The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-08-13

efs by denying them alcohol, hoping
that out Of this restiessness would
come revolution.
Another appeal to prejudice per
United by the allied ,sOvernments, was
that the bolshevik movement was
Jewish movement; that Lenine and
Trotzky were Jews and that the So
Wet machine was Jewish from begin
ming to end. What difference could 1t
make to freeminded people whether
the leaders Of the bolshevik movement
were Jews or not2 While the mass of
the people are thought not to be edu-
Gated, they have the common sense
to see in such propaganda an effort
to make them hostile to bolshevism
by melting race prejudice.
A great crack was made in the cur.
tain Of silence drawn around Russia.
Through 1t came the startling news
that the bolshevik government planned
the naturalization Of women. No fact
about Russia was given greater prom
inence and publicity. have talked
to many men who were bitterly OPP
posed to bolshevism, and In the last
analysis / found the only tangible
basis for their oppositlonu was that
the program included national prohibit
ton. One insurance company In Amer
lea used the Naturalization of Wom-
en-" lie in Its nationwide advertising
OF course, It is obvious to thinking
people that the plan Of naturalization
of women was a falsehood, and the
workers concluded 1t was designed to
poison the public against bolshevism.
Anyone who thinks for a minute will
realize, first, that the naturalization
any economic program, second, that
one could not get a hundred men or
women in any country Of the world,
who are not degenerates, to subscribe
to a program which contemplated the
| registration and promiscuous violation
of their mothers, wives, daughters, and
sweethearts. The Russians are human
beings; their women are their moth
ers, wives, daughters, and sweet
hearts.
Foundation for silly Story.
This evil and unnecessary lie about
| the bOlsheviks grew out of the fact
that in a little city, Ufa, a drunken
man made the proposal that they
should adopt such plan. A group in
| the town of Saratov, calling them
selves anarchists, issued decree in
April, 1918, containing among other
provisions the following:
"FrOm March l, the right to possess
women having reached the ages OF
seventeen to thirtytwO is abolished
1.-THE husbands may retain the right
TO use their wives without awaiting
| their turn.
"In case of resistance, the husband
shall forfeit his rights.
"All women according to this de
cree, are exempt from private owner
ship and are proclaimed to be the
property of the whole nation"
It was unfair to charge this to the
soviet government. 1t was never put
in practice, and 1t is only fair to say
that with the exception Of the two
| cases cited above, 1t was never even
contemplated by anyone. This libel OF
the bolsheviks strengthened theiI
cause in the allied world. Months af
ter 1t was exposed the world
was swept with another evil, unneces
sary and false bit of propaganda. II
was complained that this second piece
of news was intended to corroborate
and confirm the naturalization OF
women; its open object was to create
hostility for the bolsheviks. 1t achieved
exactly the opposite result. 1t was thai
the bolsheviks had decided to abolish
Christian names, that henceforth chill
dren would be named by number. tt
| illustrate, the first born would b.
Smith No. 1, the second child in thu
Smith family would be Smith No. z
and so on. This was given hrst-page
space in the press of the world. Il
was printed as serious news, as truth
It fell of its own weight.
Summing up unrest in Europe ant
/ in America, have found that thi'
general course of conduct has caused
the people to increase their suspicion
of the political governments. of thu
press, of the leaders Of business anc
industry. These posed lies have mold
ed Judgment in the general though
of the world, and that is that bolshe
vism is being cried down, libeled ant
slandered, starved, assaulted, an'
fought, because its success meant th'
death of special privilege and th'
birth of the "New Order" This tudg
ment has come to pass because WI
have not used our resources to bring
the real facts to the public mind; be
cause we have injured our credioilit!
nv unnecessary, evil and false charges
against the bolshevik regime.
downright. 1890. Western Newspaper Union
The invitation.