Evening star., 1946-03-06

ing wings of science, and what
might now shower immeasurable
material blessings upon mankind,
may even bring about it's total de-
struction. Beware, I say; time may
be short. Do not let us take the
course of letting events drift along
till it is too late. If there is to be a
fraternal association of the kind l
have described, with all the extra
strength and security which both
our countries can derive from it,
let us make sure that that great
fact is known to the world, and
that it plays its part in steadying
and stabilizing the foundations of
peace. Prevention is better than
cure.
A shadow has fallen upon the
scenes so lately lighted by the
Allied victory. Nobody knows what
Soviet Russia and its Communist
International organization intends
to do in the immediate future, or
what are the limits If any to their
expansive and proselytizing tenden-
cles. have a strong admiration
and regard for the valiant Russian
people and for my wartime COM
rade, Marshal Stain. There is SYM
pathy and good will in Britain-and
l doubt not here also-toward the
peoples of all the Russias and a
resolve to persevere through many
differences and rebuffs in estab-
fishing lasting friendships.
We understand the Russian need
to be secure on her western from
tiers from all renewal of German
aggression. We welcome her to her
rightful place among the leading
nations of the world. Above all, we
welcome constant, frequent and
growing contacts between the Rus
sian people and our own people on
both sides of the Atlantic. It Is nv
duty, however, to place before YOU
certain facts about the present
position in EUROPE am sure l do
not wish to, but 1t is my duty, I
feel, to present them to you.
Iron Curtain Descends.
From Stettin in the Baltic to
Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron cur
tain has descended across the con-
tinent. Behind that line lie all the
capitals of the ancient states of
Central and Eastern Europe. War
saw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Buda-
pest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia
all these famous cities and the pop-
.ulations around them lie in the
Soviet sphere and all are subject
in one form or another, not only to
Soviet influence but to a very high
and increasing measure to control
from Moscow.
Athens alone, with its immortal
glor1es. is free to decide its future
at an election under British, Ameri-
can and French observation. The
Russian dominated Polish govern
ment has been encouraged to make
enormous and wrongful inroads
upon Germany, and mass expul-
sions of millions of Germans on a
scale grievous and undreamed-of
are now taking place. The Com
munist parties, which were very
small in all these eastern states of
Europe, have been raised to pre-
eminence and power far beyond
their numbers and are seeking
everywhere to obtain totalitarian
control. Police governments are
prevailing in nearly every case, and
SO far, except in Czechoslovakia.
there Is no true democracy.
Turkey and Persia are both pro-
foundly alarmed and disturbed at
the claims which are made upon
them and at the pressure being ex-
erted by the Moscow government
An attempt is being made by the
Russians in Berlin to build up a
quasi-Communist party in their
zone OF occupied Germany by show
Ing special favors to groups of left
wing German leaders. At the end
OF the fighting last June, the Amer
lean and British armies withdrew
westward, in accordance with an
earlier agreement, to a depth at
some points $50 miles on front of
nearly 400 miles to allow the Rus
slams to occupy this vast expanse
OF territory which the western
democracies had conquered.
Dangers Outlined.
IT now the Soviet government
tries, by separate action, to build
up pro-Communist Germany in