European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 26, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                R doily Magazine in a Good citizen is a quiet one by David Shipler new York tunes s the soviet Union turned a deaf ear to cries k of outrage in the and handed Down heavy k sentences against two prominent dissidents k earlier this an unresolved question Over it was the question of the the uncertainty of mat these and especially the treason conviction of would mean for the Quality of political life in the soviet Ijo my in a Strong Strain of regarded the governments actions As but rather limited and somewhat surgical efforts to isolate and silence a Small band of vocal protesters returning to the pervasive terror of the stalinist 1 outside the courthouse where Shch Aransky was sen 21 8d Man who bad spent time in stains impose i remember what it was like under its not the the so Baransky Case was the first time met Stalin that a treason charge bad been used for blatant political with snob Antis Nuoc overtones and against such a prominent i f More typical of political trials since stains death was South of where Veteran dissident Ginzburg was convicted of ant soviet agita jars Shch Aransky Case had More variables and More ii nce for leading the attitudes and priorities of the Power Structure at this i in the harm the authorities did and the harm they to a picture emerged of a sharply focused although the potential was there for a broader As f against jews in general and against the United the treason charge itself tapped an ancient cat of virulent and a distaste for those Peak out against the russians see the dissident Issue just in those g a love it or leave it mentality that leads Gem to express Shock even when americans openly critic be United in that the accusations Shch Aransky were a Clever mixture of falsehoods that played to this broader sense of values Pong the soviet isolated the dissidents Are from the common of soviet or at least Bow Little they repro p Ordinary complaints and is a constant of debate in Moscow among russians and foreign most of the dissidents Are highly educated pro in a often elitist they from the workers and rarely jew to understand or to sympathize with the concerns that govern those everyday Lff Jor when a Small group of workers tried a free Trade Union several months ago to pro Tot corruption dangerous Job unjust dismiss pm 1uue rom More established rights and they quickly vanished into prisons and psychiatric Vul Nisner the dissidents Are it is not unusual to i russians who say in Pri vate All that the open dissidents say i Public the Days Are at least for the time when a private bit of irreverence could land someone in and political jokes Are so popular that it is hard to pass an evening around a russian table without hearing a couple of Good f but Public utterances Are still As the recent trials and few people Are willing to take the occasionally those who arc quiet Are eager to make a Small gesture of and this May reflect a silent sympathy that is impossible to Veniamin a prominent physical chemist who has been refused visa to of being attacked viciously in the soviet press last the next finding a Saleswoman from a local food shop at his apart ment she knew he liked a certain Hardt Oget salted she and she and her indignant about the wanted to bring some of his favorite fish to cheer him but the government efforts to drive wedges Between the dissidents and the larger society Are unceasing As was evident in the Shch Aransky since Shch Aransky is a and since the indictment dealt in Large measure with his role in the movement of jewish activists and his support from jewish groups it tended to reinforce the antisemitism Preva Lent in soviet the tendency to see jews As foreign suspect with the Case also entering on she Haransky contacts with american the old wariness of Contact with foreigners maintained at a simmer in the last decade has been turned up to a slightly higher russians attuned to nuances in party policy will feel it Wise to be a bit a bit More careful and this May Strain some of the personal and professional contacts Between americans and russians in educational and cultural the and particularly toe jewish Active were sent a message if they Are refused exit they a bold sit quietly and continue to then nothing will happen to if they make Public criticisms of soviet if they support american pressure on Moscow Over emigration if they give statements to foreign they face a death sentence for what the authorities chose to avoid in the Shch Aransky trial was the spectacular show of antisemitism and anti americanism that was the official communiques As the trial progressed mentioned foreign intelligence but not the Cen trial intelligence the accounts to foreign correspondents by Leonid the revealed a few Antisemitic but not the sweeping smears that had been the courtroom As reported stopped Short of fallout attacks on the american embassy and on american it stuck pretty much to the line taken previously in the soviet press no Diplo Mats currently in Moscow were and Only former Moscow correspondents were the trial May be a precursor of harder Lor the dwindling group of outspoken and it May very Well reflect a growth in the Power and a nerve ability of the dreaded police but it May also have the effect of driving More people into or at least into grinding previous harsh sentences of Dissie Nti on it does not appear to portend much change for average russians who do not engage in Politi Cal debate with the who  never bump up against the limits of behave they tend to see the dissidents As from a great people whose Fate is not bound up with but who have crossed a line they never think u that sense of isolation has probably increased after the recent harsh july 1978 the stars and stripes Page 13