Detroit evening times., 1945-07-09
PAUL
NfALLON
Behind
The News


lished June II and % | con-
Cluded the Russian system IS not
communism, socialism, bolshev-
ism or MarNlSm, but despot-
ism in the name Of Cbut not by)
the lowest class economically
Intellectually and spiritually.
and | came 10 the decision our
democratic way of lie had no
valid grounds for fear of Russia
except from the governmental
standpoint
Her people are friendly, like
able, not grim like their govern
ment, and her production and
her methods, as we'll as her
social results, are so far inferior
-tn ours -thataur- lowest share
cropper or poorest paid worker
would think he was in heaven
now If fully informed of COM
paratiye conditions.
Unlike her people, her eco-
nomIcs and her production, her
socio-eommanai despotic gov
ernment is competitive, aGgres-
Sive, sometimes belllgerent-
and nearly always unfathom-
able, and therefore frightening,
or at least unsettling.
TtE core of this trouble can
u be found in the conclusions
made by our globe-girdling edi-
tors who went out for three
months to promote free press.
l Judge also they did not find
much hope for press liberty, or
even much viii for il, outside of
The British Empire and the
United States. You cannot
have liberty Without free
press. and you cannot have
free press without liberty. T.
The San Francisco agree
ment pledged freedom of lam
GuaGe, but what good is that,
without freedom of speech?
But what does Russia think?
Her editors were so far from
our Inc of thought as 10 be
completely incomprehensible Of
our meaning Of freedom.
They write only what The
government wants, and the gov
efHhfeftt Is Sfnfteheatted drc-
tatorShlp operated by one legal
party of 100000 people in
population of 1S3,000.000.
IRON the news standpoint, as
walled herself in against the
world, completely isolated her.
self. Our reporters there are
confined 10 the Hotel Metropole
for living room, may not frater-
nize with Russian officials or
people, can get news only which
has been printed in the few Of
flClal government papers.
But their reporters roam the
United States at Will, indeed
even have representatives at
tend all our open press confer
enCcs. including those of the
President, and write freely any
thing they wish.
| have heard some people say
she suffers from an lnferlorlty
complex. Perhaps.
Perhaps, also, she is afraid 10
let her own people know too
much, and therefore feels she
must censor any understanding
of their government by them as
we'll as by US?
I NIGHT attempt 10 trac k
Il down the why of this were II
not true that the same attitude
of the government extends far
beyond news into other fields.
Russia refused 10 go into our
air conference at Chicago, even
to discuss letting airplaneS go
over her country. AS matters
stand now, she has isolated her
air from the world d as COM
pletely as she has isolated her
land and her news.
Before the war all our world
flicrs had trouble getting per-
mlts to cross Russia. To get
into Russia by land or sea is as
difficult task as by air, In all
ways Russia SeemS-beht en-iit-
inc outside the normal world.
and she is taking all she can get
of Europe into the same I'M
able\Subterranean cham
Der Of isolation with her.
Whatever Interpretation you
accept. the conclusion is ines
capable that unless this Situ-
alton is eliminated, there can
not be peace.
TIIE first thing ! would do 10
L put rs on an even mutual
plane IS 10 have Congress enact
law putting us on a reciprocal
basis as to rights Whatever
rights Russia grants us, we
would grant her.
If she denies our citizens the
right TO free travel IN her codn-
Try. her citizens should not have
the right 10 free travel here. If
the Democratic party is denied
rcDrcSCntation in Moscow. the