Evening star., 1945-12-30

come
Under the pretext that new demo-
cratic governments must replace the
Fascist or reactionary governments of
the past, there have been number of
changes in Eastern Europe, which is in
habited by about 135,0o0000 persons.
Ihese changes amounted to Russian
sponsored governments being installed
IN Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bull
garia and, to lesser extent, in Finland,
Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria.
Adopt Harsh Measures.
The puppets placed in control of the
first-named countries have no following
among their own countrymen and in
order to maintain themselves in power,
they had to adopt the harsh methods
taught to their secret police by the
feared Soviet NKVD (secret political
police). Some of them have held free"
elections which followed the pattern
established by Hitler. The popular vote
was about 95 per cent in favor of the
new little Hitlers." The result was
easily obtained. Any citizen who knew
what was good for his health either alb
stained from voting-if he had strong
convictions and was not concerned over
the slow death in concentration camp
Or voted for the dictator if he was less
lion-hearted
These dictatorial regimes were estab-
lished, however, with the limited consent
of the United States and Great Britain.
At Yalta the representatives of the Big
Three agreed to recognize the regime of
Marshal Tito, former member of the
Third international with headquarters
in Moscow and reputedly former mem
Der OF the Russian secret police. But
they clearly provided that new gov
! ernment containing liberal" represents
atives of King Peter must be formed and
that the government must hold free
elections-in the Western meaning of
the word-at the earliest possible mo-
ment
The new government containing
Peters Prime Minister, DR.. WAN Su-
banjo, and another liberal, Milan Croll,
was duly formed. But not long before
the elections both men were booted out
of the cabinet and replaced by faithful
followers Of Tito. The elections took
place, but they were handled in such a
manner that even the American State
Department and the British Foreign
! Once, which are frantically trying to
avoid additional international head
aches, were unable to describe them as
free. The State Department felt duty
bound to dress up its official recognition
OF the new Yugoslav regime with a
severe" admonition to Marshal Tito
/ that he was not behaving in keeping
with the pledges he had given this Gov.
/ ernment.
Concentration Camps Full.
1 Officers and men of the armed forces
and other observers returning from Eu-
rope say that the concentration camps
throughout Europe are about as full as
tney have been in the past. The gigan-
TIC uprootlng Of millions from their
homes to be deported to the interior of
Russia is also proceeding without inter-
ruptlon. And a wholesale looting of
private property, including even the few
chickens farmer may still possess, is
going on everywhere in the countries
east of the Oder River.
The governments and the people of
the United States and Great Britain
ardently desire peace.
A myth has been created in the last
| three years that unless all the whims
and fancies of our great Russian war
associate are complied with there can be
no unity among the major powers and
peace once more will be jeopardized.
The Russians are being represented to
the peoples in the West as the most
powerful military nation the world ever
has seen and this myth has taken root,
although the military experts strongly
disagree with this civilian view.
But under the pressure of poorly in
formed public opinion and because of
certain biologists who have obtained
important roles in framing the policies
OF both western democracies a policy
OF appeasement has asserted itself in
our dealings with the U. S. S. r. and her
satellites.
The spell has been broken only once
at the London Conference early in the
fall. The Russians retired into their
tent after the failure or that confer
ence and continued to sulk until our
Secretary of State suggested another
meeting. The Russians approved. Gut
made their own conditions: The meet
ing must be held in Moscow and the
Foreign Ministers of France and China
must be left out of the conference.
Appeasement Fails to Bring Peace.
Because of considerations of military
expediency the western governments
felt compelled during the war to humor
Russia even if such action called for the
surrender of many of the basic princi-
Piles for which we were fighting the war.
But there are serious doubts in the
minds of many policy-framers in the
White House and State Department
that continuation of this appeasement
policy will lead to lasting peace.
The time has come, they feel, that our
own security might be jeopardized if
further concessions are made at the ex-
perse OF our ideals or at the expense of
our position in the Pacific.
A policy of appeasement never has
brought about more than temporary
peace, The appeasing powers usually
have lofty ideals and set the example
for world peace by complete disarma-
ment. The nation being appeased
means to keep what she has obtained by
force or by shrewd diplomacy and all
ways keeps her powder dry. The ap-
cis