Evening star., 1949-03-06

SOlo w OIL
It confirms the belief of many
preparing for any eventuality IT S!
of dominating the West by means
of the cold war.
In days gone by there were GER
tain very definite patterns which
pointed to forthcoming aggres-
sion. One was an intensiflcation
of espionage. The other was con-
centrations of troops. Espionage
necessarily preceded troop con-
centrations by many months.
The strategic planning OF an
aggression now has changed be-
cause espionage must cover many
more elements than formerly. 1t
used to be that the only vital in
formation for the general stats
was the number of men available
for mobilization, their training
and the number of weapons avail
able.
Strategic Plan Changes
Today the entire economic, So
cial and industrial life of a ma
tion is of vital interest to both the
aggressor and the victim. The
aggressor's activities are not con-
fined to determining how many
bullets a new machine gun car
fire, or how much the range and
fire power of artillery has been
increased. Besides espionage
they include industrial sabotage
through tools in labor unions, par
ticularly those in transportation
and communication.
The first real indication that
World War I was in the oftlng
came with the arrest of some
high ranking Russian generals in
Berlin. These men, members OF
the Russian nobility, were caught
gathering information about the
German Army's mobilization
plans. They were arrested quiet
lily. The Russian authorities ar
rested some Germans in st.
Petersburg-also without fanfare.
The matter was settled by a po-
lite exchange of spies.
The meaning of these opera
tions escaped the general public
but to those in the know they
were considered as sure indica-
tions that something was brewing
between the two neighboring en-
pires.
Similar conditions prevailed in
Europe between 1886 and the out
break of World War II. We who
escaped the espionage wave in the
preliminary stages of World Wal
were blessed with japanese spy
cases in the years which preceded
Pearl Harbor. Some cases re-
ceived public attention, as did the
arrest of japanese student-ofi.
GERS on the West Coast and the
case of a former American nava,
officer. Others. were handled
quietly But these were omens
which our Army and Navy were
able to interpret correctly. If the
necessary precautions were not
taken, the responsibility does not
rest entirely with the representa-
tives of the armed forces.
Everything Wide Open
Since the U. S. S. R. became as
sociated with the Western nations
in World War II her agents began
to work assiduously not only ir
the enemy and neutral countries
but also in the countries which
saved her from Nazi aggression.
Because the Western nations
did not doubt her good faith
everything was wide open to hel
numerous military and technica
missions in this country and ir
Britain. The Communist theology
found a number of followers
among native Americans, Britons
and Canadians. These persons
men and women - became the
helpers of the Moscow intelligence
services. They were able to op-
crate during the war with i'm
punity. because the Western gov
ernments refused to believe that
the Politburo was nourishing in
tentions against them. When
trained intelligence officers in
Washington pointed out reserved
ly to their superiors that certain
Soviet activities were highly
suspicious, they were subjected to
reprimand-or worse. In some
cases they were broken.
It was only after Igor Gouzenko
deserted from his job in the Rus
sian Embassy in Canada. and dis
closed the widely spread espionage
activities of his superiors. that the
public began to grow aware that
something was wrong and the
Russians came to be looked on
with more suspicion than formerly
While we had opened to them
practically every military and in
dustrial secret we possessed
sometimes by directives from ci-
william departments and often over
the objections of the military
the Moscow government refused
to permit our military representa-
tives to follow their operations
against the Nazis and were al
lowed to visit none of the new in
dustrial establishments which
were being built. partly with lend
lease equipment, on both sides OF
the Urals.
Spies Busy in France
Our government suppressed
until long after the war the fact
that two B-29 bombers which
landed in supposedly friendly ST.
IBERIA were confscated by the So
Wet government and served as the
prototype of the present long
range Soviet bomberS.
In the last 18 months We-Wlth
the British and Canadians-have
locked the stable doors. But not,
some say, before most OF the