RED HUMOR

The light hearted manner in which foreign criticism is received in the land of the Soviets offers a pleasing contrast to the conduct of must nations under similar circumstances. Following the attacks of Representative Fish and Matthew Woll on Red institutions, the Moscow Pravda has recently made the facetious suggestion that America equip a Columbus expedition with caravels in order to find out the truth about the Soviet.

A little exploration in the Russian wilderness would doubtless reveal many interesting situations. Despite books like "Humanity Uprooted" and the flocks of lecturers who annually return from Moscow brimming with new information, one can never be sure he has a true conception of what Russia is actually doing. It is notorious that the Soviet officials are decidedly circumspect in what they allow foreign visitors to see, and doubtless if Mr. Whalen took the trip they could manage to pull off a good show.

The vague rumors of atrocities in northern lumber camps have not been well authenticated, and probably sound no worse to us that the actual reports of the hungry unemployed sad business-stagnation in this country appear to Russia.

The blatant absurdities accepted by the American and English public might well give the Moscow authorities ground for ridicule. People who take every statement from the Soviet Union as a piece of propaganda for world reform often fail to realize that propagandists can exist on both sides and that their own position has no better justification. The Pravda might supersede the proposed Columbus expedition with an international five-year plan against unfounded prejudices.