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~~ he had a militia man assigned to him to make things easy and stop any un- pleasantness”; yet throughout the book Steinbeck never mentioned the MVD. ” Most startling, perhaps, is Steinbeck's own attitude toward the Soviet Union. His book is ful] of what Koestler would eal] false equations, When Capa is _ stopped from taking pictures at a lend- leased tractor plant in Stalingrad, Steinbeck reminds us that foreigners may not photograph Oak Ridg- either. In his mind, “Moscowitis” and ‘““Wash- ingtonitis” cance] each other out. When» he admits that the collective farm he was shown put on a big show for him,-: he insists that “any Kansas farmer” would do the same for his guests. ”* Steinbeck wants “peace” and hates all “curtains,” iron or otherwise. He does not care about governments, good or bad. He comes up with a conclusion that is neither here nor there: “We knew rothing about the things Ameri- can papers were howling about — Rus- sian military preparations, atomic re- search, slave labor, the politica) skull- duggery of the Kremlin.” And he still doesn't. As a matter of fact, he is proud of his ignorance. Even Capa is led to remark that “Steinbeck is so goddam innocent that all questions posed by the curious and hero-wor- tte swered by a friendly grunt, This I - do not know.'™ When he is asked if the American people want war with ussia, he replies: “We don’t know.” Whether the question concerns Wa- ace’s popularity or American forei policy, the agnosticism and decaden . of American "ag of U. S. support of reactionaries and fascists, Steinbeck’s answer 1s invariably, “I don't know... no one telis us these things.” - Under -such circumstances it is not - | surprising that the world-shaking con- clusion to Steinbeck’s conducted tour . is that “the Russian people are people,” “that they are very nice.” He adds that they want “the same things all people want — good lives, increased comfort, ‘ security, and peace.” But he does not so tell us if the Russian people are get- ting any of these. a a) e « . > STEINBECK USED TO BE known "as a man with a strong social con- “ science. The Grapes of Wrath and Tortilla Flat were full of righteous moral jndignation. about social and economic injustice. In The Moon Is Down “Steinbeck made a heated if, somewhat pedestrian attack on totali-. tarian aggression and conquest. Those _were the days when Steinbeck could shipping Russian population are’ an-- ~ au. be counted upon to stand up and wield. his pen in behalf of democracy and freedom. Even today had he gone to Spain or China, he would surely have come back to write a book i orger to demonstrate that the “Chin ple want good lives and .comfort¥ - that “the Spaniards like peace,” |. |