The Gospel According to Moscow
Germany will get little aid or comfort from the proceed- ings in Moscow on the 22nd anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution. M. Molotov's speech was discreet rather in what it did not say than in what it said, but it affirmed with emphasis Russia's determination to remain at peace, and it made no distinction between the Imperialist capitalist Powers (Britain, Germany, Japan), which were accused of involving more than half the world in war. M. Molotov seemed able to reconcile the charge against France and Britain that they aim at strengthening their domination of the world with congratulation of his own country for increasing its power by the annexation of eastern Poland. It is poSsible that he discovers no disharmony between Russia's pact with Ger- many and the spirit of the manifesto issued by the Com- munist International. The latter not merely accuses Germany as well as Great Britain and France of conducting a war for world domination, but appeals to German workers to refuse to let themselves be exploited by their Government. The Nazi rulers may make what they will of this friendly advice. Yet there is no reason to suppose that the Comin- tern ceases to express the views of the Russian Government. Indeed, it gives an interesting and plausible excuse for the pact with the old enemy Germany—it put the Soviet " out- side bloody slaughter " and narrowed the arena of the war. To put it another way, it gave Russia all the advantages of war without participating in it.
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