St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-08-05
Rowon S0ys Reel
Fight Is Agoinsf
Mons Ignoronee
by HUGH SMITH In The
Minnesota DAILY

Combating anti-racist feel
ing in the United States as a
method by which Asia could be
convinced 10 join the American
camp was stressed by Carl T.
Rowan, Minneapolis Tribune
reporter, recently at Northrop
auditorium.
Rowan's speech was the second
In a series OF Sidney HiiIman lee
turea Rowan covered the Asian
African conference In Banding.
Indonesia last spring and also
spent seven months In India. PAX
istan, Burma, Thaiiand. Indo-
China. and other Asiatic countries.
Man Is not at war with man"
Rowan said. but with ignorance.
The problem Is with the person
who Ia too ignorant. arrogant or
frightened to think because he
might come into contact with
ideas that don't tibe with his"
Too many persons. Rowan con-
tinued. like to seek shelter in
cliches like peaceful coexistence."
liberty and justice" the good
old American way and others.
The theme Of Kidding your own
neighborhood'' Of anti-racist at
titndes was carried out further by
Rowan's next statement:
Ignorance breeds suspicion and
suspicion leads 10 hatred"
Asia wants to be free 10 make
their own decisions, Rowan con-
tiRued. But they won't be DOM
mated by any European or west
tern country. including the United
States. Nor win Asia side with
this country II they feel they
aren't going TO be treated as
equals. he said.
Some look at Asia's desire TO
be free in bread-and- butter
terms" said Rowan. 'In terms OF
better homes and more education.
But what they really want Is dig
nifty"
Asia also won't throw In all the
way" with this country even
though they may agree with US
policies because the Asian doesn't
trust the white wcsterner. Rowan
said.
I'VE deal with an extremely
shrewd, crafty enemy In dealing
with Communism In Asia" Row
an said. TN our propaganda pro-
gram we have TO substitute rea-
son for passion. We can sell tho
commodity OF democracy In Asia
II we realize that anti-colonialism
and anti-racism In present there"
Rowan cited nj least two en-
amples OF how the Communists
and those suspected Of being Com
munists use anti-racism In the
United states to keep the Asians
from swinging over TO the west.
One newspaper editor In a coun-
try In which Rowan was leoturing
IT don't know whether he was
Communist. but they paid him
$4,000 last year, obtained a
copy OF the American edited and
published Pageant magazine.
That magazine showed pictori-
ally anti-Negro violence in Chi
cago, Rowan said.
ITO tell the Asiana what he
thought about me coming 10 talk
TO them about equality when there
was intolerance In my own coun-
try, that editor reprinted the ar
ticle and added his own headline
which read. Rowan Babbles
While Negroes Burn"
Some Asian leaders. Rowan
said. win continually remind their
people that II was the Americans
who dropped the first thermonu-
clear bomb on the colored people
OF Japan, just prior 10 the end OF
World War III.
Were losing the propaganda
war in Asia" Rowan said. The
US Information Service Is beat
ing Its brains out trying TO get SIS
million because someone In Wash.
ington Is convinced bombs are i'm.
portant,
Naturally, bombs are import.