RUSHING THE RUSSIANS
Fischer, Markoosha
Rushing The Russians No Way To Build An Understanding THESE ARE THE RUSSIANS, by Richard E. Lau-terbaeh. Harper. $3. Reviewed by Markoosha Fischer RICHARD LAUTERBACH spent 1943-1944 in Russia...
...Reviewed by Markoosha Fischer RICHARD LAUTERBACH spent 1943-1944 in Russia as the Time and Life correspondent...
...Of course no Russian will tell him today—and most young Russians would not know it themselves today—that there had been in the past a great deal of such debate and discussion until it was suppressed in 1928...
...a book explaining and whitewashing every move and mistake of the U. S. Government...
...Lauterbach uncritically repeats what the Russians told him...
...Anyone who has lived in Russia will agree with me that the Russians love nothing so much as to talk of all the glorious things they hope to accomplish in the future...
...Lauterbach naively puts down that Stalin "makes such quick decisions himself that he cannot understand why others don't act so quickly...
...a book pleading with the Russians to accept the American point of view...
...T doubt it...
...And no Russian at any time and certainly not during the war in a conversation with a foreign reporter will deviate one iota from the official line...
...I share his conviction that with or without outside help the Russians will enthusiastically rebuild their war*-ravaged country...
...a book presenting the American case without mentioning any shortcomings...
...He says, for instance, that in the future there "may be a slow liberalizing of inner party debate and discussion...
...Still more helpful would be books giving full, true, objective reports on both countries...
...He is so eager to present the Russian case in a good light that he brushes aside whatever might darken the picture...
...With other foreign correspondents he saw trials of war criminals and scenes of German atrocities...
...Would he personally like anyone, even the wisest man on earth, to diiect all his emotions and opinions by rigidly enforced red and green lights...
...But I am also convinced that this knowledge and understanding has to be mutual, and that it would greatly help if a Russian counterpart of Lauterbach's book, a These Are the Americans could appear in Russia...
...What he says about Russia conies from the Russians themselves...
...I also share his conviction that unless we live in peace and friendship with Russia the world is faced with disaster...
...Russian officials told him that "we do not deal in prophecy" and Lauterbach makes the conclusion that the Russians do not like to talk about unfinished tasks...
...But it is a one-sided job...
...A book full of warm sympathy for Americans...
...And I share his conviction that in order to achieve this we have to know and understand them much better than we do now...
...Doesn't Lauterbach understand why...
...A onesided one-way appeal for understanding is not enough...
...Conscientiously he put down in his notebook" everything the Russians told him...
...He accompanied Eric Johnston to Siberia and Central Asia...
...It is a sad sign of the times when a young, intelligent, honest American finds only praise for dictatorship— even if this dictatorship has solved many problems at home...
...He traveled on trains and boats...
...He visited private homes, attended diplomatic receptions, mingled with Russian crowds in theaters and restaurants...
...Lauterbach sincerely believes that the only road to a permanent peace lies in our understanding the Russian point of view...
...He speaks some Russian, and he never missed an opportunity of direct contact with the people...
...He justifies the way the Russians follow without questioning every new line of Stalin, be it in the field of industry, human behavior, politics, divorces, warfare, opera, coeducation, or motherhood...
...Considering how very difficult it is to get any information in Russia besides the official sources he did a good job...
...Why then, despite his sincere sympathy for the Russians, does he find it good for them ? Are they an "inferior race" not ready for freedom and democracy ? * * * ISHARE Lauterbach's admiration for the Russians...
...They are a lovable, stout-hearted, patriotic people...
Vol. 9 • July 1945 • No. 30
