Evening star., 1941-04-26
Russia Believed Eyinq
Persia for Possible
|0pporiunist Moves
Pact With Jopon Gives
Eoch Country Free
Hand for Anything
By WALTER DURANTY.


can never forget that Germany is
always fighting the war on a double
front-action by battle and a war
of nerves. That from the outset
has been the secret of Nazi success,
a combination of physical pressure
and psychological effects.
Today. therefore, it is especially
interesting to see how the Germans
are trying to interpret the recent
et-Japanese treaty Of friend
ship in a sense favorable to them.
1t is being claimed that the treaty
may encourage Japan to violent
southwark expansion which would
involve a conflict with the Anglo
American Pacific forces, and now
there is the new suggestion that
the Soviet union may take similar
action in Persia.
Both of these reports suhtly i'm
ply that Japan and Soviet Russia
are axis tools, which I do not be-
lieve to be the case, despite the
Japanese German alliance and the
earlier Soviet agreements with Ger
many. I think Japan and Russia
have their own fish 10 fry and Will
not be cajoled or stampeded into
playing Germany's game.
On the other hand, there seems
to be something shady in the state
of Persia. Whether that tough
realist, Shah Ria, is losing his grip
or whether the effects Of the death
of Kemal Ataturk-whlch left Tur-
key in some ways like rudderlesS
vesSel-are the true cause OF the
present Persian uncertainty 1t Is
difficult to estimate, but the fact
seems clear that the former solid
Turko-Persian combination no long
er exists and that, If the Russians
did contemplate action in North
Persia, this might be a favorable
! moment.
Soviet-Japanese Opportunity.
Coming back to Japan, one thus
gets a further parallel between the
two countries which helps to ex-
plain the ease and speed of the
Soviet-Japanese neutrality agree
ment. Neither of them Is working
for Germany, but for themselves,
and both realize there are great
possibilities in the offing of which
each might take advantage if they
establish a mutual understanding.
I do not think that Soviet Rus
sia really contemplates drive into
Persia. nor do I think Japan Will
try to crack Singapore, with all
that such a move might involve.
But it is not beyond the bounds OF
possibility that the Japanese might
feel the Indo-China- -Thailand situ-
ton could so develop as to require
some action by them, and similarly
the Russians might remember that
North Persia had once been a RUS
sian sphere of influence" as they
called it in those days.
Strangely enough, there is a lot
more continuity in Russian policy
than the 100 per cent Marxists might
have YOU think. 1t was not for
nothing that one Of those recent
100 600 o-ruhle awards, which are the
Russian equivalent to British
birthday honors," was given TO the
citizen who wrote the play Peter
the Great" CThis play, based on
Tolstoy's historical novel of the same
name. depicts in a favorable light
the character of Peter 0672-1725) J.,
who reorganized the Russian gov
ernment on western models, tre-
ouently by violent methods, and who
acquired territory in wars Win
Turkey. Sweden and PersiaO
The Russians are playing cagey
and keeping careful eye on two
pointS-the history OF Napoleon
(whose army was forced to retreat
from Moscow in 1922, and the lOu
or so German divisions now sta.
toned between the Black Sea and
the Baltic.
Russia Needs Peace.
Russia needs and desires peace
above everything, for internal nc
less than extraneous reasons. but
and do not overlook this "out"-the
Russians since the war began have
quietly and easily collected a great
deal of former Czarist territory. 1r
Finland some one made a mistake
and the collection was neither sc
quiet nor easy as elsewhere, but ne
one doubts who today controls the
; approach to Gar Peters west
ward window"
If Joseph Stain should feel sure
that the Persian peach was there
and waiting to be plucked-well, i
might look like a useful gesture
after Germany's armed seizure o.
the Southeast Balkans and the pres
, ent threat to the Dardanelles.
do not believe the Russians vii
; take this step. I think Uncle Joe
Stain is far too sagacious to "stics
his neck out" but one never knows
And there must be some signtfl'
canoe in the British landing o.
heavy Indian forces at Basra urac
E port at the head of the Persian
Gulf.
So some wool may fly from tht
tender Persian lamb. and the Rus
slams can always use wool Just al
the Japanese fully understand th'
Importance of tin and rubber anc
are well aware that both exist II
Indo- China -Thailand as well as II
British Malaga and the Dutch Eas
Indies.
; So you come back again to wha'
looks like the most sensible inter
= pretation of the Russo-Japanest
, agreement-that it is precisely wha
it is said to be; namely, treaty
of neutrality giving both sides /;
free hand for whatever may occur