Evening star., 1954-12-24
Lodejinsly Had No W0rning
OfBenson Decision to Fire Him

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phone calls, talked modestly
about that work but with obvious
pride in what he had been able
to do.
His work had fallen into two
parts. The first was in connec-
ton with the land reforms
that were carried out as
an American occupation policy
under the direction Of Gen.
Douglas Macarthur. That pol
icy was to break up the large
land holdings and distribute
them among the small farmers
and it was to help carry out that
program that Mr.. Ladejinsky
went to Japan in 1945.
The iSsue,n Mr.. Ladejinsky
explained. twas to prevent the
Communists from making irlroads
on the Japanese countryside. We
had discontented farmers who
wanted control of the land. Our
purpose was to create conditions
among the farmers that would
not permit them to accept the
Establishments of communism"
Requested by Macarthur.
Mr.. LadejinSky spent q little
more than q wear in the Orient,
came back to the Agriculture De-
partment for q while and then
returned to Japan at Gen. Mac.
Arthur's request to help in
carrying out the program. He
travelled throughout Japan.
talked with the individual
farmers, attended their meet
ings. and, as he related. did
everything possible to further
the program.
'I felt, in my own way" said
Mr.. Ladejinsky, that this was
an opportunity to prevent the
Communists from winning an
other victory"
Mr.. Ladejinsky came back to
Washington late in l948 for an
other tour of duty. ard in the
succeeding year was sent to a
conference in India on the land
question In all of Asia; to China
until the Chinese Communists
won out over Generalissimo
Chang Kai-shek, and then to
FormoSa.
In 1850. he was appointed by
the Agriculture Department as
agricultural attache in Tokyo.
and as such moved onto the
State Department pay roll.
His work as an attache was
no longer primarily concerned
with the land reform program.
It was his task to set UP the
first Office of agricultural attache
in Japan.
Almost all my work there as
attache," Mr.. Ladejinsky said,
was in promoting the sale of
this country's surplus commodi-
ties. During that time, Japan
became, and is now. our best Gus
toner for agricultural commpdi-
ties.
II must mention this. In 1858
Japan paid close to $500 million
for our agricultural products. In
the last three years, we have de-
veloped this into a going organi-
zation." IS
Note Of Irony.
For this reason, the depart
ment's statement on its refusal
to clear Mr.. Ladejinsky con-
tanned a note of irony, for the
agricultural expert.
The statement said the prob
lem of agricultural attaches Is
primarily to serve American
agriculture" and personnel who
have been trained in and have
been close to American farm
ing operations and problems are
best suited to fill these attache
posts
Mr.. Ladejinsky refused to
argue the point but in musing
over a question about it, obyi-
ously thinking Of what he had
done to promote the purchase in
Japan of American farm prod
ucts, said:
you've got to know the peo-
pie. You've got to know what's
in their mind. You have to be
accepted by them, and you have
to have their confidence.
Mr.. Ladejinsky spoke freely on
the security questions raised by
the department and elaborated
on an earlier general statement
that they were utterly false"
The department said he had
sisters living in Russia through
whom he may be subject to CO..
ercion and this, In itself, was
Sufnclent reason Tor denying him
clearance.
Mr.. Ladejinsky fled from Rus
sia in 1920, spent two years in
Romania and came to New York
and was naturalized in 1928.
'I do have three sisters living
in Russia" he said quietly. II
hope they are alive / have not
corresponded with them in eight
years. After the Soviets attacked
me as the reactionary aide to
that reactionary general, tGen.
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80 q