Evening star., 1945-06-13
Differences in Press
Need Not Be Barrier.
Soviet Writer Says
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
MOSCOW, June 13-Evgeni Zhu-
kov, an Izvestia correspondent COW
ering the San Francisco Conference
said today that differences in con-
cept between the press of Russia
and the United States or other
countries need not bar understand
lngs between them for improving
information and mutual communi-
cation.
He condemned what he described
AS the formal" type of freedom of
the press in the United States and
other countries, but said that If
those countries wished this type of
press the Soviet Union had no in
tention of trying to dissuade them
from it.
Commenting on the difference in
the conception, Mr.. Zhukov said:
of course, this does not mean
that any concrete agreement on
purely practical problems is impos-
sible for improving information and
mutual communication between the
Soviet and the American or any
other press"
Refers to Editors Report.
Mr. Zhukov referred to the report
of Wilbur Forrest, assistant editor
OF the New York Herald Tribune
Ralph McGill, editor of the Atlanta
Constitution, and Dean Carl w.
Ackerman of Columbia University's
graduate school of journalism to the
American Society of Newspaper
Editors.
(Mr. Forrest, Mr.. McGill and
Dean Ackerman recently COM
pleted 40,000-mile journey
around the world to discuss free
dom of the press and of COM
munications in the postwar
world.
In their report they said the
Russians were challenging the
United States conceptions of a
free press They received from
the Soviet vice commissar of
foreign affairs, however, an ex-
preston of willingness to seek a
common ground in the matter of
freer exchange of news and
more fair and adequate mutual
writing and reporting)
Mr.. zhukov said the American
conception of .'freedom of the press
actually brings up completely silly
situation: Calumny against private
persons and moreover the murder
OF an individual is set upon by law.
but calumny against friendly coun-
try and starting war with it, this
Is an appeal to mass murder and
remains unpuniShed.
Calls Results Undemocratic.
He continued: ''Pro-Fascist propa-
eanda which is carried on in the
United States under the disguise of
freedom of the press is not only
directed against other countries, but
against, first of all, American de-
mocracy. In this case, formal free
dom of the press creates absolutely
undemocratic results. Scarcely any
one can envy such situation.
we have no inclinatio to urge
on any one in America our own
understanding of freedom of the
press, but equally we do not want
upheld as the last word in democ-
racy such freedom of the press
which produces Hearsts, brings pa
pers to irresponsibility, inspires false
information and the seeds of suspi-
cion in the relations between coun-
tries and sometimes actually pro-
vokes conflict between them. We do
not need such democracy Let
others have it."
Referring TO the fact that news
papers are privately owned in the
United States, Mr.. Zukov concluded
But even if we leave aside the de-
cisive side of the problem, what
makes Americans think they have
the worlds most free press? The sole
argument is the absence of moral
and political responsibility before
the people of the U. S. A. for the
views set forth in the press. Prac-
tically it means that, according to
the canons of formal democracy
pro-Fascist reactionary forces In
the U. S. A. have, on the same
grounds with the democratic and
progressive, equal right of circu-
lation.'