Omaha daily bee., 1919-05-25

party of many men who could not
stomach such utterances as those
quoted, the socialist party has
grown enormously during the war.
And outside its ranks, how many
Americans are there who secretly or
openly sympathize with bolshevist
IDEAS? We shall never know until
they are in jail.
The Russian propaganda is in our
midst and is actively at work. A
certain scoundrel named Radek, who
conducts the bolshevist bureau for
this purpose lately boasted to an
American correspondent abroad that
the money sent to Berlin to finance
the revolution was nothing COM
pared to the funds transmitted to
New York for the purpose Of spread
ing bolshevism in the United
States" A witness before the SEN
ate committee described a meeting
in the Chicago Coliseum, where an
audience cheered the names Of
Lenine and Trotsky for five minutes,
as also every comment by speakers
to the effect that America would be
the next nation to'adopt the soviet
system of government.
Five Groups.
But this is not all, nor the half.
The Associated Press dispatches of
January 6 carried a statement that
agents of the Department of Justice
in Ney York City had been assigned
to the work of frustrating the activ-
tiles of the five groups of bolsheviki
which had established headquarters
there. 1t was added that the spread
of their specific doctrines lad be-
come alarming" A deputy attor-
ney general of New York, at the
same time, stated that his depart
ment had unearthed evidence that
secret agents of Lenine and Irotsky
had reached the city with a fund of
nearly $500,000 to be used for their
propaganda purposes. $50 Radek's
boast was not in vain
The Washington Meeting.
But the climax of audacity was
reached when bolshevist agitators
held meeting on Sunday after
noon in one of Washington's largest
theaters, within sight Of the capital
and within a stones throw of the
White House. The advertised pur-
pose of this meeting was to tell
The Truth About Russia" but the
truth about Russia was very Sue
cessfully concealed. The speakers
devoted themselves to praising and
advocating bolshevism in preference
to the American system of democ
racy. Our institutions and forms of
government were the subject of
pointed disparagement. The prin-
cipal speaker declared that the peo-
pie would want a soviet system in
stituted in America when it was
seen how admirably it worked. He
remarked: america sooner or later
is going to accept the soviet gov
ernment, and when America dis
cards some of the ideas current in
the papers, it will not find it so diff
fcult to swallow" The audieIfce
packed the theater to its utmost
capacity, and, we are told. was
wildly demonstrative." Outbursts
of applause were frequent. Shouts
of "Hurrah for the bolsheviki! re
sounded. At least three members OF
were in the audience, and
one of them made speech from
a box, calling for the immediate
of the American troops
from the north of Russia, a propo
sition which the meeting deliriously
approved. /
The chairman Of this meeting and
of the speakers was Jud-
son King, of Washington. King is
secretary of the National Popular
league.
The chief speakers at the meeting
referred to were Albert Rhys Viii
liams and a woman known as Louise
Bryant, though she is the wife Of
one John Reed. Both Reed and his |
wife (recently in Russia were very |
close to the bolshevist leaders i'll
Petrograd and spent much fine al
their headquarters. Williams is the
chief apologist of the Russian revo-
in this country, and came
here from Russia. with a commits
sion to conduct their campaign of
propaganda in the United States. He |
has lately made addresses in many |
,ites, and it is alleged that more
than 100000 copies of a pamphlet or
)olshevism written by him have been
distributed in' this country.
Storm of Indignation.
The incident referred to aroused,
we are glad to say, storm of popu-
ar and congressional Indignation.
Almost Immediately the matter was
made the subject of strong denuncia-
ion in the senate, and searching
Investigation by a special committee
vas ordered. In the course of the
lebate. Senator Thomas of Colorado
gave the American people plain and
olemn warning of the danger that
,esets them. UNLESS the people of
his country" said he, "the plain,
middle-class' people,
ealize, and realize very soon, the
act that there is conspiracy, usu-
lily secret but frequently open,
for the overthrow of the
of the United States
nd to erect upon its ruins a So
allied government of murderers, an
rchists, thieves. and criminals, with
lere and there some honest but de-
uded individual among them, the
valanche may be upon them in the
lear future"
John Reed.
John Reed was also examined by
he senate committee. The cynical
rankness of his testimony prompts
he remark that men of his stripe