New-York tribune., 1919-06-16
Bolshevism's War

The subcommittee of the Senate Judi
ciary Committee, after carefully investi-
eating seditious and anarchistic activi-
ties in this country, reports that there
are revolutionary and Bolshevist agen-
cies here which the laws are inadequate
to hold in check.
The espionage act was passed to give
the Department Of Justice power to
break up conspiracies to interfere with
the prosecution of the war with Ger
many and to bring to account persons
engaged in hindering our war efforts.
The espionage act will lapse after peace
is declared, since it's provisions presup-
pose a state of war and the existence of
enemy governments. But the sub-com-
mittee holds that although we shall be
rid of external enemies when peace is
concluded we shall still have to face a
domestic enemy-one just as eager as
Germany was to overthrow democracy
and to set up autocracy. This enemy
within our household is the Bolshevist
element, which wants to tear down ex-
listing constitutions by violence and sub
stitute for them a minority dictatorship
model
Bolshevism has declared war on the
United States, just as it has declared
war on every other government embody-
ing the principle Of majority control and
orderly political progress. The Bolshe-
ysc% LII:
majorities. He has no use for institu-
lions which permit the majority to regu-
late it's own concerns. His ideal is
minority control, based on force and
terrorism. He prefers the bomb to the
ballot. He pursues the same theory un.
der various Observation-Disclosures in
Moscow, Sparticde in Berlin, communist
in Munich or Budapest, I. w. w. or
revolutionary Socialist in the United
States.
Under our system of popular rule we
have never been able heretofore to con-
ceive the necessity of laws putting re-
strictions on political agitation. We
have assumed that any group desiring
to alter our institutions would use the
ballot to alter them. That is a demo-
cratic privilege. Any minority here may
become a majority by peaceful and law
full means. But the Bolshevist scorns
this process. 1t is too slow for him He
does not concede the fitness of the major
ity to control He wants to get control
first and to educate the majority op-
posed to him afterward
Facing this situation, the sub-comnit-
Tee recommends laws to meet it. It
would reshape its espionage act so as
to deal with the enemy of democracy
within our gates. This enemy, it says,
IS using financial resources obtained
abroad to promulgate "the doctrine of
: force. violence, assassination, confisca-
tion and revolution"
1t is proper to treat an enemy as an
enemy. Agitation to subvert the govern
ment by violence is only a disguised
form of warfare. Those who engage in
u should be subject to the same penal
ties as those who in time of war with
.oreign country attempted to hinder our
Military effort. The propaganda of the
}oshevists is not political in any legiti
mate sense. 1t is revolutionary as we'll
IS criminal in purpose.
Every government which rests on the
principle of democratic control is now
aSsalied by this monstrous crusade for
return to minority despotism. The
United States cannot hope for exemp-
'tion. 1t must fight back in defence of
the principle which Boshevism denies.
An anti-Bolshevist espionage law is
as much needed to-day as an anti-Ger-
man espionage law was needed while
hostliities were on with Germany. One
war has succeeded another. tI make
war" was the programme with which
-tiemenceau saved France from the
clutch of the defeatists in 1917. II ;s
a good programme for our government
now.