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The two
sides in this debate are led by the Chinese and the Russian Communists. The
Chinese Communists contend that the violent overthrow of an existing
government is the normal method for the Communist conquest of power and
that, while it is possible to conceive of a situation where power could be
achieved by nonviolent means, such an exception is very rare. On the other
hand, the Soviet Communists contend that in the circumstances existing today
power may be achieved in many countries by nonviolent means. The special
circumstances that have brought this change are: (1) The enormous present
strength of the "Socialist" camp and (2) Universal fear of
thermonuclear war.
The Case of Chile
This debate has ceased to be academic and has become of immense
practical importance in the nation of Chile. The Communists in that country
are seeking to come to power this year and to do so without violence or
bloodshed. Their objective is the election of a left-wing coalition
dominated by the Communists, and they consider their chances of success very
good. The Communist Party of Chile has been attacked by the Chinese
Communists for choosing this method, and they have replied to the attack in
an article published in Political Affairs, the theoretical journal of
the American Communist Party, of March, 1964. The article is entitled,
"The Peaceful Way – A Form of Revolution." Here are some of the
important points made in this article:
"The Peaceful Way – A Form of
Revolution
"With the
presidential elections scheduled for September 1964, the Popular Action
Front, which consists of the Communist, Socialist and National Democratic
parties and other organizations, is bending every effort to secure victory
at the polls as the first step towards winning political power.
"The
election campaign is already under way. There are four candidates in the
field: Salvador Allende, the candidate of the Popular Action Front; Julio
Duran, the nominee of the Conservative, Liberal and Radical parties which
constitute the ruling coalition; Eduardo Frei, of the Christian Democratic
Party, and Jorge Prat, the nominee of the Right-wing Independents. If we
were to judge by the results of the municipal elections held in April, the
first three candidates might be expected to get 30, 47 and 23 per cent of
the vote respectively. The appearance of the fourth candidate, who has no
party backing, will, however, alter the picture somewhat. He is likely to
poll anything from 5 to 10 per cent of the vote, mostly in all probability
at the expense of Duran."
The tide
running in favor of the Communists is shown by a recent bi-election as
reported in U.S. News and World Reports, March 30, 1964:
"Pro-Communists won an
impressive victory over anti-Communists in a provincial bi-election.
"Vote of
the anti-Red front was 60.5 per cent of the total in 1961, but it dropped
to 32.9 per cent, March 15, while the vote of the pro-Reds rose from 22.4
per cent in 1961, to about 40 per cent of the total. This gave them enough
to win handily."
If this
bi-election indicates a general trend, the situation is certainly ominous.
The Communist
description of "the peaceful way" seems a trifle strange. The
peaceful nature of this mass struggle seems questionable!
"The mass struggle ranges from
strikes, sit-down strikes included, marches to the principal cities,
street demonstrations and public meetings, the seizure of parks and other
Government-owned land and a variety of other methods of struggle. The
peasants, too, use strikes and marches to the towns as a means of
struggle, and sometimes they seize land. For students the usual thing is
street demonstrations combined with sit-downs in educational
establishments." Page 38, Political Affairs, March,
1964.December 9, 1999
It is clear
that the dividing line between "the peaceful way" and "mass
violence" is slender and could be breached at any time.
Repudiation of "Reformism"
On this basis the Chilean Communists assure the Chinese Communists that
their revolutionary methods are truly Marxist-Leninist and not an example of
that fearful thing "reformism". They state:
"These facts taken together show
that the Chinese leaders have no grounds whatsoever for associating the
peaceful way with reformism, or qualifying it as lulling the masses and
conciliation with imperialism and the home reactionaries.
"The
peaceful way, we repeat, is the way of mass revolutionary struggle . . .
It presupposes the use of some forms of coercion." Page 39, Political
Affairs, March, 1964
Cuban Example
The Chinese Communists accuse the Chilean Communists of forsaking the
splendid example set by Fidel Castro in Cuba. The letter from the Communist
Party of China to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Chile
states:
"In Latin America the ‘peaceful way’ which you advocate stands in
sharp contrast to the revolutionary way of Fidel Castro and the other
comrades who led the Cuban people to victory." Page 42, Political
Affairs, March, 1964.
Following in the Footsteps of Castro
The Chilean Communist Party replies by stating that Marxism-Leninism
allows flexibility in the choice of the method of attaining power and that
the Communist Party in each country knows its own conditions best. It makes
the claim that, while it is not essential to follow the method of Fidel
Castro in coming to power, it is imperative to do the things Castro did
after power has been attained. Here is the precise quotation:
"The
content of the revolution in all Latin American countries is, generally
speaking, identical. All the peoples of the continent are bound to follow
Cuba’s example as regards liberation from imperialism, abolition of the
latifundia and other fetters on the productive forces, implementation of
the cultural revolution and paving the way to socialism." Page
43, Political Affairs, March, 1964
The grim
consequences of a Communist victory in Chile are clear.
The United Front
The essential feature of the "peaceful way" is the
establishment of a united front of left-wing "Marxist parties"
including the Socialists. While the Communists claim to be Socialists, there
are many Socialist parties which claim to be non-Communist. These parties,
generally speaking, are preoccupied with the danger of thermonuclear war,
and they are exceedingly active in the "peace movements".
Throughout Latin America they are excessively anti-American and susceptible
to Communist seduction. The Communists are confident that, with their
superior organization and international base, they will be able to dominate
the united front and, if necessary, eliminate the Socialists and other
groups once power is achieved.
The situation in Chile
is critical. It is one more revelation of the bankruptcy of our national
policy and the failure of programs advanced thus far in the battle against
Communism. It affirms once again the thesis that Communism cannot be
defeated by material means alone and that a program of education is
desperately needed concerning the specifics of Communist ideology,
organization and methods that will reduce the susceptibility of the
non-Communist parties and people to the seduction of the Communist promise
and program. Can we learn before it is too late?
The General Strategy
The policy in Chile is merely an example of the general strategy being
carried out worldwide by those Communist parties under the direction of the
Soviet Union. Further examples are the present policies of the Communists in
France and the United States.
France
The Communist Party of France has prepared a draft-resolution for
presentation to the Party’s 17th Congress to be held May 14-17,
of this year. This shows the remarkable lengths to which the Communists are
prepared to go in their efforts to woo and win the Socialists. It is
probable that this document will bring down upon the French Communists the
concentrated wrath of the Chinese Communists as it suggests modification of
one of the sacred untouchable Communist doctrines: "The Dictatorship of
the Proletariat." After the seizure of power, the Communist Party has
taken as its historic duty to monopolize all political, economic,
educational and military power in order to establish its rule "based on
force and unrestricted by law".
The Communist Party of
France now professes to be willing to share this power with the Socialists
once Capitalism has been destroyed. This is a development of the greatest
importance.
The draft-resolution
states: "The Communist Party reaffirms that it is ready on its part to
work toward the lifting of these obstacles. It has already responded to
numerous questions at issue between Socialists and Communists. It has
asserted that it is ready to support unity tomorrow for joint application of
a program elaborated in common.
"It has rejected the idea that
the existence of a single party is an obligatory condition for the
transition to socialism. This idea, upheld by Stalin, constituted an
arbitrary generalization from the specific circumstances in which the
October Revolution took place. Later experience proves that the common
objectives of parties representing the toiling masses of the cities and
the fields lead to ever greater unity for the transition to socialism, for
the construction of a socialist society. There is no doubt that as new
countries march toward socialism, unity of the socialist parties and
alliance with the non-socialist parties will assume new and original
forms." Page 53, Political Affairs, March, 1964
The appeal
of this to the Socialists can be imagined. It is as though the Catholic
Church announced that the Pope was prepared to renounce final authority and
share the authority wil the leaders of other denominations. The major
barrier to unity has been removed.
Should power be
achieved, the Communists would have little difficulty in establishing their
dominant role both in theory and practice. Even in Communist China a small
fragmentary parties are allowed nominal existence so that they can give
unanimous approval to the policy decisions of the Communist Party.
The United States
Within the United States, the American Communist Party is following a
similar policy. They are striving for what they call "Left-wing
unity" and hope to build a political force around FOUR CENTRAL ISSUES.
These are stated by Gus Hall in his document, Which Way U.S.A. 1964?:
"The first, and most turbulent,
is the civil rights struggle. The second is the growing restiveness of
labor resulting from the dilemma of automation, which is of such key
importance that is calls for a special report and discussion. The third is
the never-ceasing struggle for peace. And the fourth is the mounting
struggle against the ultra-Right, which is a basic aspect of the other
main currents of mass struggle. Indeed, the struggle against the
ultra-Right is decisive for the very future of the electoral system
itself."
It
is interesting to note the great importance given to the struggle against
the "ultra-Right". In the Communist view this is identical with
the struggle against the anti-Communist movement. We must expect an
increasing campaign of slander and disruption and must plan our strategy and
increase our effective programs accordingly.
Rising Tide of Violence in Latin America
While the debate concerning violence rages, the tide of violence rises.
This is true in many areas of Latin America.
Brazil
The conflict between the Communist forces and those favoring the
democratic processes is becoming more acute. As the Communists increase in
brazen arrogance, the anti-Communists become more determined to stop their
march to power. This leads in certain areas to mass demonstrations by the
anti-Communists, and sometimes there are overtones of violence. The
encouraging feature is that the great mass of the people is anti-Communist
and, with adequate leadership, can win. An example of the popular sentiment
comes from the State of Minas Gerais. The Communist groups wished to hold a
convention; but the public protested, and their leader was prevented from
speaking. This led the brother-in-law of the President, Senator Lionel
Brizola, who was governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and who gained
notoriety for the expropriation of American property, to come to the state
to hold a meeting. He, too, felt the anger of the people and was not allowed
to conduct the Communist rally.
The situation in Brazil
is polarizing as the crisis deepens. This is the time when a great
mass-education program concerning the nature and techniques of Communism can
tip the scales towards freedom.
Note: Since the Brazil
article was written, the revolutionary overthrow of the Goulart regime has
taken place. This revolution has dealt a severe blow to the forces of
Communism in Latin America.
The Revolution had many
of the features of a military coup, but is also had great popular support. A
military coup is like a cut in the abdomen, undesirable in itself, but
necessary sometimes to preserve life. In this case it was necessary to
preserve the democratic life of Brazil from the spreading infection of
Communism.
The revolution was
accomplished with remarkably little bloodshed. What a contrast to a
communist-led revolution such as that in Zanzibar.
The outcome may have
been different if British Guiana had been available as a Communist
sanctuary.
The Communists will
continue to work, and we must take advantage of this opportunity to increase
our distribution of anti-communist literature.
Kerala, India
In this state the crisis is growing and the Communists are working so
that they may regain in 1964 what they lost in 1959. The coalition which
defeated the Communists is disintegrating and the Communists see a great
chance of victory in the coming elections. The role of the newspaper Keraladhwani
(the Voice of Kerala) becomes more important than ever. The publisher, Dr.
George Thomas, has urgently requested extra assistance to wage a powerful
campaign of exposure against the Communists and to create unity among the
anti-Communists.
British Guiana
The Communist government of Cheddi Jagan has threatened to turn to
violence in its effort to retain power in British Guiana. An election has
been ordered by the British Government under proportional representation and
is to take place later this year. Independence is being postponed until
after this election. The threats of violence have now become a reality. One
of the anti-Communist political parties is the United Force. Its deputy
leader, Randolph Cheeks, a Negro, was conducting a meeting at Mahaicony
village on March 23. He was struck on the head with an ax and is in critical
condition. The homes of the leaders opposed to Jagan are being bombed, and
arsonists are setting fire to sugar cane. The opponents of Communist are now
faced with an organized campaign of sabotage, arson and murder. The
following extract from a letter received expresses very well the sentiments
of the Crusade:
"I
hope and pray that our supporters will stand by these brave souls who are
literally going through fire so that freedom may live in that little land
bordering the two giants, Brazil and Venezuala."
"Schoolboy in British Guiana Dies of
Bombing Injuries
Special to The New York Times
"Georgetown, British Guiana, March 24 – An 11-year-old Portuguese
boy, Geoffrey Texiera, died in a hospital last night five hours after he was
injured by a bomb thrown into a school bus. Eleven boys and three girls were
critically injured.
"The vehicle was
attacked while it was carrying 44 children, most of them white, from
Georgetown schools to British-owned sugar plantations east of the capital.
"The incident
brought country-wide indignation, and heightened the tension caused by the
six-week-old sugar workers strike.
"The strike has
resulted in five deaths."
A Shocking Crime
It is not only the freedom of the people of British Guiana that is at
stake. In the final analysis it is also the life and the freedom of the
people of the United States.
Haiti – Why?
Why is it that tine Cuba can defeat the rich and mighty United States in
the field of propaganda? Radio Havana broadcasts two hours a day in Creole
and one hour in French for the people of Haiti. The Voice of America has no
broadcast beamed to these people in their own language. Why?
Tibet
The Dalai Lama of Tibet has informed the world of the genocide being
practiced by the Chinese Communists against his people. A newsletter
published by his headquarters states:
"The Chinese Communists have achieved much in the destruction of
Tibetan culture, and now their policy seems to be aimed at the
extermination or "transplantation" of the whole nation by two
methods, which cannot be resisted in any way.
"First,
by the deportation to China of children in two categories, those between 6
and 10 and those between 11 and 15, almost exclusively of the poorer
classes, for the opper ones are regarded as unfit for the new ‘Gospel of
Communism.’ These classes, as well as the farmers, are being
methodically and systematically starved; for the normal monthly rations
are sufficient generally only till the middle of the month; during the
rest of it people must do what they can – collect grass, leaves, roots,
etc., in the summer – but in the winter . . .? We learn that often old
leather soles are boiled and consumed to appease hunger. But many cannot
endure it, and die before the next ration comes.
"ADMINISTRATION:
The whole country is divided into three provinces. At the head of each is
a Chinese Governor with many subordinate officials, also Chinese. The last
in the hierarchy is a headman, leader of every ten people. This is a
Tibetan, member of the Communist Party or Communist Youth League. He is
responsible for the ten; he must know about every movement of each man,
woman, and child: no one receives permission to move further than one day’s
walk can take him, and no one has the right to buy anything outside his
own province.
"There
are only three shops in every province which are opened once a month for a
few days and sell exclusively Tibetan products.
"Cloth is
rationed, and so little is allowed that neither women’s nor men’s
Tibetan costume can be stitched; all have to dress in the Chinese fashion.
"The
farmers have to surrender the greater part of each crop to the Chinese.
Only 330 lb. Is left for the whole family for one year, till the next
harvest.
"The best
paid work is the building of the roads. Everyone must have a ‘Permit’
(personal document) in which the story of his behavior during the last 8
years is noted in detail.
"Of late
it has become increasingly difficult to cross the heavily guarded
frontiers and seek refuge in India."
LEE HARVEY
OSWALD
As the evidence accumulated concerning the
singular treatment received by Oswald from the Soviet authorities, the
assumption that he was acting on his own initiative in the assassination
becomes more and more questionable. A remarkable analysis of the record of
his treatment in the Soviet Union has been prepared by the American Security
Council, 123 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Here are some
pertinent points from this report:
1) The facts thoroughly aired in
newspapers around the world indicate the guilt of Lee Harvey Oswald to a
moral certainty.
2) Oswald received special and speedy treatment in the granting of his
visa to go to Russia in 1959. "This gives rise to the probability
that Oswald must have had prior contacts with one or more Soviet
agents."
3) The treatment accorded Oswald on his arrival in Russia suggests a
dispute between the Propaganda and Intelligence departments as to which
could more effectively use his services and the Intelligence people
obviously won.
4) While in the Soviet Union, Oswald is reported to have joined a rifle
club and to have practiced marksmanship. There are no amateur rifle clubs
in the sporting sense in the Soviet Union. It has now been established,
however, that Oswald did belong to a hunters Sovkhoz, membership
which is normally reserved to those which are hunters by profession.
5) When Oswald decided to return to the United States, his Soviet wife was
granted an exit visa with a minimum of red tape. That is truly unique in
Soviet history. Since the exit visa was forthcoming rather promptly, the
Soviet authorities must have wanted Marina to have accompanied Oswald.
6) "Oswald received unique treatment from the Soviets all along the
line."
The Deepening Paradox–The Attitude to
American Communism
The American Communist Party continues to increase in respectability and
to undertake programs inconceivable a few years ago. This is in spite of the
fact that the forces of world Communism are openly and successfully engaged
in the brutal destruction of liberty all around the world and that a Marxist
and pro-Communist activist recently murdered the popular and greatly loved
American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The strangest feature of the
assassination has been the absence of any popular resentment against
Communism. If the assassin had been a member of the "Right Wing",
the frenzy of many national leaders and the news media can well be imagined.
Psychological Gobbledygook
The Communists have been protected by the vendors of the psychological gobbledygook
who have led the public to think of the assassin as a person whose unhappy
childhood made him an emotionally disturbed, irresponsible psychopath. This
obscures the truth that he was well schooled in Communism, able to debate
his Marxist philosophy, and remarkable articulate and calm under the
pressure of intense questioning.
The increase in
Communist activity is shown by two articles in the March 28 edition of the People’s
World. The first is entitled, "A Communist runs for office."
The second article is
headed, "Meeting of the socialist-oriented youth."
"San
Francisco – ‘Nothing like this has happened in this country in 15
years.’
"This was
the comment made by one of the leading participants in a coastwide
conference of socialist-oriented young people, held here last weekend
(March 21-22)
"Michael
Myerson, 22, who chaired the concluding session of the conference,
described it as a huge success.
"A total
of 244 young men and women attended the West Coast Easter Conference. Aim
of the gathering was ‘to bring together a broad spectrum of young people
who are interested in examining the possibility of a socialist alternative
to contemporary social problems.’
"The
conference was sponsored by the W.E.B. DuBois Clubs of San Francisco State
College and West Los Angeles and the Youth Action Union of Los
Angeles."
Dubois is
the Negro communist leader who died recently in Ghana. The Communists have
been creating DuBois clubs in the universities of the nation.
These two actions
illustrate how skillfully the Communists are attempting to exploit the Negro
problem at the present time.
Meanwhile, the plague
of Communist speakers continues to flood the university campuses of the
nation.
SEQUEL IN INDIANAPOLIS
In the March News Letter we related the
"Uproar in Indianapolis" when the Superintendent of Schools of
Indiana commended the distribution of my "Testimony on the Communist
Mind" before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, to the
junior high school students of Indiana. The distribution was a project of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Indiana.
The attack on the
Superintendent of Education was led by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union.
The President of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union is Dr. Robert G. Risk. A
debate was arranged between Dr. Risk and me which took place over
Indianapolis Television Station WLWI, on February 29.
On numerous occasions I
have debated individuals who have been Communist or pro-Communist. This
debate was different. Dr. Risk was against Communism, and I am convinced of
his sincerity. I cannot remember one occasion on which he followed the
Communist line in the whole debate.
Nevertheless, I believe
the viewpoint he expressed is responsible for a great deal of the
difficulties facing free men today. He appeared to be unconscious of the
magnitude or nature of the Communist danger. He asserted that the battle
against Communism is proceeding very well. When I asked if he could name any
country in the world where American foreign policy is succeeding at present,
he confidently affirmed that he could and named Greece and Turkey. Later in
the debate he added the Congo and Cuba as examples of how we are doing. When
asked for practical measures to halt the Communist program of encirclement,
his only suggestions were to support the government and set a good example.
During the debate he
affirmed that I had written that it would be easy to convert American
university students to Communism. I denied that I had ever written or stated
this and offered $1,000 to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union if he could
prove that I had done so. He was certain that this was the case and after
the debate he wrote me the following letter:
"Dear Dr. Schwarz:
In our confrontation of
Saturday February 29th, on Channel 13, the part of the discussion
that dealt with communism and college students went as follows:
Dr. Risk:
. . .I do not believe that our university students . . . I’ve had
children in the university and I’ve got one there right now. . and I don’t
believe that they’re easily won to communism as you say they are.
Dr. Schwarz: Please,
please be correct. That is untrue. I have never said that they’re easily
won. . .
Dr. Risk: Well, you
said this in this book of yours. . .
Dr. Schwarz: I have
said nothing. . .
Dr. Risk: . . . that
they can be easily won to communism.
Dr. Schwarz: I have
nev. . . I challenge you, and I will make a thousand dollar donation to
the Americ Civ. . . The Indiana Civil Liberties Union from the Christian
Anti-Communism Crusade if you can find this. . .
The
following quotations from your own speeches and writing form the basis of my
statement:
You Can Trust the Communists (to be
Communists): Dr. Fred C. Schwarz: Prentice Hall,
1960.
page 25 "It would be a simple matter to go before any inexperienced
student group, and taking them unprepared, convince practically everyone
of them that the Marxist argument is sound."
Christian Anti-Communism Crusade News Letter,
June 1963
page 2 "The environment that conditions individuals to acceptance of
Communism is the college and university."
Testimony before House Un-American Acitivities Committee
May 29, 1957
Words spoken by Dr. Schwarz during testimony, "The problem that
perplexes many people is the overwhelming appeal that communism apparently
exercises for the student mind."
On the
basis of your record, in which you use communism and Marxism
interchangeably, I believe that you will, as an honorable man, wish to make
a one thousand dollar donation to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. Our
address is 423 Board of Trade Building, Indianapolis.
Sincerely,
Robert G. Risk
President – Indiana Civil Liberties Union"
Reply:
"Dear Doctor Risk:
You must be joking! It
is inconceivable that you, as a rational and intelligent individual, can be
serious in your claim that I stated in the book "You Can Trust the
Communists (to be Communists)" that American university students can
easily be won to Communism.
I enclose the full text
of our discussion and my challenge during the confrontation on Saturday,
February 29, over Television Station WLWI. It is clear from this that the
issue under dispute is, Did I write that American university students can
easily be won to Communism? To support your claim that I did, you give
the following quotation from page 25:
"It
would be a simple matter to go before any inexperienced student group and,
taking them unprepared, convince practically everyone of them that the
Marxist argument is sound."
The Marxist
argument discussed here is the critical analysis of Capitalism which
concludes that there is a cycle within Capitalism leading to recurrent
depression and war. I state it would be easy to convince inexperienced and
unprepared students of the truth of this particular argument.
From the context it is
clear that I am discussing a number of elements which combine to make a
particular student susceptible to Communist recruitment. The four elements
emphasized are:
1) Disenchantment with Capitalism.
2) Materialist philosophy.
3) Intellectual pride.
4) Unfulfilled religious need.
I indicate
that acceptance of the foregoing Marxist analysis leads to disenchantment
with the Capitalist system. The claim you make, that this states that
American students in general can easily be won to Communism, is false.
It would be equally
logical to say, that because water is one element involved in making a cup
of coffee, an individual who has a cup of water has a cup of coffee. There
are many people throughout the world who accept this Marxist analysis of
Capitalism but who are not Communists.
Your statement, that I
use Communism and Marxism interchangeably, is so absurd it does not merit
rebuttal. Communism is Marxism-Leninism. Many claim to be Marxists but not
Communists.
Your two other
quotations, though accurate in themselves, are quite irrelevant to the issue
under dispute.
If you are serious in
your contention, I hope you will reread the entire chapter and make an
attempt to understand what I did write.
Yours very sincerely,
Fred Schwarz"
We have a film of this debate which is
available for showing. It is of one-hour duration. It is a revelation of how
some of the opponents of the anti-communist movement think.
THE STRANGE
ATTITUDE OF NEWSWEEK
The strange attitude of Newsweek
towards the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade continues. In their edition of
March 2, the following statement appeared in the section named "The
Periscope."
"Lee Harvey Oswald
will play a key role in a recruiting campaign for Dr. Fred Schwarz’s
far-right Christian Anti-Communism Crusade. Schwarz plans a new series of
lectures, keyed to the theme that the Reds plan a take-over of the U.S. High
spot of the talks will be tape recordings, made at a New Orleans radio
stations, of a debate between a Cuban anti-Communist and the accused killer
of President Kennedy."
I wrote the following
letter to Newsweek:
Dear Sir:
The series of lecture you mention in Periscope, March 2, is most successful.
The general reaction to the debate featuring Lee Harvey Oswald is that he is
articulate, emotionally restrained and a convinced Marxist. I thank you for
the publicity.
It is to be regretted
that you could not conceal your prejudices. By what objective standards do
you classify the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade as Far Right? False
labeling is unworthy of a reputable news magazine.
I am hopeful that this
letter, unlike my previous communications, may receive an acknowledgement.
The New York Times states that a reply is sent to every bona fide letter
received. Are the ethical standards of Newsweek lower than those of the New
York Times?
Sincerely,
Dr. Fred Schwarz
–No reply has been received–
VOCABULARY OF COMMUNISM
Occasionally a book is published which is
unique in its field. Such a book is The Vocabulary of Communism by
Lester DeKoster, published by William D. Errdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Every serious student
of Communism will find this book of inestimable value. It provides summaries
of the organizations, personalities and doctrines that have made significant
contributions to the development of Communism during the past hundred years.
It will be of particular value to all groups in the study of Communism.
YOU CAN TRUST THE
COMMUNISTS (TO BE COMMUNISTS)
In spite of the fact that the book You Can
Trust the Communists (to be Communists) has been taken off the
bookstands of the nation, more copies are being circulated than ever. This
is because so many are taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase
quantities of the paperback edition at 25 cents each and to distribute them
to their friends. Our mail is filled with letters of appreciation from those
who have received the book. Here are a few selected extracts of some
letters:
"I have concluded that your book is the most thrilling, informative
and authentic work I have ever come across on the subject of Communism
from an anti-Communist standpoint. There is the style of gradation,
leading from the lower to the higher philosophy, and the grace of
simplicity – all, feature of literary and intellectual greatness.
Besides, this book carries such an intellectual force that if given the
proper momentum in publication and distribution. I am confident that the
thinking of many left-leaning students aimed at by Communism. In short, it
will go a long way in stemming the flow of Communism." Windward
Islands, West Indies.
"I happen
to be a member of the 50th Army Band at Ft. Monroe, VA. During
the past two months, since you reduced the price to twenty-five cents, I
have purchased eighty copies of the paperback version of your work, You
Can Trust the Communists (to be Communists), and have given them away
mostly to the members of the congregation of my church." Hampton, VA.
"I am
quite upset over your book being taken from newsstands — I ordered 6 or
8 copies over Christmas and have been giving them to people to read. My
fourth grade students are just adorable in their indignation over the
spread of Communism throughout the world. We have many discussions in
class about how Communists operate, and I have read parts of your book to
them. They were all very eager to take copies of it home to their parents
to read. Several of the parents have commented to me that they never knew
how much was going on until their child began telling them of our
discussions like class." Denver, Colorado.
"You
fascinate me the way you are able to present a subject as serious and as
deadly as Communism and still retain your characteristic sense of humor. I
am referring to your excellent book, YOU CAN TRUST THE COMMUNISTS. You
have the enviable ability to communicate your points in such a way that
they STICK. For example, in discussing the Communist concept of peace, you
said, ‘When a Communist shoots you, he shoots you with a peaceful gun,
containing a peaceful bullet, kills you peacefully, and buries you in a
peaceful grave.’ That really impressed me." Jackson, Mississippi.
Of course,
all letters are not complimentary. A little entertainment is provided by
letters such as the following:
"The
Indiana ‘Times’ is so right about you: a charlatan who has found a
good think in the anti-Communist racket. But I must admit your newsletter
is skillful: I’m sure it arouses consternation in the minds (?) Of the
dim-wits who support you–e.g.: the Forest Grove High School girl who has
a ‘limited vocabulary’ but thinks you are ‘practically a genius’.
With enough imbeciles like this one, what this country has to fear is not
Communism but the fake patriots who exploit it. How are the tapes, books,
pamphlets, etc. selling? Making a few bucks for you?" New York City,
N.Y.
CONCLUSION
The essential character of an individual is
revealed by the way he reacts to bad news. Possible reactions include the
resignation of despair, the false security of disbelief, the smug
self-righteousness that blames others, and the determination to spare no
effort to change the bad news to good.
The news concerning
Communism is almost universally bad. Will our answer be despair, disbelief,
recrimination or increased devotion to freedom?
For those who choose
battle with the enemy, there are many avenues of service which are richly
rewarding. Activity brings relief from the frustration of helplessness and
also makes the task of Communism more difficult. Activity demands
expenditure of energy, time and money; it requires patience, perseverance,
and faith. There may be few spectacular victories to gladden the heart.
Nevertheless, these victories may be all around as student eyes shine more
brightly at the thoughts of freedom; voices once mute are heard denouncing
the crimes of Communism, and hands are joined in the fellowship of devotion
to liberty.
The fellowship of
liberty is incomplete and awaits the membership of those awakened to the
present danger. The membership dues are sacrifice, study, and the
willingness to surrender life itself if this is necessary to preserve the
right of the future generation to life and liberty.
Our Lord said, "He
that loveth his life shall lose it, but he that loseth his life for My sake
shall find it unto life eternal."
With Christian Love,
Fred Schwarz
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