Evening star., 1947-12-28

complete surrender to her aims. The
feeling left among those who lis
tened to Gen. Marshall was that
Stain is even more unbending than
Hitler was in 1888. And that while
war with Russia may not be around
the corner, there can be no doubt
that the great European-Asiatic
republic considers as a must" the
fattening of American opposition
to placing major portions Of Europe
and Asia behind the iron curtain.
Immediate Goals
For the time being the activities
of the Moscow government will be
bent on preventing "at any price
the economic reconstruction OF
Western Europe and the continual
ton of a much larger scale of war
against the national government
of China. Destructive work IN the
areas outside the iron curtain must
continue relentlessly.
For this purpose the U. S. S. r.
is using its large massed forces IN
Europe as threat to the estab-
lished governments in the west IN
support of the strikes and other
civil strife engendered by the Com
munists in France and Italy. In
China the military support to the
Moscow dominated Communist gov
ernment of Mao Tse-tung Is now
more open than ever in the past.
Large consignments of arms and
ammunition are being sent to these
forces. Military instructors and
campaign planners from the Rus
sian general staff are supervising
and directing the Chinese Com
munist armies. Important troop
movements have taken place in
Siberia. The sketchy information
available to the American general
staff about the new battle order
of the Red Army in that area in
dicates that regular Soviet forces
are ready to intervene if the ma
tional governments army should
become unexpectedly more success
full in the struggle against the Com
munists.
Fallacious Thinking
Unless we decide on a new ap-
peasement policy more abject than
that of Britain toward the Reich in
193S-which is highly improbable
the situation in Europe and Asia is
expected to become worse.
The European relief plan is con-
sidered by the American govern
ment as the only palliative to the
Soviet aggressiveness.
There is no question that coun-
tries of Western Europe-and for
that matter the nations behind the
iron Curtain-do not want to be-
come police States. We talk loosely
In this country about countries go
ing communistic" That is a fallacy
Not even the U. S. S. R. has gone
cornmunistic. 1t was compelled by
a handful of individuals supported by
a ruthless army of mercenaries-the
secret police-to accept the domina-
ton of the few over the many. If
an honest plebiscite were held to-
morrow in Russia and her satellites,
it is beyond doubt that the present
regime would be voted out by an
overwhelming majority.
Against the European recovery
program which intends to provide
billions of dollars in the shape OF
raw and manufactured products, the
Russians are opposing the militant
forces of the Communist organiza-
tions in Western Europe and the
eventual intervention of ground
forces supported by some 14,5O0
planes which are at the disposal of
the Kremlin in the area between
European Russia and the Rhine.
The western nations are willing to
cooperate with us but are aware
that it will take some time before
they can be mllitarily supported by
the United States while the Russian
forces are practically within walking
distance of their borders. The
finsy line held by the American,
British and French troops in Ger
many and Austria could resist the
Rec Army steam roller only few
days.
Zero Hour Approaches
The Communists in France suf-
fered a major defeat. They were
on their own and the people of that
republic demonstrated clearly that
they wanted no parts Of the Com
munist heaven. The same thing
happened during the general strike
in Rome and some portions of
Southern Italy
But the consensus of trained
observers is that Moscow has lost
so far only an insignificant skir-
mish involving only some ad-
vanced guards. The situation in
Italy-the main target of the Krem-
lin leaders because of its proximity
to Yugoslavia where Tito has 100,-
900 men concentrated near the
italian border-contirues to be
serious.
Conditions in Greece are ap-
palling. The royal army over l00,-
900 strong has not been able this
year to curb the guerrillas who are
skirmishing on the borders al
though their number. according to
official estimates of the Greek gen.
era! staff, has never exceeded $4,000
men at one time The fact is, ac-
cording to military observers, that
the Communists who have large
reserve force in Macedonia could
have taken over long ago at least
the northern portion of the coun-
try including the vital port of
Salonika. This was not done, &C
l.