Milford chronicle., 1959-03-13

The book is written from an
American point of view, for Amer
leans and it gives picture of how
lived and fought, built and suffered,
progressed and planned during
World War III, what steps they had
taken towards the Gargantuan task
of reconstruction, and what they
expected from the world in the fu-
ture.
1t is well to remember that this
book was written in 1914 during
the time Lauterbach visited Rus
sia and saw the people fighting for
survival, and it is also well to re-
member that it was. the United
States with it's men, machines and
money that made this survival
possible for the Russians.
Peoples of the u. S. S. R." by
Anna Louis Strong is another book
written during 1914.
Mrs. Strong first went to Moscow
for the American Friends Service
in 1921 to do relief work during the
Volga Famine and for more than
twenty years thereafter she repre-
sented American book publishers
and newspapers in Moscow. She
married a Soviet editor and re-
porter but she regarded her meet
ing with Stain as the most i'm
portant single experience of her
life and she comments that in 'that
short hour l saw how decisions are
reached in the Soviet Union and
how the USSR is held together
not by orders of a dictator but by
arousing the ideas, initiative and
will of many people and combining
them to a common end. 1t seems
to us that Mrs. Strong is describ-
ing a non-existent democratic pro-
cedure in Russia and that her esti-
mate of Stain was mistaken one.
But it is important for us to see
both sides Of picture.
She describes the history, terrain,
and industries of the different re-
publics that make up the worlds
largest country. In her final sum-
ming up. she recounts the work of
the USSR in World War II but
the book appears to be colored by
her long residence in Moscow.
Nikolai NJ Mikhailov who recently
toured the United States with a
Russian delegation is the author of
1.-THE Russian Story: the Coming Of
AgeSof Great People" (1945). Mr..
Mikhailov is Russian educator
and a Communist.
His book covers one thousand
years of Russian history starting
in 124O and continuing to World
War III.
Tis is book well worth reading
again for the other side of the
picture-as it gives us insight
about the Russians-who they are
and from whence comes their
strength
Visitor Kravchenko's 1T Chose
Freedom" (1947) is the revealing
picture of the personal and politi-
cal life of a Soviet official who
gives the reasons for his fight
from Communist domination to the
freedom of the Western World. This
leaves no illusions about the glo-
ries of Communism.
John Gunther's Behind the Cur
tain" (1949), a gift from Milford
Lions Club, is Gunther's first re-
port from Europe since World War
II. Through personal observation
he gives an unbiased account OF
the Russian satellite countries as
well as other areas, Yugoslavia,
italy. Bulgaria, Albania and Aus
tria, where the impact of Soviet
policy is felt.
Gunther also visited Greece and
Turkey which he calls the two
American satellites. He talked with
many of the most important inter-
national Communists as well as
others representing the Free World.
The book is lively analyses OF
politics, problems and personalities
and gives essential information a
bout Soviet power and how it oper-
ates.
Harry Best in "The Soviet State
and It's Inception" (1951) makes an
objective study of what the Soviet
Union has done to its credit-some-
thing that America owes it to her
self to know-and Best points out
tbe evils of Communision-s some
thing else we should know more
about.
Clarence A. Manring's ''The ST.
berian Fiasco" (1952) is an evalu-