Evening star., 1946-02-17


situation, the dramatic conflict between
the British and Russian empires is obvi-
Gus even to those who are still trying to
hide their heads in the sand
The tired and exhausted British lion
alone against the Russian bear, which.
after having hibernated for about %
years, is emerging with greater hugging
power than ever before.
The political leaders in London do
not want to admit it yet. but they are
fully aware that the empire is in danger.
For the first time in 1000 years, British
supremacy in the Mediterranean is being
challenged by Russia, a new power with
immense resources of manpower and raw
materials.
1t is an open secret that the Soviet
leaders intend to peg their claims on
several strategic points in the Eastern
Mediterranean from Tripolitania to Ital-
ian Eritrea, in the Dodecanese Islands,
and eventually in Greece. The fact
that at this time there is a government
in Athens supported by British forces
means little. The British will eventually
be compelled to withdraw their 10000
men and even If the forthcoming elec-
tions result in victory for the present
Athens government, the Fam party,
which is looking to Russia for support,
will come to power in the end
Elections in Spring.
All Greece's neighbors, Albania, Bull
garia, Yugoslavia and the newly created
but yet unrecognized Macedonian re-
public, are Moscow's puppets BY meth
ods which are now we'll known, the Rus
slams will begin to infiltrate into Greece
with the view to establishing demo-
cratic" government on their own pattern.
Britain, which has already been chal-
lenged by the u S. S. R. for having
troops in Greece in keeping with inter-
national agreements approved by Pre-
mier Stain himself, will certainly be
unable to intervene militarily once her
forces have been withdrawn after the
elections. These elections are scheduled
this spring.
In the Middle East the British are by
way of losing Iran, the most important
link with the empire. So long as Iran
was political no mans land because
neither Russia nor Britain dared de-
prive the country of her independence,
the British link with the empire re-
manned intact.
The decision of the UNO to let Moscow
and Teheran settle their dispute pro-
voked by the Russian -instigated Azer-
baijanese autonomous movement has
doomed Trans independence. A govern
ment friendly" to Moscow was estab-
lished in Teheran and most observers
on the spot predict that before the year
is over, that Middle Eastern kingdom
will be as much in Moscows pocket
as are the governments of Warsaw,
Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade.
Reds Accepted Charter.
This deep penetration of the U. S.
S. r. in territories which heretofore
have been independent and sovereign
has been greatly assisted by the lacka-
daisical policies of Washington and Lon
don which have knowingly Endorsed
illegal arrangements reached in secret
among the Big Three.
1t is well known in law that a claim
need not be given up because it is not
possible or advisable to press it at a
given time
Soon after Russia was compelled in
self-defense to come into the Allied
camp, the United States and Britain
issued clear-cut plan containing their
postwar aims. The aims were included
in the Atlantic Charter and were as fair
to all nations-big and small-as any
document drafted by humans can be.
This document was hailed as the Charter
for the future peace of the world and
was indorsed without any "ifs and buts'
by all members of the United Nations.
At the time the document was signed
in Washington on January l, 1912, the
Russians were so hard pressed by the
Nazis and victory seemed to hang 50
much in the balance that they made no
reservations whatsoever.
But when the Germans began to bog
down in Russia, the Moscow government
considered the Charter as "unrealistic. u
1t did not satisfy the plans of the leaders
in the Kremlin, who have embraced the
capitalistic idea of the last century that
wars must be waged for profit.
Yield to Russia Since 1943,
The meetings of the Big Three or their
representatives since July, 1943, have
resulted in the western powers yielding
to Russias pressure of remapping the
Old World in favor of the U. S. S..
AS yet we do not know all the details
OF the Teheran Conference, where Pres
ident Roosevelt met Premier Stain for
the first time. But we know enough
from the "leaks"-modest as they were
that America and Britain gave up most
OF the principles which had caused them
to become involved in the war.
In private conversations, the American
policy trainers admitted that the way
we were handling the fate of the nations
in Central and Eastern Europe did not
correspond to our original ideas when
we started the crusade against the Axis
totalitarian imperialism. But they said,
What can we do, fight Russia?"
When it was suggested that this was
not necessary and that they had only
to adopt a policy compatible with the
dignity and tradition of this country,
and not recognize situation brought
about by force, they shrugged their
shoulders and bemoaned that I'VE have
made commitments which we cannot
disavow without seriously damaging the
structure of the UNO which alone can
preserve us from another worldwide
catastrophe"
Soon after his succession to the White