Evening star., 1941-02-27

has accumulated a series of out
posts from the Baltic TO the Black
Sea, but the strongest strategic
positions have gone to Hitler. Since
last summer the Soviets have been
removed completely as a Weighty
offensive factor in the second world
war and the Kremlin knows this to
be true. The best that Stain could
hope for, since September, was to
get through the winter without
being challenged, to gain time in
which to fortify feverishly in defen-
sive positions all along the German"
Russian frontier.
But the Red Army, crippled at the
top and despite the courage of its
Russian peasant soldiers, is very
far from being a flrSt-class army
Behind it railroads, communica-
tions and supplies can only func-
ton under terrific strain and at
the cost of constant disruption. Ac-
cording to the best information
obtainable in either Moscow or the
Balkans, the Red Army would be
most dangerously menaced by a
mechanized, motorized blitzkrieg.
The Ukraine, in fact, might well
be the cheapest and perhaps the
last important blitzkrieg victory
that Hitler can now hope TO gain
anywhere in Europe. This explains
why the Kremlin, a word which in
Russian means citadel, is today
more than ever a citadel of fear.
Russia on Defensive.
Soviet Russia stands on the de-
fenSive, playing for time and try
ing to maneuver some avenue Of
escape. For the sake OF escape
Stain is capable of making almost
any kind of deal imaginable. If
he becomes convinced that Hitler
will slash off a great slice of South
western Russia and shatter the
Soviet regime, Stain may encour-
age the Turks to defend the Darda-
nelles at all costs.
If he should face the danger of
the British Isles being knocked out,
Stain may very well throw Russia s
weight-one way or another, but
chiefly indirectly-to equalize the
struggle. If Stain one night should
wake up in a cold sweat of terror
who can tell? Perhaps he would
make a deal with Hitler and let
Nazi engineers into Russia to re-
organize industries and transporta-
ton.
The record of the past seven
months in the Balkans can leave
no doubt that Moscow knows that
its greatest potential enemy, its
most uncompromising and also its
nearest enemy, is NaZi Germany
If Hitler fails to invade Britain
this spring and must find some
where a blitzkrieg victory of great
propaganda possibilities, the Uk-
raine still looks like his best bet.
All Prepared for Move.
1t seems certain that everything
has been prepared for this move,
if Hitler can discover no other
promising outlet for violent mill
tary action. So Stain, despite
all his cunning, is compelled to
stand upon very hot spot. Car
he be shaken down into acquiescence
or surrender? Or will Stain strug-
gle and wiggle to avoid becoming
another Mussolini with a Nazi ring
| through his nose?
Where fear dominates the ac-
tions and policies of a totalitarian
dictatorship it is impossible to
prophesy. 1t merely appears logical
to expect that Stain and the Krem-
lin will attempt to avoid becoming
the outright prisoners of Hitler and
Nazi Germany so long as they can
possibly contrive to create any other
alternatives. Soviet Russia will keep
on manipulating for a long wal
and for the preservation of her non-
combatant status so long as there is
the slightest hope of these objec-
tives being achieved.
Russia Next Victim"
Opinions differ as to the Soviets
chances Of remaining on the fence
indefinitely. Personally, I do not
believe that prominent Nazis in Ber.
lin were inSlncere last July. At tha
time they were already writing of
Britain as conquered and occupied
and describing Russia, to certain
pro-Nazi military experts. as "tht
next victim" 1t may well be thai
the Hitler time table will have tc
be reversed before another year i!
out and the Soviets moved up Il
the position of the first next vic.
tim"
After months observing the deep.
seated conflict between Nazi anc
Soviet ambitions and interests, il
is my own conviction that Soviet
Russia will be drawn into the Worlc
War unless she surrenders to Naz
dominance without fight. Ir
either case it would seem truly
doubtful that the Stalinist regime
can survive the present conflict.
| Copyright, 1941, Chicago Daily News, Inc J