Evening star., 1945-02-04
Big Three Farley to Fix
Europe's Map'for Years
Outstanding Russian Successes to Give Stain
Strong Hand in Determining Future Of
Small Border Nations
By Constantine BroUn

ifine BrOtOn
Communists" among the ELIAS forces
were only incidental The situation in
Greece is not yet settled But Mr..
Churchill Is said to expect no further
headaches from that quarter after the
new conference at which Mr.. Roosevelt
may be able to throw his weight in favor
Of the previous agreement between the
two Russian and British leaders
So far as the Soviet aims in Europe
are concerned there is no question about
Russia's holding the whip hand. The
Red armies have been rolling along
rapidly while our own forces have been
stymied before the Siegfried Line. We
have been gaining 2 and some times
really favorable. The Russians have
been advancing at pace of about is
to 20 miles day. The fact that we
have to fight for every inch of ground
we take from Field Marshal Won Rund-
stedt while the Russians are moving
ahead without even having to repair
bridges which have been left intact by
have little influence on the conferees.
The blunt fact is that the Russians
are advancing at an unprecedented pace
while we are just crawling. The suspi-
cions of many military men that the
Russians have been clever enough to
bring about deal between the Moscow
sponsored Free Germany Committee and
the German generals at the front makes
no difference at all in the situation.
Russia need not enter into any give-and-
take agreement unless Premier Stain
feels in magnanimous mood.
Border States to Be Satellites.
But so far as the border states and
Central and Southeastern Europe are
concerned, they are bound to become
satellites" regardless of whether Mr..
Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill
like it. Despite the opposition of WASH
ington and London to the Polish pro-
visional government there is no longer
any doubt that at the end of the big
three conference Moscow created gov
ernment-possibly enlarged to give it
a more respectable status-will be recog-
nized by the United States and Great
Britain. Mr. Roosevelt is fully aware
that of the II members forming the
present provisional government 10 are
Communists and several, including the
President, are said not even to be Polish
citizens.
The few American observers who are
in Yugoslavia have reported to their
superiors in Washington about the
peculiar way in which elections are being
conducted in that country. The popu-
lation of village is summoned for elec-
ton in the church courtyard. A de-
tachment of special police" armed with
tommyguns is present to see that every
thing is conducted in an orderly manner.
A candidate for office is presented to the
assembled multitude by one OF Tito's
officials. The question is asked whether
any one has any objection to the cam
didate. The crowd looks at the stern
faces of the policemen, who keep their
fingers on the trigger. and confirm the
selection.
These are not isolated incidents. They
are occurring in every town and village
where the city heads are elected And
there seems to be no doubt that national
elections will follow the same pattern
when the situation is sufficiently estab-
lished to put into effect the third para
graph of the Atlantic Charter which
reads: They (the signatories) respect
the right of all people to choose the
form of government under which they
will live" This same method can be
adopted for plebiscites in the event it is
found necessary that the second para
graph of the Atlantic Charter should be
applied. The second paragraph reads:
They (the signatories) desire no ter
ritorial changes that do not accord with
the freely expressed wishes of the peo-
Piles concerned"
Influence Over Stain Doubted.
Only wishful thinkers and irrepressible
either Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr.. Churchill
can influence in any way the decisions
reached by Premier Stain regarding the
future political and geographical shape
of Europe
There is m doubt that some sort Of
an international agreement to prevent
future wars by police force will result
from the conference. Because we are
still at war the principal feature of~that
agreement-to prevent another aggres.
sion from Germany and Japan-will be
accepted by most people in this country
as real solution to the problem.
The thought that thoroughly de-
feated and devastated Germany stripped
of most of its richest agricultural and
industrial territories will not be able to
lift it's head again for at least SO years
and probably longer will not enter into
the calculations of those who pass on
the new treaty which will be presented
to us. Neither will the historical fact
that those European nations which reach
the height of power usually wish to
extend themselves further.
The big three will present the world
with number of documents and agree
ments which, according to their own
lights and interests, will form the pat.
tern for the order in Europe for years
to come. And they will have to be
accepted by the other countries regard
less Of whether they like them or not.
Czechs to Fight