Evening star., 1943-09-05
Makeup Of Postwar Europe
Tough Problem for Diplomats
By Constantine Byotcn.

The idea was accepted In principle BY
the American Government. We are not
foolish enough to insist that AL the
states Of Europe should be resurrected ID
the same shape they held in 1889. Hence.
If on their own accord they would care
to join a federation after Hitler's defeat
the United States would be only too
glad to help them get back on their feet.
Unfortunately, this does not seem to
please the leaders in Moscow.
The Russian government has definite
ideas of Its own about Eastern and Cen.
trail Europe.
On February;2, Pravda, ofdcial organ
OF the Krenitn; published an editorial
discussing the question Of the Baltic
States. 1t said that there still exist such
extraordinary people who are ready to
present the us. S. r. with their own
territory. as, for instance, the Baltic
States"
Polish Question Raised.
It added significantly that these peo-
pie pretend not to know that the COM
stitution Of the q. s. 8. R.--our basic law
has consolidated the ties Of these
republics with other republics Of our
union."
The statement was made when the
American Government still recognized
the independence of Latvia, Estonia and
Lithuania, whose fully accredited Minis
ters still are In Washington with diplo-
matte privileges.
In recent months the question OF how
much Of Poland will remain independent
has also come to the fore. After the re-
lations between the Polish governments
in-exile and Moscow were broken on
because Poland had insulted Russia by
accepting the Nazi version Of what
had happened. to 10000 Polish prisoners
which the Nazis claimed had been ex-
ecuted by the Red Armies, all attempts
from London and Washington to mend
the Polish Russian fences were futile.
On August Is out OF clear sky the
Russian Embassy in Washington issued
sharp attack on Poland, which was &c.
cused Of showing unfriendly intentions
toward Russia because it advocated .
postwar Central European federation.
In urging the establishment of such
q federation the Polish government was
following suggestions from Washington
and London. The Poles were accused OF
stirring up troubled waters. playing into
the hands Of Hitler; and his associates
and helping split the Anglo Soviet
American camp" The Embassy implied
naively that the kind Of federation &C.
ceptable to Moscow would be worked out
with Russian cooperation.
$1,000, ,0oo, 900 In Lease-Lend.
Ironically this blast at Poland, and IN
directly. at the tentative British Amer
lean plans for Central Europe. was issued
the same day Mr.. Roosevelt transmitted
to CongrAss his quarterly lease-lend re-.
port announcing that 30 far the Amer-
ican taxpayer had contributed $l4000,-
100000 to help our Allies with lease lend
| goods.
The President went further to say that
"the Congress in passing and extending
the Lease-Lend Act made it plain that
we want no war debt to jeopardize the
coming peace. Victory and secure peace
are the only coin In which we can be
repaid"
Those who remember the hatred and
anger this country brought on itself in
Europe after the last war because we
insisted that the war debts should be
repaid can only applaud the wisdom OF
Congress and Mr.. Roosevelt who de-
vised the lease-lend formula whereby
we help our Allies without expecting one
cent In return. This caused some wits in
Washington to describe money as spin
ach."
But MIR. Roosevelt emphasized the
question of secure, that is to saw, dur
) able, peace after the Axis has been
defeated.
His political experts are frankly wor-
ried. How can a durable peace be estab.
ished in the event the Russians follow
policy OF their own? Stain declared
few months ago that I'VE have not and
cannot. have any war aims such as the
seizure OF foreign territory-irrespective
OF whether they are the people and
territories of Europe or the people and
territories Of Asia, including Iran"
Why the Russian leader should have
singled out Iran is puzzle to everybody.
Recent reports which continue to be
hushed up Qran is far away saw that
two of the Iranian provinces bordering
Russia have recently incorporated into
the Soviet, naturally after a plebiscite
OF their inhabitants was taken and they
had declared themselves in favor of such
a union. Soviet forces are garrisoned in
these provinces for the purpose of pro-
tectlng the lease-lend communication
lines. =
American Leaders Worried.
The view of the Moscow government
regarding Poland is equally obvious al
though 1t is not yet quite clear whether
the Russians consider the Ribbentrop-
Molotov line established after the defeat
of Poland in 1889 to encompass Russian
territory.
Under these circumstances. there
seems to be some doubt as to how secure
peace we shall have in Europe to repay
the $14000,00o 900 the American people
have contributed out of their pockets for
the cause of peace. Nobody speaks about
the casualties the American forces will
have to suffer before the Nazis can, be
brought to their knees.
These factors are worrying the An1eri-
can and British leaders.
On the one hand there are the con.
tinuous rumors Of possible peace be-
tween Russia and Germany the day the
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