Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-28
Plans Worked
Red Program Brought
Success Against Nazis
Continued From Page BID


their indiscretions with their lives When
Stain was recently questioned about
those purges. he replied that they were
pretty drastic, but I'VE have no fifth
column In the Soviet Republics"
Russian military preparations more
than kept pace with those Of the Nazis.
The civil war in Spain was an addi-
tional eye-opener for the Russian
Premier. He realized that the Western
powers-particularly France and Great
Britain-which had every conceivable in
terest to support and maintain the 10y
alist regime, had abandoned it to tho
mercy of the Nazis and the Fascists
principally because the Soviet had taken
an active hand In helping the Madrid
government. Having to choose between
the rising military power Of the Axis and
that OF Russia, the democratic govern
ment decided in favor of the former.
The laboratory of war in Spain was OF
as much assistance to Moscow as it had
been to Berlin. The Nazi equipment
had been carefully examined by the rep
resentatives of the u S. S. r. in Spain
and the necessary lessons we're drawn
from their combat experiences.
After the experimental war in Spain
ended, the political situation became
more intense. But even then, the demo-
cratic governments of Europe could not
see how dangerous Hitler was becoming.
They were blinded by the fact, which did
not impress Stain in the least, that Ger
many did not have enough money to do
what she was supposed to be doing.
Kept Preparations Secret.
In the meantime, Stain was directing
the principal effort of Russia toward to-
tai rearmament How many men, what
kind OF war material and how much of
1t Russia possessed was a dead secret
and still is.
But the Russian leader grew increas-
ingly suspicious Of democratic diplomacy,
He gained the conviction that the British
and the French were weak militarilv
and, what was worse, completely incap-
able OF getting themselves prepared for
the inevitable showdown.
Under the circumstances, Stain sus-
pected that when the evil hour came.
they would use their best diplomatic
methods to induce Hitler to turn toward
Russia for Germany's "lebensraum"
rather than westward. It appears that
at one time Stain was concerned over a
possible coalition between the Nazis and
the western democracies in a crusading
war against Russia. In such a war the
Nazis would participate with their armed
forces while the other western powers
would stand by and give them the neces-
sary war materials.
Stain Suspected Worst.
OF course, there never was such a
thought in either Paris or London but
Stain suspected the worst and got ready
for the final tragedy militarily and po-
litically.
Hitler, who was uncertain how far tho
French and the British would work
along with him-particularly after he
tore up the Munich agreement-ap-
preached the Russians offering them q
slice Of Poland in exchange for Russian
neutrality. At the same time the Allies
were frantically trying to get Russia on
their side to prevent the inevitable mas
sacre which had become quite apparent
In the spring of 1899.
Stain held his ground. He told the
Allied representatives that Russia did
not intend to fight anybody's battles but
her own; that the Maginot Line was so
strong that the French need not be wor-
ried about the Nazis breaking through
and that II Russia were to side with the
Allies, she inevitably would become a
battlefield. The Nazis would push
through Poland into Russia.
Stains suspicious nature led him tn
oelleVe that the British and the French
wanted to embroil Russia in war with
the Nazis and while Russia would be
nghtlng and bleeding, the British and
the French would cheer from the side
INES and promise assistance as soon as
circumstances would permit. He knew
that neither France nor Britain had anv
aviation to speak of and consequently
the brunt OF the war would have to be
borne by the Soviets. At the end both
the Nazls and the Russians would he
completely exhausted and the western
democracies would dictate peace to SHIT
their own purposes.
Accept Non-A Aggression Pact.
lhls lead Stain to accept the Nazi
oHer Tor aggression pact and the
Russian armies moved into Poland,
But Stain knew AS we'll as Hitler that
this cooperation could not be long lived
and that sooner or later the two armies
would have to fight each other. He took
advantage OF the 10 months OF relative
peace which followed the invasion OF
Poland to strengthen further the Rus
sian armies and their supplies.
The war against Finland lasted, &C.
cording to the Russian leader, longer
than it should have because the poorest
type OF old war materials and the greer
est forces available were sent against
Marshal Mannerheim's forces.
The explanation OF this strategy Is
simple. The Russian general staff ap-
parently suspected that the Germans
were actually encouraging the Firms to
resist the Russian claims on Finnish ter
rltories OF great strategic Importance to
the Red armies. The Soviets believed
that Nazi observers would be with the
Finnish troops to watch their perform
ance and examine their fighting equip
ments.
In order to throw more dust in their
eyes-as was the case with Col. Lind
bergh's visit to the Russian plane plants
when he was shown only the most anti
quated materials-the campaign was
more less Nf a canouf7ooe fo i,,e