Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-08-19
PROBLEMS FACING
STRICKEN WORLD
Governments and Men In High Place
Have Erred From the Beginning in
Their Methods Of Fighting
Its Propaganda.
Article Xxx.
BY FRANK coMERFoRD.

BY FRANK coMERFoRD.
The bolshevik government launched
great propaganda drive to bring
about disorder. 1t was, and is, Grim
inal conspiracy to destroy the peace
of the world. 1t is an appeal to the
discontented, an effort to mobilize the
unrest of the world under the red flag
OF violence. In cunning and complete
ness bolshevik propaganda is in a
class by itself. 1t is poisoned publicity,
| The bolsheviks carefully kept their
methods out of their propaganda.
They emphasized the poverty Of the
world. They pictured conditions, al
| ways charging these conditions to the
inequality of distributing and laying
the blame at the door of the capitalist
system. They invented fine-sounding
phrases, in which they concealed the
seeds of hate. They quickened the pref
udices of the people; they pretended
to sympathize with the poor. They
urged men to unite and strike for free
DOM Had the governments of the
wrold met this propaganda with the
truth and common sense, they would
have used every available agency to
tear the mask from the bolShevik gov
ernment and show the working people
Of the world the true character OF that
government and the methods by which
1t sustains itself. The allied govern
ments cOntented themselves with tell
ing the people that bolsheyism was
bad, dangerous thing, a pitfall. In
stead, they should have thrown search
light on 1t and let the people see its
rottenness and its danger. Instead of
fighting propaganda with propaganda,
falsehOOd with abuse, fire with fire,
they should have fought fire with wa
ter, propaganda with truth, cunning
with frankness, and an enlightened
and educated populace would have
turned a deaf ear TO bolshevik prat,a
ganda. The "Reds peril ia the world
would not be the dangerous menace
1t is today.
Working People Took Alarm.
The working people noticed that a |
portion of the press previously allied
with the "interests" and against the |
right Of the people, thundered most |
bitterly against the bOlshevik govern
ment. This class of papers denounced |
bolshevism called 1t names, but gave
little space to the calm, cool, plain
statement of the truth about bolshe-
viSm. They were as red In their con
servatism as the Reds were false in
their propaganda. The newspapers Of
this class have not the confidence of
the general public; they have long
been under suspicion. The bOlshevik
prOpagandists were in better posi-
tion to get results than the cOnser-
vative press, and for three reasons;
first, the bolsheviks had the sympathy
of the workers of the world because
of their connection with the liberation
of Russia; second. the bolShevikS ap-
peared as the underdog in the fight;
third, the conservative press suffered
from its past reputation as the mouth
piece of those who stood in the way
Of better living conditions for the
great majority. Many leading business
men, captains of industry, followed the
example of the conservative press and
denounced bolshevism instead of eX-
posing 1t. These men were under suspi-
cion and their attitude confirmed the
belief growing In the minds of the
workers that bolshevism would benefit
them. These same men denounced the
workers In their own countries when
they sought better conditions. Working
people remember that most Of the re.
forms that has come has been wrung
from the same conservative class; sell
dom, If ever, hds right been con
ceded to the working class. They have
had to fight, strike for 1t, and even
in this hour some of the leading fig
ures of the employing minority call
men bolsheviks who are not commun-
lists, who are not bolsheviks. On the
contrary they are good citizens, seek
ing, as they have right to seek, a
larger share, fairer measure of the
things they produce. These methods,
THESE HlllluutSt uuNt Ituitth |
minds of men who toll and l have
heard many of them accept the chal-
lenge and proudly boast that they
were bolsheviks, although In truth
they were not.
Investigators Unfairly Treated.
Someone drew a curtain OF silence
around soviet Russia. At least so II
seemed to the people. Men who came
out of Russia and brought with them
reports which displeased their govern
ments were abused, their reports sup
pressed. Built, Robins and Stefens
are examples In America. The public {
at once came to the conclusion that
these man had found conditions in
Russia good; that bolshevism was a
safa sona n1nn nf government. that I