SOVIET ENIGMA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24604, 12 May 1941, Page 5

SOVIET ENIGMA

STALIN'S NEW POST ASSUMPTION OF PREMIERSHIP READY FOR EMERGENCY (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, May 10. Nobody inside or outside the Soviet foresaw M. Stalin's assumption of the Premiership, yet, retrospectively, it appears that the move is consistent with M. Stalin's methods, says the Stockholm correspondent of The Times. By luck or uncanny instinct, M Stalin directly after the revolution, acquired and held what for 20 years has proved the most important key position in Russia—the Secretary-generalship of the Communist Party, which put his rivals in M. Stalin's hands, while he himself remained practically unassailable.

The army was the party's sole potential rival, but the Communist Party's grip on it was also firm in peacetime. In wartime, however, the army must necessarily posses? greater freedom of action and is less embarrassed by the party's control and is also formally responsible directly to the Government rather than to the parly. It is conceivable, under the stress of war, that the head of the Government might short-circuit the narty's secretary and

act too directly and too independently with the army, thus undermining the party secretary's authority and possibly producing rivals. The Premiership during a major war, therefore, possesses greater directive power than party leadership ' so M. Stalin becomes the Premier, ready to face any emergency. His promotion can be interpreted as reflecting that lie considers participation in the war not improbable and is determined to figure as the real and formal head of the Government, functioning in accordance with the co-called "Stalin, constitution." The Soviet is unlikely to enter the war directly against Britain, and it is scarcely likely that M. Stalin will begin a war unless he is quite convinced that it is inevitable. Then he may take the initiative rather than allow Herr Hitler to choose the lime snd dlsco, Diplomatic circles in Moscow believe that M. Stalin, in order to maintain a Soviet policy of peace and neutrality, is personally settling Russo-German differences over the German penetration of the Balkans. The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says the latest Soviet action can be interpreted as a broad hint to Great Britain, who has not recognised the inclusion of the Baltic States in the. Soviet Union, that Moscow considers this the main obstacle to better relations between England and Russia. FIRST DIPLOMATIC ACTION (Red 10 p.m.) MOSCOW, May 9. M. Stalin's first diplomatic action as Prime Minister has been to inform the Belgian, Norwegian, and Jugoslavian Legations that their status is no longer recognisable owing to loss of sovereignty.