Evening star., 1946-04-21

Three uisiting Russian Journal
lists. guests OF the American So
ctety OF Newspaper Editors,
agreed to submit to questions
from members of the society i.
session at the Hotel Statler
yesterday.
The Russians, referred to in
the transcript 1Uhich tollo,Ds, are
Gen. Mikhail Galaktionop, mill
tdry editor OF PraDda: Ilya
Ehrenburg OF the editorial staff
OF IsDestia, and Konstanttn
Simonou OF the editorial staff OF
Red Star, best kno,pn to Amer
leans as author of the ,Dar nouel
Days and Nights"
Carroll Binder the Tribune, Min
neapolis): was much interested to
hear Mr.. Ehrenburg say yesterday
that In his judgment. the Russian
newspaper readers are getting an
adequate presentation of United
States news. I think most of the
men here would agree that we are
not now getting an adequate presen-
tation of Russian news. 1 think
that we are getting a less adequate
one than we obtained, say Is years
ago when there were not even diplo-
matte relations between the United
States and Russia, and when our
own relations were less critical than
today.
I remember that in that period
OF the beginning Of the collectiviza-
ton OF industry and agriculture,
correspondents could move freely
about Russia I happened to be
correspondent then. We went with
out special permission to any part
OF Russia, except, think, Turkestan
Not Blind Censorship.
Our dispatches then were, of
course. subject to censorship, but it
was not blind censorship. In that
period, the American newspaper
readers got a more comprehensive
picture of Russian life than is now
obtainable. I am glad the blind
censorship has again been abandoned
In Russia. I believe correspondents
may now know what has been de-
leted in their dispatches, but 1 un-
derstand their movements are still
severely restricted, largely confined
to Moscow. I cannot see how we
can have this reciprocal presenta-
ton from Russia unless there are
changes. Could Mr.. Ehrenburg give
US some word about the intentions
Of his country in that regard, about
facilities for American newspaper
men to travel, and then to report
their findings about Russia?
Mr.. Ehrenburg: AS the question
was referred personally to me, I shall
try to answer it, but I think that
my other colleagues, and particularly
Gen. Galaktionov, will add some
thing after my introduction, con-
cerning this question. Moreover, l
am man of letters and it would be
difficult to illuminate all the oues-
tons which are connected with the
press.
First of all, I want to clarity my
speech of yesterday here. 1 didn't
mean to rebuke the American press
as a whole There are newspapers
which represent material about Rus
sia here quite properly and in the
proper light. OF course, there are
some newspapers which represent it
not in the proper light. In the case
If some newspapers which publish
articles which do not illuminate the
life in Russia, it is done probably by
mistake; some newspapers do it for
he love of mistakes.
Stowe Went to Front.
can tell you something about the
position of journalistic workers in
Russia during the war period, be-
cause during this war period I had
TO deal much with the newspaper
workers. A request was addressed to
me by the American journalist, Le-
and Stowe, asking me to show him
he front in its most awful and hard
EST ways. 1 couldn't personally give
permission to Mr.. Leland Stowe to
30 to the front, but this permission
was given to him by the proper au-
thorities, and Leland Stowe started
with me for the front.
I can say that Leland Stowe is a
man of great courage, and he
reached the headquarters of the
regiment. He spent a day in the
trenches and in the most dangerous
positions at the front, and he could
see what all other Russian journal
lsts would see during the war period
You may say that Leland Stowe was
permitted to do so because in the
opinion of some newspapers and in
some circles here, Leland Stowe is
called Red, but I must say here that
during the war hostilities between
Finland and Russia, Leland Stowe