Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1941. RUSSIA AS WAR PARTNER.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1941. RUSSIA AS WAR PARTNER.

4, people may perceive more than a touch of irony in the fact that il has devolved upon Air Churchill —a consistent opponent of Communism, as he has himself recalled, during' the lasi 25 years —Io declare that Britain will give whatever help she can to Russia in her resistance Io Nazi aggression, and to express his confidence that the Dominions will in due course concur in that decision. It very effectively deal's the outlook, however, that the British Prime .Minister is concenl rating, as his habit is. on essentials, lie declines to unsay anything he lias said about Communism, but. in his own words, all that fades away before the spectacle now unfolding. A great many people in the countries of the British Empire, and in the ['ruled States, have as little liking as Air Churchill for the policy and met hods of Communism as these have been developed in Soviet Russia. Moreover, since the present war. began, the Soviet, in partnership or rivalry with X'azi Germany, has engaged in predatory aggression against a number of small nations—Poland, the .Baltic States, Einland and Rumania. The difficulties thus raised are not trifling and some at least of the questions involved must be regarded as awaiting settlement. Nevertheless, for the reasons the British Prime Minister has stated so cogently, it may be agreed that these questions are overshadowed and may legitimately be set aside for the time being. The struggle that counts over all others in the world today is that between Nazism, with its creed of almost incredible brutality and debasement, and its opponents. Throughout the Empire, and it may be hoped in the United States as well, there will be full and hearty concurrence in Air Churchill's affirmation that any man and any State who fights against Nazism will have our aid and that the cause of the Russian fighting for his hearth and home is the cause of free men and free peoples in every quarter of the globe. It stands out clearly enough that in their attack on Russia, Hitler and his gang are not only intent on immediate plunder . —to be gained, as they believe, on easy terms—-but hope to attain a position of strength in which they will be free to hurl the Nazi hordes against the British Isles and eventually against the Western Hemisphere as well. A very definite community of interest is thus established between the English-speaking and other democracies ami Soviet Russia, but if is certainly not in any mean hope 01. gaining usclid support that the democracies are prepared to enter info a war partnership with Russia in the. extent to which such a partnership is practicable. Cautious limits rightly arc being set to what is to be expected of Russia in the way'' of effective military action in resistance to the foul attack' of which she is now being made the victim. The extent to which Russia is likely to be able to make a powerful stand in defence at least of some of her most important. territories is at best uncertain. The aid promised by the Empire it is not in doubt that, the Dominions will approve and support Mr Churchill’s pledge—is not contingent, however, upon the showing Russia may make as a belligerent, but is based upon common resistance to flic bestiality of Nazism. .If Russia is now committed, as are the British and' Allied democracies, with the ever-expanding support' of the United States, to war to the death on Nazism, the basis has been laid of a war partnership which will endure until an end has been made of Hitler and his gang and all that they stand for. A STAGE IN SYRIA. element, of optimism possibly enters info the reported statement of the Free French leader, General de Gaulle, that; “The taking of Damascus must, end the resistance of the Vichy forces-in Syria.’’ Plainly, however, the capture of this ancient city marks a very important stage in the Allied occupation ol Syria, and a much greater step than mere distance covered would imply towards the completion of that occupation. The next great objective is the port of Beirut, on the eoast west-north-west 01. Damascus, towards which the Australians arc fighting their way along the coastal route. It Ims been said that although the thickly populated region up to Damascus and Beirut forms only a, small part of the total area of Svria, the back of resistance should be broken once that section'is occupied. The only reservation obviously called for is that something must depend upon early success in ejecting the Germans from the aerodrome at Aleppo, from which they are reported to be operating, and from any other aerodromes and bases in northern Syria on which they have gained a footing. Unless the Germans are able speedily to organise a powerful invasion by air, conditions generally should now greatly favour the Allies. The principal Syrian railway runs north from .Damascus to Aleppo and the use of this lino should facilitate lhe occupation of the rest of. Ihe country. A. railway running north and vest from Jlosul presumably cannot be used, since it runs for some hundreds of miles on the Turkish side of the Turco-Syrian border, but north-eastern Syria is within easy reach of the Mosul airfields. Only brief references have been made in news reports to the British columns which are advancing into Syria up the valley of the Euphrates and still further north, in tiie region of the Turkish frontier, but Ihe.se operations are highly important and if all goes wel] should continue in an important degree to the ejection .or exclusion of the Germans from a number'd’ the excellent airfields of which Syria is possessed. Overeomiim the resistance the Vichy forces are said now to be preparing to offer in positions south and south-east of Beirut the Allies should be well placed to proceed to a complete occupation of Syria and its organisation as a strong harrier against further German aggression in the Middle East.