Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-25
THE NEWEST COMMUNIST
INVASION OF IMPERIAL VALLEY

In the trenches of Europe in 1916
1S there were numerous American boys
who made up their minds, for want of a
better system, to ignore the troublesome
little insects which We're, as far as is
known, the only forms of life really to
enjoy the great conflict. But making
up their minds to ignore the little pests,
and doing so, were different matters.
Imperial Valley, individually and col
lectively, may make up its mind to lg-
more the Communists, but they, too, in
sist on being noticed.
Overlying the deadly seriousness of it
all is a decidedly comic aspect. Most
grotesque things are either comic or
horrible. or both. 1t is by decidedly
grotesque stretch of the imagination that
Communists profess terror at the vigil
antes of Imperial Valley, then turn
around and make sure that the only
men who can prevent what the Com
munists call vigilante terrorism will be
out of the valley at the time when it is
expected.
On the face of it, comedy; underneath,
horror.
Both elements entered into the care
fully laid plans for the Communist ra-
dio broadcast in Ell Centro Friday night.
1t was a masterful bid for publicity.
Surely there could have been no other
motive. The candidates must know that
they have no chance for election. They
must know, too, that their voices could
reach Imperial Valley audiences from
radio stations other than the one located
here. 1t seems, then, that they wanted
to come here on the chance that there
would be trouble.
That chance was not enough for them.
They ran to newspaper offices in Los
Angeles and San Diego, even before
anyone in Imperial Valley knew they
planned to speak here, to protest against
threats that they would not be allow
ed to speak Were they trying to put
the idea into someone's head?
The comic element was not present
Friday night, however, when a mob
stormed the radio sation, disrupted serv-
ice and took Esco L. Richardson for
five-block march down Main street. 1t
is unfortunate that mobs do not display
sound judgment Such judgment in this
case dictated that halting of the broad
cast, and menacing show of strength
purely through force of numbers was
more than enough. Over the dividing line
was a hysteria of violence calculated
to win sympathy for Richardson. Such
spectacle of 500 men hooting and hurl-
ing rotten eggs and vegetables at one
man was disgusting The only excuse,
if there is an excuse, is in the fact that
Richardson was not an individual to
those men, but symbol of force which
is Numerically opposed to American
ideals and beliefs which are held as
sacred things here.
Organized for swift, lawful action
such men as those who took part in Fri
day nights riot might be the most con-
structive force in Imperial Valley-but
they should be so organized. They were
as un-American Friday as their enemy.
No one wants to see Communism gain
foothold here-but neither do many
leve-headed persons want to see the
Communists given an opportunity again
to picture Imperial Valley as a place
Of terrorism.
The entire episode bears all the ear
marks of an attempt to prejudice the
public outside of Imperial Valley against
the valley, giving it black eye as head
quarters for ruthless violence against
all visitors, no matter what their mis-
sion. Why, with possible lettuce strike
in the offing, should this attempt be
made just now? And why should we
play into their hands?