Milford chronicle., 1949-11-11
Iron Curtain
R A
By A. n. SPANIEL, chairn1an
International Late1 CORPORATION

war III. For now that Russia has the atom bomb,
its use as military weapon probably will be out
lawed, just as poison gas was outlawed No nation,
great or small dares to use gas or germ warfare for
fear of reprsal No power will initiate vast destruc
ton by means of atomic weapons, knowing that
another great power will retaliate with even more
terrible destruction
For this reason, reVitaIized United Nations
must forge workable agreement between Russia,
the United States and the other powers, on the
international control of atomic weapons.
But outlawing this weapon is not enough Gas
warfare has been outlawed by agreement for years,
yet World War II came just the same. There is no
guarantee that if atomic warfare is outlawed we
will not drift into World War III because of the
much greater threat to peace, the Iron Curtain
So long as the Iron Curtain divides Europe into
the secret East and the open West suspicion, fear
lack OF mutual understanding, Illustration and the
building up of human hate must inevitably lead to
greater and greater military apprehension pre-
Paredness for war and finally explosion into war
itself Already we are in the midst of colossal arm
aments race.
There is now practically no free movement of
people or of ideas between Russia and her satellite
countries on the one hand and Western Europe
other. Practically all cultural relations are at a
standstil All the suggestions offered by our State
Department and various private organizations since
the end OF the war to exchange students artists,
scientists and literature have failed or remain un
acknowledged.
Not only have these offers been turned down or
disregarded but worse still the Iron Curtain has
been made more rigid and mpenetrable It is in
fact now illegal for Russian citizen to indulge in
conversation with fore uersl
This is the picture sSome of us, in the countries
not dominated by Russia see it, The Russians NAV
have their own version of recent international
developments to justify their blind and completely
isolationSt policy They point to what they consider
hostile plans and pronouncements on the part of
western countries and western spokesmen that
seem to them to belle the genuine offers to estab-
ish friendly relations. There is no point now in
analyzing Russian thinking . or in arguing where
the responsibility lies for this dangerous state of
affairs The fact Stares in the face that the world
is divided intellectually economically and morally
into two great camps, and that the Iron Curtain
between these two camps must be removed before
horrible and irrevocable damage is done on both
Sides
The Russian people are now given a completely
distorted view of our way Of fe of our social eco
nomic, political and religious aims and aspirations
We have no knowledge what the Russians are think
ing and feeling except in the words and actions of
their official spokesmen. On the basis of these
words and actions we cannot but conclude that the
Russian people are being taught consistently that
we are out to destroy them and their system There
fore we of the West must under the circumstances
be prepared for the worst until the Iron Curtain
is lifted.
The attitude of the two camps on atomic energy
and weapons is now undergoing change in view of
the fact that Russia, well as the United States
today possesses atomic power. But even more
urgently does the barrier of the Iron Curtain re.
quire removal. For if peace is our objective any
agreement to outlaw the military use of the atomic
bomb or the agreement on the international control
and inspection of atomic energy, must be accom-
panied by the raising of the Iron Curtain Nothing
less And it is to this end that the statesmen of the
whole world must ferventIy devote themselves
now
For only in the absenceo iron curtains only with
the establishment of free interchange and move
ment between the East and the West of goods
people and cultures, such as must exist between
friendly neighbors, is there hope for the peace
worthy of the struggle.
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