con-
clusion of a commercial treaty Of which
the implications were far more impor-
tant than the actual terms
The significance of the accord con-
cludcC between the NaH and Communist
governments in August, 1889, was two
fold. II served notice that the two
countries would hencefOrth regard them
selves as having reciprocal economic and
compatible political interests And 1t
made this tremendously important an
nounCement al a moment when due con-
siderstion of its import might still have
sverted the European war.
That due consideration was never
given. Many people who fondly believed
that the Nazi and Communist doctrines
were poles apart were staggered by the
Russo German agreement. Bewilder-
ment was rife among those who for
superficial reasons imagined that Russia
might team up with Great Britain and
France to preserve Poland from German
aggression.
Little Realistic Analysis.
But while the agreement concluded
between Moscow and Berlin on the eve
of war caused much confusion, it failed
to stimulate sober reflection in other
countries, And nowhere was this more
true than in the United States.
1t is today a healthy exercise to look
through the newspaper files for that
month of August 1889. Those who do
so will find almost no anticipation that
the Russo-German treaty was coming
and, after its conclusion, even less real
iStic analysis of its significance.
Editorial writer's and Columnists specu-
lated as to whether this treaty meant
that Germany had pulled a fast one on
Russia or vice versa. CartOoniSts found
the bedfellow relationship of Stain and
Hitler a highly amusing theme. But
noticeable by its absence was any con-
sideration of the new Russo German
entente as a wholly natural development
Of supreme historical Importance.
Among the great army Of American
-experts on foreign affairs" there was
none who predicted that in few
months time the Franco British alliance
would be irrevocably shattered While the
accord between Germany and Russia
would grow increasingly stronger.
And yet the outcome which has arisen
was always probable and was often en-
visaged in private conversations. The
question Of why intelligent speculation
30 seldom found its way to print deserves
examination.
At the moment however, it is more
important to assess the present than
to discuss the past. 1t is more important
to get the current Russo-German dis
cussions in clear perspective than to
consider why Journalistic comment on
the earlier negotiations was so habituaIIy
tnept.
Reich and Russia Satisfied.
What actually took place at the long
conferences between Molotoff and Hitler
in Berlin last week has not been fully
told. But the mere fact of these con-
ferences justifes two conclusions. It
justif1es the belief that Germany and
Russia are in full accord on the various
steps of mutual concern which the two
governments have taken in the past IS
months. And it justifies the belief that
both Moscow and Berlin desire to work
co-operatively in the future. Otherwise
there would have been no point to the
Berlin conversations
The first of these conclusions is itself
of great Importance. For if Russia and
Germany are alike satisfied with the
present territorial arrangements in East
ern Europe it is highly unlikely that they
will be altered merely because they are
unsatisfactory to Great Britain or un-
recognized by the United States.
The second discussion which springs
Inevitably from the Hitler -Molotof con-
ferences is that Germany and Russia
plan to work comparatively for a mu-
tually satisfactory settlement of issues
as yet unresolved. And these obviously
concern not merely the Balkans, but the
Near East and very probably the Far
East as well.
Greece is now the only European ma