The Growing Shadow Of Russia

IN this column, two months ago, while most newspapers were dis playing sensational stories about the “western front”, we said that Euro pean civilisation was threatened with a far worse thing than the Hitler War —namely, the westward march of Russia; that Finland was likely to be over-run; that Italy was desperately uneasy over the Russian threat to the Balkans; and that every resource of statesmanship should be used to line up Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, to resist the most sinister force that ever has tried to deprive white men of their liberty and their individual decencies.

Note what has happened since then.

Russia has invaded and is over running Finland; Russian armies are massing near the Balkans, and the threat to Roumania is clear; Italy and Turkey—old potential enemies— are both getting ready to resist the Russian advance by force, if neces sary; and, in Asia, Russia and Japan are discussing a non-aggression pact —the idea evidently being that Stalin should have no Far East complications, if he should decide to attack the British Empire (India, etc.) through Afghanistan, Persia and Asia Minor.

The foreign policy of Soviet Russia is dominated to-day—as for years past—by eagerness to destroy the British and French Empires, always

regarded by the Reds as the back bone of the capitalist system. The Soviet played with the British and French would-be treaty-makers in March-June, 1939, just as it played with Nazi Germany in July-September. when it made the Russo-German Pact and partitioned Poland. This Hitler War is Stalin’s great opportunity—he is hastening to extend his grip over northern and south-eastern Europe, while the Powers yet are too em barrassed to resist him. Where will it end?

The answer lies in Berlin. Germany must either make peace with the Allies and use her mighty armies to drive back the Reds (which she easily can do, and in which probably she would be aided by other countries); or else, sacrificing all her future to her present hates, she must enter a military alliance with Russia against Britain and France.

At the moment, Hitler is trying a middle course—leaving Russia to her own devices, in the hope that she will clash presently with the Allies, and thus give him a chance for a smash ing blow at Britain. But it will not work. Germany Ts fai; more deeply concerned with Russia’s present activities than are the other Powers.

Inevitably, sooner or later, Germany will fight Russia.

The real problem is Germany’s

gangster Government, created and directed by Hitler. While this coterie of crooks and adventurers controls Germany, Britain and France will not negotiate. Having so often been deceived, they dare not again take the word of men who. having sworn they would respect the independence of Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland, seized and looted and dis membered those countries. Let the Nazi gang be removed from Berlin, and responsible government sub stituted, and the Hitler War will be over in a week. Let no one imagine that that would mean the end of war conditions, however. The Western nations certainly would stand to arms while (1) their various outstanding differences, including the “colonial problem”, were settled, and (2) the Russian situation was liquidated. That might be a matter of a year or two.

But the Nazi gang appears to be very firmly seated in Berlin, and the Allies are wise in preparing for a long war. While Hitler rules, there is no other answer.

PACIFIC residents, trying to find an explanation of the fragmentary news which comes to them daily through their radio sets, should study all items that relate to Russia. There lies the key to the immediate future.

The plan of the Allies is to force governmental reform upon Germany through economic pressure. The Nazi gangsters are dug in, and will not go;

and a comparatively bloodless struggle thus might continue for years. But the Russian situation is forcing rapid developments.

Hitler, very soon, must go with or against Russia. The general belief is that he will make a military alliance with Russia—he knows that the Allies will not deal with him, any way—and that Russia and Germany, jointly, will march upon the Balkans countries and Turkey. It will be his final, desperate throw. It will mean a general dog-fight in the Mediter ranean, with much cruel and horrible fighting, and it almost certainly will end disastrously for Germany. . . .

But Hitler is an incalculable vision ary, and none can say what he will do. If he can see the real meaning of the Russian situation, it always is possible that he may say that his work for the rehabilitation of Ger many is finished, and that he may efface himself, and so make way for the formation of a Government that, nominally at least, would be non- Nazi, and able to negotiate with the Allies.