Evening star., 1949-11-24
Publishers in Soviet
Ignore Issue Dates
With Impunity
Pay but Little Attention
To Criticisms Of Press
By Communist Party
Bv David Laurence

By David Laurence
Life In the publishing world Of
the Soviet Union must indeed be
easy-going, with q nonchalance
that apparently can ignore dates
of issue with impunity.
Although the central committee
Of the Communist Party adopted
q resolution in April. 1947. "on
ways of improving the manage
ment Of specialized magazines" I"
in which ministries and editors
were called upon to see to it that
magazines appear on time. 1t now
is disclosed in the latest transla-
tions received here that very little
attention has been paid to the
warning. In criticism Of the
press recently issued by the Com
munist Party appears the follow
ing:
Many Of our magazines i'm
proved their work in recent years,
but there are still many editors
who grossly violate the schedules
governing appearance Of their
publications. -..
"The editors of the magazine
Propagandist and Agitator.' pub
hshed by the chief administration
of the U. S. S. r. armed forces.
display an irresponsible attitude
toward their tasks. The magazine
is supposed to help the party
political workers of the armed
forces by giving them necessary
materials on time. Nevertheless,
not q single issue Of the magazine
appeared on time this year.
"Subscribers received January
issues of this bi-weekly in Feb
ruary, April issues in May, August
issues In September.
Other Magazines As Well.
"Unfortunately. such facts apply
to other magazines as well. The
three final 1948 issues Of the
magazine 'Voprosy Ekonomiki'
did not appear until this year.
The July issue Of the magazine
was sent to subscribers in Septem-
Der. The editors omit the month
of publication Of the various
issues; only the number Of the
issue appears on the cover. 1t is
only by looking at the back Of the
issue that the reader may dis
cover that the April issue was
published in May and the May
issue in June. Do the editors
seriously think that they are
giving economists and others
timely and valuable service under
these conditions?
1.-THE magazine 'Voprosy Istorn'
is issued with great delays. Sub
scribers have just been sent the
May issue. The readers learned
from reading the magazine IN
September that session Of the
history and philosophy division
of the q. s. S. R. Academy OF
Sciences was held at the begin
ming Of March.
"The magazine Voprosy 1stor1i
should appear three times q year.
The year 1949 is nearing its end,
yet not a single 1949 issue has
appeared yet"
The Soviet, critics directed caus-
tic words of criticism also to mag
azines In the field of arts, music
and drama. The newspapers, too,
are berated for various defects.
What seems to bother the Soviet
critics so much is that the news
papers do not display initiative or
originality. It appears also that
the editors, when they do exercise
initiative, pat themselves on the
back too much. Here's what the
Communist Party says:
"The columns Of aTrud' widely
publicize the role Of the editors in
starting these innovations.
Boosting and Falsifying.
TOO widely, as matter Of fact.
The pages Of the paper are ex-.
cessively burdened with data on
measures taken by the editors.
The paper quotes itself In
its own editorials without any
sense Of proportion. 1t seizes
every possible occasion to adver-
tise itself. It has lost the elemen-
tary feeling Of modesty.
"The comrades from 'Trud' have
apparently forgotten that true
initiative is valued first and fore
most for its results. and that true
Bolshevist initiative is incompati-
BILE with >trumpeting and seeking
cheap effects"
Another complaint about an en-
tirely different newspaper, as is
sued by the Communist Party.
says:
'It Is true that the paper has
lately carried more articles and
reports dealing with mass-political
work in the village. but these
materials are general and super
1ciaE. =.
Vivid and rich material show
ing the role Of party members in
Strengthening the economy OF
their collective farms rarely ap-
pears In the paper"
Nowhere in the criticisms Is
there any indication Of what is
going TO be done about these
shortcomings. Apparently the So
viets are content to issue their
criticisms from time to time and
apparently the editors go on
boasting and falsifying and stum-
bling along-because the govern
ment pays all the bills.
CReproduction Rights Esserved.)
eavan pnIin Cnens icfed