Evening star., 1945-09-30
Russian Trade Program
Builds Balkan Monopolies
Romanian and Hungarian Agreements Give Soviet
Both Stock in and Control of Industries
Which Must Buy Through Moscow
By Constantine Br0yn

of how the announcement of its demise
may be coated-will at least give some
food for thought to our Russian Allies
that international cooperation cannot
be one-sided. In order to achieve even
a limited scope there must be give and
take among the nations. And such a
spirit has not been displayed at the
London conference.
Because of their heroic stand against
the Nazi onslaught, at critical time for
the Allies, the Russians have become the
spoiled children of America and Britain
During the war, nothing was refused
them. Not only were they provided with
all the equipment they required but they
also were given everything else from
huge quantities of food to $1,500,000
worth of gold braid and other ornaments
for newly-designed uniforms of their
military, naval and diplomatic officers
This consideration for our Muscovite
war associates extended even further.
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill felt that they had to overlook
some of the principles contained In the
Atlantic Charter and overwhelmingly
Endorsed by the other members of the
United Nations as their war aims, in
order to give Russia large territorial
gains.
Russia Wants Security.
War-scarred Russia wanted per-
manent security, without having to
appeal to any other nations. Premier
Stain made it clear at the Teheran and
Yalta Conferences that Russia desired
influence over vast non-Russian ter
ritoies either in the shape of outright
annexations or by the creation of
friendly" governments.
Thus, the Baltic States and Poland
were handed over to the U. S. S. R. In
order to save face with the people of the
United States and Britain, some feints
were made to safeguard Poland's in
dependence. Those conversant with the
agreements made in secret at the two
conferences had no illusions about the
fate of the Polish republic.
But neither President Roosevelt
Prime Minister Churchill nor President
Truman later understood that the
former satellites of the Axis-Romania,
Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary were to
share Poland1s fate They had made
explicit provisions for their sovereignty
based on free elections.
The Russian government subscribed to
these provisions, apparently, however,
with its fingers crossed While the
American and British Armies were fight
Ing toward the Rhine, the Russian forces
on the Vistula were ordered to proceed
with the liberation Of the Balkans. Pup
pet governments were Installed in Sofia,
Bucharest. Vienna and Budapest despitk
strong protests from Washington and
London. American and British missions,
dispatched to these capitals after the
signing of the unconditional surrender,
were received as unwelcome guests and
for some time their treatment was such
that il was doubtful If they could be
maintained there. 1t was question
whether national dignity or practical
politics was more important The
American and British governments de-
which our representatives were subjected
and chose practical politics.
Russia Denies "Overlordship."
Russia maintained that its puppets
were the genuine representatives of true
democracy. She denied any desire to
become the overload of these nations
and claimed they were enjoying the
utmost freedom under their new dem
ocratic" governments. When the Amer
ican and British representatives mildly
protested the methods of these puppet
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES squads, depor-
tations and concentration camps are
about as frequent in Eastern Europe as
they were in Germany under Hitler and
Himmler-they were ignored or told that
the information obtained in Washington
and London came from fascist sources.
1t was explained that only collaboration
lists. fascists and enemies of real de-
mocracy were being arrested.
Eventually, however, it became ap-
was following capitalistic policy of
the worst type. 1t forced on the puppet
governments trade agreements which
make them subservient to the Soviet
for an indefinite number of years. The
text of the economic agreement with
Romania, signed on May 8, 1945, has
reached the State Department here by
devious channels. The details of the
economic agreement with Hungary,
which was sprung on the Allied Foreign
Ministers in London last week, are not
known, but it is believed that the agree
ment follows the Romanian pattern.
The Romanian economic agreement
provides for the formation of Soviet
Romanian. syndicates for the exploita-
tion and development of all the re-
sources of that country. It is, in fact,
a most stringent monopohstic agree
ment, aimed at the exclusion of all
other foreign interests. A Russian
Romarian agricultural syndicate is
charged with the developments of the
farm production. The Romanians are
contributing the land, the seed and the
labor. Russia is to provide about 1000
tractors, which, incidentally, existed in
Ron1ania before her liberation but were
conhscated by the Russians as repara-
tions. They are now being returned
to the country to be used by the peas
ants under the supervision of the syn
dicate. The crops will belong to that
organization, which will supervise dis
tribution and Sales
In. the Industrial field, the Soviet
Romanian commercial agreement pro-
sudes that Russian capital and tech
nique will participate on the same So