Detroit evening times., 1945-03-28
BEHIND ~
News
BY Paul
MaIlon

developing some new propa-
ganda phenomena.
Contrast, for example. the
difference in technique and pos
sible effect of the following
three recent items
THE Soviet, periodical,
War and the Working Class"
in Moscow attacked the Vatican
as being pro-Fascist and anti
democratic on the grounds that
the papal state has impeded
"the creation of a free and
democratic Italy"-like Russia.
2-The Soviet newspaper
''Pravda" attacked the American
writer. Walter Lippman. charg-
ing him with "scandalouS asSer-
tionS against Soviet democ-
racy." complaining he did not
put postwar Germany into the
Russian sphere of influence in
some book he wrote, but put il
in IAN Atlantic sphere and,
therefore, was guilty of trying
10 erect buffer state or cor
don SanItaire' around Russia.
3-An editorial published in
an American newspaper said
we should be proud of fighting
on RusSia's side in this war,
that her people were not only
great fighters, but the Russian
constitution was Just like ours.
that il was really inspired by
George Washington. Thomas
Jefferson and Abraham Lin
coin" Upon investigation |
found this was canned edi-
torial circulated by a news
paper syndicate" so small it is
not even known in the business,
but il was published in small
Florida newspaper that l saw.
and presumably other newspa-
pers without identification Of
the SourceD
HERE we have three ex-
IL amples of lines being taken
by Russian propaganda and our
own. in new field Of world
diplomacy opened by this war,
and TO continue from now on.
Take more discerning look at
them. in order:
The government-directed So
Wet periodical attacks the Vati-
can as pro-FaScist. But why?
What are the facts? Well the
first thing that will strike your
eye without research or special
information is that Russia
wants to make Italy "a democ-
racy" like Russia.
Do we? Or do our people
want to make Italy democ-
racy like us, without dictator,
without a one-party totalitarian
system?
Well, what has the Pope done
about that? He issued a Christ
mas message in firm, penetrat-
ing language that the issue
everywhere lies between those
authoritarians who look upon
people as "the masses" 10 be
led. and those who believe in
the people as individuals. with
individual human souls.
He was plainly hitting at
faScism- and communism. Both
are relationships which treat
the people as masses to be gov
erned, without individual rights.
but only maSS-rightS. under
Singlehanded dictatorship tell
ing them what TO do.
THE individual right of the
Il people to tell the govern
ment what TO do in their in
tereStS is what we believe in.
II is the fundamental founda-
ton of democracy, any kind of
democracy. The Pope then
has clearly taken the demo-
cratic side.
But this is a Protestant coun-
try. at least, the large majority
of its people are not Catholics.
They might read the Russian
attack on the Vatican and may
not have read that the Vatican
has been championing n Q
democratic side. They can be
easily miSled
1t seems 10 me the smart
Soviet propagandistS have dis
covered the fertility of the re-
ligious field in this country for
their political strategemS. in
their political dealings with the
Vatican. Our people do not
unders tand that if Stain
reached an accord with the
Vatican. the war and the
working class would be sing
ing the Pope's praises tomor-
row, with no more factual
ground for that than for its
current criticism
TfIE Llppman case is IN every
4 way similar. Mr. Llppman
issued a denial, just as the
Vatican did In its case. He
said that if Pravda had read
and understood his book, II
would know he was against
Gordon Sanitaires' and that he
proposed TO do away with them.
There was no more truth IN
This accusation than that the
Vatican was pro-Fascist
But both the attacks had 10
be carried in our press under
our free democratic system. 10
let the people make their
choice. although not in Russia.
How were our people to know
who was telling the truth?
To any one who knows Lipp-
man or his writings. the impli-