Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1939. RECKONING WITH RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1939. RECKONING WITH RUSSIA.

AN exceptionally well-informed correspondent now in Moscow Mr G E II Gedve, expressed the opinion, in a message cabled yesterday, that the rulers of Russia, might seek to avoid a break with the’League of Nations and the forma ion ol a anti-Soviet world bloc. Rather than s «7'/^ f lve st <-este<l. advantages of remaining in the League, Mt Gedj _ . ~ M. Stalin and his colleagues might submit to a relni te am see practical opposition to the Finnish adventure. Ihe latest Xs available at time of writing hardly supports this adn dtedlv speculative estimate of the outlook. It is rep™ lP(l ’ lo iXXthat on Wednesday evening the Moscow east an attack on the League of Nations and also attacked Britain and France. Indications at present are that the Soviet does not mean to be halted in its attack on Finland, whatever the League max do In view, 100, of what has already happened and is happening, a wide margin of possibility evidently is open uhe ( the further development of Russian aggression in the’ mimedu h future is concerned. It is a. matter oi weeks since M. Molotov was affirming, on behalf of the Soviet, that it was desired only to safeguard and strengthen Russia’s strategic position and that there was no thought, of interfering with the independent sovereignty of Finland. Since that date, howevei’ he Soviet has set. np a bogus Ministry which it prolesses to legald as c “People’s Democratic-Government ol Finland and has the assurance to affirm that, the duly constituted and responsible Government, of the country does not. represent, the Finnish people.

It. is now plain to all beholders that the Soviet is no longer aiming only at the acquisition of naval and other bases in Finland, but is seeking completely to overthrow the independence of the Finnish nation. A dictatorship capable ol this utterly unscrupulous crime evidently cannot be relied upon to pursue an honest policy at any point and the outlook in the Balkans and in other regions, possibly including the 1 acinc, in which Russia is in a position io stir up mischief, tends m consequence to become definitely critical. The possibilities thus opened up are far-reaching and complex. One of them no doubt is that Russia, should she be expelled from the League, or withdraw from its membership, may enter into a much closer and more direct alliance with Germany. Making full and unhampered use of its resources, a Russo-German alliance admittedly would be exceeding y formidable, Much as Russia has identified herself with Germany in methods of unscrupulous aggression, however, great obstacles to an effective alliance between the two countries are still apparent. Germany has made terms with Russia in the Baltic and in Poland only by giving way at all points, and even so the current policy of the Soviet in these areas is hardly to bo. understood otherwise than as being intended to set up barriers against, future attack by Germany. Russia and the Reich are just as jealously opposed to one another in the Balkans as they are in the Baltic and are as little likely to reach friendly understanding in one region as in the other. ITow far, in the total circumstances, the Soviet and Nazi dictatorships are likely to combine and to pool their resources in action' against the Allies remains a matter of very open conjecture. A great deal must depend upon what the Soviet intends and is prepared to do. Russia is possessed of vast human and material resources which might be made available to Germany in a degree that would immensely’ strengthen her war effort. Germany, however, is badly placed lo enter on commercial, terms into new and extended trade dealings, and Russia has shown little enough disposition to give something for nothing. The factor of transport, deficiencies also is highly important, where any question of supply from Russia to Germany is concerned. It remains true that other possibilities are raised, some of which, as has been suggested, relate lo the Pacific, With a measure at least of co-operation established in Europe between the Comintern and the promoters of the anti-Comintern Pact, it. is conceivable, for example, that Russia and Japan may reach an understanding which would alter gravely the situation and outlook on this side of the world and would be of serious concern to the British Empire, and not. least to its South Pacific Dominions. Tt has been suggested plausibly that the Soviet is willing to assist Germany to some extent in the hope that the belligerents may all wear themselves out and leave Russia in a position of commanding strength and influence. It might, be unwise lo take it for granted that an analogous policy cannot and will not be pursued by Ihe Soviet in the Far East. The sit mil ion as it is developing has aspects which demand very careful consideration in this country and in Australia. A NAVAL ACHIEVEMENT. some details remaining to be tilled in. it is already clear that the engagement in the South Atlantic in which three British light cruisers, one of them the Achilles, drove the German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spec damaged and defeated into a neutral port, adds a bright page lo the noble annals of the British Navy. Not valour only, but first-class skill in the handling of British ships of a strength inferior to Hint of their enemy must be held accountable for this victory. A powerful armoured ship like the Gral Spec, with a main battery of eleven-inch guns, might have been expected to overwhelm the lighter-gunned British vessels. In (he factor of' material strength ami slriking power all lhe odds were on the single enemy ship and these odds were gallantly overcome. The brilliant tactical handling of the British ships is the more apparent since lhe Essex, with her eight-inch guns, was temporarily disabled and lhe discomfit lire of the German battleship was completed by opponents whose heaviest guns were ol six-inch calibre. It will be a matter of pride to all New Zealanders Unit a full part in this action was taken by the Achilles, manned in great pari bv New Zealanders and with Iwo New Zealand officers included in her complement. The victory was not won without cost. An early report states that the casualties on lhe British ships may equal those on the Gral Spec. Much as lhe loss of gallant lives is to be regretted they have not been spent in vain, but in compassing an achievement ol which the ships engaged and the Navy have every right to be proud