The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-08-13
ban Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
4 World War;
vHy BoLsHEvIsM is MENACE
governments and Men In High Place
Have Erred From the Beginning In
Their Methods Of Fighting
ID Its Propaganda.
Article xxx.
BY FRANK coMERFoRD.

about disorder. 1t was, ana Is, crlm-
hal conspiracy to destroy the peace
N the world. 1t is an appeal to the
alscontented, an effort to mobilize the
unrest of the world under the red flag
b violence. In cunning and complete
hess bolshevlk propaganda is In q
class by itself. It Is poisoned publicity.
The b0lshevlks 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
udces 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
n 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
D 1t sustains itself. The allied govern
ments cOntented themselves with tell
Ing the people that bolshevism was
bad, dangerous thing, pitfall. In
Z stead, they should have thrown search
light on it and let the people see its
& rottenness and its danger. Instead of
fighting propaganda with propaganda,
i 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 propa-
ganda. The Red" peril in the world
would not be the dangerous menace
It is today
Working People Took Alarm.
The working people noticed that a
Il portion Of the press previously allied
with the interests" and against the
right of the people, Numbered most
bitterly against the bolshevik govern
ment. This class of papers denounced
oolShevism, called 1t names, but gave
little space to the calm, cool, plain
statement Of the truth about bolshe-
VlSm. They were as "red' In their con-
SerVattsm as the Reds were false in
'heir propaganda. The newspapers of
mis- class have not the confidence of
.he general public; they have long
peen under suspicion. The bolshevik
propagandists were In a better posi-
non to get results than the conser-
vatiVe press, and for three reasons;
nrSt' the bolsheviks had the sympathy
vi the workers Of the world because
oI thelr connection with the liberation
OF Russia; second, the bolshevfks ap-
pedreu as the under-dog In the fight :;
.hird' the conservative press suffered
from It's past reputation as the mouth
piece of those who stood In the way
ol 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-
poSlhs IL. These men were under suspI-
Iion and their attitude confirmed the
"ellel growing in the minds of the
"orkers that bolshevism would benefit
'neH' These same men denounced the
"'rkers In their own countries when
1neV sought better conditions. Working
people remember that most of the re.
Ior'hS that has come has been wrung
from the same conservative class: sell
uoni' II ever, has a right been con-
Seued to the working class. They have
l"u 10 night, strike for 1t, and even
III 'i'lS hour some of the leading fig
eS OF the employing minority call
,l'en oolsheviks who are not commun-
'stS, VINO are not bolsheviks. On the
,outfary, they are good citizens, seek
's' as they have a right to seek. a
lager share, a fairer measure of the
lungs they produce. These methods,
."eSe attitudes, have reacted in the
.u'"us of men who toll, and I have
I" e"ru many Of them accept the chaI-
'e"se and proudly boast that they
t ere boisheviks, although in truth
uhey were not.
Investigators Unfairly Treated.
someone drew a curtain of silence
sa aouna soviet Russia. At least so 1t
ee'nea to the people. Men who came
ouI Oh Russia and brought with them
r ,oports which displeased their govern
nn el'S We're abused, their reports sup
asSSeu' Built, Robins and Steffens
e examples in America. The public
~ once came to the conclusion that
p' eSe man had found conditions in
1sHSSia good; that bolshevism was
e. 'ie' sane plan OF government; that
was succeeding. OF course, this is
n nUt the real story these men brought
~ u' Oh Russia. but the abuse. heaped
~ 'hese men, the silencing of these
, spoke louder and more eloquent
u.. man any report could have done.