POLICIES & PRINCIPLES: Smokescreen

POLICIES & PRINCIPLES

In the Kremlin's white-and-gold St. George Hall, leading deputies of the Supreme Soviet, Russia's rubber-stamp parliament, settled down comfortably while some old friends of Communism spoke of peace. The friends—French, British, Canadian and U.S. emissaries of an organization calling itself the Permanent Committee of Partisans of Peace—were the first foreigners ever to appear before the Supreme Soviet. Their act was part of the current Russian peace offensive, a smokescreen designed to blind the West.

Most interesting performance was that of top U.S. Wallaceite Oetje John Rogge, who has a record of friendship toward many Communist causes. People the world over, said Rogge, ought to be free to criticize their governments. Later, he explained to Soviet newsmen: "My idea of a free society is one in which . . . people can say what they think . . ." Pravda gave Rogge a sharp editorial rebuke for his statement, and carefully edited his remarks so that Russian readers would not be contaminated by the idea of free speech.