Evening star., 1938-07-21

America will no E# s&
longer be left to David Lawrence.
the Imagination
of accusers, but will be answered by
official testimony.
The inquiry has the sympathetic
support of all the patriotic organiZa-
tions, including the American Legion,
and it has the support also of promi-
nent labor leaders and churchmen
There has appeared, however, in
these precincts some evidence that
the Communists have few supporters
in the inner circle of the administra-
ton itself, because these same influ-
ences have tried indirectly to hamper
the committees efforts and to keep it
from gathering evidence. In due
time such efforts will be exposed, no
doubt. by the committee itself, but
1t may be taken for granted that
President Roosevelt, who has upon
occasion denounced both Fascism and
Communism, will not hesitate to
throw open to inquiry any operations
Of the Government which may directly
or indirectly be accused of Com
munistic or Fascist influence.
May Aid Labor leadership.
From many standpoints, the in
quiry may prove beneficial to the
legitimate labor leadership of the
country, which has been threatened by
Communistic agitators from within
Again and again, the Federal Gov
ernment here has become aware Of
Fascist and Communistic activities,
and no doubt the files of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation in the De-
partment of Justice contain many
interesting reports on the work of
these agitators The recent revela-
tions about a Nazi spy ring in the
United States unquestionably will be
related in due time to the Nazi
organizations which are engaged In
fomenting religious and racial hatred
within this country.
The House committee is, of course,
non-partisan and political Rep
resentative Dies, Democrat, of Texas
and the seven other members are
interested only in settling once and
for all the question Of how far Com
munistic and Fascist activity has gone
within the borders of the United
States. Said Chairman Dies in
recent address:
while the Communists and the
Nazis are bitter enemies they have
much in common. They both repre-
sent dictatorships and the establish
ment OF totalitarian system of gov
ernment where the individual becomes
a mere pawn in the hands of the
governing class. Their principles and
practices are diametrically opposed to
the American scheme of government.
In America, we believe, as stated by
our forefathers in the Declaration of
independence, that all men are Gre
ated equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable
rights, that among these are life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness 1t
Is this declaration that the rights of
man come from God, and not from
governments or societies, that distin-
guishes the American conception of
government from the Communist, the
Fascist or the Nazi political philoso-
ply.
Government Servant Of People.
Since we believe in America that
these fundamental rights are derived
from Almighty God, we deny to the
Government or to any majority the
power to deprive us Of these rights
In America the Government is the
servant Of the people. In Russia and
Germany the people are the servants
OF the government. The differences
between Americanism on the one
hand, and Communism and Nazi-ism
on the other, are so fundamental and
far-reaching that there never can be
. reconciliation. No man can believe
In Nazi-ism and Communism and at
the same time believe in American
ISM"
What a congressional Investigation
may uncover is the extent to which
governments with which the United
States is supposedly at peace and on
friendly terms are spending money to
cause groups within our midst to carry
on campaigns seeking to weaken, if
not overthrow, the American constitu-
tonal system.
Publicity Wars on Propaganda.
Alien propaganda is not new thing
IN American history, but it has been
most effectively combated in the past
only by the white light of official pub
llcity. Americans who have been in
nocently duped into supporting organ
1zatlons or societies which they be-
heved were worthy become enlightened
when the sinister purposes and subtle
strategy that lie behind some of these
activities are exposed to view.
II the alien organizations which are
80 closely knit with foreign govern
ments prove to be relatively inconse-
quentlal, even this fact will be of value
and help to chase away so-called
bugaboos. But the evidence already
reported to have been accumulated in
dictates that the situation is by no
means to be scoffed at, and that the
congressional inquiry, which is to be-
Gin within a fortnight, will be most
helpful in keeping Europe's ouarrels
from being dragged into American eco
homie, political and social life.
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