Evening star., 1947-12-07

soil The Russian Army is excellent
when it comes to defending its
own territory against an invader.
Charles XII OF Sweden, Napoleon
and, recently Hitler, were all de-
feated when they tried to subjugate
Russia by invasion.
It is equally true, however, that
the Russians have not been capable
of winning war outside their bor-
ders by themselves. They fought
the Turks several times over a pc
riod of almost 200 years. The only
battles they won were those which
came to them the easy way by brib-
ing the corrupt Turkish pashas.
In the campaign against Napo-
leon the Russians were successful
only when they were boxed in with
other armies. Finally, in the war
against the Japanese in Manchuria
they were hopelessly defeated and
were saved from utter disaster only
by the timely Intervention of Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt. who Of
fered to put an end to that hard
war.
Many Transformations
It is true that the Cars and the
corrupt court camarilla is no longer
in power in Russia. But, in spite Of
Russias change in her form Of gov
ernment. the spirit Of the masses
has not changed substantially since
the advent of bolshevism 80 years
ago.
There have been many outward
transformations. But the many
races which form the U. S. S. r. are
the same and actually feel more
servitude than in the days Of the
Cars stupid, but frequently be-
nevolent, dictatorship. The heart
Of the people who compose the
Russian Empire has not been af-
fected by the transformation Of the
government, and an Illustration Of
it is the fact that the patriotic
propaganda emitted daily by the
lo,,dspeakers in Russia places strong
emphasis on "our beloved leader
Stain"
In the days of the Cars the Rus
sian soldier was asked to fight for
"our beloved Emperor" Nobody
asked the American soldiers In
World War I to fight for President
Wilson or in World War II for Pres
ident Roosevelt. They fought for
America.
Their Army Termed Fragile
In Russia the people are asked to
shed their blood for the individual
who rules the country, This makes
the Russian armed forces, in tech
nlcal language, fragile" They will
give a good account of themselves
so long as they face no great diffi-
culties when they fight on foreign
soil But when they meet real
obstacles outside their own boun-
daries they are likley to disinte-
CRATE rapidly.
Wartime censorship prevented
publication of many cases IN which
entire Soviet armies surrendered.
not like the American forces on
Bataan when there was no other
possibility and orders were given to
cease resistance, but because they
preferred to give up the fight. This
explains the disproportionate num-
ber of Russian prisoners taken by
the Germans from June, l94l, until
their defeat at Stalingrad.
Before the Russians were attacked
by the Nazis the Soviet Army was
regarded as a colossus with clay
feet. This description probably
would have stood If the United
States and Great Britain had not
rushed to put reinforcing steel into
the clay by means Of lend-lease
supplies.
Moscow's easy diplomatic victories
over Washington have given the
polithureau an exaggerated idea OF
Russia's aggressive power. More
than so per cent Of that country's
budget is now concentrated to pre-
paredness for war.
Our appeasement policy dictated
after VI day by firm desire OF
the American people to live in peace
for several genera tions, has been in
terpreted by the is men IN the
kremlin as an example Of rottenness
and weakness in a country which is
still welded to the capitalist
ideology."
Military Men Unworried
The mild responses Of American
officials to the violent attacks BY
Russia and her satellites and Amer
ica's persistent appeals for peace
have convinced the insular minded
Soviet leaders that they can topple
the United States any time they
desire.
While the rehabilitation Of our
armed forces and the weakening OF
our economic structure and war
potential by our acts of charity to
the rest Of the world have placed
us In a precarious military position.
there Is fundamentally little concern
in responsible military quarters over
our ability to defeat the Russians
in the event of a showdown.
Some professional Russian SOL
diers, like Marshal Georgi Zhukov,
are aware that armies must have
something more than sheer numbers
and vast resources behind them.
They are said to have urged more
than year ago that Moscow show
some measure OF moderation in it's
policies and practice some kind Of
cooperation whereby Russia would
lose none Of the enormous gains
she obtained in the last war.
1t appears that these counsels
we're ill-received by the Politbureau.