Evening star., 1942-10-11


aroused by Premier Stains statement in
regard to the Importance of a second
front, one conclusion is inescapable.
This statement was clearly made for
purposes of the record. 1t was set forth
now to be used at some later date in
Justification If any should be needed, of
course of policy still to be determined.
Present relations between Russia and
Great Britain are legally very different
from those between Russia and the
United States In our case there is exec
utive agreement for continuous lease
lend assistance and the strongest sort OF
moral obligation to give Russia as much
aid both material and military, as pos
sible. But there is no treaty of alliance.
Between Great Britain and Russia
there is formal alliance, binding for at
least 20 years and Indefinitely thereafter
unless either party gives II months ad-
vance notice, in writing, OF prospective
termination. This treaty, of alliance
and mutual assistance" was signed in
London on May 26 of this year and
came into effect with the exchange OF
ratihcations at Moscow on July A.
It's first articles states that: I'm virtue
of the alliance established between the
United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics the high contracting
parties mutually undertake to afford one
another military and other assistance
and support of all kinds in the war
against Germany and all those states
which are associated with her in acts
of aggression in Europe
Under that article Great Britain is
sending quantities of ill-spared supplies
to Russia. The quid pro quo is found
in the second article, which reads: The
high contracting parties undertake not
to enter into any negotiations with the
Hitlerite government or any other gov
ernment in Germany that does not
clearly renounce all aggressive inten-
tions and not to negotiate or conclude
except by mutual consent any armlstlce
or peace treaty with Germany or any
other state associated with her in acts
Of aggression in Europe"
Weapon for the Future.
Viewed in the light of the Anglo-Rus-
sian treaty, the most important part OF
Premier Stains statement of october
is not the charge that aid to the Soviet
Union has so far been little effective
1t is, rather, in the pointed suggestion
that the Allies fulfill their obligations
fully and on time"
Mr.. Stains prepared statement was
given to an American newspaperman
the correspondent of the Associated Press
in Moscow, ofAcourse, with the under
standing that it would receive wide
spread publicity. The alternative of an
interview, which would not have COM
mitted the Russian Premier as does this
document, was rejected because of the
pressure on his time. This pressure is
undoubtedly enormous Yet the nmpll-
cations of the written statement are so
far-reaching as to suggest that the Rus
sian dictator actually preferred to make
it over his signature.
BY doing so Mr.. Stain has, through
the medium of the American press. in
effect informed the British government
that in his opinion the obligations of Ar
ticle 1 of the Anglo-Russian treaty are
not being fulfilled. And because of the
interlocking character of the various
parts of this treaty neither London nor
Washington can accept the accusations
of the Russian chief of state with the
relative equanimity with which verbal
statement to the same effect could have
been received.
There is, however, great difference
between our executive assurances of help
to Russia, even as formalized in ''proto-
COL this week, and the British treaty to
the same end. In effect the difference is
that which exists between gentleman's
agreement and a contract
If the United States is not fulfilling
its agreement with Russia, as Stain
strongly intimates, the situation is NOR
ally deplorable but not legally serious.
But if Great Britain is not fulfilling
Article I of the treaty with Russia, as
Stain also intinates, then a case is
established for Russia to fail in fulfilling
Article II of the identical treaty with
Great Britain.
A Separate Peace?
of the Russian Army the statement by
the man for whom Stalingrad is named
would seem to indicate that he is forced
to contemplate the making of a separate
peace, regardless of Article II of the
Anglo Russian treaty. AS much was
suggested by Wendell Willkie when, after
his interview with Stain, he announced
iol,f
be too late" for a second front.
But the effective defense of Stalin-
grad has done more than add an i'm
perishable page to the glorious annals of
Russian heroism and endurance. 1t has
also sharply curtailed the objectives of
the German summer campaign and by
upsetting the military timetable has
forced Hitler, as demonstrated in his
speech of September 30, to take a de-
fensive attitude. 1t was the exploitation
of present gains, rather than achieve
ment of the promised knockout, which
the Fuehrer then emphasized as his i'm
mediate purpose.
Hitler's boasts about the organization
of conquered territory are doubtless
blown up to satisfy domestic appetites
which receive all too little solid nourish-
ment. Nevertheless there were many in
timations, such as the promise to hold
Stalingrad (when occupied forever
which indicates that Hitler does not now
propose to offer peace which the Rus
sian people, whatever their extremity,
would accept.
This being the case simple explana-
ton would suffice to account for Pre-