Evening star., 1953-09-21
MoIenkov and the Spirit of 7776

M0lenkov and the Spirit of 1776
More or less in imitation of the United
States-which has already provided about SITS
million for relief and rehabilitation in South
Korea-the Soviet Union has announced, in
weekend communique, that it is going to extend
similar aid to North Korea. The aid, according
to the communique, will include grant of $3.50
million for reconstruction purposes especially to
rebuild the bomb-shattered power plants on the
Yalu River.
But more interesting than this Is the speech
that Premier Malenkov delivered Saturday
night at a Sumptuous dinner staged at the
Kremlin in honor of delegation representing
the so-called North Korean government, For
Stalin'S presumable successor, sounding as If he
were Soviet Paul Revere, Patrick Henry or
George Washington, gave kind of Fourth-of
July grafton in which-perhaps confused a bit
by vodka-he professed to be amazed by our
country's failure to equate events in Korea and
throughout Asia with our own American Rev.
oution
Thus, to quote from what he said: "Is it
possible to find in our day any American who
would say that the decision of the IS colonies
of North America to end their colonial de-
pendence and create the United States !. :. /. was
not historical progress? Could one find an
American who would state that the Declaration
of independence was illegal because it declared
the evident truth that a people have been
right to create authority on such principles and
in such form as to realize their security and
happiness? Why, now, do powerful American
circles grossly interfere in the internal affairs
of eastern countries by carrying out blockades
and provoking war against them?" Answer,
again in Malenkov's words: Because these
peoples have chosen forms Of government
which are not acceptable to the politicians in
Washington"
Here we have very good example of how
the Red totalitarians turn history upside down
to befuddle the masses of the world. Our
American Revolution of course is in no slightest
sense analogous to what has happened in Korea
or what is still happening in places like Indo-
China and Malaga. For our forefatherS fought
on their own, as absolutely free men, to achieve
independence. They were not puppets. They
were not agents of ruthless foreign dictator
ship. They did not fight against their own
countrymen in criminal war Of fratricidal ag-
gression. They did not set out, as in the case
of the North Korean, Indo- Chinese and Ma
layan Communists, to destroy liberty In their
native land in order to make that land a tool
and vassal Of tyranny intent upon dominating
and enSlav1ng the world. In short, they were
their own masters, not traitors in the service Of
an outside power, and they meant what they
said-and with what magnificent results!-
when they dedicated their lives, their fortunes
and their sacred honor to the freedom of
America.
Certainly, in pretending to see no difference
between this American Revolution of ours and
Kremlin- n-directed aggression in countries like
Korea, Malenkov has distorted history to
point of sheer burlesque. In effect, he has
invoked our Declaration of Independence and
the Spirit of 1776 to justify everything that
would negate the meaning and promise of that
spirit and declaration not only for Asians but
for men everywhere. Hypocrisy, it has been
said, is the tribute that vice pays to virtue and
here we have an excellent illustration of it.
Yet with all that said, it is interesting
that the Soviet Premier, even though in COM
pletely distorted manner, has seen fit to make
a rather glowing reference to our Declaration
of independence. For his eulogistic comment
on it may tend to make lot of people behind
the Iron Curtain wonder about its full text.
If it were available to them, and if they mulled
over it long enough, perhaps it would help to
bring the blessings Of liberty to their world, too