Evening star., 1940-10-15
Eliot Warns Against Counting
Too Heavily on Soviet Support
Deeds, Not Words, Will Be Decisive,
He Says, Urging Firm U.S.. Action
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

IhAoA
Victory is to him." said Napol-
con, who can put in the last re-
serve"
It is perhaps in the light of this
maxim of strategy that we ought to
consider the military position Of
Soviet Russia.
There are at the moment two
great powers not actively engaged
in hostilities: The United States and
the Soviet Union. But it is becom-
Ing increasingly clear-and the
Presidents speech at Dayton was
only a clariflcation OF growing ma
tional opinion--that the United
States has chosen her side, that
America must be counted as an
ally of Britain in increasing meas
ure and regardless of legal defini-
tions of belligerency. Russia re-
mains the great military and po-
litical enigma of the world struggle.
Like Germany, Russia wisely
breads above all else being drawn
into a war on two fronts. Her
strategic situation is much more
difficult than Germany's however,
because Germany can, If need be,
switch forces back and forth, from
east to west, and contrived to do
so with a great measure OF success
IN the World War. Russia, lying
clear across the top of the world S
greatest land mass, has one from
tier in Europe and the other on the
Pacific in East Asia connected only
bv the thin line Of the Trans-Sl-
berian Railway, 5000 miles from
Moscow to Vladivostok. Confront
ed on each frontier by a strong
military neighbor-Germany IN the
West, Japan in the East-Russla
must tread carefully. The need Tor
such care is emphasized When
these neighbors declare themselves
IN alliance, promising joint action
against any new belligerent VINO
may enter the war.
Russia has never been great
naval power. Aside from the IN
herent difficulties ever to be en-
countered by a power essentially
continental in it's interests and pre-
occupations in creating a strong
navy. there is the additional reason
in Russia's case that her marltlme
frontiers. like her land frontiers,
have been so widely divided. Ac-
tually Russia has four maritime
frontiers, all separated by great
obstacles: The Arctic, the Baltlc'
the Black Sea and the Pacific. IL
would be impossible for Russia 10
create an Arctic navy superior 10
that of Britain, Baltic navy su-
perior to that of Germany, Black
Sea navy superior to that OF ltaly
and a Pacific navy superior to that
of Japan BY the very fact OF such
dispersion, Russia cannot nope 1or
a great role on the sea; whatever
naval forces she can create IN these
areas. she cannot bring them to-
pether to act with united force.
But Russia has always dreamed OF
an open port on warm waters,
port not inclosed in sea to which
some one else holds the gateWays'
not impeded by Arctic ice. Such
a port would if adequately connect
ed to Russia's vast. internal re-
sources mean a tremendous devel-
opment of Russian trade with the
outside world.
Nav Get Indian Ocean Outlet.
Russian ambitions in the direc-
ton of the Dardanelles, the gate
way of the Black Sea, have drawn
her into more than one war; but
even were the Dardanelles to become
Russian. Russia would stlll oe
locked within the Mediterranean,
whose gateways are in British
hands A better fulflllment Of Rus
sian ambition would undoubtedly
be a warm-water port on the In
dian Ocean, either in the Persian
Gulf or on the coast to the east
ward of that body of Water-pos-
sibly at Karachi. in India. There
now exists a railway built by the
present Iranian (Persian govern
ment from the port of Bandar Shah
on the Caspian to the head OF the
Persian Gulf. A branch line, un-
der construction last year and per-
haps completed by this time, links
this railway with Tabriz, where
there is direct rail connection with
Russia. Thus, if Russia can win
German aid bring Iran within her
"sphere of influence" she will nave
realized her ancient dream OF
varm-water port, with rail- COM
already established. IL
must. however, be recalled that Iran
is not Germany's to deliver, that
the country is extremely dlfncult
for troops, and that the resistance
of the Iranian Army of some 200 900
men. of which a good many units
are we'll armed and equipped, mlght
provide Russia with good deal OF
trouble All this would have to be
weighed in considering such plan,
attractive as are its major features
from the Russian viewpoint.
It must. on the whole, be taken
into account that in any scheme
which Germany may now have 1or
an advance southeastward through
the Balkans against Turkey, ana
eventually against the back door"
of Egypt. Russian susceptibilities as
to the Dardenelles may have been
allayed by a German offer to aid
Russia to advance to the shores OF
the Indian Ocean. thus obtaining
that free access to the open sea
which has for so long been a major
feature of Russian policy.
Russia in Iran and on the western
frontier of India would be no threat !
to any immediate German interest,
while such a Russian move would
give Britain fresh anxietles as to the
defense of the Indian Empire. Thus
1t would perfectly fit in with Ger
man aims. especially if accompanied
by Russian pressure" on Turkeys
Asiatic frontier, a pressure which
might reduce the Turkish spirit OF
resistance to the point where Tur-
kew would allow the transit OF Ger
man troops by rail into Syria and
thus to Palestine and Egypt.