Greymouth Evening Star. Monday, April 5, 1948. Many Fronts

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1948, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. Monday, April 5, 1948. Many Fronts

“MEVER before in history has the world situation been more threatening to our ideals and interests,” the American Secretary of State, General Marshall, told his countrymen recently in the most strongiv-worded of a series of grave warnings. In the present state of tension between Russia and the democracies, a spark could start a fire in which civilisation might well be consumed. Every country on the elastic borders of. the new Communist empire is a potential danger spot. General Marshall rightly emphasised that the crisis is not confined to Europe, although it is there that the most immediate peril lies. The domination of Europe is only one of the expansionist aims which the Kremlin despots have directly inherited from the Czars. All round the Russian border, from the Baltic to the Sea. of Japan, the iron fingers of Soviet power are constantly probing for weaknesses and opportunities. In Korea the Russians have openly shown their hand. Their reply to the UNO decision to hold elections in southern Korea was to announce the formation ol a ‘‘Communist Provisional Government of Korea” in her own zone. This has the backing of a Soviet-trained and equipped “People’s Army,” whose obvious role is to impose Communist domination or? the whole of Korea as soon as the Russian and American forces of occupation are withdrawn. Neighbouring China is in grave danger of being drawn into the Soviet orbit and. Moscow's influence may soon be paramount in another great segment of Asia. This warning was given to the United Stales Government recently by General AVedemeyer, President. Truman’s envoy, when he submitted his report on his fact-finding mission. Manchuria is now almost entirely under Communist control and a southward movement, aimed at China proper, has been started.

In India the outlook is just as ominous. Profiting- from the embarrassment of Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute, Russia has sharply stepped up her pressure on Kabul. The main feature of the recentlyconcluded Afghanistan-Soviet “trade agreement” is recognition of Russia s “predominant interest” in northern Afghanistan. At the same time Soviet, agents are reported to be busy stirring up trouble in Baluchistan, on the Afghans’ southern border. This obviously has Hie triple aim of embarrassing, and if possible embroiling, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Persia.

Persia is now being subjected to a war of nerves on similar lines to which Moscow has long waged against Turkey. Persia has refused to sign an oil agreement which would have facilitated Russian entry into Azerbaijan, Persia's northern province. Earlier Moscow had tried more direct methods, but her designs were frustrated by UNO intervention. The Communist challenge is constant in Asia as well as in Europe. Obviously the time lor appeasing Russia is long past; the pity 01. d is that’ it was ever considered as having arrived. The challenge can be met only by firmness. Any sign of weakness would merely be interpreted as the green light Im further aggression. ,