N o .
9
TH E
U K R A IN IA N
W EEKLY
SUN DAY, FEBRUARY
2 6 ,1 9 8 4
3
R e p o rts s a y s R F E /R L c o n tro ls h a v e w e a k e n e d
W A S H IN G T O N
-
A S e n a te D e m o \ue000
cratic staff report says the m anagers of
R a d io
Free Europe and
R a d io L ib e rty
h a v e
s o
w eakened
th e
c o n tro ls
o v e r
p ro g ra m
c o n te n t
th a t
c o m m e n ta to rs
h o s tile to th e U n ite d S ta te s a r e a llo w e d
t o
b r o a d c a s t .to S o v ie t b lo c a u d ie n c e s ,
re p o rte d T h e N ew
York Tim es.
The report, by Geryld
B . C hristian-
s o n , D e m o c ra tic
s ta f f
d ire c to r fo r th e
S e n a te
F o re ig n
R e la tio n s C o m m itte e ,
c ite s
s e v e ra l
e x a m p le s
b u t
c o n c lu d e s
that there is no "pattern of w idespread
v io la tio n s o f p ro g ra m
p o lic ie s " b y th e
tw o stations, w hich are financed
by the
g o v e rn m e n t.
B ut
th e
re p o rt
a ls o
s a id
th a t
th e
" p o te n tia l fo r th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f s u c h a
p a tte rn
is v e ry m u c h in e v id e n c e ."
T h e re a s o n , th e re p o rts a y s ,i s th a t th e
m a n a g e m e n t o f th e tw o ra d io s ta tio n s
has "w eakened
longstanding broadcast
p o lic y a n d m o n ito r in g m e c h a n is m s ."
S im ilar
c h a r g e s
h a v e
b e e n
m ade
b e fo re .
I n
A p r il 1 9 8 1 , J a m e s C h ritc h \u2013
low , a planning and research official of
th e B o a rd fo r In te rn a tio n a l B ro a d c a s t\ue000
in g w h ic h s u p e r v is e sth es ta tio n s , s a id in
a
m em o
that "A m erican
m anagem ent
h a s
lo s t
e ffe c tiv e
control" of the sta\ue000
tio n s .
H e
s a id
m any
of the
re lig io u s
b r o a d c a s ts
h a d
becom e
v e h ic le s
fo r
a n ti-C a th o lic ,
p ro -R u ssian
O rth o d o x
view s, w h ile
other broadcasts
w ere
" o p e n ly
a n ti-d e m o c ra tic
a n d
a n ti-
W e s te rn ." O n e h is to ric a l p ro g ra m
a ire d
during the P olish crisis, he said, reflect\ue000
e d
" a n ti-P o lis h
p o s itio n s c u rre n t w ith
S o v ie t h is to rio g ra p h y ."
The current report recom m ends that
th e G e n e ra l A c c o u n tin g O ffic e c o n d u c t
a n
in v e s tig a tio n
of the problem s, and
M r. C hristianson
s a id
on February 21
that the agency had agreed to do so.
Jam es
L . B u c k le y ,
p r e s id e n t
o f
R F E /R L , interview ed
b y te le p h o n e in
M unich on Februarv2 1 , told The N ew
Y ork
Tim es, "I
d o n 't a g r e e
w ith
th e
re p o rt."
" I t 's
o n e
th in g
t o
ta lk
a b o u t
th e
p o te n tia l fo r p ro b le m s ," h e s a id , " a n d
a n o th e r to ta lk a b o u t a c tu a litie s .W e a re
to ta lly c o n s c io u s of th e p ro b le m s in M r.
C h ris tia n s o n 's
re p o rt, a n d
th e y
a re
te m p o ra ry , d u e to a re o rg a n iz a tio n
o f
o u rs t a f f . "
R F E /R L , based
i n
M unich, broad\ue000
c a s t
new s
a n d
fe a tu re s
t o
th e
S o v ie t
U n io n a n d
Eastern bloc countries. The
s ta tio n s ' p ro g ra m
p o lic y
g u id e lin e s
s tip u la te th a t b ro a d c a s ts m u st b e " c o n \ue000
s is te n t
w ith
th e
b ro a d
fo re ig n
p o lic y
o b je c tiv e s
o f
th e
U n ite d
S ta te s " a n d
"com m itted
to th e p rin c ip le s o f d e m o \ue000
c ra c y ."
The Broadcast Analysis D epartm ent
o f th e s ta tio n s is su p p o se d to m o n ito r
b ro a d c a s ts
t o
b e
s u r e
th a t
th e y
a re
c o n s is te n t w ith
their m ission. But the
re p o rt sa y s th e d e p a rtm e n t's
e ffe c tiv e \u2013
(n e s s h a d s e rio u s ly d e c lin e d
because of
sta ff c u tb a c k s .
T he report has not been m ade public,
b u t a c o p y w a s m a d e a v a ila b le to T h e
N ew
York Tim es.
S o u rc e s
c lo s e
t o
th e
b ro a d c a s tin g
b o a rd
s a id
o n
F e b ru a ry
2 1
th a t
th e
b o a r d 's
s ta f f
h a d
b e e n
te llin g
b o a rd
m em bers
fo r
m o n th s
a b o u t th e
la x
c o n tro ls a n d q u e s tio n a b le b ro a d c a s ts .
T he
b o a rd
chairm an, Frank
S h a k e \ue000
speare, could
not be reached for com \ue000
m e n t, th e T im e s s a id , a d d in g th a t h is
secretary said he w as travelingi n A frica.
B en J . W a tte n b e rg , th e d e p u ty c h a ir\ue000
m an, said, "W e have
h e a rd
echoes of
th e s e p ro b le m s b e fo re , b u t it is in th e
n a tu re o f R a d io F re e E u ro p e th a t th e re
has alw ays been a problem
m o n ito rin g
broadcasts to m ake sure they are saying
s u ita b le th in g s ."
VO A
b e g in s
m o d e rn iz a tio n
p ro g ra m
W A S H IN G T O N
-
T he
V o ic e
o f
A m erica, under the direction of K enneth
T o m lin s o n , re c e n tly
began a m oderni\ue000
z a tio n
p ro g ra m
w h ic h
in c lu d e s
im \ue000
p ro v e m e n ts
in
th e
U k ra in ia n
S e rv ic e .
These include an extra hour of broad\ue000
c a s tin g
per day and
a n
increase in the
num ber
o f
s ta f f
h ire d ,
re p o rte d
th e
U k ra in ia n
N a tio n a l
In fo rm a tio n
S e r\ue000
v ic e .
O n J u ly I, th e V O A w ill in a u g u ra te a
m o rn in g
b ro a d c a s t
in
th e
U k ra in ia n
language to
th e
S o v ie t
Far East. It is
h o p e d
th a t th e
p ro g ra m
w ill r e a c h
1 0
m illio n
U k ra in ia n s
w ho
have never
before heard a direct broadcast.
A
n e w
in te rn s h ip
p ro g ra m
in
th e
la n g u a g e s e rv ic e s h a s a ls o b e e n in itia te d .
B rig h t
y o u n g
p e o p le
w ill
b e
tra in e d
w ith in th e s e rv ic e d u r in g th e in te rn s h ip
period of one year.
P e rs o n n e l
re p re s e n ta tiv e s
fro m
th e
U k ra in ia n
S e rv ic e w e re in C h ic a g o n o t
long ago to recruit new staff m em bers.
T he
results of the
o n -th e -s p o t w ritin g
a n d v o ic e te s ts a n d th e a p p lic a tio n s a re
n o w
b e in g e v a lu a te d .
The VOA
m o d e rn iz a tio n p ro g ra m
is
a im e d
a t
im p ro v in g
te c h n o lo g y
a n d
general operations. D espite an audience
of m ore than 100 m illion listerners around
th e w o r ld , V O A e q u ip m e n t a n d fa c ilitie s
have not been m odernized for decades,
c a u s in g
a
s e r io u s
la g
b e h in d
o th e r
in te rn a tio n a l
b ro a d c a s te rs ,
a c c o rd in g
to the UN1S.
T he
V O A
broadcasts 970 hours per
w e e k in 4 2 la n g u a g e s , w h ile th e U S S R
broadcasts over 2.150 hours in 82 lan\ue000
guages. M ore
th a n
9 0
p e rc e n t
of the
V O A 's t r a n s m i t t e r s a r e m o r e t h a n
1 5
years old and m ore than 3S percent are
o v e r
3 0
y e a rs
o ld . T h e
V O A
h a s
t o
m a n u fa c tu re
its o w n re p la c e m e n t p a rts
fo r
m uch
o f
th e
a n c ie n t
e q u ip m e n t,
since new
spare parts do not exist.
U nder
th e
m o d e rn iz a tio n
p ro g ra m ,
new transm itter sites in critical areas of
th e w o rld w o u ld b e c o n s tru c te d a n d th e
c u rre n t
in e ffic ie n t
a n d
o b s o le te
a n \ue000
te n n a s a n d o th e r c o m p o n e n ts w o u ld b e
replaced and upgraded. W eekly broad\ue000
cast hours w ould be increased and tw o
n e w
E u ro p e a n
c o rre s p o n d e n t
b u re a u s
w o u ld
be added.
T he
o v e r
S I
b illio n
m o d e rn iz a tio n
p ro g ra m
w ill b e im p le m e n te d
o v e r th e
next five years.
M a g a z in e
recom m ends
s u p p o rt fo r n a tio n a lis ts
W A S H IN G T O N
-
In a list of speci\ue000
fic actio n s to sto p S oviet terro rism ,.an
a rtic le in th e m o n th ly m a g a z in e C o n s e r\ue000
v a tiv e D ig e s t re c o m m e n d s s u p p o r t fo r
th e -U k ra in ia n
n a tio n a lis t s tru g g le . T h e
article, titled
"Terrorism : V ital Part of
M o s c o w 's F o re ig n P o lic y ," s u g g e s ts th e
n e e d
t o
" s u p p o r t
a n ti-C o m m u n is t
groups and m ovem ents inside the Soviet
U n io n a n d
S o v ie t-b lo c n a tio n s ."
" T h is w o u ld
in c lu d e
U k ra in ia n
n a \ue000
tionalists in
U k ra in e , A fg h a n
fre e d o m
fig h te rs in A fg h a n is ta n a n d th e S o lid a \ue000
r ity
u n d e rg ro u n d
in
P o la n d . W e m u st
d e m o n s tra te
o u r
w illin g n e s s
t o
h e lp
a n ti-C o m m u n is t
g ro u p s
th a t
w ill p u t
th e S o v ie ts o n th e d e fe n s iv e ," th e a rtic le
s a id .
N ew s andv ie w s
F a m in e
s tu d y
c o m m is s io n
b ill
w o u ld
e n s u re
p u b lic
a w a re n e s s
. by Ihor Olshaniwsky
T h ro u g h o u t
th e
e n tire
y e a r
in '
1 9 8 3 ,
p ro g ra m s
w ere
h e ld
t o
com \ue000
m e m o ra te th e 5 0 th a n n iv e rs a ry of th e
1932-33 Great
F a m in e
in
U k ra in e .
S ig n ific a n t e ffo rts w e re m a d e b y th e
e n tire
U k ra in ia n
A m erican com m u\ue000
n ity t o re m in do t h e r s , a n d th e m s e lv e s
a s w e ll, o f th e a tte m p te d d e s tru c tio n
o f th e U k ra in ia n n a tio n b y m e a n s o f
a
M oscow -planned
fa m in e .
T he
solem n
c o m m e m o ra tio n s
o f
th is
tra g e d y
c u lm in a te d
in
a
w e e k lo n g
series of
p ro g ra m s
in
W a s h in g to n ,
w h ic h
in c lu d e d
d e m o n s tra tio n s ,
ra llie s , v ig ils , d is p la y s , c o n fe re n c e s
and a concert at the K ennedy C enter.
D u rin g th e s e c o m m e m o ra tiv e p r o \ue000
gram s, the new s m edia inform ed
th e
re a d e rs a b o u t th is n e a rly
fo rg o tte n
g e n o c id e . In th e U n ite d S ta te s C o n \ue000
g r e s s ,several resolutions w ere intro\ue000
d u c e d
o n
th e
s u b je c t
of this
m an-
m ade
c a ta c ly s m .
T h is
b e a rs
te s ti\ue000
m ony to the fact that a great deal of
in te re s t
a n d
sym pathy
h a s
b e e n
s h o w n b y A m e ric a n le g is la to rs w h o
a r e w illin g to ta k e th e S o v ie t U n io n
to task for its role in this fam ine.
P erhaps as m uch as 95 percent of
th e
e n tire
A m erican
p u b lic
is
n o t
aw are of this genocide. School curri\ue000
c u la d o n o t m e n tio n th is fa m in e , a n d
th e
new s
m e d ia
n o
lo n g e r
c a rry
s to rie s re la tin g to th is h o lo c a u s t. T h e
A m e ric a n s fa m ilia r w ith th is g e n o c i\u2013
d a l fa m in e
g e n e ra lly d o
not have a
v e ry c le a r p e rc e p tio n 'o fi t . S o m e U -S .
s e n a to rs
c o n tin u e
t o
p ro m o te
th e
id e a th a t th e fa m in e in U k ra in e w a s
caused by Soviet agrarian policies as
the m eans of forcing farm ers into a
c o lle c tiv e
system . This
e rro n e o u s
c o n c e p t ig n o re s th e m a n y fa c ts th a t
p o in t o u t h o w fo rc e d c o lle c tiv iz a tio n
a n d
a p la n n e d
fam ine were used by
M oscow regardless of the loss of lives
a s th e m e a n s to s u b ju g a te th e U k ra i\ue000
n ia n
n a tio n .
In th e c a s e o f U k ra in e , w h e re th e
n a tiv e
c u ltu re
a n d
custom s
w ere
s lo w ly d y in g in
R u ssified
cities, the
U k ra in ia n
p e a s a n try
w as
th e
la s t
s tro n g h o ld
in
p re s e rv in g
n a tio n a l
tra d itio n , la n g u a g e
a n d
id e n tity , in
s p ite o f c e n tu rie s o f fo re ig n
o c c u p a \ue000
tio n .
T he
fa m in e ,
w h ic h
to o k
th e
liv e s
o f
m illio n s
o f
U k ra in ia n s ,
m ostly peasants,was an integral part
of an unprecedented act of genocide
carried out by the Soviet governm ent
under the slogan of "struggle against
U k ra in ia n
n a tio n a lis m ."
It w as
a n
effort to destroy the very core of the
U k ra in ia n
n a tio n .
A t
th is
p o in t,
w hen
th e
solem n
c o m m e m o ra tiv e
e v e n ts h a v e e n d e d ,
th e re is a d a n g e r th a t th e tra g e d y o f
U k ra in e w ill a g a in b e fo rg o tte n . It is
up to
th e
U k ra in ia n
c o m m u n ity
t o
p re v e n t
th is
fro m
h a p p e n in g
b y
e x e rtin g its e ffo rts in s u p p o rt o f H .R .
4 4 5 9 , th e U k ra in e F a m in e B ill, n o w
pending in the H ouse of R epresenta\ue000
tiv e s ,
R ep.
J a m e s J . F lo rio , a lo n g -tim e
H u m a n -rig h ts s u p p o rte r a n d a frie n d
o f U k ra in e a n d o th e r c a p tiv e n a tio n s ,
in tro d u c e d th is b ill (o rig in a lly in tr o \ue000
d u c e d a sH. R. 3 9 9 3 ) to g e th e r w ith 6 0
other congressm en on N ovem ber 17,
1 9 8 3 .
If this legislation
is p a s s e d b y
th e
U.S. Congress, a
s p e c ia l
c o n \ue000
gressional com m ission
w ill b e e s t a \ue000
b lis h e d
t o
s tu d y
th e
c a u s e s
a n d
consequences of the
1 9 3 2 -3 3 fa m in e
in U k ra in e .
T h is c o m m is s io n w o u ld c o n s is t o f
2 1
m em bers: tw o
s e n a to r s ,
fo u r
congressm en, one
re p re s e n ta tiv e
fro m
th e D e p a rtm e n t o f S ta te , o n e
fro m
th e D e p a rtm e n t o f E d u c a tio n ,
o n e fro m
th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H e a lth
a n d
H um an
Services, and
^m em \ue000
b ers from
th e U k ra in ia n c o m m u n ity !
T he
c h a irm a n
o f
th is
com m ission
w o u ld
be a congressm an
a p p o in te d
b y th e s p e a k e r o f th e h o u s e w ith th e
consent and advisem ent of D em ocra\ue000
t i c
a n d
R e p u b lic a n
le a d e rs
o f
th e
U .S .
Congress. This com m ission
w o u ld
m e e t p e rio d ic a lly
t o
p ro v id e
d ire c tiv e s fo r re s e a rc h s tu d ie s o f th e
U k ra in ia n
fa m in e .
I n
a d d itio n ,
a
s p e c ia l o ffic e
w o u ld b e fo rm e d
c o n \ue000
s is tin g o f p e r m a n e n t e m p lo y e e s a n d a
sta ff d ire c to r. T h e d u tie s of th is o ffice
w o u ld
be to
ta k e c a re o f a ll a d m i\ue000
nistrative duties of the com m ission.
In a d d itio n , th e c o m m is s io n w o u ld
e m p lo y
e x p e rts
a n d
a d v is e rs
fro m
a c a d e m ia . B a se d o n th e ir q u a lific a \ue000
tions and expertise in the research of
th e U k ra in ia n h o lo c a u s t, th e s e s c h o \ue000
la rs w o u ld
b e s e le c te d b y a m a jo rity
of the m em bers of the com m ission.
They would be rem unerated through
s a la rie s
o r
com m issions
fo r
th e
d u ra tio n
o f
th e
c o m m is s io n 's e x is \ue000
te n c e .
The task of these experts w ould be
t o
g a th e r d a ta
a b o u t th e fa m in e in
U k ra in e , in
th e c o u n trie s w h e re th e
in fo rm a tio n
is accessible. A s a result
o f
th is
r e s e a r c h
a n
a n a ly s is
a n d
in d e x in g o f th is d a ta , to g e th e r w ith
th e ir fin d in g s , w o u ld
b e a v a ila b le in
p u b lic a tio n s fo r p u b lic u s a g e .
This congressional com m ission
is
m eant
t o
s e rv e
in an
a d v is o ry
a n d
s u p p o rtiv e
c a p a c ity .
It w o u ld
c o n \ue000
d u c t. h e a rin g s
a n d
w o u ld
h a v e
th e
rig h ts
t o
s u b p o e n a
w itnesses
w ho
s u rv iv e d th e fa m in e a n d e m ig ra te d to
the free w orld after W orld
W ar II.
The com m ission's structure would
be as follow s: it w ould consist of 21
p e rs o n s
a s
o u tlin e d
a b o v e ; its
a d \ue000
m in istrativ e
o ffic e
w o u ld
consist of
five to
10s a la rie d e m p lo y e e s a n d th e
e x e c u tiv e d ire c to r o f th e a d m in is tra \ue000
tiv e
o ffic e
w o u ld
b e
a p p o in te d
b y
C o n g r e s s : its th ir d c o m p o n e n t w o u ld
consist of experts and advisers from
th e a c a d e m ic fie ld w h o w ill c o n d u c t
re s e a rc h .
T h e c o m m is s io n w o u ld have access
t o
a ll
d e p a rtm e n ts
o f
th e
U n ite d
S ta te s g o v e rn m e n t d u rin g its s tu d y o f
th e fa m in e .
T he
w ork
o l
th e
com m ission
w o u ld
b e
o f
th re e
years' duration.
T h e p u b lic a tio n s o f th is c o m m is s io n
w o u ld
b e
a c c e s s ib le
t o
th e
m ass
m e d ia ,
e d u c a tio n a l
in s titu tio n s ,
l i b r a r i e s ,
u n io n s ,
governm ental
a g e n c ie s , th e
U .S. Congress
a n d
p riv a te in d iv id u a ls . A ll c o s ts a c c ru e d
b y
th e
w ork
o f
th e
com m ission
w o u ld
b e
fin a n c e d
b y
governm ent
fu n d s.
T h is
is
th e
f ir s t
tim e
in
th e
h is to ry o f th e U k ra in ia n c o m m u n ity
in th e U n ite d S ta te s th a t a n o p p o r tu \ue000
n ity
h a s
p re s e n te d
its e lf
t o
re c e iv e
g o v e rn m e n t fu n d in g fo r th e p u rp o s e
Of researching a period of U krainian
h is to ry . N o t o n ly w o u ld th is re s e a rc h
fill a v o id in th is h is to ric a le r a , b u t, in
a p ra c tic a l s e n s e , it w o u ld a ffo rd
u s
(Continued on page 13)
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