Evening star., 1948-10-07
Russian People Eager
For j. ). Information,
Voice. Chief Says
By Gornett D. Homer

'VsS~ SsSsVs SUyS
BY Gornett D. Homer
Assistant Secretary of State George
v. Allen today frankly labeled the
Voice of America and other State
Department foreign information
operations as propaganda" and said
there must be two-way street" in
such activity.
Mr.. Allen spoke at the opening Of
a two-day session Of the United
States Advisory Commission on In
formation, set up by Congress to
recommend policies for the foreign
information program he directs.
He told the group of five experts
that the public "hopes you will tell
us how We can do a better job" in
overcoming the persistent and
widespread misunderstanding OF
American motives abroad"
Mr.. Allen said American propa-
ganda now attracts much more in
terest behind the iron curtain" than
Soviet propaganda does here because
rigid censorship leaves the people of
Eastern Europe starved" for outside
information,
Opposes U. s. Propaganda Curb.
Decrying any suggestion to at
tempt to curtail Soviet propaganda
here, Mr.. Allen said any American
censorship or information controls
would arouse 10 times more in
terest in foreign propaganda" than
exists now.
In speaking Of the State Depart
ment's foreign information activity
as propaganda" Mr.. Allen said:
Let us look the facts squarely in
the face. The United States Gov
ernment and every other govern
ment which engages in foreign in
formation activity is trying to reach
through or over the heads Of for
eign governments directly to their
peoples.
I'VE can eschew the word propa-
ganda If we wish, but we can hardly
deny the fact that when we
maintain libraries abroad and in
vite any one on the street to walk
In, or when we broadcast in q score
of foreign languages every day, we
are trying to get a message direct
to foreign peoples.
High Calling of Patron Saint.
"St. Paul regarded his letter.
writing activity as prQpagating the
faith. We present-day propaganda
lists, who are sometimes regarded as
following a dubious profession, may
take comfort in the high calling Of
our patron saint.
If we ourselves are evangels Of
truth, we are worthy disciples. II
we disseminate untruths. we proflli-
gate the name and deserve the op-
probrium attached to It,"
Mr.. Allen said "a few Americans"
are dubious about the wisdom Of
the Government engaging in propa-
ganda in peacetime. But, he as
serted, a large majority now sub
scribe to the principle embodied in
the Smith -Mundt Act that conduct
Of United States foreign relations
now must include in addition to
traditional diplomatic negotiations,
furnishing foreign peoples directly
with information about our poll
cies and about the American way
Of life"
1.-THE American Government" he
said, maintains reading rooms be-
hind the Iron Curtain, distributes a
daily information bulletin to any
who are bold enough to take 1t, and
OF course, we broadcast daily in the
principal languages of the area.
Moreover, we send $4,000 copies OF
the magazine Amerika, In Russian,
to the Soviet each month for sale
throughout the country. sss
There Is the greatest interest IN
our magazine among the Russian
people, and copies are sold and re-
sold after reading. An instance has
even been reported of single pages
being sold.
"Amerika" In Big Demand.
"There is the greatest contrast be.
tween the lack Of interest among
Americans IN the Soviet Embassy's
IN Washington and the
queues which form In Moscow to buy
issues OF Amerika when they appear.
The answer lies in the fact that
q rigid censorship of all sources
of news exists in the USSR, and
the people are starved for anything
which gives them q picture of the
United States"
Expressing the hope that I'VE shall
never adopt the control of informa-
ton in the United States" Mr..
Allen said he hoped the Advisory
Commission would Judge every prob
lem coming before it "by one in
delible criteria-the determination
to preserve in the United States
and gain abroad the widest possible
extension Of the freedom Of infor-
nation in all its aspects"
Undersecretary Of State Lovett
also was scheduled to address the
Commission today.
Mark Ethridge, publisher Of the
Louisville Courier journal. is chair
man OF the commission. Other
members are Mark May, director
of the Yale University Institute Of
Human Relations; Justin Miller,
president of the National Associa-
ton Of Broadcasters; Philip D. Reed,
chairman of the General Electric
Co., and Erwin D. Canham, editor
Of the Christian Science Monitor
and president of the American So
ciety Of Newspaper Editors.