Evening star., 1948-08-26
Moscow Called Stupid
In Propaganda Battle
Over Teacher Case
Criticism Inside Soviet
Will Grow as Result
Of Clumsy Diplomacy
By David Lawrence

All the world knows that the
Soviet government doesn't under
stand the simplest elements of
craftsmanship. Having been beaten
fairly and squarely in a propaganda
battle over the plight of Russian
school teacher, the Moscow govern
ment chooses to display it's pique
and bad humor by closing two con-
sulates of the United States in
Russia.
The operations of the consulates
are 1nconsequential because very
little business is done through them
anyway, but the damage done by
the episode to the prestige of the
Russian people is consequential, in
deed. The Russian people should, of
course, not be blamed for the uttE
stupidity and clumsiness of their
government.
Complex diplomacy may be diff
ficult to interpret but the expert
ence of the Russian school teacher
with dictatorship isn't. The Soviet
authorities might have known that
she would tell her story to the
American people and that the con-
sular officials in New York would
be convicted in the court of public
opinion of both coercion and lying
Instead of letting the Russian con-
sui in New York take the blame
and thus clear the Russian govern
ment. the Moscow bureaucrats
themselves got entangled in a de-
tense of the consul so that they
thought there apparently was no
way out except to retaliate.
Lost Prestige, Too.
There was another way. 1t was to
confess frankly what had happened
and for the Russian government to
clear itself before the people of the
world. But that would have involved
the Christian principle of relying
on the truth as guide to human
behavior, whereas In the Soviet
government there is apparently no
such concern for the tenets of
Christianity
How much better 1t would have
been for the Russian people if their
government could have stood before
the world as understanding fair
play and craftsmanship Even
though the incident be regarded
As having political implications in
Europe. it is safe assumption
that. among the peoples of the
satellite states, the Russians lost
prestige, too
1t was clumsy business all around
For the Russian Ambassador him.
self got caught in the web of un-
truth and artificial explanation The
charge that the Russian teacher
was kidnapped" or that she jumped
because she resented the fuss made
over her by the press has all been
disproved now by the teachers own
statement. Her revelation that she
intended from the outset to escape
from the clutches of the Russians
will be printed on all continents
and will put a black mark across
Soviet statements hereafter. For the
Russians have been proved to be
guilty not only of serious untruth
but OF having publicly made false
charge against the American Gov
ernment itself.
1t is difficult to see how any
mutual trust can be built on such
shaky foundations 1t is difficult to
see also how the Russian govern
ment can hope to make any progress
with other nations throughout the
world when it chooses to close
It's consulates as an act of reprisal
against America for pointing out
the indiscretions of a Russian con-
sui.
Way Out of Tyranny.
The Russian people themselves
are good sports. They have a sense
Of fair play They would be a re-
ligious people if permitted They
are as helpless today, however, as