Evening star., 1940-10-05
Wooine the Russian Beor

One of the most interesting by
products of the triple axis pact is
the way it's members are vying with
one another in declaring their warm
friendship for Soviet Russia. For
German spokesmen this is nothing
new, since Nazi editors got their cue
q year ago, when the Russo German
accord was concluded. However,
until the momentous Berlin pact was
signed, a few days ago, neither Japan
nor Italy had followed suit. only
yesterday" as Frederick Allen might
put it, japanese writers were warm
ing against Red Russia as the ulti-
mate enemy and Moscow as the seat
of dangerous thoughts" In Fascist
Italy, the Bear Jared no better. A
backward glance through press files
will turn up blistering editorials dur
ing the Spanish and Finnish wars,
when Virginio Gayda and his COL
leagues excoriated Joseph Stain and
all his works in the journalistic
billingSgate for which the Fascist
press is so justly famous.
Today, how the tune has changed!
In Toxic, editorial comment unitedly
stresses the idea that good relations
with Russia are both desirable and
practical, and that "moldy queS-
tions" belonging to the past should
not be revived. In Rome, Virginio
Gayda sets the tone with long his
torical summary purporting to show
that Fascist Italy has always been
friendly to the Soviet regime. "Ital-
ian policy during the Fascist era"
he writes, has never shown any
wavering and, even less, any hostility
toward Soviet Russia. 1t has been
inspired by calm Mussolinian real
ism" After pointing out many SIM
ilaritieS between the two systems,
Signor Gayda concludes: Italy has
always been attentive to the phe-
nomena of humanity, and the nation
has been following with great inter-
est for a long time the internal evo-
lutions of Russian concepts and her
political system"
Since neither Japanese nor Italian
spokesmen would thus suddenly
change their tune except by official
order, 1t is plain that the three axis
governments have adopted a vigor-
Gus RuSSophile line. Soviet Russia
seems, indeed, to have many friends
these days. Has not Britains Labor
ite Ambassador, Sir Stafford CrippS,
been tireleSsly promoting good rela-
tions despite many rebuffS? And
does not the government Of Free
China, dependent upon Russia as it's
sole avenue to the outer world, seek
to propitiate Moscow in every way?
With so variegated throng knock
Ing at his door, canny Joseph Stain
doubtless smokes his famous pipe,
perhaps concealing beneath his
dropping muStache the quirk of
cynics smile.
The one outstanding exception to
the current trend appears to be the
Roman Pontiff. A Vatican City dis
patch reports that Pope Plus XII is
preparing an encyclical warning
Catholics throughout the world to
be on guard against "Communistic
influences resulting from the inter-
national struggle to win Russia's
support. The Vatican, according to
this dispatch, is about to take a
decisive stand in face of what it con-
siders the ruinouS expansion of Bol-
shevik philosophy and influence
throughout the world.
With the war, now well into it's
second year, becoming more terrible
with the approach of winter and
threatening to engulf the whole
world in its scope, all these maneu-
vers centering about Soviet Russia
have deep interest. Their full sig
nificance may become startlingly
evident in the months to come.