Evening star., 1947-12-26
Mr.. Cowles' Proposal Resisted

To the Editor of The Star:
Nearly every top-hight bureaucrat in Wash
1ngton probably will rejoice In the further
waste OF millions Of dollars proposed by John
Cowles newspaper and magazine publisher, :"
at dinner In New York.
Mr. Cowles generously recommended an imme-
date congressional appropriation of perhaps
$50000,000" for the United States Information
Service, and complete overhaul and reor-
gan1zation of the USIC personnel The latter
portion Of Mr.. Cowles recommendation is
worthy OF a round Of applause.
However, Mr. Cowles insisted that 1--WE need
competent, hard boiled organization in Eu-
rope to get to the people the facts about the
United States and about Russia" But, Just
what facts, Mr.. Cowles? Honest facts? Or
glamour picture?
Would Mr.. Cowles tell the people of Europe
land incidentally, presume, the peoples of
other foreign countries) the facts about our
gray markets" in many essential commodities
about the activities of such labor leaders as
Caesar Petrilo and John L. Lewis, about
the strikes which have exerted such hardship
and economic pressure upon us, about our in
come tax evasions?
Would Mr.. Cowles mention the deterioration
Of American moral values as disclosed by the
pardon Of Mayor Curley and the reception
accorded that gentleman upon his return to
Boston as the city's chief administrative officer?
Would Mr.. Cowles mention the career Of Maj
Gen. Bennett Meyers, the speculative opera
tions OF the wealthy and defiant Mr. Pauley,
the election frauds in Kansas City, or the
underlying and undoubtedly we'll founded belief
that some OF our Government officials have
gained considerable money, because of inside
information, through commodity trading op-
erations-all on a bull" market? .a
Would Mr.. Cowles disclose the facts, about
our slums? Would he give foreign peoples the
facts about our Navajo Indians? Would he
publicize the political buck passing" that
now and then paralyzes constructive measures
in the Congress? Would he mention our refuse
Uttered streets? Would he refer, in passing, to
our national, world-beating record of holdups
burglaries, robberies murders? And our record
OF traffic casualties? Would he inform the
sdemoralized peoples of France, and of the rest
Of the world, of the racial and religious intol-
erance prevailing in the United States? Would
he mention our Woeful lack of sound leadership
our Indifference to our own social deficien-
cies? Or our indifference to reckless Govern
ment spending and colossal waste?
Mr.. Cowles, who is the president of the
Minneapolis Star and Tribune and chairman
oI tQe DOaTQ OF LOOK magazine, said that much
OF the continual European press is "venal and
corrupt" with many officers or owners on the
Russian payroll. Is Mr.. Cowles so sure of the
purity Of our own press, and the purity of our
own editors-some Of them? Mr.. Cowles as
serted that we Americans must endeavor to
persuade European nations to change economic
policies which are impeding recovery But he
refrained from pointing out the policies that
require changing. He assumed that, Of course,
our own economic policies are perfect. Our
rising costs Of living. the threat of imitation in
this country, make Mr.. Cowles trifle ridiculous,
and his speech without warrant in common
sense.
European nations have their own cultures,
their own stupendous difficulties. They hardly
require schooling from us. We are very
generous people, yet think, we should first
set our own house in order before we see
only the deficiencies of Others
I trust the Congress will undertake to study
thoroughly the Department OF States "Voice of
America" and curtail any proposed extension OF
American Information Service throughout the
world. EDWARD JAYEN.