Show i r I Kremlin Kremlin-It remlin Masters of Russia Keep Mum as War Rocks W Wo I B By HENRY C. C CASSIDY MOSCOW The MOSCOW The masters of the Kremlin ruling the neutral soviet soviet soviet so so- viet sixth of the world are wearIng wearing wearing wear- wear Ing their most inscrutable mask maskin in the grim game of power politIcs poll poll- tics being played as a side attraction attraction attraction at at- traction of ot the war wan Never known for talkativeness talkative talkative- ness the Kremlin men now have become as uncommunicative as the sodden gray clouds of winten winter winter win win- ter ten over the golden Byzantine I domes of their citadel Joseph Stalin chief of them all aU has bas not spoken since the March I 1939 congress of the communist party of ot which h he is secretary- secretary general Molotov premier foreign commissar and general right-hand right man who usually does the talking for Stalin has not spoken publicly since the su supreme supreme supreme su- su preme soviet session last AUgust August Au AU- gust 1 Tress Running Dry Parliamentary debate public statements and press conferences all the normal channels through which a government s informs its people of what it is doing have doing have been closed The soviet press remains virtually virtually virtually vir vir- vir- vir the only source of information information information mation in Russia and even that thatis is running dry Most war news is given in official from irom Berlin and London Diplomatic Diplomatic Diplo Diplo- matic news usually comes in New York dispatches quoting American newspapers about what is happening in Europe and the Far East Only in events of ot extreme importance importance im im- hn- hn like conclusion of the German Italian Japanese pact is there any editorial reaction Then Pravda communist organ lays down dO the law aw tia government J organ ed ech the next day and the test rest of ott newspapers rep repeat at their ment for days afterward Denials published by Ta soviet news agency at give some clues dues to the tren trend Kremlin opinion The silence does not mean nean 11 ir friendliness The foreign B PI department of the foreign of gives correspondents a cordial cordial f even though No Nobe Nobe jj be the answer to most jt Dont Don't Mention Reich Diplomats ats also enjoy warm warra wand t la with government When United States Ambas Amba Laurence A. A return from a month four-month visit to AIM Am Amica ica last summer Molotov I him at the Kremlin slapping him on the back pu both hands hands' handson on his shoulders expressing pleasure at I J him again l lOne One curious note detected European diplomats in Ia u tF talks is that soviet official not mention Germany Ining in sM ing of the entry of Gennan German fern in Rumania and passage r Finland They speak simply 1 the presence of troops in th tj tho countries 1 i iThe The reason for the lence is easy to find Soviet p po throughout the war has been o of ot neutrality and friendship wf neighboring powers to keep M sia out of ot the conflict driving ahead on a Internal reinforcement If a 8 shift in the balance balante c a 0 power should make a a. change o a policy advisable surprise w so k play a large part in the ef cited t S c 5 f 4 r S r SS S S 4 l j 1 r The Kremlin It has absolutely NOTHING to say I |