Evening star., 1946-08-18
World Tension of Today
Compared to That of 1889
Soviet Government Applying Philosophy of Power
To Its Conduct in Shaping Postwar Peace;
Britain and L. S. Due to Sthen
By Constantine Brown

Trained military and political OBJ
servers compare the present interna-
tional situation with the crisis which
existed in July and August, 1889
The Axis, which was responsible for
the present sad plight of the world, has
been annihilated Yet the lessons of the
six years of war do not appear to have
made a sufficient impression on the
Soviet government. which in the name
of security" is following policy of
power politics. Security" is needed for
the Russian leaders, but not for their
people, who today are less menaced by
outside forces than any other people
in the world.
The obstruction of the Paris Peace
veto power in the United Nations when
ever Russias expansionist ambitions
appear to be interfered with by the
other powers, are only part of the
dangerous game the Soviets sare play
ing. America and Britain, the remain
ing great democratic powers, have
shown themselves most willing to ap-
pease the Soviets, but this has not
brought about the conditions our lead
ers had looked for.
Charter Overlooked.
We have been willing to overlook the
Atlantic Charter, which contained all
the needed provisions for a just and
lasting peace, in the hope that by sacri-
ficing some of the smaller nations to
Russian influence we could spare the
people of the world the further horrors
of modern warfare.
That the American British appease-
ment policies would not pay dividends
in the end became obvious to the State
Department and the Foreign Office a
few months ago. But Secretary of State
Byrnes and Foreign Secretary Bevin,
acting with the full support of their
governments, did try to bring aboutsat
least temporary condition of peace By
insisting that treaties be concluded with
the satellite countries and Italy
The Rus slams never have been enam-
CURED OF the idea of an early peace.
The longer they have legal right to
remain in the occupied areas, the bet
ter they can put their plans into effect
At this time, the governments of the
satellites, together with those of lib
Grated" Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania and
Czechoslovakia, are all handpicked by
Moscow. But the masses in these
countries are hankering for the free
dom that had. been promised them in
the Atlantic Charter And while they
do not have the means to stage large
scale uprisings, they are organizing
themselves into bands which live in the
fastness OF the mountains, in marshes
and in the woods, and are waging lin
tied guerrilla fights. Their motto, in
scribed on their armbands, is Liberty
or death.
The Soviet government and its pup
pets realize that the premature with
drawal of the Red Army would make it
difficult for the present native rulers to
maintain themselves in power There
are disgruntled elements ready to
change sides even in the secret police
forces built up with considerable care
and patterned after the Soviet NKVD.
The signing of peace treaties, even if
they contained much of what Russia
officially asked for, is likely to inter-
fere with Moscow's plans. Hence, the
tactics adopted IN Paris by Foreign
Minister Molotov and his deputy, A. Y.
Vlshinsky. OF course, neither of these
men has as much of free hand as the
representatives of the western powers.
They are controlled by the Politbureau
in Moscow. An appraisal of Russias
aims by the western democracies is i'm
possible because none of their repre-
sentatives ever comes in contact with
the powerful members of that policy
making organization.
Dardanelles Issue.
But it is not difficult to see how the
wind is blowing in the Kremlin when
we take into account the sudden moves
of Russias stronghand diplomacy. A
week ago the question of the Dardanelles
was brought to the fore. 1t was con-
tanned in a note to the Ankara gov
eminent. innocuous in appearance but
laden with dynamite when we consider
that 48 hours before the note was
delivered there had been a conference
of field marshals of the Soviet Union
in Odessa. Moreover. it is known by
the War Department in Washington
and the War Office in London that for
some time there has been an important
concentration of military, naval and air
forces in the Odessa area
The ominous rumblings which Wash
ington and London have been hearing
for the last eight months will result
in a change in the overall policies of
both countries
The British, who have emerged from
the war weaker than they shave been
ever before in their long history, have
already given indications of stiffening
up. The trend in London is to preserve
peace, even at the sacrifice of Britain's
prestige, which has already suffered
considerably. But there is no longer
a question of peace at any prlce-a
method attempted by former Prime