Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-12
Reply to Churchill
By Provdo DepIored
Writer Declares Russians Fail to
Understand Free Speech
BY David Laurence

BY David Laurence
Most important in the development
of relations between Russia and the
outside world Is the bitter denunciation
Of former Prime Minister Churchill by
the official Moscow newspaper Pravda.
The text of the Churchill address at
Fulton, Mo-, was apparently read very
infinitely by the official group. The
fact that the Russians used Pravca
to answer and that the article was
couched, according to a Moscow dis
patch, in bitter, vigorous language
such as is seldom used in that paper
and more in line with prewar castiga-
tons of Churchill as hardened re-
dictionary, warmonger and hypocrite"
will awaken Americans to an awareness
of strange phenomenon. 1t is that
the Russians completely misunderstood
freedom of speech and think that the
best way to conduct persuasive debate
is to call the other fellow bad names.
If the Russian propagandists are
trying to right themselves with world
opinion, they have chosen the wrong
way to accomplish it. One certain way
to make friends for the Churchill view
point is to attack the motives of ths
man who led Britain through victori-
GUS war. The world will not soon cast
away the views of a former Prime
Minister OF Britain as being aimed
solely at bringing on another conflict.
Rads AIiapatirr Er;arI.
It is also regrettable that the Moscow
organ of the Soviet government-its
official newspaper-should be denounc-
ing Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
OF Michigan, as making false speeches
on democracy"
Friends of Russia will be aIienated by
such tactics Russia has many more
friends in the United States than she
evidently knows about, but she can lose
them rapidly If she assumes that the
American people cannot see through
the accusations of official propaganda
or the red herrings which are periodi-
cally dragged across the trails OF world
diplomacy, such as appear in the Russian
note about Bulgaria.
Russia is wasting valuable time that
she could be using to forge a real
friendship with the American people.
Misguided advisers are apparently tell
ing her that she can divide the Ameri-
can people by bitter denunciations Of
those who choose to speak their views
frankly.
There can be no doubt that American
recognize the weaknesses of British i'm
periallsm as well as do the Russians.
Ihere can be no doubt also that a sub
stantial segment Of American opinion is
flexible on the subject of removing the
spheres OF influence" in Europe, wheth-
er they be British or Russian. Yet the
wrong way to solve the problems created
by these spheres or to achieve true
democracy" which term the Russian
organs of opinion use so loosely, Is
to call everybody who disagrees with
Russia Fascist or a warmonger or an
enemy of Moscow
Ignoring the Facts.
If the Soviet is bent on ignoring the
facts OF international life, notwithstand-
ing the genuine efforts of peace-loving
statesmen in other countries, if Moscow
persists in arguing that everything
| Russia wants is hers and every agree
ment must be interpreted as she con-
strues it. then what former Prime Min
lister Churchill begged for may come true
sooner than the Russians realize. For
If the American Government finds the
Russian tactics inscrutable and there is
no genuine interchange of views or sub
stantial progress toward making the
United Nations organization successful,
it will not be long before the world will
be discussing bigger and bigger arma-
ments and the time or place for the out
break of third world war.
What is particularly disheartening Is
that the Russian diplomats and propa-
gandists can so soon forget that the
United States sent 100000 men to open
second front" to save Russia from the
Nazi armies. If the United States had
stayed neutral there would be no Soviet
in existence today, but Nazi regime in
Moscow.
All that is asked is that the Rus
| slams temper their denunciation of Mr..
Churchill and others who served the
Allied cause with a bit of gratitude for
the thousands of Americans and British
who died to beat Germany-from the
fruits of which victory the Moscow gov
eminent has profited and benefited so
extensively.
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