Friedrich Questions 'Life' - Niebuhr Theory of U.S. - Russian Hostility

Referring to Roinhold Neibuhr's anti-Russian article in the current "Life magazine, Carl J. Friedrich, professor of Government, who served as advisor to the American Military authorities in Germany last summer, said yesterday in an interview, " I really didn't see things the way he did."

Neibuhr's views were based on a visit to the Continent during September. Expressing admiration for Neibhur, a professor at Union Theological Seminary, Friedrich nevertheless added that "I can't cope with people who make these big, sweeping statements."

Taking issue with Neibuhr's central thesis that Russia means to conquer all of Europe "strategically and ideologically," Friedrich said, "I don't think he could marshal conclusive evidence in support of such a contention. If you want to believe it you do." "I don't think there's going to be a war," he continued. "We'll have one scrap after another with the Soviet. Both of us are new at being the world's greatest powers, and it will take a long, long time to evolve a patter of mutually acceptable relations.

In rebuttal to a statement of Niebuhr's that "Europe's democratic forces are behind Byrnes and not Wallace," Friedrich criticized "false alternatives," stating certain forces may be behind neither and pointing to the generally hostile reactions to the Byrnes policy in French political quarters. He added that Niebuhr's information concerning the "planned economy" provision in the Bavarian constitution was decidedly incorrect.

'No Fun to Be Occupied'

Referring to Niebuhr's assertion that Germany is overwhelmingly anti-Russian, Friedrich and "it's no fun to be occupied. You hear of horrors from all zones. I met many Germans in the Russian zone who did complain of terrorism but they seemed to have a just appreciation of the other side of it--of the unfortunate actions we're guilty of in our area. The Soviet Union, in addition, has achieved a definite measure of support from quite a few Germans in their zone. That Germans in other zones should be anti-Soviet is natural. The many Red Army horror stories, not counteracted through personal contact in the non-Russian zones, as well as the lingering Nazi propaganda, all contribute to this."

Professor Friedrich explained that generally speaking, he sides with Byrnes in the foreign policy controversy. He attacked over-emphasis on atomic energy control and the scientists who "never before showed an interest in politics and now come up with their blue-eyed schemes," adding that he himself "wouldn't be much good in a laboratory, Let's keep our eye on the ball. 'Let's make a peace and secure it-them there will be no need for atomic bombs."