The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-11
By HOLLAND

New York, July 1o.-(Special.)- senator Knox must have had infor- nation which pointed to the insidious and sometimes open attempts to es- tablish In this country strange doc trines," all of them classed under the head of bolshevism or soviet form of government. For he felt justified in ms recent address. in speaking of these strange doctrines,' in saying that they were born of the ills which prevailed in the lands in which these doctrines: were taught and in some cases pracHced.
 It is true that soviet and bolshe- vlsts doctrines nave been taught here ana there throughout the United States, but not always by those who came from foreign lands They have been preached, in some of the col leges. In New York two trade or ganizations attempted to enforce sov- let methods and one of them par italy succeeded. In fact, legislation was necessary in order to put an end, to soviet partial control of a large New York industry
 But in Florida an attempt is now under way to enforce what seems to ~ DHS oA thC Pi iISlPItS OI the soviet form of government. It has taken the form of an attempt to turn over various toll bridges to the counties without giving the owners any com pensation. New York capital has been unveiled in the construction of some of these bridges. One of them represents the public spirit and gem erosty of Washington E.. Connor of New York. He bought some years ago large tract of land in and near New Smyrna. A bridge was built over the North Indian river at that point MT. Connor invested some- thing like s70,00o in this bridge It proved to be of great benefit to prop erty owners, and these benefits were represented by increases in the value of their lands. MT. Connor offered to sell the bridge for $20,000 all though to do this would have caused loss to him of $50,000. But the county commi ssioners, Mir. Connors says, now propose to take over the bridge without compensation. And in communication sent from New York to New Smyrna, he says that ! the bolsheviki government of Rus sia could go no farther" Other bridges the commissioners propose to take without compensat- ing the owners. Presumably.there Is politics behind these attempts to take over toll bridges in Florida The authorities have ben unmindful of the fact that Mir. Connor and. others have expended a great deal of money In the form of investments which have materially increased the popu- lation and wealth of the county. The 1 Stetson university. which is located | aoy hx- nd inl 1ro nrAo tnI ,rL endowed by the late, James Stetson of New York, has. been spoken of as fine benefaction, both to the country i and to the state. That, however ha s not detered the commi ssioners from an: attempt.to take over toll bridges owned by the Stetson estate without compensation.
 An official Protest
 These plans have been severely criticised by citizens of New smyrna and Coranodo, and the protest has gone so far that the board of trade at recent meeting adopted a reso
 lution opposing the movement to con fscate the toll bridges. It was not Russian or Polish or. any other for eign' element which was undertaken | what Mir. Connor called 'bolshevism. but instead the plan has been adopt ed by Americans So far as is known the proposition. was. made, and now l the attempt is under way to enforce
 it. by pure blooded Americans, Of l course, the higher courts will be able to prevent confiscation. But there is 1 indication that an agitation is now under way in Florida for the pur- pose of introducing some features Of the soviet government. Occasionally i in other parts of the country dis position of this has beeh observed. The encouraging feature associated with it is the prompt repudiatton by many citizens of any attempt of tnls | kinds
 1 Three Billions In Gold
 c. w. Barron. who has been mak- ing an exhaustive study of conditions in Great Britain and upon the con tinent of Europe, was quoted day or two ago as having called attention to the relation which the enormous accumulation of gold in the United
 States bears to world affairs. MT
 Barron had in mind the fact that
 the total stock of gold in the United
 I Hubbard Bros. & Go. | N..