Evening star., 1946-04-26
Russiun q
Liken

IIken
Accentuate Al
Allied Bad Fee
By Dapid I
The American Gov
to comprehend the RI
current International
known, but some of
contradictions that lei
of mind have not beer
Thus Government d
ceive every day from
from the Russian pl
broadcasts. Day in and
dispatches are studied
published only with Il
the Russian governmeI
Scarcely a day goes b,
sian press does not sele1
some article taken from
press which is a criticism
Of the United States Cove
body who speaks out again
policy is given prominence
sian newspapers. The otht
American author wrote bo0N
ing some differences of opinion
American and British military
over campaign strategy in the
This is given sensational emphasis
Russia.
The tendency appears to be to accen-
tuate articles that have produced or
are likely to produce friction or bad
feeling between America and Britain.
Under a system of free press this is
permissible and understand BILE, because
any newspaper should have the right
to print or emphasize what it pleases.
But in Washington it has been re-
peatedly stated by the Russians that
the only reasons for their control OF
the press is to maintain friendly rela-
tions with foreign powers and that
criticisms or dispatches in the news
papers which tend to promote ill-feel-
ing are controlled and can be sup
pressed.
Censorship in Balkans.
Throughout the Balkans the Russian
conception of censorship has been i'm
posed on the smaller states by the iron
hand Of Moscow and the argument in
defense usually Is that the dispatches
going out of such countries may pos
sibly reflect on the country in question
in relation to the outside world.
If, therefore, the Russian point OF
view is that of a controlled or censored
press Is necessary in order to prevent
peoples from being inhamed against
one another by unfriendly dispatches,
then the Moscow government certainly
has its tongue in its cheek as it allows
criticism of the American Government
as we'll as the British government SO
often to be given display in the Russian
newspapers.
Nobody here wants to see any of this
criticism suppressed but would ask that
the Russians allow the other side Of
the controversy also be printed or at
least to permit the Russian people to be
told when a minority or a majority
sentiment in the United States Is be-
ing transmitted.
The Russians, however, are adamant
against allowing anything except what
the Moscow government wants printed
to be published. This tends to make
the Stain government responsible for
everything that appears in the press in
Russia. Foreign governments now feel
that an attack on the United States or
Britain through Pravda or Red Star
or Izvestia is the same as if the Rus
sian government had issued a statement
denouncing these governments.
The technique of selecting criticisms
voiced by persons who do not repre-
sent the prevailing sentiment in the
United States, but who happen to take
the Russian side OF q controversy, is
similar to that employed by the Nazis
before and during the last war period.
Theory Of Germans.
The Germans developed the tech
nique on the theory that this was the
way to stir up internal dissension and
cause a rift between Russia and the
United States or between Britain and
America. The Russians were loud in
their condemnation Of such tactics but
nevertheless in recent months they have
adopted the Nazi method almost en-
tirely.
The use of Nazi propaganda methods
by the Russians is one Of the obstacles
to better understanding. 1t Is raising
questions here as to the sincerity Of
those Russian officials who profess
openly great friendship for the United
States and Britain and then permit a
controlled press to give display to such
attacks.
There can be no doubt of the genuine
desire Of the American Government
and the American press to find a basis
for friendly and cordial relations with
the Russians. But recent events, and
especially the extension OF the Russian
censorship into sovereign countries in
the Balkans under Moscow's control,
have produced much disappointment
and encouragement. Until hurdles like
these are surmounted, the settlement
Of larger questions of state will in
evitably be delayed.
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