Evening star., 1945-04-09
Lasting Unity Declared
u. S.-Russion Goal
But Writer Declares Friendship
Is Impaired by Lid on News
Bv David Laurence

LUZ 'NiitSi DSSioASS 1iaShaSAiP
Is Impaired by Lid on News
By David Laurence
Relations between the American
people and the Russian people can be
developed into a lasting friendship.
and certainly every effort should be
made to achieve it.
But peoples may have a desire for
friendship and still be impeded or misled
by governments or rulers. At present
relations between the government at
Moscow and the Government at WASH
ingtor are believed to be close The
Big Three meeting at Yalta was held to
bring about governmental cooperation.
And yet there are certain incidents
which are causing observant people Of
this country to be concerned. Whether
the Russian people know anything
about these matters is, of course, un-
known for what happens inside Russia
is known only to the governmental au-
thorities there.
For instance, American news cor
respondents are not allowed to travel
about as they wish inside Russia Nor
can they report what they see for
there is strict political censorship and
any correspondent who doesn't write
what the Russians want written can be
expelled. This has been true in peace
time, too. Russian newspapers fire.
quently print critical replies to American
comments on Russian affairs but the
Russian newspapers do not as rule
print what the Americans have said In
answer
One-Way Street.
Thus we have one-way street every
criticism that Russia wishes to send out
OF her country is printed here but
rarely is anything of the American view
point allowed to percolate into Russia
The customary reply made by Russian
newspapers-and they are all under
government controls to attack Ameri-
can critics as the friends of Hitler or
Goebbels.' No matter what the criticism
is the Russian press usually accuses the
foreign papers that disagree with them
as being interested either in impairing
Allied unity or in helping the Axis.
This is not healthy state of affairs
For 1t amounts to intimidation of
American channels of expression and 1t
has had. unfortunately bad effect on
our own State Department which feels
that Russia must be appeased and
never given the benefit of constructive
criticism-at least not in public-and
there is no way of knowing whether
our State Department speaks frankly
to the Russians behind the scenes.
For several weeks there has been news
coming into Washington of what ap-
pears to be hlgh-handed tactics on the
part of the Russians in handling Po-
land. Hungary and Romania. Reports
are reaching here from reliable sources
that the Russians are liquidating per-
sons they do not like. The Polish gov
ernment in exile has complained that
some of her officers invited to Warsaw
have disappeared. Have these been de-
ported to Siberia or killed or what?
| Foreign Minister Eden felt compelled
recently to issue a public warning to
the Russians not to molest the families
in Poland of officials of the Polish
government in London.
American correspondents are not al
lowed freedom to report what goes on
in the countries under Russian influ-
ence. The State Department here,
moreover, pursued policy of deliber-
ate suppression of important news in
its possession for fear of offending
Russia Why cannot all the facts be
brought out into the open? Why is the
great American Government afraid to
publish the truth about what is going
on in the so-called liberated areas?
Disquieting Action.
At Teheran in 1943 an agreement
was made among Russia, Britain and
the United States that unilateral ac-
ton must be eliminated and that steps
must be taken only in unison among
the Allies This was disregarded >but
again the pledge was given at Yalta
in l945 only to be disregarded since
in respect to Romania and Poland.
These evidences of unilateral saction
are disouieting Will unity be served
by saying nothing and letting the Mos
COW government do as it pleases? There
are many Americans who say yes" to
that question and who look askance at
any criticism whatsoever of Russian
policy. They are sincerely convinced
that Russia must be appeased no mat
ter what the cost in dignity or prestige
and that the United States has no
business questioning what is happening
in the areas contiguous to Russia no
matter what the pledges or agreements
were.
Another section Of American opinion,
also interested in seeing cordial rela-
tions established with the Russian peo-
Pile, are hopeful that the present gov
ernment of Russia will soon perceive
that distrust and suspicion grow when
there are no explanations of what is
happening and when news of incidents
such as are occurring in the liberated
states is suppressed and American cor
respondents are denied freedom to report
news of areas won by the Allies that
are now outside the fighting zone.
Reproduction RiEhts Reserved.)
Grievous Omission
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