Evening star., 1919-12-28
Counter Propaganda Needed.

Fertile fields Of endeavor are open
to organizations such As the National
Manufacturer Association, the Cham
Der of Commerce Of the United States
and other national bodies of similar
character, in an organized campaign
for combating bolshevism and the
pernieious teachings Of the I. W. W.
and other red radical organizations by
means of counter propaganda.
So far no organized effort has been
made by the interests most vitality
concerned to counteract the preach
ings of radical agitators and revolu-
tionists by means of a simple program
of telling the actual facts about bust
ness, big and little. In isolated in
stances manufacturers and producers
have found this plan successful
Forceful speakers personally acquai1ft-
ed with the men employed in the
plants have taken up the challenge
thrown down by the preachers of revo-
luton and anarchy, and by plain,
STRAIGHTFORWARD statements of facts
and figures have disproved every as
sertion made by the agitators.
An instance Of this, rather near at
hand, occurred not long ago when FIRE
brand speakers of the Russian Work
ers' Union appeared at mines operated
by q West Virginia coal company and
endeavored to arouse the miners to a
revolutionary pitch. The general man
ager of the company, himself miner,
went to the men as soon as he learned
of the efforts of the anarchist orators,
and laid all the cards on the table.
He showed by pay rolls, production and
maintenance costs, contracts for the
output of the minesIin short, the
company's entire records-that the
company was making profit of less
than IA cents a ton on the coal it
sold. He talked plain miners talk,
using language suited to the under
standing of his hearers.
The result was that more than 1000
miners, most of them potential revo-
lutionists as a result of the agitators'
false statements, came to realization
Of the fact that they had been misled,
and 4 committee chosen by the work
men themselves escorted the group of
foreign anarchists out of the terri
tory, warning them not to return.
Since then anarchists have given that
section a wide berth.
It would seem peculiarly the func-
tion of strong national organizations
to meet their employees and to combat
with unimpeachable records and facts
the false statements of the revolu-
tionaries who by means of lies are
sowing strife throughout the land. In
almost every case all that would be
needed would be a plain showing of
fact and an analysis Of the assertions
of the anarchist speakers.
Naturally the industrial, mercantile
and manufacturing interests Of the
nation are busy on problems involv-
ing increased production, return to
normal conditions, settlement of labor
questions and the like. 1t is certain,
however, that none Of these questions
can or will be settled until the ma
tion's business has rid itself of the
perniciously active revolutionaries
whose sole mission is to stir up strife
and discord between workers and en-
ployers and thus prevent the very
thing the employers are trying to bring
about. The most effective way for the
employers to restore stability and ac-
complish the ends toward which they
are working is to fight lies with the
absolute truth. propaganda with coun-
ter-propaganda, revolution with COM
mon sense.