Comrade Molotov's Visit

INTERNATIONAL

The little yes-men of Europe's little boss men scurried from place to place last week. If the lives of millions of little plain men had not depended on what they did, their actions would have looked a little silly. Joseph Stalin's man, Viacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, arrived in Berlin in the rain and was greeted by Adolf Hitler's men, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Wilhelm Keitel. At Anhalt station were also the Ambassadors of China, Turkey and Japan, bowing & scraping and watching Premier Molotov's every gesture for a hint of what Boss Stalin's intentions toward their countries might be.

Comrade Molotov, busy trying not to appear overawed by the pomp of his welcome, gave no hint. He lunched with Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop and German bigwigs, then went to the Chancellery to attend to business with Adolf Hitler. He stayed there for three hours. Next day he spent two hours with Reich Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goring and an hour with Nazi Leader Rudolf Hess, sat through a four-hour luncheon with Hitler, Ribbentrop, Keitel and others. That evening he entertained the Germans at a dinner and reception at the Soviet Embassy. Having listened for two full days and publicly committed himself to nothing, Comrade Molotov next day took a train back to Russia to report to his boss man. At the border he sent a bread-&-butter telegram to Hitler.

The day Premier Molotov left Berlin the British Foreign Office confessed to another diplomatic defeat. On Oct. 22, British Ambassador Sir Stafford Cripps had presented a note to the Kremlin offering a promise never to attack Russia, a guarantee of Russian participation in World War II's peace treaty and, ironically, de facto recognition of Russia's absorption of the Baltic States.* Britain asked in return only "a more benevolent attitude." Joseph Stalin's reply had been to send Comrade Molotov to Berlin.

Last week London buzzed with rumors of Sir Stafford's recall, which would be recognition of his mission's failure. The truth is that it was not so much Sir Stafford who failed as the British Government in London, which understands Russian sensitivity less than its Ambassador. While Sir Stafford was earnestly assuring Moscow of Britain's friendship, the Government froze the Baltic States' bank balances in England, refused to surrender Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian ships in British ports, and last month requisitioned several of those ships. All this served to deepen Joseph Stalin's Oriental distrust of the Occidental Britons.

It may have given Comrade Stalin satisfaction to reflect that he had taught the tough-skulled British another lesson without hurting his own cause one whit. For Russia fears nothing from any nation on earth except Germany. Fear of Germany and shrewd appraisal of Germany's needs help to lead Russia into bargains with Germany. Last year's bargain gave Russia a year of peace, new territory, and easier frontiers to defend. This year's bargain, whatever it may be, was probably designed with the same ends in view.

First concrete result of the Molotov visit was the withdrawal of German troops from Finland. This may lead to further Russian demands on Finland to strengthen the Russian position in the Baltic. But with Germany driving down through the Balkans and Italy banging its head against Greece, Russia now needs to strengthen her position in the Black Sea. Stalin would like to get Hitler to concede Russian hegemony over eastern Rumania, Bulgaria and Turkey. In return Stalin would probably urge Turkey to stand aside while the Axis moved into the Near East. Then Russia would have a free hand to move down toward the Indian Ocean through Iran, Afghanistan and Baluchistan.

To the Rescue. Whether Hitler is yet ready to close such a bargain there was no sure way of telling last week. Benito Mussolini may still be a better bet to get Germany into the Near East than the hard-bargaining Stalin. If Greece and Egypt can be conquered, Turkey may be dealt with without Stalin's help and Germany can keep her hold on Rumania and the Danube's mouth. So before going too far with Stalin, Hitler will doubtless give Mussolini another try.

Comrade Molotov was hardly across the border when Field Marshal Keitel rushed down to Innsbruck to meet Italy's Commander in Chief, Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Marshal Keitel is the unofficial military strategist for both members of the Axis; he was with Hitler at his conferences with Mussolini at Brennero and Florence. Rumor is that at Brennero he advised II Duce not to tackle Greece and that Mussolini rushed into the Greek adventure before the Florence conference so that he could not be talked out of it by Keitel. At Innsbruck, Keitel gave Marshal Badoglio some stern advice on how to reorganize his offensive.

If Italy is unable to conquer Greece alone, Hitler must decide whether to go to the rescue through Yugoslavia or Bulgaria. Since this might bring Turkey into the war, it was a safe guess that he would make no move until Turkey had been talked to. Second concrete result of the Molotov visit was a hasty trip to Ankara by Husrev Gerede, Turkish Ambassador to Germany. In Berlin at week's end the German Ambassador to Turkey, Schemester Franz von Papen, was preparing to return to his post with "certain proposals" for President Ismet Inonii's Government.

Gibraltar at Last? Spain's Foreign Minister Ramon Serrano Suner also did an unusual amount of visiting last week. In Madrid he talked to British Ambassador Sir Samuel Hoare and U. S. Ambassador Alexander Weddell, both the same evening. Next day Great Britain announced a new trade agreement with Spain and asked the U. S. to help supply that hungriest of European countries with wheat. This looked like a desperate attempt to prevent the long-awaited attack on Gibraltar.

Like Joseph Stalin, Ramon Serrano Suner was playing a cagey game. No sooner had the trade agreement with Britain been announced than he set out for Paris to talk to Pierre Laval. While he was there the major remaining units of the French Fleet sailed from Toulon on a mysterious mission. Next day the Fleet was reported maneuvering in the Mediterranean. By steaming around in the Golfe du Lion the French Fleet could keep a good part of the British Mediterranean Fleet disengaged without firing a salvo. Mad at Britain over Oran and De Gaulle, and under pressure from Germany, the Vichy Government might thus passively help the Axis to take Gibraltar.

Don Ramon Serrano Suner went on to Berchtesgaden for his third visit to Big Boss Hitler within two months. Italy's Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano met him at Salzburg. Day earlier Bulgaria's Tsar Boris III secretly visited the Fuhrer in Berlin. With so much diplomatic activity, and with the air war over Britain and the sea war in the Atlantic and Mediterranean gaining fury, the Second World War moved inexorably toward a new and greater climax.

*It was Britain's refusal to recognize Russia's sphere of influence in the Baltic that caused the breakdown of Anglo-Franco-Russian talks in 1939, and the subsequent Russo-German Non-Aggression Treaty.

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