Evening star., 1938-12-25


we hapen to be alone here tonight
but, generally speaking. this room is
too public. Steenhold. On Saturdays
its half Bloomsbury and stage here
in the small hours. Any one may
come in at any time"
We'll, make planning room of
my room upstairs" said Steenhold.
And definitely plan" said Bodi-
sham, and took off and wiped his
spectacles with an air of preparing
for work.
So they definitely planned and
became an organized conspiracy.
They elected themselves and were
chary OF introducing fresh blood.
They drew up certain articles of
association beginning: The object
OF the R. G. G. (Real Ginger Group
is to resuscitate, revise, enlarge and
lnvlgorate the Popular Socialist
movement and make it living
power in the land" Their imagi-
native organization of the group
proceeded apace, and everybody
weighed everybody's character and
capabilities and limitations with the
utmost solicitude. Chifan ticked
them off with semi official titles.
Rud was the master director, or
chief" for short; Rogers was the
tlghtlng chief, Bodishan was the
organizer general, or the head STRAIT
eglst; 1rWell was the financial re-
organizer, breed was the chief of
propaganda and education.
Everything has to be stated" said
Rud.
"Of course! Of course!' said
breed. Its all as plain as day.
| light"
Propaganda Essential.
! Times change" said Rud. "and
nowadays they change very rapidly.
Propaganda becomes more and more
primary thing. One reason why
the majority everywhere is so indie
cisive is because it is becoming in
telllgent. 1t is mobile but skeptical.
1t won't Jump at name or a nick
name now 1t wants-definition
Compared with 10 years ago it is
critical. 1t has to be given things
straight and clear. But if you give
it things straight and clear-it can
take them and it will take them.
CT do so agree" said Bodisham.
Il do so heartily agree The pri-
mary need in order to get and keep
power is bright, plain publicity. And
more publicity. And then publicity.
There never has been time when
ideas are as fluid as they are now
II only one can get publicity, if only
one can get the ear of the crowd,
anything could be put before it
anythlng-and. given sufficient ex-
| pllcltness, almost anything can be
put over it. If you put over non
sense it will fall to pieces later, but
there is no limit now to the changes
OF opinion that can be effected in
the modern masses. Choose good
slogans Speak loud. speak wide,
speak plain, and the thing is done y
approval from Bodisham, nodding
his head so that his glasses flashed
In Germany, too. how many
Nazis were Liberals and Social Dem
ocrats 10 years ago. Yet in 81 and
'38 if you woke up German in the
night he said He'll. Hitler auto
matically, and felt it. Then they
Stacked on Hitler. How easily they
Stacked on him! How rapidly they
developed resistances to the tension.
the incessant tension, he made.
Look at the way people have
swung round through Communism,
Torylsm, Liberalism-in vast blocks.
In my fathers boyhood you were
either a Liberal or a Conservative in
England, and there you stuck, and
in America you were sturdy indi-
vldualist Democrat or Republican
from the cradle to the grave. But
now the voice does 1.-THE pervading
voice. And just now it's come to a
point when a voice-putting it
straight and clear. Straight and
There speaks the voice" said
Chiffan. You make pictures in the
mind, Rud. I see the mind of the
world like chaos-a whirling chaos.
and suddenly comes the Logos-the
word. In fact you. Rud"
First Operations.
You aren't jeering by any
chance?" asked Steenhold, always
anxious to know exactly where he
Stood
Perhaps am decorating a little.
It's my vice, Steenhold. Let us
plan"
Yes" said Bodisham. Let us
plan. Now just where do we begin
operations? Where do we first con-
front the boss with the unpleasant
TACT that the movement no longer
considers itself properly led? And
proposes to give him a push? And
what exactly will it do when he
splutters and hectors?"
So the conclave in Steenhold's
upper room began its deliberations.
began to figure out the definite
seizure of the party for Rud. 1t was
necessarily highly imaginative work.
AT times it was entirely indetermi-
nate whether they were really max
ing plans for definite action or
merely lndulging in a collective rev.
erie, that might at any time evapo-
rate back into nothingness-as 10 900
other conspiracies have done.
I'VE now know" said Bodisham,
summing up one night, practically
everything we mean to do. We
mean to insist upon a general meet
ing Of the party. and then we mean
to challenge Bohun fairly and
squarely. What we have to do now
is to fix times and dates, determine
numbers and places
"Wait!" said Chiffan.
What for?"
"The Hour. The Moment. Rud's
instinct and the word Co."
Wait, but be ready" said Rud
"Wait for the word 1t will be like
shooting gun and killing a man