The Washington times., 1920-01-11

Editor of New York American:
A very serious effort is being made to gag the press
and the bugaboo which this effort being based that
sort of movement in America is trying to over
throw the Government.
OF course all intelligent newspapemen-a newspaper
men, intelligent not-know that there is such move
ment of any consequence that the indications OF such
soviet tendency sporadic and wholly insignificant and
entirely negligible in their Importance.
The employment of by certain agents of the
Government at the instance think, OF more or less cor
rup financial interests, who want to escape criticism and
want to exercise their power with Government officials with
out any chance of exposure is nsncere as it is far
fetched.
Nevertheless make it vciously effective if we
papers spread false propaganda grossly exag
gerang the Importance of this so-caed soviet movement
and not only exaggerang the situation but absolutely fa
styling it by finding anarchistc plots and soviet disturb
ances where exist.
This newspapers and the other newspapers do
ng for the simple that accept fact all the
propaganda that is sent into Offices provided it comes
through certain established courses
Injurious To Nation.
This is very dangerous thing for newspapers to do
We going to create situation which will be runous to
ourselves and exceedingly injurious to the Nation and to all
the free citizens OF the nation.
By printing stories OF anarchisc activities which
we know do not seriously exist going to lmpe Con
to measures which will not only interfere with the
liberty of the citizens but which will gag the press of
America and wholly deprive it of its freedom its power
and its usefulness to the public
Indeed these reactionaries urged by corruptonists
and working through cheng hysercal representatives
in the State legislatures, in Congress- and in the Cabinet
trying to enact force bills to repress mprson every
person whose opinions are obnoxious to them.
They trying to enact in America the gag laws of the
former Georges of England and theAexander Of Russia
The propaganda of these hypocrtcaor hystercal ndvd
ual intended to convince all tmd citizens that such gag
laws needed for their protection They would even
labosh trial by jury.
am not writing this letter lightly, therefore. con-
slider the situation very grave and want everybody my
papers understand it fully The particular article that
complain of is which s to my mind, propaganda pure
and simple-parcuarly SIMPLE it is very foolish propa
ganda The article is under London date line and say
in the headline, referring to alleged soviet activities in
London:
"Tactics in America to overthrow government used
as model Liberal laws aid agitators.''
In other words this article and this headline assume
that there really efforts in America to overthrow the
Government and that liberal laws aid the agitaors and
that consequently, Congress is justified in passing LIB
RAL lawsaws to repress by FORCE freedom of speech
and of assembly.
There is no other conclusion to be drawn from the
statement. In fact, that is practically the exact state
ment.
'Agitations In England
The article goes to say, in wholly vague way
without citing any instance that there Soviet agtatons
in England. And, finally, getting down to two specific
cases, it says:
'tFarnous Albert Hall has been used for what VIRTU
ALLY Boshevk meetings. at which Extremist speeches
were delivered and The Red Flag sung to the
panimen of the great organ. Similar meetings regularly
are held in Hyde Park and other places in London"
have been visiting London for thirty years, and
off, and during all that time Socalstic, anarchisc and
Extremist meetings were being held in Hyde Park at which
everybody denounced including the King and where
the policemen stood around and smiled and did nothing
And nobody in England cared because everybody in
England had enough to realize that long these
Extremists could shout their protests in their way and
let off their bottledup steam there would be explosion
England is the country in which there no ex
posions of serious kind and that is because of their
liberal laws and because of their perfect willingness