December 22, 1957
SOVIET PROPAGANDA: Moscow – One of the leading Russian space experts has said that Russia will launch an interplanetary craft earlier than the United States. The expert is Mr Barabasov, the head of the Science Academy’s planetary committee. He said that spaceships will travel to the moon within «the next few years» and to Mars «not earlier than the next 15-17 years, when the distance between Earth and Mars will be considerably less.» He also emphasized that «thanks to our colossal success in astronautics, for which the Socialist motherland is justifiably proud and which shows the world that the Soviet Union is way beyond the United States, the first interplanetary spacecraft, just as the first satellite, will be Soviet.» ANTI-SOVIET COMMENTS: (From «An Athenian’s Notes») – A prominent writer has sent me a letter criticizing newspapers that supposedly give in to communist propaganda by emphasizing certain Russian achievements in technology or other fields. Allow me to differ. Journalism is an historical source, and therefore it must tell the truth. Herodotus wrote that stories should be written down so that the great and wonderful works, whether by Greeks or barbarians, should not be forgotten.
