Show Is moscow berlin axis being formed europe cant decide but has doubts MO RAW A SWEDEN L 4 5 A ae I 1 U S ER YS 6 R A soviet and germany still suspect each other despite shouting Sh outino t over non aggression pact but does hitler hold the upper hand by RONALD CAPPER Ile released leed by western newspaper union PARIS ARIS while france and britain cock one eye down a rifle barrel at germany the other eye never veers from the most enigmatic question mark facing war mad europe soviet russia will the old worlds no 1 diplomat josef stalin come to germanys germanas Germ anys aid under the trade and treaties those nations signed just before the war Is comrade stalin merely playing germany for all she is is worth or has adolf hitler outsmarted his new friend forcing stalin to aid the nazi cause the implications of a german soviet alliance are tremendous men dous indeed this has worried observers ever since adolf 4 hitler came to power for together these military jugger could be fearsome there is no longer any problem of ideology standing between the nations although american nazis and communists would have us believe the two theories are at swords points ten years ago this was true but through the ensuing years germany and russia have approached a SI similarity mi larity catuns surprisingly alike N az busm thrives on a principle of racial superiority which states tb that at an individual race is entitled to rule the world bolshevism operates on the opposite principle that all men are equal and without distinction since neither idea is practical in application both the reich and the soviet can overlook their theories to settle more realistic pro problems beems what really counts is seven year swing from an attempt t to 0 save capitalism to a concept ot of state controlled capit capitalism capitalist that I 1 is s not tar far removed from the russian system from this parallel purpose might spring almost anything yet a study ol of soviet history during post world war history will show its foreign policy has pursued one aim consistently and with consid erable success that aim has been prevention af 9 a german italian french and british alliance opposed to russia so long as this ganging up is averted the soviet will be free to complete its big task of internal development heres how accomplished it thus far like hitler in 1922 the soviet signed a trade treaty W with ith germany then susceptible to any sort of backslapping back slapping after its rough treatment at versailles but as a matter of expediency R russia u asia drifted away from germany when hitler came to power they like him when hitler left the league ot of nations russia played another card by entering the good graces of geneva but not mind you until germany was safely out of the road thus the capitalistic countries were divided again in 1936 came the third card application of sanctions against italy in the ethiopian campaign thus the soviet won a sort of friendship with france and britain with whom diplomatic relations had already been established new phase began in 1938 last autumn things looked dark tor for the kremlin climaxing the su crisis the big tour four of europe met at munich without consulting stalin that meant a possible capitalistic unity which might end in the long feared anti comma alliance among france britain germany and italy russia sat sullenly for many months leading some observers to the false conclusion that she intended to remain isolated but stalin was still playing his cards wisely he saw a breach growing once more as hitler gobbled up czecho slova ala and memel then when appeasement pea talk started again he made overtures in the direction of france and britain finding them faithless yet still keeping the pow ers rs divided he be turned about suddenly and signed the treaty with germany two schemers at work this is the supreme test of soviet diplomatic wisdom for josef stalin smart though he may be is dealing with another smart schemer in adolf hitler there is good reason to believe germany got the upper hand during the tense prewar pre war days when russia hesitated over ratifying rat if y the aggression non pact gloating over her spotlighted position holding the balance of peace or war the soviet might have maintained this enviable status if hitler had not been equally alert der fuehrer knew the british ambassador to berlin has always favored a policy of anglo german friendship against russia furthermore tie he knew knew russia was aware of sir ambitions that is why the ambassador was kept busy commuting between berlin and london with diplomatic notes which might have led to an anglo german settlement so uneasy did russia become that the supreme soviet council met hurriedly and ratified the german pact within 20 minutes after premier bolotoff Mo lotoff introduced it suspect each other but this hesitancy this obvious squeeze play does not speak well tor for future soviet german relations only a few days before the ratification russian deputies applauded a mock battle in red bed square where young soviet fighters routed an invading force clad in german field gray uniforms the big question now is whether hitler has outsmarted stalin to such a degree that the soviet cannot regain its former position russia has things to fear from germany should poland fall the convenient buffer territory between the reich and the soviet would disappear bringing hitler closer to his long coveted ukraine should this issue develop into war between the two nations much to the democracies glee no one can tell whether dussias Rus sias mammoth but untried army could stop the highly efficient prussian military machine |