Evening star., 1947-06-29
By Harold NJ. Groves, Jr.

u. S. S. r. are not Soviet, but Rus
sian.
For 100 years or more, American
Ministers in Moscow have been COM
planning about Russian totalitari-
anism, dilatoriness, censorship, Sc
cret police, suspicion of foreigners,
secrecy about statistics and, what
have you.
AS one authority remarks, it would
be far easier to comprehend the
Russians If they had green hair or
some other physical characteristic
which would make it startlingly ap-
parent that they cannot be gauged
according to standards for Ameri-
can or Western European conduct
2. The U. S. S. r. will not now or
In the imaginable future attempt
military campaigns for the conquest
of territory outside her own borders.
This is not a reflection of Soviet
military and economic weakness, al
though they are considerable. 1t is
simply Moscow's way of doing
things. The U. S. S. R. will con-
quer, if at all, by political rather
than military means.
Revolution Still Aim
3. The aim of the Soviet Union
continues to be world revolution
or, more practically, as much world
revolution as possible.
She will maintain her eXtraterri-
torial Communist parties as inStru-
ments to accomplish political revo-
lutions which will establish govern
ments under her influence.
She thinks of the parties in
France and Italy, for instance, as
having a real chance to take control
of those countries.
4. Despite the great harm to the
U. S. S. RS reputation the ex-
istence of native" Communist Par
ties does in the United States and
Great Britain, the Soviet Union will
continue to use them for their
nuisance value.
On the basis of what happened in
the United States during World War
II, the Soviet doubtless considers
that the American Communist
Party is highly worth while.
S. The immediate Russian aim is
to bring Western Europe and the
United States to terms by holding
the eastern half of the European
continent for ransom.
The Russians conceive the con-
tinent as an animal caught in a
trap. 1t cannot wrench itself free,
they think, without destroying itself
in the process. Eastern Europe has
grain. oil, some coal, and markets
for manufactured products-all of
which Western Europe needs.
The U. S. S. r. believes that the
continent cannot survive in this di-
vided fashion, that Western Europe
and the United States ultimately
will have to say to Moscow, "An
right, we give in. What are your
terms?" The terms would be the
settlement the Soviet wants in Ger
many and Austria.
Depression Would Help
6. In the meantime, the Russians
are in position to attempt the de-
struction of political and economic
order in Western Europe.
The Communist Party, for exam
pie, can blackmail French indus
trialistS by the threat of strikes,
and actually compel contributions to
the party Golfers on that basis. Be-
sides this grip on management, the
party also has. through its control
of labor. a weapon to disrupt wage
and price controls vital to European
economy.
7. The Russian prospects Of VIC
tory In Western Europe would be
greatly enhanced if there were to be
a severe economic slump in the
United States.
g. Against the undoubted ambi-
ton of Russian leaders for the eX-
tension of Soviet influence must be
set the fact that they are not in
transigeantly dedicated to such an
aim. While they will not give it up
entirely. they are prepared to see it
fail.
1t would be a great mistake to-
assume that the Russians are just
like the Nazis. The Germans had a
compulSiye inner drive for conquest.
The Russians certainly are not mo-
tiyated by any such drive, either
as a government Or as a people.
The Russians are under no il
luSionS about the popularity of the
Soviet Union in Eastern Europe
They know that the longer they
stay, the more they will be hated
and the more difficult their position
will become.
g. We should not make the mis-
take Of thinking that in the Soviet
Union we are. confronted with
tremendous ana perhaps insuper-
able power.
Strength Is an Illusion
Russia S strength today, Wis a Wis
the United States, is an optical il
lusion framed by the frailty of
Europe. The U. S. S. r. actually is
far weaker than it has been for
years. The illusion of strength rests
on the fact that the countries bor-
dering on the U. S. S. R., for their
part, are weaker in relation to the
Soviet Union than they have been
before
10. We can induce the Russians
to sign treaties, we can induce them
to retreat, but not by normal meth
DDS of persuasion.
We will not get German treaty,
for example, if We appear to be
theoretically anxious to sign one.