Is > id a al For 70 years Pravda Is news to millions By JAMES LEECH The newspaper, Pravda, was founded in 1912, and as people in the Soviet Union marked the 70th anniversary on May 5, the fraternal press of close to 50 countries joined in the Moscow festivi- ties. At a formal opening meeting in the Trade Union Hall of Columns editor-in- chief Victor G. Afanasiev reminded the audience that during 1913 and 1914 Pravda was closed down eight times by the authorities of the day. Although the experience had a familiar ring to many fraternal guests, it also stressed for them the unassailable nature of an idea whose time has come. Those “‘authorities’’ have been long gone; and Pravda (Truth) is a proud 70. During its illegal days the paper popped up time after time with a new name. Since Pravda was banned, it became Workers’ Pravda, Northern Pravda, Labor Pravda, The Way of Pravda, etc., leading the police on a merry chase. “Seventy years is a short period if you measure time by centuries,”’ chief editor Afanasiev noted, “but it’s a very, very long period if you measure time by those historic events which took place in those 70 years,’’ events which were ‘‘given coverage in 23,286 issues of Pravda.”’ The words of the chief editor captured for his guests the excitement and inspira- tion created by the paper’s role in the development of socialism, and in laying the foundation for communism. Pravda, which is published seven days a week and has a regular press run of 10.6 million, was honored on its anniversary by a message from the Central Commit- tee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It “‘warmly and cordially” con- gratulated the staff and readers of the newspaper, whose founder, ideological inspirer and first editor was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin,”’ leader of the 1917 Social- ist Revolution. Tireless Struggle “Since its first issue the paper has been a collective propagandist, agitator and organizer of the masses,’ the CPSU message stated. ‘‘It consistently ex- presses the interests and wishes of the working class and all working people, and their revolutionary aspirations. ‘During seven decades,”* the message went on, Pravda has been “‘waginga tire- less struggle’ for the establishment of the socialist state, for victory over fas- cism in World War II, and for the spectacular accomplishments of the Soviet people. As the official organ of the Communist Party, Pravda fosters the ‘‘cohesion of the world communist and working-class movement, on the basis of Marxism- Leninism and proletarian international- ism,’’ the message read. ‘“*Pravda’s duty,”’ it said, ‘‘is to do everything to help improve ideological, political and educational work, and strengthen its ties with life, and the tack- ling of practical problems, and building communism.” Marking the anniversary was a color- ful, hour-long television program, show- ing dramatic pages from Pravda’s fighting history, and picturing its present-day production. A magnificent book, detailing the paper’s 70 years, was published on the eve of May Day, and disappeared from the shelves like the long-vanished snow of spring-green Moscow. All accounts of the paper’s develop- ment speak of Lenin’s connection with it, of his authorship of hundreds of its articles. On his return from abroad he headed its editorial board. But in July 1917 the Kerensky regime twice clamped down on the editors and printshop. Again the paper resorted to new names — Worker and Soldier, Proletarian, and so on. Proclaimed Revolution On October 25, 1917 (Nov. 7 on the new-style calendar), the paper pro- claimed: All power to the Soviets of workers, soldiers and peasants! Peace! Bread! Land! The following day it proclaimed the . victory of the revolution, and the first socialist state. And, on Nov. 9 it re- claimed its own name, Pravda. Today it reaches 153 countries. Victor Afanasiev, the present chief editor, spoke of the paper’s role: ‘‘De- fining the aim of Pravda and the whole body of Soviet journalists’ work, Lenin wrote — ‘The permanent task of journal- ists is to write contemporary history’ — and Pravda has been doing it for 70 years. ‘But one can tackle that question in different ways. It is possible to do it without passion, standing aside as an on- looker. It is also possible to do it passion- ately, from inside, with a fighting party and a fighting spirit.” He said that Lenin demanded of journalists class bias and revolutionary passion, active intervention into life, and direct participation in the work of the party and the people, directed to the con- struction of the new society. “Pravda has been doing that ever since its inception,’’ said Afanasiev. He noted that presently the Commu- nist Party leading bodies and Leonid Brezhnev personally, pay a lot of atten- tion to Pravda, at once benevolent and demanding. They guide the work of the paper and, when necessary correct its line. Quoting Lenin’s admonition that, “We need full and true information,” Afanasiev said that today’s readership is educated, competent, and it is more de- PHOTOS — TASS Editor-in-chief V. Afanasiev, and deputy editor E. Grigoryev examine anniversary edition as it rolls off the press. manding every year. In a meeting at the Pravda offices, set- tled not long ago in a new building, * newspaper men and women from fra- ternal papers heard spokesmen from Pravda as well as from TASS and Novosti (APN) news agencies, stress the overriding need today for new organiza-_ tions to dedicate their energies to the world-wide struggle for peace. Adding to that theme were G.A. Zhukov, chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee, and N.F. Chervov, head of the department of the general staff of the Soviet armed forces. Write on Peace “In our paper,”’ said deputy chief editor E.E. Grigoryev, ‘‘scientists, mili- tary people,’ and people in various fields, “write on the issue of peace.”’ Besides, the paper receives more than 500,000 letters a year from readers. **We receive hundreds of letters from abroad,”’ Grigoryev added, ‘this year about 500 a month.” - Referring to the issue of peace, and other key concerns, Afanasiev reminded a reporter that Pravda had published the historic Decree on Peace — the first document of Soviet power adopted on Lenin’s initiative in November, 1917. ‘“We write about the USSR’s undeni- able successes ...’’ he said, ‘“‘but we do not steer clear of acute issues ... None but communists criticize communists so _ Sharply and strictly for shortcomings if ‘ work and for faults.”’ ' | He added that, ‘‘it has become a stand: ing practice for most of our newspape! to consult their readership all the time.” And, in a front-page comment on its birthday, which is also Soviet Press Day, May 5, Pravda called upon the entire Soviet press to use a ‘more penetrating - pe journalistic approach’’ to raising work quality and efficiency, improving social ” ist economic management, and “spread: ing the achievements of scientific a technological progress.”’ was into its eighth decade for the papet with the colorful history and a place of honor in Soviet society. missiles | 1 { = Tv _-< a ae a? oe . ae ey aa Pe wa fi™ BERLIN — Twenty-five thousand people jammed the open-air Waldbuehne Amphitheatre in West Berlin May 9 for a ma..thon concert and peace demonstration against the nuclear build-up and wer policies of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and NATG. The demonstration, which made the West Berlin press sit up and take notice, ran from.11 in the morning until 10 in the evening. It was spensored and organized by some 400 leading artists, singers and writers in West Berlin and West Germany who brought songs, poems and speeches about peace and friendship with them. Among them were artists and writers from West Berlin, the two Ger- man states, Austria, Finland and the USSR. The sponsors and audience included social democrats, communists, Christians, pacifists, and other peace parti- sans. One of the organizers, Rainer Ott, called for an end to te world arms race. He demanded the destruction of the ' Thousands in West Berlin say no to neutron bomb and the rescinding of the NATO decision to station 572 new medium range nuclear rockets in Western Europe. He also called for support for the Soviet proposal for a moratorium on nuclear weapons, declared escalated armaments expenditures were al- ready undermining people’s social and cultural needs, and concluded: ‘‘Let us not permit the bomb to decide the future of our culture.’’ One of the chief speakers was General Nino Pasti formerly Deputy Chief Commander of NATO and now a member of Italy’s Senate. General Pasti warned that the danger of nuclear war was growing. He said the goal of Reagan’s nuclear arms program is an attack against the Soviet Union cloaked in the theory of a ‘‘limited’’ nu- clear war. Such a limited nuclear war, however, .Pasti argued would inevitably become a world war. The new nuclear rockets the USA and NATO wished to station in western Europe, Pasti emphasized, would only bring | | war in Europe closer. Greeting sane voices in the U.S. opposing Washington’s policy of nuclear escalation, Pasti said the most important thing was to “‘prevent NATO propa- ganda from splitting the peace movement’’, and to pre- vent the stationing of more nuclear rockets in western Europe. A former president of the West German writers’ federation, Dieter Lattman, declared that ‘‘fanatical anti-communism is already psychological preparation for war’’. : Ata later press conference, General Pasti ridiculed the idea that the Soviet Union threatened peace. As a former top commanding officer of NATO, he declared that the threat to peace, on the basis of his experience and his access to the facts, came from NATO. PACIFIC TRIBUNE— MAY 21, 1982— Page 8