Evening star., 1946-05-05

educated Communists, Is at It's peak
and it would be surprising If at the
forthcoming elections France did not
elect an overwhelming number of Com
munists for its new Parliament.
Britain feels alone, facing a country
which has coveted parts of her vast
empire for nearly century. Her in
terest in Europe is waning and her
political men are said to be prepared to
make whatever deals may be considered
necessary at the expense Of Europe,
provided she can ward off the Russian
menace. Britain's political leaders in
1888 sacrificed Czechoslovakia to ap-
pease Hitlers growing lust for power.
The situation is worse now. The forces
which she may have mobilized then to
stop the Nazis have vanished in thin
air. She will be willing to reach any
the Mediterranean-the life line to the
empire-is not disturbed.
U. S. Tries to Help.
The people of Britain, accustomed for
centuries to freedom and to living un-
der a constitutional monarchy, deplore
the deterioration of liberalism in Eu-
rope but feel they can do nothing to
help the situation. 1t is a matter of
the shirt being closest to the skin. and
if they have to choose between the
maintenance of the empire and letting
the continental nations of Europe fol-
low their inexorable fate they will Ger
tainly choose the empire.
America, mixture of all European
races which have sought refuge because
they found greater liberty and oppor-
tunity here, is alone attempting to do
it's best for that moribund continent.
With what success no one can yet say.
In order to defeat Hitler we waged
war to the limit in Europe. And this
is being exploited by the pro-Soviet
propagandists in Europe for all it's
worth. They point to many ancient
monuments our air force has destroyed
in areas packed with history. They
point to the sixth century Monte Cas-
sino Monastery, which was destroyed
during the Rapido campaign as an in
dication of Americas ruthlessness. They
are propagandizing the emotional
Frenchman with stories of the destruc-
ton wrought in France in the early
days of the invasion and have con-
vinced the average Frenchman that
whatever he receives from the United
States is an insufficient payment of
Americas destructive policies, while the
gifts received from Russia represent
only the intense love of Moscow for the
French.
The American campaign is in
full swing. The sacrifices made by the
American people in the. shape of
UNRRA assistance-most of the food
and other necessities are of American
originate being minimized while the
"indiscretions" of the GIs are being
exaggerated and exploited.
Small Nations Sold Out.
At the end of the First World War
an American passport was highly re-
spected. To most of the people of Eu-
rope, particularly in the eastern and
southeastern areas, America was a
mythical country from which rich and
kind-hearted visitors came to relieve
the suferings of the Others Today
an American passport is generally good
for a few hard kicks. Americans are
highly unwelcome. The anti-Ameri-
can propaganda work has been excel
lent. We are called the selfish capi-
talists who care only about filling our
pockets at the expense of the starv-
ing Europeans.
The past policies of the Administra-
ton are partly responsible for this sit
uation. We went into the war to de-
stroy totalitarianism and establish the
right of all nations, regardless of SIZE
to lead a free and independent life
Then, because the Soviet threatened to
give up the battle against Hitler and
we were deeply concerned over what
might happen in the Pacific if the war
in Europe was prolonged, our leaders
began to compromise with our princi-
Piles. The result has been that we have
sold down the river all the nations who
had fought because they wanted to re-
main free.
We sold out Poland over whose in
dependence the war started. We sold
out the freedom of the Yugoslav people
although they went to war against
Germany because they accepted our
assurances that once more they would
become free and independent
In the frantic desire not to offend
the U. S. S. r. which characterized our
diplomatic actions until last February
we even abandoned the careful distribu-
ton of the UNRRA supplies to the
totalitarian governments which used
them as political weapon against their
own citizens. This was done in spite
of the clear provisions of Congress,
which demanded that no racial or
political prejudice should be involved in
the distribution of food to the hungry.
The first World War damaged Europe
severely. But there was a chance for
recovery. The second World War has
completed the destruction, which started
in 1914, and has brought about a stu
alton which only miracle can remedy.
Only America seems to want to piece
together the broken antique vase which
was Europe. And the American crafts
men so far have shown themselves to
be clumsy and unimaginative in spite
of their willingness to do their best.
RusSia's eo-communism, the greatest
political conspiracy ever established in
the world, follows its own selfish aims
without regard to the welfare of the
people it has subjugated. Britain, which