Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-11-21
u. s. DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE,
ETC.
Editor AskOv American:

Editor Askov American:
In last weeks issue Proud Amer
lean" refers to Mrs. billings Red Net
work for proof that the League
Against War and Fascism is Com
munist, or Communist controlled, or
ganization. The Red Network does
consider the League Communist or
ganization. The same Red Network
also considers Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
welt a Communist Does any sane
person believe in any such silly stuff?
Then there is the report of the Con-
gressional committee appointed to in
vestigate Nazi propaganda activities
and certain other propaganda activi-
ties, Investigation of Communist
Propaganda Report No. 229O. The list
of groups and organizations controlled
by Communists as referred to by
Proud American" appears in the
statement of one Walter S. Steele.
This list is offered without any proof
whatever that the organizations and
groups actually are Communist. con-
trolled. Mr.. Steele simply submits
the list and expects the; committee
to take his word for it. Nowhere in
his statement does he submit single
bit of evidence to prove his assertions.
His statement therefore z carries as
much weight as Mrs. billings state
ment that Mrs. Roosevelt is Red"
The statement represents the views
of that particular witness, no more
and no less, and L fail to find any
where throughout the report where
the findings as reported by the COM
mittee attempts to stamp the organi-
cation. as Communist. On the con-
trary, and Proud American" ought to
have brought this out. on pages Go
81 the committee makes the follow
ing statement: -
Communist aims and methods
arouse our righteous indignation,
yet we should proceed to put need
ed reforms into effect sanely and
sensibly, without hate or hysteria.
Freedom should be the rule in
America rather than restrictative
legislation, and we should APP
proach with reserve the consid-
Grafton of any criminal statutes
that seek to fetter the operations
of the human mind or to encroach
in the slightest degree on those
rights guaranteed in our constitu-
ton to the lowliest individual in
the United States. Let us neither
burn down the barn nor throw the
baby out with the bath"
Evidently all the revelations con-
corning the activities of the reds"
did not cause the committee serious
alarm. 80
DR.. Harry F. Ward, chairman Of the
League Against War and Fascism,
makes this statement: ANY Opportun-
ity. however, which they (the Com
munists)-or any other group-take to
exploit their particular position will
be dealt with firmly on the basis of
our united platform and non-partisan
program"
Perhaps at this time it would be
proper to refer to a statement made
at the Peace Rally. at the st. Paul
Auditorium. Saturday evening. by Os-
valid Garrison Willard. editor of the
Nation. He said:
Whenever you hear men and
women declaring that this coun-
try is in danger of Communism,
you may set it down that you are
listening to people who are will
fully trying to deceive you, or
totally ignorant of the facts them
selves, or are themselves begin
ming to be shaky in their faith
in our American institutions.
1t is not surprising that Proud
American" should have been shocked
by seeing man on the street in con-
Wet garb. and possibly the cage built
to accommodate IL chain gang prison
ers appeared shocking. The Southern
chain gangs are shocking institution
and are considered the most brutal
and bestial penal institutions to be
found anywhere.
Angelo Herndon. a negro youth, had
UccH SCItcuCcu " Spcuo ~ yCdIS
such chain gang. To raise funds
for an appeal to be made to the Su-
preme Court, and perhaps also to ac-
quaint us SNUG Northerners with the
Justice" melted out to the blacks in
the South, the cage, chains and suits
were exhibited. Shocking! Certainly
it was shocking
Now we might ask why we should
take such an interest in the Angelo
Herndon case. The Herndon case is
only one of the many. Any other case
would have served as well, but due to
peculiar conditions existing in the
South and in many industrial centers
in the North, the case is of interest
to every person interested in social
and economic problems. Let it be re-
membered that the people of the
South are. as a rule, fundamentally
religious. Witness their effort to pre-
vent teaching the theory of evolution
in the schools. Bear in mind also
that for many years attempts have
been made in Congress to pass an
anti-lynching law. Whenever such
legislation has been proposed. we find
.