Confidence in Moscow

Soviet Russia celebrated its 25th anniversary as it did its first--with enemy armies deeply entrenched in Russian soil. But in a sober speech honoring the anniversary last week, grim-faced Joseph Stalin voiced his faith in victory. Said he:

"German summer tactical [objectives] were not consummated. . . . The events of the past year [demonstrate] a progressive rapprochement between the members of the Anglo-Soviet-American coalition. . . . The Anglo-Soviet-American coalition has every chance of vanquishing the Italo-German coalition, and certainly will vanquish it."

Second Front. Without rancor, Stalin built a good part of his speech around the second front--which "[will come] sooner or later . . . because our Allies need it no less than we do." Gone was the tone of reproach, so clear in Stalin's letter to Henry Cassidy (TIME, Oct. 12). Gone was the insinuation that Britain was harboring in Rudolf Hess a diplomatic agent from Hitler.

Stalin did not mention the current battles in the Mediterranean basin, but the tone of his address suggested advance knowledge of the African campaign.

War Aims. In the clearest statement of Allied war aims yet made, Stalin said: "The program of action of the Anglo-Soviet-American coalition is: abolition of racial exclusiveness, equality of nations and integrity of their territories, liberation of enslaved nations and restoration of their sovereign rights, the right of every nation to arrange its affairs as it wishes, economic aid to nations which have suffered, and assistance to them in attaining their material welfare, restoration of democratic liberties, the destruction of the Hitlerite regime."

Toward Germany, Russia's aims were equally clear: "It is not our aim to destroy Germany, for it is impossible to destroy Germany. ... It is not our aim to destroy all military force in Germany. ... It is inadvisable from the standpoint of the future."

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