Evening star., 1947-05-21
Russian Government
Held Unfamiliar With
Reciprocity Meaning
Bv Darid laurence

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Thus, for example, the United
States permits the publication in
New York Of a daily newspaper de-
voted to the Communist cause
This paper is presumably financed
by private persons and not by the
Russian government.
Would the Russian government
permit American citizens to finance
and publish daily newspaper in
Moscow devoted to the cause Of
democracy as the people of the
United States understand that term?
There is much discussion now
adays about the importance of con-
tinuing a short-wave radio broad
cast service to Russia, known as the
Voice of America, and several
members of the House of Represent
atives seem to think this broadcast
ing Is job to be done not by the
State Department but by private
citizens to whom the task would be
let by contract. with the Govern
ment paying the expense.
Stain Interview Recalled.
While there is a relatively small
number of radio sets in Russia, this
Is not the only means of communi-
cation that could be utilized. A
daily newspaper in Moscow would be
as good If not better way to reach
the Russian reading public.
1t will be recalled that Marshal
Stain told former Governor Stassen
Of Minnesota recently that censor
ship prevailed in Russia because
the press of other countries was
subject to exaggerations and even
untruths Maybe Mr.. Stain doesn't
read the Communist newspaper
published in New York, but If he
wants to get a good example of
American tolerance and omission of
censorship. he should read the daily
Communist organ. 1t does better
Job of distortion and twisting of
quotations out of context, plus prop
aganda, than any partisan news
paper Of general circulation in
America ever did, though 1t must
be conceded some of the organs of
certain highly respectable labor
unions are close rivals in their per-
sistent stimulus of bitterness among
workers against their employers.
1t will be said at once that, of
course, there isn't the slightest
chance that the, Russian govern
ment will permit an American
owned daily newspaper to operate in
Moscow, and that short-wave radio
doesn't require any facilities inside
Russia. Obviously the short-wave
service should be rendered, too, but
the American Government has every
right to ask for the privilege for
Americans to operate publications
inside Russia as long as Communist
dailies are permitted inside the
United States.
Foreigners generally can publish
newspapers In Great Britain.
France and in Latin American
countries. There is no just reason
why Russia should exclude foreign
ers from publishing their periodicals
and newspapers inside Russia. Nor
is there any valid reason why the
Soviets should Exclude the corre-
spondents who wish to enter Russia
to write about what is going on
there.
Censorship Laid to Fear.
The Soviet government, even with
a censorship to protect itself against
the sending. out Of false news, per-
mits only Handful of foreign cor
respondents to remain either in
Moscow or anywhere else in Russia.
The reason for this has never been
satisfactorily explained. The official
excuse is lack of housing, but 1t is
believed the real reason is the fear
that the Russian government might
not be able successfully to suppress
the truth of what's happening inside
Russia if there were too many
foreign correspondents, some of
whom might elude the vigils of the
secret police and travel around the
country.
The belief prevails in many quar-
ters here that the Russian govern !
ment is really ashamed of what is
happening behind the Iron Cur
tain" and that it does not want
foreign correspondents to learn of
the squalor and starvation that
exist or of the cruel manner in
which the population is treated.
This is one reason why attacks on
America are SO frequent and SO bit
ter over the Russian radio. The
purpose is to mislead the Russian
people into believing that the plight
of relatively small segment of the
share-croppers in the South is the
plight of all America and that
hence the Russian people should
not credit the reports of high |
standard of living inside the United
States.
The impression being brought
back here by visitors to Russia is
that the standard of living in that
country is very low indeed. If true,
the Russians are missing bet, for, /
If they allowed freedom of the press |
and the emergence of truth, there |
would be a tendency in America to
find ways and means of reaching an
understanding with the Russian
people so that they-like the people |
of Greece and Turkey-could be
assisted along the road to economic |
rehabilitation.
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