New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1925-10-15
'JEkYLL AND HYDE
AT ROTARY session
Speaker Shocks and Surprises
Diners at Luncheon Today

Surprised. shocked, angered,
amused, enlightened and eventually
satisfied that they had heard a
speech such as they had never heard
In a Rotary meeting before. one that
was radical, anti-radical and radical
In It's naturalization, members of
the New Britain Rotary club at the
noon meeting today were fairly swept
off their feet by an address a Ia dual
personality by Robert O'Brien. rep
resenting the National Security
league. The league Is an organization
formed for the purpose OF combat
ing socialism and communism and
its method Is to fight Its enemies on
their own ground, using soap box
methods.
When the meeting opened today,
President Frank H, Shield apollo
gized for a change In the program
and introduced c. M. Penfield as
speaker instead OF Robert NJ.
O'Brien, who was scheduled. Mr..
Penfield stated that on his way to
New Britain he had met a friend, a.
rank anarchist, who told him the
men of the Rotary club never would
listen to bolshevik speech. Assur-
ing the other fellow that Rotarians
were broad enough to hear both
sides OF any argument, he offered his
communistic friend 10 minutes of his
own speaking time. He then called IN
a man who bore all the earmarks OF
a Bowery tough. Untidy negligee
shirt Of dark color, an apparently
soiled cap, his coat collar turned up.
and a brilliant red necktle, formed
portions of his apparel.
without removing his cap the
speaker Immediately, launched into
TRADE against Rotarians. Chambers
of Commerce, Industries, etc, men,
tioning by name several prominent
bankers in the city and calling them
"capitalistic parasites" He accused
the clergy of being subsidized by
capitalism and the press of being
parasitical,
Looking squarely at Vice-Presi-
dent Z. W. Christ Of the Stanley
Works he told them that In New
Britain a man was sent to jail for
stealing a pair OF shoes, whereas had
he stolen the Stanley Works he
would have become United States
senator.
Referring to the war he said It
was not TO make the world safe for
democracy but to make profits safe
for the master class
Then, suddenly changing his char
acter he stood revealed In respect
able dress, white collar, etc. and
vas introduced as Robert NJ.
O'Brien. Mfr. O'Brlen announced
that he would give the other side of
the argument answering the argu-
ments put forth by the character he
had Just represented.
He denied that labor alone Is the
source of all wealth. but said that
Labor, financed by capital, creates
the wealth of the world. If labor
alone was the source of all wealth.
China and Russia should be the lead
ing nations in the world he said.
He denounced the boring from
within" which he said Is being done
by some college professors who ad-
vance the theory of socialism as a
sound doctrine. by some pulpits by
men like William z. Foster. Bishop
Brown, etc.
Referring to socialism as having
been advanced as the cure for the
ills Of the world, he added: If the
doctor sends you to the graveyard
to try out his remedy. don't take 1t"
He called attention to the fact that
the American economic system vas
so successful that this country was
the first to make an adjustment after
the war and that Russia, the social
istic government had proven a fall
ure and had thrown out It's hands
for aid to the "capitalistic" govern
ments
He told of two socialistic town:
In America, which he described a:
patients which died" and referred
70 Russia as patient in convul'
sions," You must go to the eco.