The Clio messenger., 1920-09-09

|
ers by denying them alcohol. hoping
that out OF this restlessness would
come revolution.
Another appeal to prejudice per
mitted by the allied governments. was
that the bolshevlk movement was a
Jewish movement; that Lenine and
| Trotzky were Jews and that the so
Wet machine was Jewish from begin
ming to end. What difference could II
make to freeminded people whether
the leaders of the bolshevik movement
| were Jews or not? While the mass OF
the people are thought not to be edu-
Gated they have the common sense
TO see I'm 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 II came the startling news
that the bolshevik government planned
the naturalization OF women. No fact
about Russia was given greater prom
lnence 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 oppositionu was that
the program included national prohibi-
tion. One insurance company In Amer
lea used the NATURALIZATION of Wom-
en-" lie in It's nationwide advertising.
OF course, Ii is obvious to thinking
people that the plan Of naturalization
Of women was a falsehood, and the
workers concluded II was designed to
poison the public against bolshevism.
Anyone who thinks for minute VIII
realize. first. that the naturalization
OF women is not necessary part OF
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 promlscuous 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 bolshevks grew out of the fact
that in a little city, Ufa, drunken
man made the proposal that they
should adopt such a plan. A group in
the town of Saratov, calling them
selves anarchists, issued a decree in
April, 1913, containing among other
provisions the following:
"From March l, the right to possess
women having reached the ages of
seventeen to thirty-two is abolished
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"
II was unfair to charge this to the
soviet government. II 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 their
cause In the allied world. Months af-
ter IT 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
exactly the opposite result. 1t was that
the bolsheviks had decided to abolish
Christian names, that henceforth chill
dren would be named by number. To
illustrate, the first born would he
Smith No. 1, the second child in the
Smith family would be Smith No. 2.
and so on. This was given first-page
space in the press of the world. II
was printed as serious news. as truth.
1t fell OF its own weight.
Summing up unrest in Europe and
in America, l have found that this
general course Of conduct has caused
the people to increase their suspicion
of the political governments, Of the
press. of the leaders Of business and
industry. These posed lies have mold
ed n judgment In the general thought
Of the world, and that is that bolshe-
vism is being cried down, libeled and
slandered, starved, assaulted, and
fought. because its success meant the
death of special privilege and the
birth of the New Order" This judg-
ment has come to pass because we
have not used our resources to bring
the real facts to the public mind; be-
cause we have injured our credibility
by unnecessary. evil and false charges
against the bolshevik regime.
Copyright, 1920, Western Newspaper unlon)
The Invitation