| Show r- r rn I NEWS S. S BEHIND B EH N D THE TH E NEWS 1 1 By Alan Atan n Barth sU Substituting I for Ray Y Tucker Tuel WASHINGTON WASHINGTON-It It was the I timing timing not not the substance substance substance-of of the German Russo-German slon sIon pact announcement th that t startled the state department Some of our top diplomats have long foreseen the possibility of such an agreement as Whirligig reported nearly a year ago It became In their minds a probability probability probability proba proba- when Molotov succeeded Litvinov as the soviet foreign commissar Litvinov was supplanted supplanted sup sup- planted its it's believed here principally principally principally prin prin- because he could not be depended upon to reach a satisfactory satisfactory satisfactory satis satis- factory agreement with the nazis Likewise the importance of ot the pacts pact's renewal is regarded as asin in the timing rather than the substance Our best posted foreign foreign for for- eign affairs men consider it merely a check not check not a checkmate check check- mate mate mate-in in a chess game which still has many moves to run There is fear however among the state stafe departments department's majority that the soviet change of ot attitude may serve as a pretext for a weakening weakening weakening weak weak- ening of the French-British French tion It could be no more than thana a pretext these men Insist The essentials of the European situation situation situation sit sit- are In no way altered by it Close students of Russian affairs affairs affairs af af- af- af fairs believe that Stalin's dramatic dramatic dramatic dra dra- matic move was prompted by the breakdown In the Anglo- Anglo soviet military conversations From the Russian point of view the insistence e upon freedom of ot action in meeting invasion of the Baltic states was a vital point The talks between the two general staffs were meanIngless meaningless meaningless mean mean- ingless until it could be settled No plans could be made for Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian military action without knowledge of where it was to take place Stalin has had no Intention at any time these observers hold of plunging his country on ona ona ona a large scale into a general European war His strategy they believe is to preserve Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian strength for a final death blow so that It can be dominant dominant dominant domi domi- nant upon the continent The function of the soviet army even In British military plans was to constitute a threat along Germanys Germany's eastern frontier If the Baltic states and their British protectors remain adamant adamant adamant ada ada- mant about refusing Russia freedom of decision In coming to their defense the soviet army will vilt stay neutral neutral neutral-at at least until such time as it considers its own vital interests endangered That will mean removal of the threat on Germanys Germany's eastern frontier and will relieve the nazis of the necessity for keeping a defense army mobilized mobilize there That's the chief practical effect of the non- non aggression pact The national economic monopoly monopoly monopoly mo mo- mo- mo committee hearings on industrial insurance have given I rise to some backstage talk which the industrial insurance companies wouldn't enjoy listenIng listening listenIng listen- listen Ing in on Some of the committee commit commit- tee workers who have been studying the picture closely feel that the function of the industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial insurance companies could be advantageously taken over by bythe bythe bythe the social security board Chief complaint of the N E C men is Is- that the cost of Industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial policies is too high They'd like Ilke to see the S S B undertake to sell the tho same thing thing over over the counter as savings banks now do It in some states states states-elimina- elimina eliminating ting commissions and other sale expenses The social security law they say ty is quite flexible enough to permit that S S B insiders dont don't greet the idea too enthusiastically The recent amendment to their law providing for survivors survivors' benefits has cut somewhat t Into the in industrial in- in insurance which would also to a compete with the nt companies But they see a distinct social need for industrial insurance which their services dont don't fill Most industrial policies are taken to provide a small lump sum at the death of the Insured generally as a burial fund Therell There'll always be need for that the S S B men reason Their Interest Is in furnishing surviving surviving ing dependents with something to live on The monopoly committeemen are looking Ing forward to the day when they can wind up their long ong series of Industry studies and draw some comprehensive conclusions from them Men who guide the committees committee's work are now offering quiet promises that they'll reach the home port some time next spring Secretary of the Interior Harold Harold Har Har- old Ickes doesn't need to worry greatly about an oil shortage There are currently upward of barrels of oil in storage storage stor stor- age plus something like barrels of finished and andu u unfinished n fl Li tin a I 1 shed gasoline more than there Is reckoned to tobe tobe tobe be any need for So the chances are acc according to informed sources here that tho ore shutdown shutdown shutdown shut shut- down wont won't boost the price of gasoline appreciably The most It can accomplish Is to avoid a disastrous cUp dip |
