Evening star., 1942-06-22
Russiu Once More
Power Among Nations
Writer Finds in Recent Events
Restoration Of Soviet Union
ToPosition ofWorId Influence
BIZ Blair BOlleS.

By Blair BolleS.
One year Of war has won for the Soviet
Union place of esteem and influence in
the counsels of the great nations that
was denied 1t during more than 20 years
Of peace.
The successors Of the Bolsheviks who
shocked the polite world by executing
Gear Nicholas at Ekaterinberg sought an
influential position in the disarmament
conference at Geneva, but the elite
among nations mistrusted her. Russia
advocated solution for the Sudetenland
problem different from the Peace of
Munich, but again the elite mistrusted
her. Soviet Russia indeed influenced
the course Of history from 1918 to l94l,
because the foreign policies of the elite
were built often on mistrust of Russia.
But the U. S. S. r. was not an active,
welcome member of the family OF ma
tions.
The Anglo-Soviet Treaty Of Alliance,
which for dramas sake might have been
signed on the first anniversary OF Rus
sia's forced entrance into the war rather
than on June 6, is the mark which dis
tinguishes the position of Russia today
from the position of Russia before June
%. 1941. when the Nazi bombs began to
rough up the Soviet terrain.
The treaty is RussiaS invitation at
last to mingle with the elite on a foot
ing of welcome partnership. The mis-
trust is gone. Or is it? The Neither.
lands government gives no sign of chang
ing its old attitude and recognizing the
Soviet government, its partner in the
United Nations. Vague signals of con-
Germ about the future and Russia dimly
flicker even in Washington. Does Mos
COW read the same meaning in the
treaty's phrases as do London and
Washington? There is some worry over
definitions.
But the fact remains that the treaty
is a political development which. at least
on paper releases Russia from a sort of
political exile in Siberia. Formerly her
proposals were undesirable. Today the
treaty's existence attests that her pro-
posals are wanted. Today. in theory,
the Russia of the Soviets is the great
world influence that was the Russia of
the Cars after Catherine. Russia has
been set back on her historic road.
Russia became a direct influence In
European affairs during GATHERINGS
reign in the latter half of the 18th CEN
tury, when the cooperation of St. Pet
ersburg with the enlightened Western
powers of Prussia and Austria was DEM
onstrated by the three partitions of Po-
land.
1t was after the Napoleonic wars, how
ever, that Russia first assumed an ex-
alted position in world political affairs.
We have read much of the parallels be-
tween Napoleons and Hitler's drives
toward Moscow and the enormous, dis
astrous cost of each drive, in 1872 and
in 1941. Now we have an opportunity
to inquire into another likely parallel
the imposing position of Russia in ar
ranging the peace after Napoleons fall,
and the prospective imposing position OF
Russia is arranging the peace after
Hitler's fall.
The fractures in the earth disturbed
by Napoleon were made somewhat whole
by the political surgeons who dominated
the Congress Of Vienna, where sat as
Russia's representative the Car of All
the R.ussias. Alexander I. Alexander IN
vented the Holy Alliance, which has
been termed "a monarchs league OF ma
tions." 1t provided the reactionary gov
cfrio onH Prussia
chief among them, with moral reasons
for restraining the liberal impulses OF
the European peoples. The autocratlc
point of view of Russia was made to
flourish over Europe.
Alexander put Russia into the Quad
r,lple Alliance. which bound Russia,
Prussia. Austria and Britain to oppose
revolution in France. The history OF Its
operations shows it opposing revolution
throughout Europe. The fact that Rus
sia often was outsmarted in European
politics during the years after Vienna
does not lessen the part played from
st. Petersburg in European affairs. The
likelihood that the Quadruple Alliance
might pry into American affairs was re-
sponsible for the issuance of the Monroe
| Doctrine.
The bulky scheme Of the Quadruple Al
lance, with its program for perlodlc
meetings to deal with international af-
| fairs of state, in time collapsed, but
Russia, after q period Of mid-l9th CEN
tury warning by battles and diplomacy
over the Balkan and the Turkish ques-
tions. continued to occupy position OF
influence In European affairs through
the part she played in balance-of- power
diplomacy. In 1884 Alexander II made
a commercial treaty with France which
in time came to have great military
meaning More than a decade later
came the Anglo-French Entente. The
system of alliance which in quick sue
cession brought Russia, France and
England into the World War in 1914
thus was shaped.
Just as Russia today, Russia In the
10th century and Russia in pre-war Goth
century proved a complicated ally for
England especially because of the vast
gulf in political philosophy between st.
Petersburg, the headquarters of an abso-
lutte monarch, and London, the head
quarters of representative government
which supported a symbolic monarchy.
There still is vast gulf in political
philosophy between Moscow, the head
quarters Of totalitarian authoritarian
ism, and London, which is today as it
| was.