Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-04-01
RECOGNITION Of
SOv|ETS OPPOSED
National Civic Federation Sends
Petition to President Signed
by 300 Nationally Known
Names

New York, March 2s.-The National
Civic Federation, of which Judge Alton
B. Parker Is president. having member
ship of men and women prominent in all
forms of public and political endeavor, In
a statement tonight came out strongly
in opposition to recognition of soviet Rus
sia- The statement, signed by more than
300 persons whose names are nationally
known, will be sent to President Wilson.
It declares that the people of the
United States cannot consent to admit
into the family of nations or in any
other way countenance this government
of violence and terror. There must be
no compromise between American dcmoc-
racy and Russian Bolshevism'
The declaration follows in part:
I'VE believe that recognition of soviet
Russia would be Reputation OF all that
our national life has represented for
$50 years, and of all the spiritual ideals
for which modern civilization has striven
for 2,0oO years.
Aiming to destroy the bulwerks of
morality and social order. soviet tenets
have attempted to interdict the teaching
| of religion. DISTINGUISHED the clergy. and
! make marriage more civil contract
which may be broken by either party
Its system and franchise destroy repre-
sentative government. which. since the
| Magma Charta. the world has come To
regard as the first essential political fac
tor of the modern state It's program,
breaks every law of economics and in
practice destroys production.
'1The fundamental principle and pur-
pose of the Boshevist propaganda abroad
Is world revolution. whether that propa-
ganda is carried on by official soviet rep
resentatives, by political parties which
| belong to their Communist international
or BY independent organizations that sup
port sovietism because OF It's temporary
ability to maintain its power. Bolshevsn
by all of its DEGREES, publications and
| acknowledged acts has demonstrated thai
1t is 4 destructive movement depending
for it's success in Russia upon territor
ism and minority dictatorship. and II
| foreign countries upon support and sym
PATTY obtained through propaganda. II
noviev himself. while president of tn,
tettrograd soviet. declared that the very
existence of the soviet regime is a menac,
to all other governments.
Where government is most stable. a:
in America, every element of disloyalty
disorder and discomfort is stimulated by
this propaganda. Where government i!
unstable. as in Germany, revolutonist'
are subsidized and aided, and an early
soviet revolution is confidently reckon
ed upon. Even if only temporarily sue
cessful such an overturn. which Nigh
become an upheaval in all Central Eu
rope would be a world calamity. Civiiza
ton must face and meet this deadly chal
lenge Concessions Of any kind whateve
can only encourage the enemy.
We therefore believe that the peopl
of the United States. acting through thei
government at Washington should now
once and for all declare that they can
not consent to admit into the family o
nations or in any other way countenanc
this government of violence and terror
There must be no compromise betwee
American democracy and Russian Boil
shevism.