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The political structure of the Eastern part of Europę was far from the ideał. Many peoples were deprived of the rights of self determination and many state-frontiers did not ccrrespond with the wish of the peoples concerned. It would he fatal to repeat the same mistakes again.

A common view held nowadays is that the smali nations cannot exist by themselves; it is true in so far as they may not be able to defend themselves again3t any agression; but on the other hand they are not threatening any of their neighbours.

Ali the many ex*isting differences between these peoples can be solved peacefully with a good will and with the help of the impartial arbitration. No better internie di ar i es in such casos can be imagined then the freedom-loving Eri-tish and American nations, who enjoy the generał respect amongst the peoples of the European Continent.’

The political and economio interdependence of all the peoples from the Baltic to the Mediterrańean and the Black sees leads U3 to conclude that the best solution for securing eaual national independence of those peoples, would be the creation of a Free Federation.

This idea is openly rejected by the Soviets, though it is    impo8Sible to see that the existenco of 3uch a

Federation could thrcaten in any way the Soviets. On the contrary it would safeguard Russia against siny futurę German agressions.

The true reason why the Soviets oppose such a concep-tion is elear to us. A big and strong Federation would put an end to their long policy of dividing and exploiting these smali nations for their own use. It would alsb stop 'the futurę possibilitie3 of invading one-by-onc of these smali States and bargaining for those territories with their German partner, irrespective of whether they are temporary friends or enemies. Another reason for the Russian attitude springs from the fact that the Soviets are unwilling to have any "Union of Free Nations as their neighbour: , for this would show the aifference between the true Federation cf Independent Nations and the so-called Union of the Sov?.et Socialist Republics,