RUSSIA UNDER STALIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 21

RUSSIA UNDER STALIN

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —1 have just read vour editorial “ Russia Under Stalin.” The situation in Russia is somewhat obscure, and we have little information that is reliable. Your editorial, however, does not tend to make it clearer. Evidently vour purpose is to show that Stalin and his supporters are getting rid of men of whose power they are afraid. What they tell the outside world can be discounted. Germany or Italy has played no part in what is taking place. Yet.

after all, Stalin must have some common sense If his charges are unfounded, they will inevitably react against him. If they are true, he has shown himself once more the leader who is a match for the Nazis and the Fascists. Now. what he reports is not incredible, as you seem to think. The evidence he has collected is evidently conclusive. No doubt he has innumerable loyal adherents who have supolied him with it. The Nazis and the Fascists will do anything. We have Spain as an example of their workings. They undermined the Spanish army, and when face to face with failure threw off the mask and gave what is tantamount to open assistance and so created the holocaust of blood and misery that is going on now. What is more likely than the assertion of Stalin that they were trying the same in Russia? The only thing that could keep us from accepting the Russian statement at its face value is the difficulty of believing in their success Honest men. however, are hard to convince in regard to underhand plottings Evidently you are among them. Our own secret service officials could, no doubt, tell us something, if permitted, that would astonish us—yourself, Sir, included. — I am. etc.. G. R. Cromwell.