The Press: Needless to Say

Earnest readers of the New Republic are neither shocked nor alarmed by Communists. But their earnest weekly, after a brief period of trying to balance on-the party line, has once more got its feet firmly planted on the clouds of "liberalism," and regards Communists, more in sorrow than in anger, as erring brethren. It was thus something of a surprise to New Republic readers last week when the NR announced, starting in its Aug. 5 issue, the first of a series of articles by Communist emeritus Earl Browder "Exclusively in the New Republic."

The editors of the NR boasted of a scoop. Chiefly responsible for it is the NR's nervous, grey-thatched Treasurer Daniel Mebane, a good friend of Earl's brother Bill who was onetime president and business manager of the Communist Daily Worker. When Earl Browder returned from his mysterious mission to Moscow (TIME, July 8), Earl and NR Editor Bruce Bliven went into a huddle. Bliven outlined a series of controversial subjects Browder might write about, some of them designed to indicate what Browder was up to. Browder crossed out all the tough ones, agreed to write about such subjects as what the U.S. must do to win friendship with the U.S.S.R. He will do at least five articles. For the first one (about Finland) Browder will get—if he works at New Republic's 2¢-a-word space rate—about $28.

NR editors drew up an ad which, they trusted, would explain everything. Conclusion: "Needless to say, the New Republic, which stands for liberal democracy, does not share Mr. Browder's communist philosophy."