The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-17
Dangerous Thoughts

Bv 1t. Gen. Sir Douglas w. Brownrigg
St. Paul's Cathedral has whispering gal
lery high up in the dome. A word whispered
bv a visitor echoes and can be heard by a
great many listeners.
The world today is one vast whispering
gallery: and there are many listeners trying
to catch what is being said by those who think
they cannot be overheard.
For most of the time between the wars, we
in the British Isles listened with some appre-
hension to whispers which echoed from Rus
STA; but now it is Russia who IS listening for
whispers from the West. Mr.. kalinin has said
SO in his speech first reported to the outside
world on Oct. rs.
Today l want to shout and not to whisper,
because although shouting is often considered
rude 1t is never looked upon with suspcion
and it is suspicion that want to try and kill
by saying boldly (and perhaps tactlessly) what
believe to be the truth.
It is history and not opinion that Russia was
lsnpopular with the Western democracies after
the revolution of 1917; and did not become
popular again until Hitler attacked her in June
l941. One of the reasons why so many British
people looked for so long with disfavor upon
Russia was because Russia had killed her
Gar. That seemed ver..- illogical to the Rus
slams because we ourselves had killed our king
without being ostracized. I know quite well
that King Charles was beheaded in the seven
teenth century, which to us seems long time
ago. But Russians do not notice the passing of
time like we do, and in many ways Russia
in 1917 was more like England in the seven
teenth century than like England of the twen-
tieth century. I am not defending either execu-
ton; merely saying that only time separated
Them: and time is not nearly 50 important in
Russia as it is here.
There was, of course, another reason why
we were suspicious of Russia between the
wars. We feared (and rightly feared the doc
trine of Communism and we thought that
Russia was the chief exporter of this unlikable
commodity. At one time this was true; but it
has ceased to be true since Trotzky left Rus
sia Since Marshal Stalin's time the Third In
ternational has been abolished and that was the
chief vehicle for the expectation of Commun-
ism. And what is just as important, the Ortho
dox Church is once more recognized in Rus
STA, which is itself the negation of Commun-
ism. So far as know there has been little or
no State-controlled interference with the af :
fairs of other nations-save perhaps in what
we may call the buffer States.
I do not think we have anything to fear
from Russia-at any rate for some years to
come. But I do think that Russia feels that
she has a good deal to fea. from the irnpor-
tation Of ideologies from the West, and SO ap-
parently does Mr.. Kalinin. The Russian revo-
luton Of 1917 turned the country upside down;
and 1t has only slowly righted itself after
many false starts and after several wander
ings down Improbable paths For "a years
the Russian leaders experimental and learned
their lessons through trial and error. They
are experimenting still They have not yet
reached the state in State evolution that we
have reached and they prefer not to be too
III al. o%o.1 49,
errors. What is more, during that time of ex-
permenting they do not want their nationals
to know that some other nations by whose
side they have so recently fought as allies,
have reached more advanced state of State
evolution than they have yet had time to
reach.
For instance, in the Russian army, casual
ties are not reported to the next-of-kin at all.
1t would, perhaps, be unwise to let the Rus
sian soldier think that he is less cared for
than his allies fighting men. He had, there
FORE better not mix with his allies more than
is absolutely necessary.
The leaders of present-day Russia do not
want much contact to be established by those
they hope to guide gradually to better things
at home with others who have already reach
ed better things abroad. Such mixing would
only lead in the long run to discomfort, and
perhaps dangerous desire to evolve too
the effect Of intensifying this feeling of fear
against too rapid progress in State manage
ment. Japan tried in about 30 years to do
what it has taken the Western democracies 300
years to accomplish
Russia will heed that lesson. She must 20
slow in her evolution and keep her neighbors
attention away rom her experiments. She
must keep the eyes of her own people on
their own jobs and not let them be in a posi-
ton to compare the present internal situation
IN Great Russia with that in the more pros
porous parts of Europe
II you will accept this theory of NINE, so
much else becomes plausible. For instance
the garrlsoning of distant outposts of Russia
by inferior troops becomes clear at once The
pest troops are Withdrawn into Russia
TO help IN her regeneration; the less good are
lett out where they cannot help learning that
other nations have other ideas and perhaps
greater comforts But that does not matter
because those inferior troops will always be
lett out IN the buffer States They will never
come back to Russia to tell fairy tales.
1t Is true that Russia seems to wish to con-
troll the governments of the States which sur
round her borders. But this is defensive
and not an offensive measure Russia has no
wish for more territory and has no immediate
desire to export any particular theology. But
she does want to be left to go her own pace
and she does not want knowledge of other
countries to make her national yearn for too
quick progress.
1t is true that isolation which she desires
would give her opportunity for perfecting new
instruments of war; but it is not instruments