Eleanor was always Stalin's apologist, due to the influence of her Communist friends.
The group involved in this story, the American Youth Congress, was taken over by the Young Communists and Young Socialists several years before this article and consistently supported Stalin. If that horrible woman wasn’t some kind of communist dupe I will eat my red scarf. Note how she tries to have it both ways: heartfelt support for Finland — but refusal to condemn the Soviet invasion of Finland.
“Following Eleanor Roosevelt in search of illogic is like following a lit fuse in search of an explosion. One never has to wait long” - James Burnham