Evening star., 1949-11-12
Menace 10 StaIinism
In Communist Ranks
Seen in Push West
Ideo Of National EquoIit,
Seen Certain to Snog
Russian Imperialism
By Dorothy Thompson

By Dorothy Thompson
This column prophesied shortly
after the end of the war (some-
times we like to recall rare evil
dences of percipience) that as
communism extended itself, and
particularly into the Western
World, it would encounter a great
danger of heresy. What Stain
has to fear" we wrote, 'is less
bourgeois capitalism than Trots-
kyism."
Now, why was that fairly
obvious? At the time Marshal
Tito appeared docile. and if there
was anything else on his mind
he hadn't communicated it to this
columnist.
It seemed obvious because ideas,
nations, cultures. and traditions
are facts-and nobody can long
govern who disregards them
When he Is dealing with his own
country Stain realizes this. Rus
sian communism is thoroughly
Russian. 1t is also vehemently
nationalist. It fought the war
not in the name of communism
but of patriotism. There the
gloriflcation of everything Rus
sian goes far beyond Communist
history. Stain. capitalizing on
the national pride, even presents
Ivan the Terrible as an early
Bolshevist!
Master People Theory.
The Russian press indulges in
perpetual polemics against "bour-
geois cosmopolitanism." In this
campaign it denies every non-Rus-
sian achievement. in art. science,
technology. and philosophy. either
declaring them false. or claiming
that Russians predated them,
building up. If not q master-race
theory, then certainly q master
people theory.
In addition, there Is Stains
great power obsession. Edward
r. Stettinius, In Roosevelt and
the Russians" reveals Stalin's con-
tempt for small countries. He took
it for granted that the great pow
ers should divide the world into
. spheres OF influence, In which
power was identical with domi-
nation. That there could be any
conceivable equality Of right be-
tween a great power and small
state never entered his cosmos
Now, all this must create q
dilemma between Russia and other
Communist states. The theory
that there can be Just one Com
munist state privileged to fit its
communism to its own traditions
and equate it with its own national
culture has nothing to do with
Marx or Lenin. 1t is Stalinism-
and it is the essence of imperial
ism. Even inside Russia it has
given Stain trouble with that
Soviet republic which has the
deepest sense OF history and ma
tionality-the Ukraine. It was not
mere Nazi propaganda that masses
of Ukrainians welcomed the Ger
man armies. calling for an in
dependent republic. It was Nazi
brutality and stupidity-and the
contradiction Of this desire with
Hitler's aims-which made it i'm
possible for. the Germans to ex-
plot this rebellion.
Deepest Idea in Europe.
The deepest idea in the Euro
pean mind is the idea of national
freedom and equality. and of the
distinctions between cultures.
This idea broke up the multi
national Austro- Hungarian EN-
pire. in which Marshal Tito, re-
bellious Slav, was born and
brought up. It almost broke up
the Yugoslav state by the rebellion
of the non-Serbian provinces
against their inequality of status
with the Serhs-and Tito is a
Croatian. II all Europe were
Communist it would as surely
eventually break up that world.
A Swede, q Dane. or Swiss does
not feel inferior to anybody be-
cause his country is small and
militarily weak. And it was the
Third Reich's insistence on in
equality Of status between nations
which furnished the most power
full interest to the anti-German
resistance.
Therefore, the farther COM
munism extends into the West, the
more certain will be the menace
to Stalinism, from within Com
munist ranks.
The Stalinist equation Of COM
munisn with Russian national
interests also removes all validity
from the claim that a Stalinist
world promises peace-except a
peace based. on perpetual sub
lection to one privileged nation.
There would not be peace between
Yugoslavia and Russia for "A
hours il Stain did not fear a
general war before he is ready
for one.
Peace between nations can only
be based on justice. which means
equality Of rights. regardless of
equality Of power; on freedom of
cultures; and on a workable sys-.
tenn Of collective security. Every
attempt to make one universal un-
differentiated system must result
In war, because only by conquest
could anything so unnatural be
achieved.
Catholics Open PorIey