The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-05-21

the storm; they may simply be
gathering more and more informa-
ton, getting hold of more and more
on our organization threads, in order
to swoop down upon us suddenly
and try to break them all, try to
paralyze US again, as they did in
the January raids. They will never
do quite that again, but if our COM
rades are not very careful all the
time we may suffer great injuries
just the same.
8. Presence of mind, control, calm
ness and preparation for emergen-
cies count much in underground par
ty work. When going to- it, you
should always think in advance of
these discriminating situations that
are likely to arise, and prepare
yourself for them how to avoid
them--how to get out of them, if
unavoidable.
Be sure you have no unnecessary
incriminatory notes of things with
you or in your rooms when you go
to underground party work. Always
have a good answer ready for a
sudden-"What are you doing or
looking for here?"- Where are you
going ?"-"From where?"
Prepare yourself for accidental
risks. Think of them in advance, and
impress upon yourself that you will
be calm and not lose your nerve
when suddenly confronted with them.
Calmness. and good composure will
many times save you where con-
fusion and fear would have exposed
you.
Hide, or throw away, or destroy,
as far as possible, any material evil
dence, when you see that you will
be caught. Of course, you must not
do that lightly-you must not do
that at the slightest provocation. Be-
fore doing that be sure it it not a
false alarm.
AVOID ARREST BY ALL POS
SIBLE MEANS.
10. If you are arrested, however;
that is, if they have sufficient evil
dence or sufficient grounds for sus-
picion, that you are a communist,
and therefore, as a deathly enemy
of the present order, subject to sup
preston and Imprisonment, law or
no law-but first to be made use of
in getting hold Of other communists,
in destroying the whole organiza-
tion, if possible-first to be ques-
toned and grilled, to be pumped for
various information, to be put
through the third degree-then the
only correct thing to do. the best
thing in the circumstances is alb
solute refusal to answer any ques-
tions. (Ask for a lawyer. You have
the right for that. And you have
the right to refuse to answer ques-
tions, whenever that may help you) i.
This course of action has been
proved best by the experiences Of
our Russian comrades in their long
years Of difficult underground strug-
gle against czarism. They have put
their findings into a little booklet,
"How to Act at Hearings" and
their unequivocal conclusion and ad-
vice in this: "Don't answer any
questions"
Whether you answer them with the
idea Of trying to extricate yourself,
to explain away all suspicious, or
whether you answer them with the
idea of confessing your own part and
trying to shield other comrades; or
trying to influence, to convert, so
to say, the spies and prosecutors
the result is always against the in
terests of our party. Willingly or
unwillingly, consciously or uncon-
sciously, seeing it or not, you will
yield some information to them, if
you answer their questions. Mere
confirmation of information that
they show they already possess may
be of great help to them in checking
up the reports Of their stoolpigeons
and spies, and in confronting other
comrades, at hearings or in course,
with your testimony as a proof of
their claims.
Do not believe them, however,
when they tell you that other COM
rades are confessing and giving
them this and that information
that is only one Of their many tricks
and ruses by which they will try to
get you to begin to answer their
questions. Also remember that they
have their spies and stool-pigeons in
all jails. Don't give your confidence
to "jail-mate" unless you are quite
sure that he may be trusted.
As to the idea that we can make
any propaganda through the court