Evening star., 1950-07-01
Soviet Peace Drive
Parallels Methods
Used by Hitler
Moior Prewor Speeches
Never Called for War,
: Always Asked Defense
BY Dorothy Thompson

By Dorothy Thompson
= The Soviet peace" campaign,
launched during recent months,
has been ominous. 1t is so ex-
-traordinarily reminiscent of Hit
ler's. Recently I reread a collec-
.tion of Hitler's major prewar
speeches. There is not one word in
Them calling for war. He assumed
In behalf of Germany an entirely
defensive posture. Surrounded by
"warmongers," Germany alone, he
argued, sought peace by agree
ment. Germany. he said, was sur
sounded by capitalist-imperialist
enemies. who, together with the
Bolshevists, were plotting war
against the German people. 1t
was their aggressive intention to
overthrow the progressive German
revolution and accomplish the
ruin of the German nation, who
wanted only peace and just and
equal rights.
Precisely the same arguments
dominate the Soviet international
= peace" propaganda. Whatever ag-
gressive actions the Soviets take
are presented as wholly defensive,
against international warmon-
gers" If the Soviets resort to
arms, it is only in anticipation of
aggressive plans of others. and in
furtherance of the only program
which will assure permanent
peace-world organization under
a single leadership. This, again.
parallels Hitler's concept of peace
Versus universal subsection.
Other Parallels.
Hitler stepped up his peace
campaign as he stepped up his
war plans. The object was the
moral and psychological disarma-
sment of his victims. Pacifism in
other countries was fostered.
Shortly before the war German
foreign agents were backing the
Oxford oath of non-resistance.
But it was not encouraged in Ger
many.
Again there is a parallel with
the Soviets. Pacifism is prohibited
sin Russia as treasonable to the
endangered state.
= Another parallel: Hitler's ag-
agressions were preceded by with
drawa1 from the League of Ma
stionS. Russia is boycotting the
United Nations until Nationalist
China is unseated. Previously she
boycotted the Korean Republic,
which she successfully has kept
unrepresented at Lake Success,
although the republic was created
by elections under United Nations
supervision, which called for their
extension to all Korea. The U. N.
also supervised the withdrawal of
the American occupation army.
while Russia refused to permit
u. N. supervision of Russian with
draWal
What will happen to the United
Nations if it fails to effect an end
of f1ostilities in Korea is a grave
question. ,s5f aI5 ~ t.-s-.s =
50. 8 Obvious For Months.
Whether the military action
against the Korean Republic is
merely a test Of a weak place. or
is part of a systematic campaign
to complete the subjugation of
East Asia by timetable, is not
clear as this column is written.
Initially. it follows the same pat
tern as the Greek war, where,
having met determined resistance,
the Soviets eventually accepted
defeat. So far the Soviets have
avoided. both in Greece and China,
the direct engagement of their
own, or of external satellite troops,
confining themselves to furnish
ing their partisans in civil war
with arms and military advice
the West countering, then, by the
same measures.
That the Korean situation was
pressing has been obvious for
months. That being so. one WON
.ders why the United States, on
whose primary protection the Ko-
srean Republic depends, has so
neglected to furnish it air pro-
lection.
For, if anything stands out in
the pattern since the war, it is
that weak spots are centers of
greatest danger to peace.
The weakness of American poll
cy in Asia has been an invitation
to war And divided countries
like China, Korea and Germany
have been the perfect setup for
the form of war the Soviets have
designed.
The division of Korea, like the
division of Germany, was the re-
suit of unconditional surrender"
american and Soviet troops ST.
multaneously entered Korea. The
line between the two forces in
Korea then became the line of two
hostile governments, exactly as in
Germany.
The war was not lost from lack
of fortitude. The peace was lost
from lack of foresight.
CReleased by the Bell Syndicate, 1nc.)
I --N'