The Coconino sun., 1919-05-09
BIRDS OF A FEATHER

One of the foremost newspaper correspond ents in Paris cables to his editor as follows: "If the American people wish seriously to combat Bolshevism they should begin at the Hotel oe Crlon." He follows his warning with the state ment that sympathy for the cause of Lenine peace delegation, that is causing the allied and American delegations to lean toward recogni- tion of the Russian Bolsheviki.
 The world has been awakened to suspicion of the true state of affairs by the recent return of Messrs. Steffens and Bullitt from a special errand to Russia as representatives of MT. Will son. Their report is known only to him, but something of its character may be gathered from review of the past histories of those gentlemen. SteffenS has been a pronounced Socialist for years. He is the man who made survey of Mexico, and wrote that the Mexican peon rep resented the ideal of democracy, and that the salvation of America lay in following his exam pie. It is stated, also, that only few days ago he urged at least one American writer to remain in Paris for the second great French revolution, that he predicted was inevitable and would be accompanied by much bloodshed.
 Mr. Bullitt is youth in his early thirties. In February he went to Berne to observe the Social ist conference that convened there at that time His presence was construed by the Bolshevists and pro-Germans, who were in control at that gathering, as a distinct encouragement to their cause. In that connection it is worth recalling that Mir. Gompers and the delegates in Paris of the American Federation of Labor refused to have anything to do with the conference After his return from Berne Bullitt is quoted as hay ing told the president that there could be no suc- cessful league of nations until there had been So-, cialist revolutions in France, England and Italy.
 With the knowledge that Americans in Paris possessed of Steffens and Bullitt, their appoint ment to the tremendously important Russian mission raised storm of disapproval. It is said that two of the foremost Americans, both Denl- ocrats who are known throughout this country, went to the peace mission and made direct pro- tests. They emphasized their convictions that any report that Steffens and Bullitt might ren- der would be -Bolshevist. While nothing of their report has been made public officially, it is common knowledge in Paris that it is favorable to the government of Lenine and Trotzky. And not only did they give aid to the Bolshevist cause in their report, but they permitted them selves to be utilized by Lenine as his special ems saries, and brought back with them proposal from that gentleman to the peace conference
 What can the people at home in the United States hope to accomplish in stenlming the tide of Bolshevism when their chief executive and secretary of state are busily engaged across the water in lending encouragement to that world menace? Of course, the governmental agencies in this country reflect the sentiments of their chief in Paris. The apathetic attitude of the post office department toward the distribution of anarchistic literature through the mails is evi dence enough of that fact. Bad as it is for the president to advocate the delegation of some of our most cherished institutions to the tender care of league of nations absolutely controlled by foreigners, how much worse is it for him to lend encouragement to movement which, if it succeeds in this country, means reign of ter TOT that will eclipse anything that the war has produced!