Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-01-05
COMMUNISTS IN THE OPEN
CALL FOR DICTATORSHIP
APPROVING INSURRECTION

With the open declaration by the
American communist party IN its New
York convention, just held, that it IS
working for a dictatorship of the pro
letariat in America and that it fol-
lows the lead of the communist inter
national, the futility of Department
OF Justice "hat-foot" methods Is
shown.
The communist party claims a
membership of 10000. 1t is possible
that the claim is not too large. That
still leaves something more than
100, 100000 Americans who are not
communists.
The number of communists prob
ably is about equal to the number
of miIlionaires in the United States.
Small groups, well organized, shrewd-
" led, can make an impression much
beyond their strength of numbers.
Thirty thousand communists, work
ing at strategic points, unopposed by
intelligent methods, can do much tenn
porary damage.
So far as the labor movement is
concerned, it is we'll known that the
communist HIbPdEabb1 -
directing its attack in certain we'll
defined directions, in accord with the
long-standing Moscow declaration
that in order to capture America the
American Federation of Labor must
first be destroyed.
The New York meeting stopped
short of declaring in favor of armed
instruction, not because the dele
gates did not believe in armed opera
tons, but because they wanted to re-
main at liberty. Their discussion was
equal to an assertion that they be-
lieyed in armed instruction, but that
the time was not opportune for say
ing so in public.
In connection with the New York
communist convention and reports
published in connection with that
event it should be remembered that
there are in America number of or
CARNATIONS operating under COM
munst direction and in accord with
communist policy, though not all are
called communist. The Russian Red
Cross is one of these. In addition to
this there is Russian relief organ
ization and finally there is the Trade
Union Educational League, operated
by William Y. Foster. This does not
complete the list, but these are the
principal links in the communist pro-
paganda chain in America
Each separate factor makes what
ever avowals seem to ii to best serve
the general purpose. There is an ex-
cellent degree of harmony regard
ing this, because there is finally a
single source of authority, which is
Moscow.
The labor movement is the best
equipped agency in the United States
through which to combat the COM
munist doctrine. First of all, the
labor movement is the first object of
attack. Second, the democratic phil |
osophy of the labor movement is the
direct opposite of the philosophy of
communism, if communism possesses
a philosophy.
The aim of the communist organ
ization is dictatorship, and nothing
is more hateful to American labor
than dictatorship in any form. The
ayowal of a belief in a dictatorship
is the first and the final evidence of
treachery to the workers and it is
the one thing above all which stamps
the communist propaganda with a
sinister character and as an agency
of destruction.
The labor movement is sought as
the first victim of communism. If
this great pillar of democratic civili-
cation can be pulled down the struc-
ture must soon fall. The response
bility Of the labor movement is not
trifing one in this respect. The
cause of democracy must have the
full allegiance of labor.