Congresswoman v. Russia

Since her return from an eight-week visit to Europe two months ago, Connecticut's Congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce has sent many a verbal slingshot at Communist Russia.

Over the radio and in articles in the Hearst press she has pounded away at the thesis that Russia, as the strongest power in Europe, is rapidly Communizing the continent. In a series in the Congressional Record she discussed all the small countries in Russia's orbit, detailed the Communist influence in their present Governments. Her conclusion: "This cannot long remain two worlds as it is today--the world of totalitarianism and the world of liberty. Indeed, as our conflict with Nazi totalitarianism proved, these two worlds are doomed to come into conflict. . . ."

Last week, as it must to all U.S. critics of Soviet Russia, came the strictly personal rejoinder. It was made by Pravda's David Zaslavsky, who had previously bludgeoned away at such other U.S. citizens as the late Wendell Willkie, New York Timesman Hanson Baldwin and William L. (Report on the Russians) White.

In approved Russian fashion, Critic Zaslavsky called Critic Luce a Fascist and "Goebbels' unconsoled political widow." He added: "This lady does not like us. Furthermore she hates us with a passion which is more African than American in violence."

Congresswoman Luce made no reply. But the Bridgeport (Conn.) Sunday Post (circ. 40,243), best newspaper in her home district, rose valiantly to her defense, roared back at the Russian giant: "Pravda . . . practically froths at the mouth. But it gives no answer to the carefully collated, factually documented articles which Mrs. Luce has been inserting in the Congressional Record. ..."

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