LETTERS
LETTERS To the Editor Open Letter to the Foreign Policy Association From OSCAR SCHNABEL i'-vN February 6th I wrote the follow¦ I iof letter to Miss Vera Michelea \j Dean, Director of the...
...In addition...
...full trust both of its members and mauu non-members if, deliberately publication of false information \s being kept op without any possibility of u correction, if the parson responsible for tht fait* information chooses mat te peMesA s) correction...
...For obvious ressons, no comparison can be made with Germany and it might be technically rather difficult to make a well-based comparison with Russia...
...has been organiser end member of the Managing Hoard ef the Austrian Grain Osne* in 1915-16...
...His rbility, integrity and devotion to the principles of democracy are beyond reproach...
...Open Lefter to Senator Hlckenlooper From the C.I.O...
...Any amount of damage can be done by such oversight or negligence but there is, at least, some remedy in the form of letters to the Editor, contents of which, in serious rases, are being dealt with editorially...
...Freedom of press and speech, one of the greatest achievements of democracy, can also become one of its greatest dangers...
...But, in spite of that, Poland, following the lately published report of a special UN Committee on Post-UNRKA relief needs more than one and a half times as Sssny food imports per capita as the notorious food importer—Italy...
...Jack Altman, Chairman...
...By the slaughter of millions of Jews and either city and small town dwellers not connected with agriculture, the number of food consumers was reduced at a much higher rate than the food producing population...
...Miss Dean's misdemeanor has three aspects, of which the one showing the complete disrespect against a rank and Hie member of the Association is only mentioned as a seeming sign of lack of democratic responsibility, and leaning towards totalitarian methods...
...With all due respect to the iadisideal capacity and good will of reporters ami editors, it is indeed a frightening thought that public opinion aa to matters of foreign policy is asade and guided by a few doaens, maybe at the utmost several hundreds of people, without any possible corrections comparable with grass root reaction in matters of domestic politics, and that at a time when the right conclusions drawn from truthful and unbiased information oa basic facts may lead the nation to peace and security, whilst confusion, crested b i the infiltration of distorted news and biased interpretation, may have the most disastrous consequences...
...Hchnabel has held ether important poaitiomi and has written on economic *iib)erla for scholarly publication...
...Inasmuch as they need a public opinion, they form it by monopolizing publication of news and comments on them...
...1 trust that you will agree with me that members of the Foreign Policy Association are entitled to get the full truth on basic facts abroad...
...Lilienthal...
...Scientists and the New Republic From DR...
...New York City...
...Our opposition to totalitarianism extends to SenaloiMeKellar's brand of isolationism, which is a negation of the democratic faith no ably expressed before your Committee by Mr...
...JORDAN J. MARKHAM Physicist, Oak Ridge, Tenn...
...Unquestionably Miss Dean herself, as Chief of the Research Department and as Editor of the Association's publications, enjoys a wide reputation ar a reliable expert on foreign matters...
...I, therefore, address myself to you as the ranking officers of the Foreign Policy Association, and I do so in public in view of the public interest concerned...
...Director of Grain OSSee of the Austrian Republic in 1*19...
...I neither obtained confirmation of receipt of my letter nor could I find any correction of Miss Dean's article in the meanwhile published issues No...
...Salaries on Navy contracts still an- quoted considerably below that figure, usually around $4,000 for a 1- month pei iod...
...Austrian Delegate to tho Hague in Itlt-M...
...Of course, it might happen to the best of editors that they place such false information in their papers...
...There arc many jobs open for physicists, but a man with eight to 10 years' (post US...
...Pure science cannot be labeled for certain purposes—i.e., for defense, agriculture, etc.—and it has been to the credit of the Army and Navy that they have filled in a necessary gup in supplying funds for basic research...
...Lilienthal...
...We strongly urge your Committee to confirm his appointment as Chairman of the United Stutes Atomic Energy Commission...
...Hut what to say of the publication* of an organization whose primary reason for existence is to supply American citizens with, truthful knowledge of foteign -fans, which boasts of outstanding former government officials unit other nationally prominent personages on its Hoard of Directors and, therefoie, enjoys the highest prestige mid the...
...In the February 3rd issue of Tin Sew Republic...
...out of increased arable lands which, all through modern history, produced more food than their population needed...
...I am sare that sncb sa institution would add to the prestige both of the Association sad its publications and would help the Association to arbiexe itx aims...
...We who are engaged in fighting Communist influence and infiltration in the trade union movement deplore tbs misuse of the "communist" label on true) progressives and liberals like Mr...
...We believe that Mr...
...I would like to point out that the picture poitrayeil is basically incorrect...
...Senator MrKellsr is placing ammunition in the hamla of the Communists, who are ever eager to see nonCommunists thus falsely accused of sympathy with Communnm...
...How much more difficult is the task of a democratic government, especially in the light of the foreign propaganda methods crested and developed by Hitler and his gang and very ably followed by other totalitarian governments, and that is to influence public •pinion la those countries wheat policy is not in accordance with their aims...
...It seems strange that Wallace dees not recall that Kilgore and a group «f "totalitarian liberals," whom ht supported, sabotaged the Bush plan by trying to introduce politics and pationsge into a bill designed to encourage fiee science...
...Leaving open the question whether recovery is more advanced in Poland or in Rumania, it certainly is lagging far behind Czechoslovakia and not only because Poland suffered more during the War than Czechoslovakia, but also because Czechoslovakia, since her creation and even before that, belonged to the economically and culturally advanced nations of Kiirope, whilst most of Poland represented the type of barkcountry...
...Henry Wallace mad*- a vicious and uncalled for attack on the American scientists...
...Let us be grateful that the Army and Navy have stepped in at a time when an excellent bill *«< blocked...
...Lilienthal'* enrft'r as a public servant reflects credit upon the entire nation...
...Before the war, Poland ronld feed its population of some 34,000,000 and, on top of that, exported considerable quantities of food...
...May I ask you to check on the information contained in this letter, and then to publish a correction...
...We have to accept this fact, but we also have to protect ourselves to the utmost against such dsngers...
...17, 18, iu and 20 of the Bulletin...
...Likewise, your statement that 'Poland ti showing signs of more rapid and more solid recovery than most of its neighbors,' is more than questionable...
...1 therefore respectfully suggest that the Foreign Policy Association create an agency fully independent from the Research Department and the editors of the Association's publication*, charged with the task to investigate and, if need be, publish criticisms of the Association's publications...
...First, bis figures implied ilmt scientists in universities and in national defence laboratories were gelling $X.000 til $15,000...
...LETTERS To the Editor Open Letter to the Foreign Policy Association From OSCAR SCHNABEL i'-vN February 6th I wrote the follow¦ I iof letter to Miss Vera Michelea \j Dean, Director of the Foreign Ptbey Association's Research Departptat and Editor of the Foreign Policy fcltetin: "As a member of the Foreign Policy Association and a constant and mostly approving reader of its Foreign Policy Bulletin, I consider it my duty to call your attention to the misinformation contained in, and spread by, your article 'Poland's Economy Reviver Despite Political Conflicts.' To begin with, Poland (including the Polish occupied German territory which legally does not yet belong to that country) is not a nation of 45,000,000 but of 26,000,000 people and, therefore, as far as numbers are concerned, certainly cannot be considered as one of (he leading nations in Europe...
...Whilst most of the population in the East, especially the White Russians and Ukrainians—remained where they were, nearly all of the population in the newly acquired, formerly German territory, either voluntarily left or were expelled, so that a population reduced by more than 25 percent now can be fed...
...Poland's neighbors are Soviet Russia, RuSisnia, -Czechoslovakia and Germany...
...Whilst Poland lost its poorest provinces in the East, including a large territory consisting mostly of marsher., it acquired not rf« jure but de...
...Committee for Democratic Trade Unionism is sn organization established for the purpose of promoting democratic principles and practices and combatting the proponei t* of totalitarianism in the C. I. O. As active opponents of the Communist Party and its adherents, we sre deeply concerned by the loose and dangerous charges now being leveled against Mi...
...New York City...
...Since the war, there is evidence that the scientist has been given sufficient freedom to curry on this work, and the scientist has felt free to accept it because one cannot differentiate between peace and wartime science, and there are no sign* of immorality, since the feeling hat been that it is a stop-gap measure...
...It is obvious that totalitarian governments have a great advantage over democratic governments in framing and pursuing their foreign policy, as (hey do so within a small group of a governing clique without paying the slightest attention to the wishes of their citizens or, better to say, their subjects...
...Committee for Democratic Trade Unionism...
...The danger does not consist primarily in ne-vs reports and comments by people or papers known for their political trend, but in the deliberately or naively conceived false information where it is not expected...
...fncto German arable lands which were amongst the most important food producers of the German Reich...
...1 make it a point not to discuss in this letter any matters of foreign policy, nor to enter into any dispute with Miss Dean as to whether she is right or wrong in her snb-rosa suggestion that this country's policy towards Poland should be amended What I want to concentrate upon is that Miss Dean published in the Association's Bulletin untrue statements, that she did not correct her untrue statements, whilst a single look into any competent reference l«iok as, for instance, the Statesmen's Year Book would have proved to her that she nearly doubled Poland's population when claiming for that country the future position of one of Europe's leading nations...
...Dear Senator Hickenloopei: ThE C. I.O...
...Charles H. Kerrigan, Sec'y.-Treasurer...
...It reaches to the roots of the problem 1m>w to frame and execute a good foreign policy in a democracy...
...Lilienthal befote the Joint Congressional Committee, we submit that such unfair and untrue charges serve only to bolster Communist prestige and influence...
...David K. Lilienthal...
...Later be was the rounder and managing director ef the Reconstruction Hank for Austria in the Hagae, and Coaoni-Genersl for Austria in Amsterdam...
...degiecl experience who is making as much us that offered a New York construction worker is doing exceptionally well...
...But this prominence of Miss Dean leads to the second and, by far, most important aspect of my case against her...
...He arrived In the United Slates in l*4« and became an America a eilisen In I Vie...
...It seems to me that ail thoae responsible for publications on foreign affairs cannot be diligent enough to safeguard their publications against intrusion of false or harmful news and comments, and te provide for quick and effective corrections whenever such intrusion happens...
...Such tactics confuse the gt neral public, obscure the real issues, sml make the task of defeating the Communist* much more difficult...
...If a scientist with that experience can get $5,(100 fiom a university for teaching or lesearrh, he is doing exceptionally well...
...Any signs of incipient opposition can easily be disposed of by more or less terroristic measures...
...OSCAR SCHNABKI...
...So tht vigorous measures taken by tht Communis** and' soeuilists which radically tleartd, at tht t Due of greatest faod needs, a hut* faod producing area of its peasants and farm hands without replacing thtm in time by others, art not so much responsible for an economic revival as you write, as for the extension of an economic emergency...
...Whether the vigorous measures taken by the Communists and Socialists in the industrial sector of Poland's economy (consisting mostly in a very far-going nationalization, most of which, admittedly, confiscation of plants), have achieved the success for which they are praised in your article, remains to be seen...
...Therefore, whoever writes shout foreign matters, undertakes tremendous responsibility as wrong information might cripple the force of this country to pursue its policy or might even lead to fateful change of foreign policy...
...As to the accusations made against Mr...
Vol. 30 • March 1947 • No. 11
