The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-04-13
Comment On
World Events

Although officially the SovietS
have reacted not at all to Pres,
ident Truman's order to start the
manufacturing of the hydrogen
bomb, actually they have inaugur-
ated new policy in response tc
this decision. This policy is
double -barrelled one: on the one
hand, Moscow rattles its sword fur,
iously and is intensifying the cold
war both in Asia and Europe
especially in France, the intended
bastion of the Atlantic Pact coun-
tries; and on the other, it is step
ping up the "work for peace" by
letting its highest functionarleS
make oracular speeches on the
friendly intentions of the USSR
interpreted by the war-tired West
as offers of a truce, and staging
"peace congresses" devised to con-
vince world public opinion Of the
blamelessness of its designs.
The latest lead in this campaign
was the "World Peace Congress"
at Stockholm, attended by about
$50 delegates from the USSR and
its satellites and notorious fellow
travellers from other countries,
such as John Rogge and Paul
Robson from USA, the Red Dean
If Canterbury and John Platts-
Mills from Great Britain, Prof.
Joliot- Curie, Yves Fargo and Laur-
ent Casanova from France, Pietro
Menni from Italy, ETC., etc.
!. !. j.
In Sweden the congress was
sponsored by Communists and Com
munists only. All the Swedish or
ganizations for peace and interna-
tional collaboration disassoeiated
themselves from it, 10 of them
publishing an appropriate declara-
tion in the papers. Over one hund-
red Swedish political and cultural
leaders likewise signed a declara-
tion condemning the Stalinites foI
their abuse of the term peace
while acting in the interests of an
aggressive totalitaSian dictatorship
With the exception of the Com
munist papers, the entire press
both metropolitan and provincial
branded the congress as a meeting
of Cominform puppets.
A small number of Swedish fell
low travellers and camouflaged
Stalinites only lent their support
to the congress. All the attempts
of the Communist party to enlist
the sympathies of the trade unions
and other workers organizations
failed. Only a handful of peace
committees" were organized here
and there by less important trade
union councils where the commun-
lists are in the majority.
AS the sessions of the congress,
with the exception of a public
meeting, were declared closed even
to the press, the Stockholm papers
decided to boycott the progress and
on it appeared only in NY
DAG, the Stockholm edition of
PRAVDA. Various counter-actions
to the congress took place, among
others mass meeting with prom
inent speakers, protesting against
the discrediting of peace work by
the Stalinites. The Baltic refugees,
held special memorial service in
Stockholm's largest church for
their countrymen killed and de-
ported by the Soviets, at the very
hour the Stalinites were having
5heir public meeting.
X \ !
There seems to be no doubt that
he Bolshevik peace congress- will
nave no influence whatever on|
Swedish public opinion, which isl
overwhelmingly anti-Communist," 81
he Baltic Reviews Newsletter
rom Behind the Iron Curtain" com
nented. 1t added:
at is to be hoped that the new
soviet ble-barrelled polio vi
night be similarly repudiated in
'ther Western countries.
"Soviet aggressivity is largely |
'luff: there are many signs that |
doscow's present war potential is
'ot at it's zenith. The Chinese war
las taken a heavy toll of the
JSSR the Five Year Plan has not
'een as successful as expected and
he whole country is in state of
low, underground ferment, caus-
ng the Party and MVD much
worry. The Kremlin has alwaysl
cen most aggressive when weak
SIT sufficies TO remember the
ooY.c 1OiE onJ tUdT ,,,ho,, - hn |