Stranica 1 [1]
XANo1l3. for September 1952.
THE ARCTIC ROUTE - STRATEGIC SVALBARD.
In the last few weeks, three different sets of news
were mentioned in the intemational press. Strangely enough, they
were not given the imoortance they warrant and especially they
were not linke@ to each other and were not shown in the total
picture of which they form a vital parte
One newS mentioned that Royal Canadian and US Air Forces
had become aware of increasing Russian air e tivities in the
arctic. “+hese planes are supposedly Leaving? the important and
northern=most Siberian bases of Cape Chelyushkin or from one of
the air fields establishea in the Murmansk and Archangelsk area.
Bypasssing either Severnaja Semlja forxthexvkans}}xex ("Nordland")
or the island group of Semlja Fuanzisa Josifa, they take towards
the North role. From here, some of them are rpported to return
to Soviet territory; others are said to continue further until they
reach the North-American continent and, flying along its northern=
most coast line return to Siberia, especially to the vast Kolyma basis.
The second is connected with the large NATO manoecuvers,
foressen in the Notbh European and North Atlantic area for the
middle of the present months It was to be held on tr ree different
spots: Northern Norway, Southern Norway and Denmamk. Hussian reaction
to that plan was a stwong one. It expressed itself through marked
pressure, exercised on the three Scandinavian countries: on Sweden
for planning Baltic manaeuvers at the same time; on Denmank for
violating the 1945 agreement by accepting the use of Bornholm island
by others than purely Danish units; on Norway, for building important
air basis all along its coastal line and linking their use with NATO
movementSe these pressures and the marked Russian sensibility in the
areas of the Baltic, the sorth atlantic and the Arctic Seas, has
aroused mervousness and apprehension in the Scandinavian worlde
Taking this situation into accoynt, the NATO manoeuvres are Limiting
the area they expected to cover and will be careful in avoiding
those waters and territories where strongest reactions might be |
fearede
ri eae aS
un “ugust 22, finaily, the Fublic Law Division of the
moscow Academy of Sciences published an official communique. The
four Aretice Seas - those of Kara, Laptev, Zastern Jiberia ond
Chukotsk - were declared Soviet national territory, on which the
soviet Union has exclusive and absolute sovereignity. This
sovereign rights extend not only to the, soastal waters or the islands,
but equally to the entire Folar zone. "his decision was explained
by the fact that these waters and territories were first d@scovered
and explored by Russia and also because they prolong Soviet ierritorye
It was emphasized that this clear definition of national waters was
to oppose so-called American ambitions, claiming for themselves the
total pessession of all Arctic waters and this with an aggressive
view in mind.s.--.- Undoubtedly, - by the fact of its largescale
international and strategic~imptieations, - this hoscow communique
S6.