The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-20

Cause of Russian
Refusal to Leave
Iran Confused
BY ]. C. oEsTREICHER

BY ]. C. oEsTREICHER
WHY does Soviet Russia refuse
10 withdraw her troops from the
sovereign state OF Iranl
All the debate OF the last few
days. charges flung by statesmen
and commentators. screaming head
lines and the two speeches that
Winston Churchill turned his "last
testament" in behalf Of peace.
center around this one fundament'
al issue.
There no longer is any doubt
that Russia, for reasons best known
10 herself, has chosen TO court
international denunciation by fall
ing to live up 10 a treaty promise
tha. Iran would be ayacuated by
March ..
This in turn makes ii perfectly
excusable, even inevitable, for the
entire civilized world to seek the
answer.
The first and simplest, II super
fetal. explanation would be that
Joseph Stain has embarked upon a
career Of aggression and conquest,
but the highest single figure yet
mentioned concerning actual
strength OF Russian troops in Iran,
is an estimate OF fourteen tanks
and a half dozen planes at one
wayside depot.
.
fensive action staged by Nazi Ger
many in December, 1914, when
Field Marshal Karl Gerd Won Rund-
stedt attacked through the Arden
mes In a fruitless drive for Liege
and Antwerp. He assembled five
thousand tanks before he tried It.
A second explanation might be
that Stain simply has embarked
upon a war OF nerves with the OBJ
ject OF making better international
deals.
Thirdly, the Russians may be
staying in Iran out OF sheer pique
because they feel. rightly or wrong
ly, that Britain and other nations
have not lived up completely to
share OF bargains either.
This seems a strange way OF pro-
noting peace. But in the final
analysis the Russians are Orien-
tails, and Orientals are inscrutable.
II is an inherent Russian charac-
teristic to answer one question by
asking another There will have
to be some good ones pretty soon
IL the Russian attitude isn't modi-
fled.
Trans case against Soviet Rus
sia, II presented to the forthcom-
ing United Nations security meet
ing in New York as constituting
a threat to world peace" will be
far more serious than the Iranian
issue as given to the UNo council
meeting in London and may prove
the first great test OF UNO's au-
thority.
Washington officials have gen
orally endorsed the speech OF for
mer Prime Minister Winston
Churchill in New York IN which he
described the case Of Iran as one
for which UNo was especially
devised"
The late President Roosevelt
proposed at Yalta to give Russia
access to the Indian Ocean through
an internationalized port city. The
proposal pleased Premier Stain,
but Il evoked little enthusiasm
from Churchill.
II the State Department fails to
discharge employees with "pro-So-
Wet leanings," members of the
House military affairs subcommit-
tee may get down to names and
details, bringing the entire matter
out into the open. Well why mott
Rep. McGregor (R) Ohio, prom.
ises 10 air the Pan-American high.
way construction cost. A congress
sional committee seems to agree
with earlier reports that "a lot OF
money was foolishly spent"
McGregor. a road contractor and
member OF the investigation CON-
mittee, says It Is impossible to
estimate how much OF the thirty
three million dollars already spent
on the Central American highway
was wasted.
The CI0 executive board, direct.
ing its Political Action Committee
to intensity its drive for the selec-
tion OF good candidates" in forth
coming elections. will have a huge
campaign fund IL the PAC follows
the suggestion for registration Of
all workers and a one dollar con-
tribution by each.