Evening star., 1944-02-02

AS Reds S0lution TO
Territorial Problems
By the Associated Press.
Moscow's announcement of plans
to give the Is Soviet Republics a
degree OF autonomy is regarded here
as being, In part at least, Russian
solution to territorial problems with
international significance.
Five Of the Is republics, it is noted,
cover territory which was made a
part of Russia within the last few
years and as result of military or
joint political-military action of
various kinds. These are the Karelo-
Finnish, Moldavian, Lithuanian,
Latvian and Estonian republics.
The Russians obtained the
Karelo-Finnish territory and in
corporated it into the Soviet Union
as result of the war with Finland.
They obtained most of the Mol
dvian territory created out of the
former Moldavian autonomous re-
public and Bessarabia, which for
merly belonged to Rumania, about
the same time. The three Baltic
republics were taken into the Soviet
Union in 1910 when Russia was
Strengthening her strategic position
in preparation for war with Ger
many
Could Seek Is Places.
The proposed reorganization of
the Soviet Union puts the Russians
In position to say to the world that
all these territories are being given
autonomy equivalent to that of
members of the British common
wealth and that there can therefore
be no question raised of Russia's
domination of them.
OF great long-range Importance
is this question-will Russia now
be able to bid for Is places at the
peace table and in the eventual,
hoped-for world league? T.
Meanwhile will she continue to
claim but one voice in such tenn
porary international agencies as
the European Advisory Commission
set up in London late last year with
British, American and Soviet mem
bership?
One point on which there seemed
to be general agreement. for the
time being at least, is that while
each of the is republics may han
die its foreign affairs independently
there will be no request from any
OF them to maintain an ambassador
or minister in Washington, with re-
ciprocal American representation in
the Russian states.
Might Force Issue.
1t is expected, rather, that the
regular Soviet Ambassador here will
be designated to represent them,
although some with special inter-
ests in this country may propose
having their own diplomats in
Washington just as members of the
British Commonwealth do.
Such requests on the part of the
Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian
Soviet Republics might force the
issue on American recognition of
Russian incorporation of those for
merly independent states into the
Soviet Union. Ministries of the
former governments still exist here
with full diplomatic recognition.
There was no disposition in official
quarters here to question the legality
OF the Russian move, since the un-
derstanding of the Russian consti-
tuition, adopted in 1886, is that it
gave the republics then existing a
degree of autonomy somewhat SIM
liar to that exercised by the States
of this country.
In some quarters Russia's action
is regarded as her answer to the
Atlantic Charter with its emphasis
on the freedom and independence of
peoples. Viewed in this light it is
regarded as giving Russia a forceful
argument for incorporating present
or prewar border states within the
framework of the Soviet Union, pro-
vided the populations agree.