Evening star., 1951-08-24

U. }. IHIlCIZeS INCnSI
In Note Rejecting New
Radio, Press Protest
The United States today criti-
cized Communist CzechoSlovakia
for protesting Legitimate criti-
cisrn" of itself while its own con-
trolled press and radio 'indulgedI
freely in hostile and vituperative
attacks against the United States
and other free nations"
A note delivered by the
American Embassy in Prague to-
day rejected anew as incompatible
with freedom of information prin-
ciples a Czech protest against
alleged hostile activity" of Radio
Free Europe.
This development followed al
unanimous Senate vote yesterday
passing a resolution previously
approved by the House which calls
for breaking of all United States
trade relations with Czecho-I
slovakia until Associated Press
Correspondent William N. Oats is
freed from prison in Prague. II
Was Approved Yesterday.
The Senate approved the reso-I
luton yesterday, 81 to 0. The
House had passed it August IA,
362 to l, with only Representative
Wood. Republican, of Idaho, dis
senting. And he said he did so
only because the resolution calls
on the United Nations for help.
Mr.. Wood does not like the u. N.
Senate action. coming after Bit
ter attacks on the Czech regime
and some criticism of the State
Department, is final. The reSolu-
ton does not require signature
by President Truman. i,
But neither is it binding on the
Government. 1t merely expresses
the profound Indignation of
Congress over "the arrest, sham
trial and unjust conviction" of
Mr.. Oats.
Would Snub New Envoy. Ii
He was convicted by a Czech {
court on espionage charges, del
nounced by this Government as
baSeless, and sentenced to five to ,
10 years in prison.
The note to Czechoslovakia to- (,
day had no direct connection with !
the Oats case.
officials said that the Czechs I
have made no effort to bargain ,
Mr.. Oats freedom for closing
down of Radio Free Europe, al i
though they have protested re- I
peatedly its anti Communist {
broadcaSts beamed to Czechoslo- |
vakia as well as those OF the Voice {
of America. In
After rejection of one Radio
Free Europe protest, on June 20, .
Czechoslovakia came back on July :
81 with a note charging that it's :
operations violated International :
law. 1t said the station, operated !
IN Munich by the National Com !
mittee for Free Europa pri- ;
vate organization - consistently :
broadcast secret directiveS for es-
pionage and diverSive activity in
CzechoSlovakia.
Denies Inciting Crime, !,
Asserting that the United States 8
"does not agree that Radio Free
Europe is issuing directives fortl
espionage and crime by Czech !
citizens, the American note said:
. THE Czechoslovakia govern /,
ment has repeatedly demonstrated !
that its conception of espionageI :
and crime is so sweeping that any !
comment, critical in nature or in +
deed other than praise or indorse- !
ment of the present regime in q
Czechoslovakia and its acts, might q
be considered as an inciteInent {
to espionage and crime"
The reply added: r
'The United States is unalter- :
ably committed to the basic prin- !,
ciples of freedom of information. ),
Under the American constitution !
there is an inherent right to crit :
icize freely the United States
Government and tbs policies, as is
constantly done by publications
such as the Daily Worker. The r
Czechoslovak government. how p
ever. is apparently unable to allow c
such criticism by publications un- n
der its jurisdiction and is seeking "
to prevent any criticism from the c
press or radio of other countries. /" Il
Cites Omission in Notes
The note pointed out that the L
Czech protest made no reference II
to the fundamental principle of o
freedom of information that exists c
In all free societies, asserting this G
was because mo such 0
freedom exists in CzechoSlovakia. 3" c
States which would deny free t
dom to Others" it added, "are
typically those most inSiStent on
claiming freedom and even license n
for themselves. 1t was, therefore, o
not unexpected that the Czecho- +"
slovak Government whose con- s
trolled press and radio indulge 10
freely in hostile and vituperativeI S
attacks against the United States a
and other free nations, should b