The sphinxlike attitude of M. Stalin has {not long been maintained, and the developments of Sunday, including the 'Russian invasion of Poland' clearly shows where the Soviet leader stands—amongst those men to whom international agreements mean nothing, and undertakings and assurances even less, It has been made quite. clear that the entry of Germany and Soviet-Russia into a non-aggression pact, was, as it was originally believed, something much, more than so simple an agreement, and. the suspicions that the two countries had agreed upon the partition of Poland now proves to be completely justified, AIL the flowery Janguage about the necessity of protecting Russian minorities in Poland, and all the rest of the verbiage contained in the Mos communique giving reasons. for this. most treacherous action cannot now, and will not in the future gloze over the fact that the whole business was a planned piece of robbery. A more cynical piece of work is. difficult to conceive, Fortunately it did not take the world by surprise, Both the governments of Great Britain and France were fully aware that there was more behind, the non-aggression pact than met the eye, for it was obvious that Germany had to offer quite a consideration to tempt M, Stalin away from the proposed tripartite alliance between Britain, France, and Russia, and that consideration. is now''shown to.be active assistance between Germany and Russia, for the mutual achievement of Pan-German and Pan-Slav policies in eastern, and, possibly the Jong run, south-eastern Europe, There can be no doubt that this new development will cause the gravest anxiety in the Balkans, and no small concern to Italy whose interests in that part of the world are d the verge of being completely With such an ally as Russia Herr Hitler can. afford to throw over Italy with just as little concern as he would discard a"solled glove, and when the term it is to be taken as repre of purpose between Germany and Russia which at no time really existed in the Rome-Berlin Axis.
'There is a chance that these two "might ultimately fall out over the division of spolls if events were to progress in a manner, which, left them anything to divide, but. for' all practical purposes. the' world ' will: have. to face the fact of this strange union, and to develop its policies in a manner best calculated to offset it. The. assurances of neutrality which the Soviet has fiven to Great Britain and France is another of those strange paradoxes with which recent history replete, The picture of a nation taking military action against one of three Allies, and assuring the other two that so far as they are concerned it chose to remain neutral is just another of those quaint devices to which Tesort has been had so frequently of late, It is not easy at this time to" see what attitude Great Britain and France will adopt towards this new development. Of its importance there cannot be the slightest doiwbt, for not only does it produce an entirely new situation in eastern Europe but may possibly have profound reactions in the eastern Mediterranean, and in this connection the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister to Moscow at the invitation of the latter will be watched with the closest interest. Turkey has already assured Great Britain of her support, but there are bonds of friendship between Turkey and Russia which cannot be ignored, and, if there does come about a sudden change' the Turkish attitude, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean may undergo a profound modification, That need not greatly change the Anglo-French conception of the nature of this war and the: means by which it should be prosecuted. Nor will it change the objectives in the attainment of which this struggle has been entered into, They stand out as clearly now as ever they did. Hitlerism must be destroyed, despoiled nations restored to their integrity, and the rule of law. again reintroduced in the international relationships of the world.
It is the paramount duty of the Allies to see that once and for all these attempts to settle issues py resort to brute force and all_ manner "of chicanery shall be ended. It is manifestly impossible for the world to continue under conditions such as at present prevail, and it should be made quite plain to Herr Hitler, when, and if he does make overtures for peace following the destruction of Poland that he has started some which the Allies will finish for him. If anything this Russo-German combination, for no matter what Moscow may declare that the only light in which it can be regarded, may in the end simplify matters. It has served notice upon the world that two alleged entirely opposed ideologies can combine for the rape of a third country, and places both those nations adhering to them in their correct perspective. The sinking of a traditional enmity, upon which Herr Hitler has so frequently and. vehemently dwelt, (Continued on page £83, col, 4)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.