Evening star., 1941-05-10
Hints From StuIin

LtSS lIldll II WbSh lids GldpStu SlllC6
Joseph Stain took his unprecedented
step into the official limelight. Al
though he has been the obvious die
tatOr of Soviet Russia ever since the
death of Lenin in 1924, he was hither-
to content to remain secretary of
the Communist party. Since this
was purely a party function, Stain
was technically outside the govern
ment, leaving official honors to his
obedient tools.
Now, for the first time, Stain
formally heads the government by
diSplacing Mr.. MOlotoff as Premier
and Foreign CommiSSar. Naturally,
speculation about the reasons for
this step has been as keen as it has
been varied. knowledge of Stains
coldly calculating nature quickly
ruled out guesSeS that his action was
due to personal vanity. The alterna-
tive was that the dictator was medi-
tatlng a step in foreign policy so
important that he felt it imperative
both to assume personal responsible
ity and to reap the full credit.
Here, again, the indications point
ed to a drastic alternative: Either
radical break with the policy of
understanding with Nazi Germany
or a greatly accentuated move to-
ward fuller collaboration with Ger
many, perhaps going so far as
formally joining the Axis.
For the first three days after his
assumption of the premiership, Sta
lin gave an anxious world no indi-
cation of what was passing in his
subtle Oriental mind. Since then,
however, a number of official acts in
rapid succession seem to show pretty
clearly which way he is moving.
First, a statement by Tass, the
Soviet news agency, specifically de-
MED in emphatic language that any
shifting of Russian land, sea or air
power from east to west lis taking
place or is contemplated" That was
designed to put quietus on foreign
press rumors Of vast Russian troop
concentrations on Russia's German
or Near Eastern borders.
Next day three official acts took
place of still greater significance.
The Soviet Foreign Office informed
the diplomatic representatives Of
Belgium, Norway and Yugoslavia ac-
credited to Moscow that Russia no
longer recognized their countries as
sovereign states. Since all three are
occupied by German forces, this con-
stituted formal Soviet recognition
of the German conquest as a defini-
tive change in their international
status. This must have been quite
gratifying to Berlin and seems in
dicatiVe of Stalin's intention to culti-
vate friendly relations with the Reich.
Stains action toward Yugoslavia
is especially significant, since only
the day before the German invasion
of that country his government had
signed a treaty of friendship with
Yugoslavia tacitly encouraging that
country's defiance of German de-
mands and almost openly condemn
ing Germany's aggressive policy in
the Balkans. Now, that attitude is
diametrically reversed and the treaty
is scrapped
In face of all this, only one infer
ence seems logical. Stain has
evidently made up his mind on
pro-AXis policy. And this, in turn,
would indicate the striking of some
secret bargain between Moscow and
Berlin. What Stains "pay-off" may
be is not yet known. Perhaps he
will get a share in the control of
the Straits, a slice of Persia with
access to the Indian Ocean, or other
rich spoilS Hitler can afford to be
generous-with other peoples prop
erty. But it is reasonable to assume
that Stain has been promised his
reward. For Stain is a shreWd
bargainer.