Evening star., 1944-02-13

AAc 4CVdIup1ilS Oh Llle soviet COIlSLlLu-
ton, which resulted in the creation of
what is loosely described as new COM
morwealth Of nations in Eastern Europe.
still is being scrutinized by American
and British diplomats as to its mean
ings and implications.
1t needs little scrutiny. Those who
heard the Moscow radio on February 2
realize that only the facade of the Soviet
republic has been changed It's founda-
ton has remained the same. The re-
publics, SO far as their role in interna-
tional affairs is concerned, are no more
free than they were before February /.
Each republic, it is stated, may nego-
tiate directly with foreign governments
though the general character of each re-
public's diplomacy and the ratification
OF treaties continues to be the function
of the Moscow commissariat of foreign
affairs
Similarly, the direction of all the
armed forces of these new 16 republics
remains under the commissar Of national
defense in Moscow. Thus, the power to
make treaties and to declare war is re-
served exclusively for the Soviet govern
ment as 1t has been in the past.
British View Differs.
The oficial viewpoint of the State De-
partment, which since the Moscow con-
ference follows the policy that the U. S.
s. r. must not be crossed in any way, is
that the creation of the new republics
is step forward toward a better world.
This view is by no means shared by
the British Foreign ONCE The British
have been reticent in their reactions, but
are playing a watchful game. For the
sake of not disturbing further the al
ready shaken political setup OF the
United Nations, no official comment has
been issued from London on the mo-
mentous decisions taken by the Soviet
Grand Council in Moscow.
The practical results Of the new con-
stitution already are being noticed, how
ever in Washington and London. The
announcement from Moscow that an
independent Poland will be Established
soon after the country has been liberated
from the Nazis would have been cheered
in America and Britain had it not been
followed by the ominous indication that
the Soviets will give the Poles a govern
ment which will have nothing in COM
mon with the Polish government in exile.
In other words, the Kremlin, after
having rejected all attempts from Wash
ington and London to bring about q
reconciliation with the Polish govern
ment in exile, has decided to stick by It's
guns and create a puppet government
in Warsaw or Krakow. The Kremlin evi-
IDENTIFY Is trying to save the face OF the
British and the American governments
which are pledged to support the Polish
government In exile because it is the
only one they have recognized. The
creation of q Polish republic which
would request its incorporation into the
new commonwealth Of Russian Repub-
lies is regarded by the Soviet govern
ment as solution of the Polish problem,
which, in its opinion, would save America
and Britain from good deal Of trouble
Headed BY Woman.
In this connection it is pointed out
that the puppet Polish committee which
exists in Moscow is headed by woman
Col. Wanda Wassilievska. She is the
wife of Soviet Vice Commissar of For
eign Affairs Alexander E. Korneichuk
Since this personal relationship between
the Polish leader and the Soviet of1icial
might lend itself to a political misinter-
ph,,lr to6
commissar of foreign affairs of the
Ukrainian republic There can be nc
harm, the Soviet leaders believe, in the
fact that the foreign secretary Of an
autonomous neighboring republic like
the Ukraine also is the husband of the
person who may head the future Polish
government.
There are still other indications that
the new Russian constitution offers &
method Of incorporating many border
states" into the U. S. S. r. The Yugo-
slav government of King Peter, which
now has its headquarters in Alexandria
has turned penitently to Moscow and
asked the Russian government to con-
clude treaty on the pattern of the
Soviet -Czechoslovak treaty. King Peters
government was turned down.
In the summer of 1912 the Yugoslav
government in exile. located at the time
in London, had started negotiations with
Soviet Ambassador Ivan Maisky. Mos
cow was quite willing to sign a treaty
which would have given the Russians a
back-door entrance into Yugoslavia and
eventually to the Adriatic Sea. The
British government, upon being in.
formed about these negotiations, urged
the Yugoslav government to stop them
There was no point in having so many
treaties within treaties, Foreign Secre-
tary Eden explained to the Yugoslavs
Yugoslavia. like Russia and Britain, be-
longed to the group known as the United
Nations. Hence, any separate agree
ments within this group might cause