The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-26
Observations
Russian Stock
Boosted by End.
of Comintern
BY Charles p. Stewart

throughout this country and
probably throughout all the rest OF
the United Nations Josef Stain I'M
doubleday has been the most gem
orally popular OF present world
personalities since his abandon
ment OF his Communist lnterna'
tional, as a tremendous stride to-
ward a hard-and-fast alliance OF the
democracies in arms against Fuehr-
er Hitler and his Axis associates.
To be sure. the action was in the
form OF a resolution voted by the
Comintern executive committee in
Moscow, but It is taken for granted
on all sides that Premier Stain
dictated II.
Il does not necessarily mean that
Joe has been converted from Com
munism. He may believe in il as
firmly as ever, as a system for his
own people to live by, but he does
disassociate himself from a policy
OF trying to establish il elsewhere
by revolutionary methods.
The Communistic organization
will continue to exist hut it will be
Russian: not international. Units
in other lands are cut loose, to OPP
crate each independently. More
over, as a farewell bit OF advice,
their members are urged to join
their fellow workers. Loyalty under
their. various own governments, in
the world fight against totalitarian-
ism.
Allied statesmen and military
folk naturally are delighted by the
change that has come over the
Soviet leader but they do admit
that the rapidity OF it astonishes
them.
II isn't so long since the Kremlln
and Berlin had no non-aggression
pact with one another and were
supposed to be quite friendly.
Then Herr Hitler launched his
sudden attack on his Muscovite
neighbor. This was enough TO
make the latter turn Immediately
resentful, 1t is true. but Joe GER
tainly was pretty well prepared for
the warpath in hurry. fl
The evening before the Nazi
boss sprang his surprise on Josef,
Joe had been known to the Allies
as a blankety-blank Communist and
his followers as a crew of north
ern savages. The following morn
ing Joe, then being on the anti
Axis side OF the fence. was dis
tinctly persona grata to the de-
mocracies and his cohorts were be-
ing enthusiastically praised for the
gallant defense they were putting
up.
Joe, however, didn't get all the
democratic help he wanted as soon
as he wanted It; so presently he
began growing about the delay. He
also ignored Washington's hints
that he could be helpful himself,
TO Uncle Sam, by going to the mat
with the Japs.
It even was democratically sur
missed that he was not overly dem
ocratic in reality-that he would be
q hard customer to deal with after
the war, II no earlier
Such talk was getting middling
acrimonious. when TALL of sudden)
Stain coughed up an exceedingly
pro-Ally broadcast. He said the
Allies were performing highly cred
itably--exactly the reverse Of what
he previously had been saying. He
implied some mean cracks at the
Japs. He assured the democracies
that Russia would live and die with
them.
1t was so swift a flop that Wash
ington and London were fairly fab
bergasted Though charmed) by it.
But it wasn't a Circumstance to
what has followed.
Today he is prepared to waive
Communistic world revolution for.
the sake Of Allied solidarity.
II Russia had suffered a serious
setback and was scared as to the
future. 1t would have been ex-
plicable. No such development
had ensued. though. The Soviets
still were holding their own. In
deed, they were taking a chance of
sntagonizing the Japs: 1t was
word of encouragement 10 the
Chinese. II was a semi-promise TO
Uncle Samuel
Joe Stain is kind OF an Orient.
al. Perhaps his calculations are
different from the Occidentals'
Anyway. he changes prospects IN
wonderfully short order.