Evening star., 1947-06-26


A Soviet-created empire In Central Europe,
consisting of 100 million slaves, looms up as
the principal Russian device for curbing the
Truman aid program. The Premier OF Bull
garia, Georgi Din1itrov, former head OF the
Communist international has "let the Red
cat out of the bag" by openly announcing
plans for welding long discussed anti-Greek
Balkan-Danubian federation as the major
step toward assuring Soviet domination of
Europe and the Near East
These Russian plans have proved so threat
ening to the American program of aid that
large numbers of Congressman are warning
that a special session OF Congress may be
necessary this fall to counteract Russian ad-
vances. Congress Is expected to adjourn
around July 81, and unless 1t were called back
into session to consider the extraordinary polit-
tcai crisis in mid Europe 1t would not recon-
vene until January, 1948.
The recent furry OF diplomatic activities, in
volving conferences between leading Red
stooges, like Marshal Tito in Yugoslavia, Prime
Minister Grosa in Albania and others in Bull
garia and Rumania, have forewarned OF the
Red tactics for creating the federation. Com
munist plans have progressed to such stage
that the federation now is being talked of
openly, whereas only few months ago 1t was
discussed In guarded tones.
Under the plans, the federation would be
political, economic and cultural, and would
lie In a solid block from the Baltic to the
Adriatic. principal aim of the plan OBJ,
viously Is to put such pressure upon Greece
as to overturn her representative government
and then bring her into the federation ulti-
mately as Communist puppet state. She
thereupon would lose her area of Macedonia to
1ny,,a - n~{~
state, which would pool the Bulgarian and
Yugoslavian portions Of Macedonia. In addi-
ton. Greece would be required to give up
Thrace to Bulgaria, so as to give the Bull
garians seaport on the Aegean.
The real stakes for which the Russians are
contending, of course, are the outfanking of
the American position in the Near East so as:
To control the Mediterranean; to dominate
the Near Eastern oil fields, which are crucial
in war and peace, and to destroy Greece, the
last outpost of democracy In Western Europe
Out of the total world oil resources OF SO
billion barrels, the Middle East has 26 billion
barrels of reserves, whereas continental United
States has only 81 billion. American demand
for petroleum products is now up Al I$r cent
above 1941, and actually exceeds the total world
consumption before the war. Our oil produc-
ton In 1947 will not equal our consumption.
We, therefore. must import oil or reduce con-
sumption.
These facts underline the vital reality of
which the Soviet Union is well aware: That
Greece alone stands In the way of outdanking
the Anglo American posts In the Near East On
this fact, the future peace and liberty Of the
world may depend. Wholly aside from ques-
tions of hunaanitarianism, from questions of
support of loyal ally and from all other con-
siderations of moral standpoint, it is OBJ
viously the interest Of the United States to
administer the Greek aid program on realis-
tic basis with speed, efficiency and UNDER
standing, supplementing 1t as needs require.
The Truman Doctrine VS.. the Stain Doc
trine free Middle Europe vs.. q Balkan Slave
Federation are the alternatives In the
crisis Of this summer.
soTERIos NICHOLSON