Evening star., 1946-02-19
Spy System Seen
Working Two Woys
Little Difference Between u. s.
and Russia, Writer Contends
By Dasid Laurence

By David Laurence
There's an old saying that people In
glass houses shouldn't throw stones. The
American people can hardly blame the
Russians for their efforts to ferret out
secrets from the Canadian government
or any other government when the
United States Government is making
preparations to use q worldwide spy
system itself. The use of espionage in
wartime has always been recognized as
on = parity with the other deyiations
from moral code between enemy coun-
tries but the concept OF peaceful nations
spying on one another when they are
supposed to be friendly Is something
that cannot be denounced only when It
Is applied by Russia.
The plans of the American Govern
ment are no less ambitious than those
OF other governments today. A world
wide spy system for the United States
has actually been advocated before con-
gressional committees and undoubtedly
Government funds will be provided for
the purpose.
Press VS.. Propaganda.
The extent to which the habits Of the
war period are carrying over to peace
time Is no better illustrated than In the
plan OF the American Government to
enter the propaganda field and spread
our officially colored views in all parts
OF the world. The recent controversy
between the press associations and the
State Department as to the supply Of
news to the department to be incor-
porated in its foreign broadcaSts is really
OF secondary Importance compared to
the openly announced purpose of the
Washington Government to conduct an
official propaganda machine.
There are some observers who see little
difference between the Communist and
Fascist propaganda machines, on the
one hand, which in the last decade or
more have received official sanction by
governments in Europe, and the plan of
the American Government likewise to
adopt propaganda methods so as to put
across a certain viewpoint in foreign
lands.
But it will be contended that 1t Is
essential to get the American view
point known in foreign countries and
that the American news agencies do not
penetrate all countries. These Amer
ican news associations have built up a
reputation for integrity-and integrity
means complete separation from the in
fiuence of any government or from the
receiving of government funds.
In the few places in the world where
the American press associations do not
cover. and indeed in all countries, there
is no reason why American Embassies
and Legations should not furnish to
newspapers there copies of all oficial
texts and any information needed by
the press to answer questions concern
ing American policies.
Goebbels' Technique.
But this is far different thing from
a propaganda broadcast in which the
United States Government agencies
would be sending out certain state
ments which the listener could be asked
| to believe are authentic and which, if
presented between bulletins of the press
associations, could hurt the prestige of
news disseminating companies by Great
ing the impression that the Goebbels'
technique has finally prevailed in the
democratic countries. ...-
Plenty of information about the
United States can be distributed through
official channels, but there is no neces-
sity for the American Government to 20
into the business OF distributing news
or Of giving out interpretations of news
which it will not sponsor oficially.
During the war, broadcasts of an edi-
torial nature were written to influence
opinion in foreign countries and psy-
Geological warfare, as it was then
| called, was generally conceded to be de-
sirable as means of stirring up revolt
in enemy countries and shortening the
war.
But in peacetime 1t is not the func-
tion OF the American Government to
attempt to influence public opinion In
other countries through the question
able methods Of broadcast propaganda
which the United States itself so often
has denounced, whether 1t emanated
from Moscow or Berlin.
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