711.61/862: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 24—1:45 p.m.]
925. Department’s 521, October 17, 6 p.m. In addition to a number of announcements, three articles inspired by the 450th anniversary of the discovery of America have appeared in the Moscow and Kuibyshev newspapers. Two of these articles, one occupying one-third of the last page of the Moscow Pravda of October 13, and the other an equal amount of space in the local paper, the Volzhskaya Kommuna of October 11, were written by D. Zaslavski, the well known Soviet journalist and Communist theoretician.
In his articles Zaslavski endeavors to prove by drawing on history that since the time of Columbus America and Europe have been interdependent; that events in one continent have uniformly affected the other; that even after America had gained political independence it remained an economic colony of Europe up to the latter part of the last century; that now the United States has become the foremost industrial power and is itself engaging in colonial extension; that airplanes have brought America and Europe still closer together so that the Atlantic Ocean has become the great Atlantic Straits; that the Fascists, following the example of European reactionaries of the past, are endeavoring to obtain control of America; that the, American people realize that their historical fate depends on the outcome of the war and have not allowed themselves to be misled; and that they “follow with active solidarity the heroic struggle of the Soviet people, they send their sons across the ocean to Europe and demand the opening of a second front in Europe as soon as possible”. In discussing American history, Zaslavski refers to the Monroe Doctrine, states that it has achieved widespread popularity and that “all American Governments and people take the attitude that no European laws shall have effect on American soil”.
The third article, written by E. Sokolov, are [is] the leading feature of the October 10 number of the Moscow News, an English language weekly newspaper which has a restricted circulation in the Soviet [Page 469] Union and is published primarily for foreign consumption. This article entitled “Columbus Day Carries Message of Daring that Wins”, points out that America are [is] born daring and by its enterprise has won a place among the great nations of the world. The writer displays friendly feelings towards the American people and even leaves the impression that there is something praiseworthy about the American “way of life”. He states that “it was in the United States that a great democratic republic first sprang up and whence first the Declaration of the Rights of Man was issued.” He asserts that the Fascists’ plans for world domination include “the abolition of the American way of life” and charges that the Nazi leaders hate American traditions and cannot understand the American “democratic way of life”. The article emphasizes the success of the American war industrial program and states that the overwhelming majority of the American people have not left any doubt about their fighting spirit and their national unity for defensive action. The American in uniform, is ready to call the Fascist bluff.
The same issue of the Moscow News carries an announcement that the anniversary of the discovery of America will be celebrated by the Geographical Institute of Moscow University at a scientific session, which will hear reports tracing the historic path of the new world since the times of Columbus to the present day. In addition a series of lectures are scheduled on the subject of America at different Moscow cultural institutions.
The Moscow Izvestiya of October 13 announced that in commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the opening of America the Lenin Library has opened an exhibition in which more than 150 books regarding America are being displayed. Some of the exhibits are reproductions of certain of Columbus’ autographs and notes. The exhibition is divided into a number of sections, one of which is entitled “America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.”
The Moscow Pravda of October 20 contains a short announcement that scientific workers of the library of the Academy of Science in Leningrad in connection with the 450th anniversary of the discovery of America have completed their bibliographical index relating to the following subjects: “Columbus and the opening of America”, and “Alaska”. Both works are ready for publication.
Thompson is preparing a report on the exhibits in Moscow.44