Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-10
Dealing With the Reds
From the Chicago Tribune.

To rid the country of several hundred aliens
who have been trying to organize, especially
among their fellow Aliens movement to over
throw the government by violence, will appeal
to most Americans as sensible and highly de-
sirable thing to do. There is little doubt that
the United States has been dumping ground
for revolutionary radicals, and to our humllia-
ton we must confess that we have done little
to offset their influence.
Getting rid of thousand or so is like draw
ing off pus from Infection But we have
considerably more to do il we want to be a
thoroughly healthy social organism For one
thing, deportation would not be worth the ex-
pense if the deported or their like can step
back into the country. We must organize
thorough protection against this surreptitious
invasion.
But when we have done this we are only on
the threshold of our problem. There is plenty
of radicalism among citizens who cannot be
deported under the immigration laws. So far
as it directs itself to argument for constitu-
tonal change it is entitled to full protection.
Every citizen has right to try to convince his
fellow citizens that our institutions are deiec-
tive, that they ought to be amended, even that
they ought to be replaced by other Institutions;
the soviet, for example.
But when radicals preach the establishment
of their theories by force or when they con-
spire to overthrow government by violent and
unlawful means they become criminals and
should be promptly sent to prison.
oenulneHtdl OOJeCuOn WITH Dc HdQc 10 uc-
portation and other measures against the reds
1t is already urged that radicalism will be in
creased by persecution. We do not think the
deportation or punishment of men and women
who preach violence, assassination, and destruc-
ton will be considered persecution by normal
Americans.
But deportation, exclusion, and punishment
are only negative measures. We must add to
them intelligent constructive action. We are
suffering now from our neglect of the. strang--
ers within our gates. A good deal of radical
talk of the exploitation of immigrants is bum
that have come to US in the last half century
have bettered themselves Much OF the worst
exploitation has been by their own race. But
this is not relevant to our problem. We have
not done what we should in common sense
have done to teach our immigrants to make
suming they would breathe in Americanism
from the air, we owe it to Our own interest as
we'll as theirs to protect them from exploitation
and provide them with sound, practical instruc
tion in American principles and institutions
A considerable proportion of the foreign
education in radicalism going on in workers
institutes, clubs and societies. Against this
there is almost no organized effort for the
teaching OF Amercanism. The public schools
have treated the subject lifelessly, without in
telgence or enthusiasm Radcalism is taught
with fervor, in terms with which the ignorant
are familiar. Its terms arc all European, the
language of old world oppression.
The public schools have not functioned ef-
fectually in this their most important duty.
They must now be assisted by other agencies
to do so, by clubs and organizations, and espe
icalism is facts, the broad, controlling facts of
American life and history. The reds are carry
ing on constant education in their fallacies
America ought to speak for her truths.