THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper. MONDAY JANUARY 12. 1948 Moves In South-Eastern Europe

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1948, Page 2

THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper. M O NDAY JANUARY 12. 1948 Moves In South-Eastern Europe

While it will be devoutly wished that international storm-clouds in south-eastern Europe may be dissipated before the year has run far. it would be foolish to disregard developments that have ominous implications.

Reports that the United States Navy Department ,is “supplying Turkey with four powerful. Heeltype submarines as part of the LTnited States’ programme to strengthen Turkey against the Soviet,” are accompanied by an announcement that the United States has transferred six gunboats to Greece. \ Britain and the United States' leaders, would appear to be in the position of earlier leaders of these democratic peoples when the real intentions of the late Hitler became clear to unprejudiced people. The leaders were called upon to decide whether they should accept the challenge of Hitler and endeavour to stop him before his Nazi plans for world domination reached fruition: they did not take action until action was almost too late, and the world was subjected to a blood bath from which it has hardly emerged when another threat to the democratic way of life is assuming dangerous proportions.

Are the democratic nations in a position to give to Greece and Turkey sufficient aid to make unnecessary the criticism levelled at the opponents of Hitler when they realised the necessity for stopping the dictator: "Toq little and too late.” It may not be possible to answer this question, but it is crystal clear that the longer a reply to the Soviet’s challenge is delayed the greater will be the task forced upon the democratic nations.

This fact invests with far-reaching importance the situation that has developed in Greece and the Balkans. The Lord President of the Council, Mr Herbert Morrison, in a speech in London, said Britain would like active cooperation with the Soviet for peace and mankind’s social welfare, but Britain could not be expected to lie down to untruthful and malicious propaganda attacks by Russian Communists and the world’s Communist parties, which acted as servile automatic outposts of the Soviet Foreign Office.

Latest news from Greece indicates very plainly that the rebel Government’s troops in the north are receiving aid by way of Greece’s Alba-

nian neighbour, and as Albania and the Balkan countries as a whole have identified themselves with Russia, there need be little doubt that the Soviet is fully aware of all that is happening. Russia's relations with the Balkan States have been marked by the fact that in most instances the Soviet has imposed Communist regimes through the Red Army.

Moscow has not merely tried to set up “friendly Governments.” but has set up Communist Governments; in some cases it •- has actually completed Communist revolutions begun after the close of the last war. Most of these regimes are led by persons who have actually come from Rus-

ln Bulgaria. George Dimitroff (whose name has recently been much in the news) is a Russian citizen; the dictator of Yugoslavia, Marshal Tito, came from Russia; so did prominent figures in Hungary, under Communist control; Albania’s dictator has long been in the service of the Soviet; and the abdication of King Michael has provided ample proof that Communists from Russia, or under Russian influence, have control of that country. Now, it is believed, the Confmunists are behind the Leftist Party m Greece and are responsible for the formation of a rebel Government in the north of the country under General Markos.

Even tolerant people must realise that the Greek rebels may confidently rely upon assistance from the Balkan peoples who have embraced Communism either voluntarily or compulsorily through (he domination of the Soviet. It is this fact which makes imperative a right decision by Britain an ! the United Stales, who. as cornerstones of the democratic form of political life, are faced with a proolem of disturbing magnitude.

The world cannot but watch with tense preoccupation the moves that are being made by the United States and Britain, for there are unquestionably mighty forces at work in the background. “Nobody seeks to upset Russia s internal security,” said Britain's Herbert Morrison, who asked: “Can she not begin to discard provocative policies which risk war and impede mankind’s economic recovery and progress?” This question should have universal voice.