OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1943, Page 4

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

' RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA (To the Editor.) Sir,—Kindly allow me space to reply to your correspondent “Honour to whom Honour is due” whose letter appeared in your issue of March 10. He is most unfortunate in choosing such a signature, over which he attempts to belittle our Russian ally at a time when all the civilised world is honouring that great nation. However, he did have the discretion to hide behind a nom-de-plume and it would certainly be a bold man who would sign his name to such a bitter attack on Russia, that wonderful nation which has already lost nearly foun million killed out of her magnificent army of twenty-, one million men. Your correspondent complains that “Mr Atmore has never told us what Russia was doing during the years 1939 to 1941.” Well, it should not be necessary to tell one who boasted of his knowledge of wiiat he termed "current affairs,” but on his own confession and request it will be well to shed light on what is revealed by himself as abyssmal ignorance on his part. On April 17th, 1939, Stalin suggested to Chamberlain that a triple defensive alliance of France, Britain and Russia should be formed and a guarantee given to all States from the Baltic to the Black Sea. No agreement was reached owing to the evasive tactics adopted by Mr Chamberlain and his declaration in Parliament that he “was not anxious to set up blocs of countries with different ideas about their forms of internal administration.” However he sent Mr Strang to negotiate with Russia, the world’s greatest military power, but he visited Hitler twice and also went to Rome with Lord Halifax to discuss matters with Mussolini. On May 5, 1939, Mr Chamberlain sneeringly refused the suggestion that he should make personal contact with Stalin. Let me quote a remarkable statement from the veteran spokesman, Mr. Lloyd George, who in a penetrating analysis of the .position showed that Britain was not in a position to help Poland (to whom she had promised help) unless Russian help was available. Negotiations had dragged on for four months without result. Lloyd George declared:— You are dealing with the greatest military power in the world. You are asking them to come to your help; you are not negotiating terms With an enemy but with a friendly people whose aid you want. Mr Chamberlain negotiated directly with Hitler. He went to Germany to see him. He and Lord Halifax made visits to Rome. They went to Rome, drank Mussolini’s health, shook his hand and told him what a fine fellow he was. But whom have they sent to Russia? They have not even sent the lowest in rank of a Cabinet Minister; they have sent a clerk from the Foreign Office. It is an insult! Yet the Government want the help of their gigantic army and air force and of this very brave people —no braver on earth —who are working their way through great difficulties to the emancipation of their people. If you want their help you ought to send someone there who is worthy of our dignity and of theirs. As things are going on at present we are trifling with a very grave situation. I cannot tell what I think about the way things are being handled. The Government have no sense of proportion, or of the gravity of the whole situation when the world is trembling on the brink of a great precipice and liberty is challenged. Prophetic words from a grand old man, but they fell on deaf ears. Your correspondent will kindly note that it was not until after Chamberlain and Daladier had refused to join the defensive alliance with Russia that the latter country concluded a non-ag-gression pact with Germany —Molotov stating it was the Russian Government’s duty to keep the country out of war. Your correspondent did not mention Finland, but it may be well to clear away any misconceptions which may exist in his mind, with the others. Finland had fortified with heavy guns, a point in the sound leading up to Leningrad and only 16 miles from that great city. Russia remonI strated and offered to pay the cost of the fortification and take over the fort and also give a block of land in the Karellian Isthmus in exchange. Finland asked for a week to consider the offer, and immediately consulted Chamberlain and Daladier, each of whom promised Finland assistance if she resisted Russia —hence the RussoFinnish war.

Russia made the approach to Leningrad quite secure as she had a perfect right to do according to international law. Perhaps your correspondent would like a few illustrations from our own history by way of justification for Russia.

In 1807 Denmark was neutral in the war between Britain and France, but Britain thought Napoleon "“might seize the Danish Fleet and use it against us. Britain asked Denmark to hand over the fleet and upon receiving a refusal and a statement of neutrality, a British fleet was sent to Copenhagen which was bombarded and set on fire and the Danish Fleet taken to England. Here is another instance. In 1801 the Island of Madiera had been taken possession of by the British Government for fear it should fall into -the hands of the French, yet Portugal was a neutral nation and has been styled “the old and ancient ally of England. ’ Your correspondent may find many . other instances such as the occupation of Madagascar and Syria and the smashing of the French Fleet at Oran, to save them from occupation and use by Germany and we were perfectly justified in so doing. I wonder whether your correspondent knows that it was the Soviet Government which gave Finland its. independence after the Czar’s Government was overthrown. One could smile „at his innocence when he writes: “Curiously enough in the Russian Army officers cannot rise from the ranks. They are trained from their earliest youth in special schools for officers only.” Of course they are and selected from the whole nation because of special aptitude for military matters —a selection and training thoroughly justified by their wonderful achievement, particularly in destroying the myth of German invincibility. Thanking you for space.—l am, etc. HARRY ATMORE. Wellington, May 16. 1 As notified previously, this correspondence is closed, apart from any un- ; exhausted right of reply.—Ed.