BEHIND THE SOVIET CURTAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1948, Page 5

BEHIND THE SOVIET CURTAIN

(N.Z.P.A.-

- Reuter -

FACADE OF BLITARY STRENGTH BUT UTTLE ELSE

C owyright)

Received Monday, 10.40 a.m. NEW YORK, February 2. An aggressive war.by Soviet Russia is not probable for at least 10 years, says Mr. Drew Middleton, a former New York Times correspondent in Moscow.

When he left Russia recently, Mr. Middleton was refused a reentry permit by Moscow. He says ihere were many reasons for Americans to be concerned over Ihe Russian colossus, but the prospect of immediate miiitary aggres,sion is not one of them. "A facade of strength in terms of infantry and armoured divisions ! confronts us, but behind this j facade lies a nation that is con- i vinced it would not be able to .fight a modern war against the United i States at present, 8or for 10 years lo come. "Real Russia is a far different country from that wonderland of4 modern technique pictured by the| Communists in their propaganda.; It is a vast assemblage of many: peoples and races still suffeving'

grievously from the most destructive of ail wars, and still far from : mastering ihe industrial, agricul- ! tural and social machinery of : modern society. More over, in its I nyalry with the United States, the Soviet is hampered by a restrictive ! system. The- abounding manpower, I great feriility of soil and immense i resources of the country are bal1 anced by the failure of Communist , tctahtarianism to rree the people 1 and their energies. y'With its restrictions on in.dividual iniiiative, its glorification of political ortho'doxy over efficiency, its waste of manpower in Sccurny I'orces and bureaucracy and its aaherence to the economic aevice of slave labour, the present political system is well suited to the society on which it has been imposed."