Evening star., 1950-08-23
MaIik 'sAffack on u. ).
As 'Aggressor' Shows
Soviet Weakness
PoIitburo Afruid Truth
About Koreu Will Get
Back to Russiun People
Rp Davfd Laurence

puSk ~ NuSSiuII SOpIS
By David Laurence
What is the true Importance of
the tactics being pursued by Jacob
Malik, the Soviet delegate to the
United Nations, in constantly
calling America an "aggressor'?
Why does the Kremlin place so
much emphasis on the Mallk
speeches?
To accept offhand the theory
that the Russian purpose is just
to convince the people of the
United States that American
forces instigated the episode in
Korea is to credit the Soviet prop
agandists with less intelligence
than they probably have. They
certainly know that a powerful.
American system of newspaper,
periodical and radio distribution
of the facts would prevent any
widespread acceptance of any
such Russian charges.
Then what is the real idea back
of the Malik propaganda? 1t is
beginning to be believed here that
Melik is leading from weakness
rather than strength and that
. the Politburo is afraid the truth
about the Russian aggression in
North Korea will get back to the
Russian people. It is, therefore,
to argue with their own people
that the spectacular attack at
Lake Success has been staged.
What better platform for SEEM
ingly authoritative statements
could have been erected to suit the
Russian propaganda directed to
their own populace?
Lesson to Be Learned.
There are lessons to be learned
from the episode. The Soviet
government evidently respects
propaganda far more than does
the American Government as an
instrument of international policy.
The Soviets have sympathizers in
small groups in different parts of
the world who hear over the radio
the official party line, and it may
be. the Kremlin, strategists think
they can sway public opinion in
Asia and Latin America. The
United Nations is an excellent
sounding board apparently. If
this is so, then the Allied nations
have not used it to the extent
that they might.
Certainly the rebuttals of the
Malik speeches are not sharp and
incisive nor planned from the
propaganda standpoint of coun-
terattack. The speeches thus far
of the American and British rep
resentatives have been meritori-
Gus as scholarly arguments and
oratorical efforts, but propaganda
techniques require offensive as
well as defensive strategy.
Thus, the failure of the Russian
government to return prisoners
to Japan and Germany is being
announced as a subject for the
United Nations Assembly to con-
slider next month. but it is a
much better subject for debate
right now in connection with the
Korean episode, for it shows that
the Soviet government is conceal
ing the truth on a very important
subject. The prisoners either have
been liquidated or else are still
working at hard labor. The in
humane aspects can be empha-
sized as proof Of ruthlessness.
North Korean Atrocities.
Similarly the atrocities COM
mitted by the North Korean
troops do not seem to have oc-
casioned much attention at Lake
Success. The Russian delegate,
who protects and defends North
Korea in debate, has not been
put on the spot for requesting a
North Korean representative to
attend peace conferences when
that representative is the head
of a faction guilty of inhumane
warfare.
Likewise. the cablegram from
the Chinese Communist foreign
minister to Delegate Malik has
not been condemned as it should
have been by every member o1
the United Nations Council
whether or not diplomatic recog-
milton has already been extended
by some of those countries. Fol
the Communist government In
China to accuse the United States
of aggression is to reveal publicly
that the government at Peiping
is under Soviet control even to
the extent of voicing Moscow
propaganda. Under such circum-
stances, it is difficult to see why
action should not be taken con-
demning the Communist govern
ment in China and declaring that
government to be incapable of
carrying out honorably it's inter-
national obligations. Plainly the
future admission of Communist
China into the United Nations
should be blocked because of the
charges leveled against the United
States, whose traditional friend
ship for China and Korea is well
established. If the government
of China is under the control OF
Moscow. it is not an independent
government hut tool of the Com