Evening star., 1941-07-09

military and Es98 ~
political
strategy in a
way. The at y
tack was pre- Dorothy Thompson.
sented by Hitler as a military
necessity, due to a threatening
concentration of Russian troops
on the German frontiers. This
concentration followed a series
of Nazi aggreSSions in the
Balkans which certainly per-
turbed the Soviet Union. and was
response to vivid anti-RusSian
activities going on in Germany,
as reported weeks ago in this
column.
There is not the slightest indi-
cation. however, that the Soviet
intended to attack the Reich.
On the contrary. there is every
indication that Stain. having as
Sumed for the first time the
tltular leadership of the Russian
state, was putting himself in a
position to resume negotiations
with Germany and drive as good
bargain as he could. Soviet
policy is invariably reflected in
the Comlntern party line, and
that line was peace until the day
after the attack by the Nazis.
Not for Economic Reasons.
Was the attack for economic
reasons? Here I should say
certainly not. The Balkan cam
paignS have not been an eco
nomlc asset to the NaziS. but an
economic liability. Stain was
prepared to make economic con-
CeSSionS to Germany. He wanted
to play IN with Germany for his
political share.
Playing in involved such things
as delivering wheat and oil and
these ne was willing to concede.
Although German occupation or
annexation of the Ukraine would
be of an immense economic value
to the NazlS in the long run, the
war in Russia will be destructive
and occupation entail immense
administrative problems that
have not even been successfully
solved in Poland after nearly
two years.
If, then, the Reich was not
threatened militarily and if war
against Russia promised no
short-range economic advan-
tages, why was it launched?
Fear of Attack on Britain.
I believe because of fear of
the military and political con-
sequences of an all-out attack
OH 1Itdl BRITAIN.
Should that attack be made
and fail, the Russian Army would
be a dreadful threat to the Reich.
Should that attack be made
and succeed, it would be a ca
tastrope to the whole world of
unpredictable proportions, set
ting everything adrift all around
the globe.
In that moment, again, the
Soviet Union, unexhausted BY
war and with an international
revolutionary organization at its
command, would be IN a position
to produce further chaos and also
to pull more territory for itself
out of the scramble for spoils.
At the same time, Hitler I'M
doubtedly argued that for a war
against the SovietS he could
rally all Europe, and that with
it, he would divide Great Britain
and hold off the United States.
Made Test on L. S.
First, he tested the United
States by a fragrant incident
the sinking of the Robin Moor.
Even the administration was
pretty phlegmatic. The con-
clusion could be drawn that The
United States was still no. pre-
pared for any drastic action in
the west, and that he would be
safe in moving in the east.
Second, he presumably,
through Hess, made a bid for
a breathing-space peace with
certain English Tories, no doubt
on the promise to turn eastward.
and well aware that such a peace
would bring political collapse in
England.
Third, he began an enormous
offensive directed to world Chris
tianity against the atheism and
barbariSm of the Soviets.
CThe German short wave
broadcasting now pours upon the
world fulminations against Soviet
godlessness, and incidentally the
exact phraseology is repeated by
Mr.. Lindbergh.
tSome Of the sudden piety is
very funny. Last week I heard
sn English-speaking broadcaster
from Berlin attacking the shock
ing methods Of Russian warfare