Evening star., 1946-09-08

slavia. In all these countries. where
the Russians were received two years
ago as liberators, there is a feeling OF
despair among the natives.
Men and women have taken to the
mountains and the marshes and have
organized themselves into bands called
Chetniks, Hajducks, Comitadjis and
many other names recalling the re-
sistance movements of the old days All
these people have been under the yoke
of the Turks, the Germans, the Aus
trians and the Russians for several
centuries.
Although the methods of oppression
OF the U, S, S. R. are far more effective
than those OF the sultans, the cars
or the emperors Of the last centuries,
the people in Eastern Europe and the
Balkans are attempting to cope with
the new regimes as best they can. For
the time being they are opposing their
masters by passive resistance But
should the Soviet armies become en-
| gagged IN another real war, there is no
| question that millions of men and
women would become active and harass
the Red Armys lines of communica-
ton. At the present they are poorly
| armed with only a few machine guns
/ and rifles and small amount of home
! made ammunition
In the event OF Russian aggression
| against the western world, they could
be provided with the most up-to-date
equipment, just as the Maquis and other
domestic secret armies" were equipped
in the days when the Germans were
conquerors.
| The United States and Great Britain
would require at least nine months be-
fore they could reorganize their de-
modified forces, and particularly the
aviation, which in the event of a con-
fiict with the U. S. S. R. would play the
most important role. But from that time
| on RuSsia'S chances of winning the
struggle would become simmer and
simmer
Those American officials who are
studying the Russian strategy at close
quarters believe that the Moscow war
planners are relying on the ability of
| ommunist-controlled union leaders to
paralyze the American war effort They
are said to believe that in the event
of an attempt of the United States to
reply to force by force, the transport
and communications unions would de-
clare a strike which would block all
military efforts of this country for a
long time.
POlitbureau Is Misled.
The true fact that the American peo-
pie don't want to hear any more about
the war and have shown a greater
eagerness than any of the other war;
weary countries to dismantle the Ma
tion's military strength is being exag-
gerated, according to available reports
in Moscow. The Politbureau listens with
eagerneSs to the thousands of reports
received from the intelligence services
in the United States.
The employees of the Soviet intelli-
| gence are describing the situation in
America as it appears to them on the
| surface. They transmit to headquarters
reports about what the so-called liberal
press" the liberal radio commentators
and the liberal politicians are saying.
They inform Moscow about the growing
feeling, intensified by a good propa-
ganda among the people of this country,
that Britain once more wants us to
pull her chestnuts out of the fire.
They report that the overwhelming
masses of American citizens are more
interested in price regulations, the COM
ing elections for Congress and the do
mestic difficulties due to slow recon-
version rather than in Turkey the
future of Europe and China.
They are known to have elaborated
on the vociferous demands of the Ameri-
can liberal groups to withdraw all
American forces from China and even
tually the Far East in order to avoid
trouble. These intelligence agents tell
their principals that the American peo-
pie are looking for theoretical peace
and are willing to let things drift, pro-
vided the United Nations resembles, il
only vaguely, the organization it was
intended to be, and fundamentally nine
tenths of the Americans don't care a
rap what is happening in the outside
world.
Eyes on Transport Unions
The agents call this "neo-isolation-
ism an ''isolationism" in which they
describe America as remaining on the
world stage and providing the world with
all kinds OF supplies, but being reluctant
to do anything drastic against a deter
mined aggressive policy. To this "laissez
talre" of the American people must be
added the activities of the leaders of
the sensitive unions" many of whom
have definite ties with the u. S. S. r.
The Communist party in the United
States has been assigned definite and
important role, particularly in connec-
ton with the situation in the transport
and communications systems
wave of strikes is reported to be in
preparation for this fall How impor-
tant the sensitive unions are is evi-
denced from circular OF the executive
committee which says: IAN intensive
campaign must be undertaken to propa-
gandize soldiers to cause them to re-
fuse to obey any orders they may re-
ceive to intervene in any of the expected
. strikes or disorders incident to such
strikes. Particular emphasis must be
laid on propaganda to cause soldiers
to refuse actually to operate facilities
that are strike-bound such as transport
and communications
The Russians are relying strongly on
fifth column in this country, which is
about AS we'll oroanjzed and efficiept &C