Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-10-19
Border Revisions

State Sumner Welles touched upon
a subject that will very probably
loom large in the Molotoff Eden
Hull discussions and in the projected
meeting between Premier Marshal
Stain, Prime Minister Churchill and
President Roosevelt. The subject is
that of border revisions, and it is
nowhere more tangled and explosive
than along the western limits of the
Soviet Union.
In many quarters it is assumed
that the Russian government is in
flexibly determined to improve its
strategic frontiers" and general
physical security after the war by
absorbing an important part of
Finland, holding on to the Baltic
states, taking large slice of East
ern Poland and remaining in Bes-
sarabia. Mr.. Welles, however, ap-
parently does not take this assump-
ton for granted. He suggests the
possibility of a different course. He
suggests that the Soviet Union may
not be wholly opposed to the idea of
finding safety in association with
other powers rather than in acquir-
ing additional territory on a grand
scale.
AS Mr.. Welles puts it, each one of
the four powers-Russia, China,
Britain and the United States-"is
rightly concerned with regard to its
individual security and is entitled
to present its contentious and its
demands to the friendly and under
standing scrutiny Of its associates.
But the truth remains that over and
above all individual requirements
for security to be derived from terri
torial notifications towers the Sc
curity to be obtained by each one of
them through common agreement"
upon program of world collabora-
ton.
The burden of Mr.. Welles' argu-
ment expressing a view shared by
many Of his former associates in the
Government, is that if a four power
agreement can be reached guaran-
teeing mutual cooperation in the
peace, Russia may come to be con-
WINGED that the development of
strategic frontiers" through major
territorial expansion. will be sur
plus and unnecessary effort. In
other words, If the Russians can
be shown that there will be
genuine association of nations as
surfing them stability and safety
along the Soviet Unions western
borders, they would be much less in
clined to insist upon far-reaching
frontier revisions.
1t Is a safe guess that this point
OF view will be expressed in some
detail to the Russians during the
forthcoming conference with the
British and Americans. The war
itself has demonstrated that geo.
graphical positions can at best only
delay the advance Of an enemy who
strikes with superior force, so that
30 or 100 miles of additional terri
tory does not mean much militarily
when its holders are unprepared to
meet sudden attack. If Stain and
his aides can be convinced of this
on the basis of what MIR. Welles
calls "clear-cut and specific" agree
ment with Britain and the United
States, Russia's territorial aspira-
lions in Eastern Europe may we'll
prove to be quite moderate, despite
current fears to the contrary.
Such an outcome, of course, will
depend largely on how willing the
United States shows itself in CO.
operating with other nations In es-
tablishing and maintaining world
peace. Without that willingness, the
chances are not only that Russia
WILL 60 It's own way, but also that
the international postwar situation
will deteriorate generally, leading,
as Mr.. Welles warns, either to a kind
OF global anarchy or to a system of
power politics giving a rebirth to
armament expansion and a policy
OF imperialism on the part of all
major countries And that is the
stun out Of which wars even more
devastating than this one can readi-
ly be made.