The last issue copy of a journal to which I
recently made reference, and which has lately figured at question-time in the House, the Central European Observer, is of some interest. It would appear to be a Communist publication, pure and simple, with a strong (post-Benes) Czechoslovak tinge. There seems to be nothing abottt it (apart from a piece of Communist grammar by one of its editors: " Who were they greeting ? Certainly not I ") that is unusual in such an organ, except an article by Aylmer Valiance, who is stated in Who's Who to be assistant editor of the New Statesman and a former editor of the News Chronicle. Mr. Valiance, who writes on the recent meeting of the United Nations Economic for Europe, makes no laborious endeavour to conceal his sympathies. For example:-
" Mr. Harriman (United States) made it clear that American tactics would be to endeavour to evade the issue. . . ."
" Mr. Tauber (Czechoslovakia) and Mr. Szando (Hungary) lost no time in pointing out that . . ."
" Mr. Asher (United States) had to admit that . . . He had no reply to the comment of Mr. Bagdan (Rumania) that . . . He failed to answer when Mr. Bihellar (Czechoslovakia) inquired why . . ."
" After the British delegate (Mr. Brown) had dutifully sup- ported the American argument . . ."
" It was patent that Britain and the rest of America's Euro- pean colonies had been pressurised into playing their part in the cold war."
" The British delegate (stooging for the U.S.A.) . . ."
"The final impression left by the conference is that the
• Western pluto-democracies . . . are now so deeply committed to waging cold war at America's bidding that they are deter- mined at all costs to prevent economic contacts between the two Europes—capitalist and socialist." such is Britain, and other things, through a British journalist's eyes.
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