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result of Mr. Nixon's meetings with
Soviet leaders in 1972, reached cer–
tain agreements: Both parties agreed
to freeze intercontinental missiles at
the 1972 levels, and they agreed to
limit defensive missiles to 200 each.
They agreed to cooperateonenviron–
ment and health problems, to stage a
joint space flight and to set up com–
missions for trade and scientificcoop–
eration.
lt
was also during 1972 that
the Soviets purchased over one bil–
lion dollars worth of grain and soy–
beans from the United States.
America's surpluses were unexpect–
edly depleted, causing higher prices
for U. S. consumers.
- especially the European Commu–
nity - even before Britain entered.
The U.S.S.R. was hopeful that Brit–
ain would not be admitted into the
EEC. Now, Soviet leaders see West–
em Europe headed toward full po–
litical and military integration.
The prospect of a revitalized
Westero Europe, armed to the nu–
clear teeth, sends shudders down the
spines of Soviet leaders! Russians
remember that it was a French
leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, who,
in 1812, 1ed the French army to the
Russian capital.
The Soviets bave not forgotten
that it was Adolf Hitler who ordered
W
e sat down aboard the Russian air–
crah, breathed a sigh of relief and
took so/id comfort in knowing that
the Russians are just as other people. They,
too, can be appealed to and can be per–
suaded to cut through red tape.
Brezhnev 's 1973 visit to the
United States gave further ímpetus
to the Nixon-Brezhnev defense–
trade talks of 1972.
Again, we need to ask why it is
that these two nations want to get
closer togetber.
The Soviet Union is interested not
only in slowing down the missile
race, but also in joint projects on
health, environment, space flight,
trade and scientific cooperation, due
to financia! considerations. But
there is, besides these interests, an
overriding concem few seem to un–
derstand.
The Big Soviet Col)cern
Shortly before my trip to the So–
viet Union, 1 heard Premier Kosy–
gin speak in London. He made it
very clear that Russia is ooncemed,
if not worried, about political and
military developments in Westero
Europe.
The U.S.S.R has been worried
about the unity of Westem Europe
PLAIN TRUTH
October
1973
the German army into Russia in the
early 1940's. The echo of German
guns, halted only 20 miles from
Moscow, still rings loudly in the ears
of older Muscovites.
Let us, for the moment, look at
Westero Europe from the eyes of
the Russians. Millions of older Rus–
sians - mostly women, for many of
the men are dead - still recall the
bloodshed, the suffering, the devas–
tation and the hellish horrors of
World War 11. They also remember
that when the chips were down, it
was Uncle Sam more than any other
nation that carne to the rescue of
Russia.
Millions of these same Russians
lost their loved ones in that night–
marish holocaust. They don't want
to see this happen again!
Before we can properly under–
stand Russian fears, we need to see
the full scope of death and suffering
which the Russians experienced in
World War 11. How many Russians
actually died in World War
11?
No-
body knows! "Demographic evi–
dence suggests that the Soviet
Union may have lost 25,000,000 or
more persons between 1941 and
1946; of these, losses of males of
military age may have been as high
as 15,000,000 to 20,000,000"
(En–
cyclopaedia Britannica,
Vol. 22, 1973
ed.). The suffering from famine,
cold and every conceivable misery
experienced by the people of Lenin–
grad during the Nazi siege of 1941-
44 is beyond human comprehen–
sion. About one million perished!
The Russians can't easily forget
those human sacrifices.
Russia Surrounded
Can you now begin to see why the
Soviets want to improve relations
with America? Plainly, they want an
America which is friendly toward
Russia - even more than they want
American trade and technology!
The Soviet Union is in a vulner–
able position. She sees her south–
eastem neighbor, China, the world's
most populous nation, casting eyes
upon wbat is now Russian territory.
They can see that the 750,000,000
Chinese will someday need more .
living room, and their most likely
direction of expansion is into Rus–
sian territory to the north. Historie
territorial animosities between Rus–
sia and the People's Republic of
China are not about to be healed.
The Chinese presence on their
southeast can be dealt w1th by the
Russians; but the U.S.S.R. has al–
ways, historically, sought to avoid,
at all costs, having two wars going at
the same time. She knows that she
dare not try to take on the West and
also China. This would spell the end
of the Soviet Union.
Soviet Ieaders, of course, have no
love for Arnerica's capitalistic sys–
tem. But they do feel safer with
America placated - in view of
strained relations with China, a re–
surgent Westero Europe, and Japan
(an industrial colossus bordering the
Soviet east) coming up fast on her
eastero fi.ank. Russia sees herself
surrounded.
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