Evening star., 1949-12-25

in New York, the Voice broadcast
the details. Within a matter OF
hours the news was common
knowledge in Moscow. It seemed
that every one-chauffeurs, clerks
and even minor government Off
cials-knew all about 1t before
Russian newspapers printed q
word on the subject. Indeed, ex-
cept for the Voice, the Russian
people might well never have
heard Of the case at all. And the
Soviet government might have
been spared the most ridiculous
diplomatic gaffe 1t has made In
many years. 't
The Kremiin chose to ignore the
broadcasts for the first several
months. Then the ace Soviet
poison-penman, nya Ehrenburg,
was called upon to open fire on
the Voice. He did so with his
usual waspish skill, with the
resultant free publicity for the
broadcasts and much to the de-
light Of Voice officials. Since that
time, Pravda. Izvestia and most of
the other official publications,
have taken up the fight.
The Voice has become one of
the favorite targets of the Moscow
propagandists. lampooned by car
toons, parade floats. vaudeville
skits and circus clowns. The Lit
erary Gazette calls it 'the drunken
rattling of the Whiteguardist car
rion which is daily poisoning the
ether" Radio Vladivostok says:
"The Voice of America is diligently
reserting to the same tricks which
are being used by the American
reactionary press in deceiving Its
own people" On last March l,
the Moscow Home Service broad
cast: "It is clear to every one that
the Voice of America enjoys no
success in the U. S. 8. r. and
hardly any one listens to it."
Jammins Cuts Listeners
And yet, only seven weeks later,
Soviet authorities saw fit to start
a multimillion- dollar jamming
operation to drown out broadcasts
that hardly any one listens to. "
The jamming was nearly 100 per
cent effective at first and has con-
tinued to enjoy a high degree OF
success, although the broadcasts
break through occasionally for
brief periods Of time.
AS a result Of the jamming. the
Voice added new Russian pro-
grams, utilized additional trans
tmitters, began repeating its pro-
grams by transcription on a a.
hour basis, started jamming- proof
Morse transmission Of news every
hour around the clock. frequently
changed frequencies and took
various engineering steps designed
to overcome the man-made inter-
ference. .
The multiple jamming Of every
possible broadcast frequency must
have discouraged vast majority
of the Voice audience. At the
same time. the knowledge that
their government is trying to blot
out the broadcasts undoubtedly
serves to increase the desire OF
many Russians to know what Is
being said. We are getting through
enough now to reach these, and
to reach that core Of the millions
whose personal lot in the work
ers' paradise" has given them
every reason to hate the regime
With q supplemental appropria-
ton of $11,500,000 recently ap-
proved by Congress, the Voice
hopes that it will be able to pene-
trate the jamming curtain and
again reach the Soviet peoples on
large scale. It is extremely i'm
portant, for the present and for
the future, that we do reach them
Shortly after the intensive jam
ming began. a Moscow resident
risked probable slave labor camp
term, or worse, to smuggle through
letter giving his opinions Of the
jamming. He described 1t as "yet
another example Of the ways Of
the Soviet democrats who have
prevented people from knowing
truth about life Of Europeans and
Americans"
Relies on Foreign Service
To do an effective job, the Voice
Of America must know and under
stand the existing situation not
only in the q. S. S. r. but In each
| of the areas to which it beams its
broadcasts. It must know the his
tory, background. traditions. So
cial practices and mental concepts
of the peoples it wishes to reach
These factors, must be weighed ir
producing broadcasts which give
foreign audiences a true picture
Of what is going on in the world
| Of today.
For this information from in
side the target areas, the Voice o1
America must depend to a DOM
inant degree on the American For
eign Service. It must look to the
Foreign Service for help In the
construction and maintenance o1
overseas relay facilities; for news
Of happenings in the area which
will lend vitality and conviction
to its broadcasts; for evaluation
Of program effectiveness, and for
information about distortions
which need to be counteracted
with factual data. The Voice must
look to the Foreign Service fol
reports on the prejudices, miscon-
ceptions and misinformation which
may exist in the minds Of the lis
teners; for criticisms and for ad-
vice on the types Of programs II
which the audiences are most
interested.
The operation Is admittedly far