Delay by the Supreme Soviet in ratifying the communazi deal was first interpreted as springing from some hidden motive in J. Stalin's hairy and devious bosom. A few wishful thinkers even called this delay "the double-doublecross." Inaction by the Red Army except on the Asian front, where it now would have both hands free against Japan, was twisted around into an aspect of the deal actually helpful to the Democracies.
But last week, on the last day of August and of peace in Europe, all such hopes and aspects suddenly lost their brightness. The Red Army started massing on Russia's European front. Its high commander, Marshal Kliment ("Klim") Voroshilov, the close-knit, close-mouthed cavalryman who is the most genuinely popular individual among all of Russia's 170,000,000 polyglots, issued significant new orders for his battle host. And J. Stalin's Supreme Soviet met, was harangued, went through its parliamentary motions in accordance with A. Hitler's schedule. For the time being, for perhaps two years at least, the Hitler-Stalin cross was cast as a simple double one.
Any Japanese relief at the Red Army's move westward was quickly offset by official Red fanfare in decorating nearly 1,000 Red warriors for services in the Far East. One of the heroes was, significantly, General Grigory Stern, whilom commander of the Red Far Eastern Army, who had been reported in disrepute for not fighting hard enough in the border war with Japan but was now hailed as "a glorious commander who possesses the secret of victory."
"Klim" Voroshilov now has to wear eyeglasses, but Russia's masses still think of him as a dashing, young desperado on horseback. His muscle-bulging act last week was performed with all due modesty before an afternoon session of the Supreme Soviet, sitting 1,100 strong in its vast, naked chamber at the Kremlin (the Tsar's onetime throne room, done over in pure white). The Red Army, its chief reported, was prepared to fight alone any time, win alone anywhere. To join its 2,500,000 men already under arms, another 500,000 reservists would be called up at once. The age for infantry conscripts was lowered from 19 to 17. (Popular "Klim" got a big laugh by observing that too many conscripts aged 21 and 22 used to get off because they had two or three children. He hoped the 17-year-olds would be less precipitate.) Exemptions for higher education, time off for family reasons, were sharply cut. "We need intellectuals in the Army!" cried he.
Howling joy, thunderous applause were the Supreme Soviet's response to this plain, rifle-thumping talk from a simple, brave soldier. When they met again that evening to hear Premier & Foreign Commissar Molotov's explanation of the deal with Adolf Hitler, the delegates were equally anxious to cheer, equally willing to hear and obey, but they made less noise about these matters of high politics which passed, of course, far over their massed round heads. Sitting in joint session were both houses of the Russian "parliament"?the Council of the Union representing the eleven constituent republics,* one delegate for each 300,000 of population, 569 delegates in all; and the Council of Nationalities (574 delegates), representing and wearing the outlandish costumes of 54 nationalities.