Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-07
America Is Not Going Red.

International unemployment day,
March 6, 1930l It had been proclaim
ed from Moscow, planned by agents of
the Russian Communist organization,
financed by that organization. 1t was
TO appeal to the discontented, to the
jobless, to the opponents of establish
ed governments, to the foes of ''capi-
talism"-whatever that may mean to
the radical--for the purpose of arousing
resentment to the pitch of militant
protest and even active defiance of the
laws. In this country it was to di-
rect public attention to the great num-
bers of people out of work, as an evil
dence of the need of Communistic re-
form in the organization of the state.
This demonstration proved an utter
failure. The numbers actually engag-
ing in public meetings and disorderly
maneuvers were small. In every city
where the program was undertaken
there were probably at least a hundred
spectators to one demonstration. And
the onlookers were by no means SYM
pathetic with the agitators, marchers
and placard bearers.
The happenings of yesterday, in the
first place, proved that those persons
In high places who denied that there
was any international program" in
contemplation, who averredl that the
talk about an unemployment demon
stration" in this country was nonsense
and that ito was all camoufiage for
the actually acute economic situation
here, were either completely mistaken
or were deliberately disappearing
the facts. 1t is fully evident that the
program was arranged by q central
organization. It certainly was not .
spontaneous affair. 1t certainly was
no coincidence that almost precisely
similar disorders occurred In q score or
more of American cities, with similar
happenings abroad.
Just what it had been expected by
the Moscow organization to effect here
or elsewhere by these arousals Of q
militant spirit on the part of the dis.
contented is somewhat difflcult to un-
derstand, unless the Third Interna-
tionale, or Communist party executive
body, is so lacking in common sense as
to look for actual revolution. The Mos
COW Communist leaders have their rep
resentatives or agents here who should
be keeping it informed of conditions and
of public feeling in this country. Those
agents, some of whom are well known,
are not altogether deluded. They must
know that there is no real spirit Of re-
volt here, that even If there are three
million jobless persons in the United
States their condition, which may be
changed within few months, does not
make of them active advocates of fun
damental change of government.
There are two general classes of Com
munists here as elsewhere, the profess
sional and the sentimental. The profess
sional Communist is a shrewd worker
for his own interests who has adopted
radicalism as a business. The sentiment
tai Communist is the theorist and dab
bier in political affairs as an excite
ment, a diversion, pastiIne. Then
there are some who are earnest follow
ers," who do not know precisely what it
is all about, who think that perhaps
there may be something in the theories
Of Communism in the way of salvation
for evident and unacceptable economic
Ills. These belong in the amateur class,
though they sometimes become such
zealots as to be classed as professional.
Altogether there are very few in proper
ton to the whole population. The fig
ures of elections, which show scores of
thousands Of votes cast for so-called
Communist or other varieties of radical
candidates for Office, do not form an
enumeration, for many of these votes
are cast by people who have no affilia-
ton whatever with the parties of the
extreme Left
Yesterdays demonstrations proved
that America is not going red, is not
headed in that direction.
-e-SN-S-