Evening star., 1939-04-09
Phantom Brigades Of Oppressed
Await Day to Topple Dictators
Enemies Within, Equipped With Only Smouldering
Hatreds, Envision Army to Strike at Stain,
Hitler and Mussolini
By Joseph II. Baird.


AS the threat of war hangs menacingly
over Europe and American observers
assay the relative strength of the dicta-
torships against the democracies, there
is one potent enemy of the former which
is seldom taken into account. The
strength of this enemy is not to be found
in any table of military Statistics for he
lives in a shadoWy realm beyond the
scope of any census He is the enemy
within the gate
World attention was focused on this
enemy more than two years ago when
the insurgent armies of Gen. Francisco
Franco first approached Madrid. War
correspondents then were told by one OF
Frances press attaches that when the
four columns then approaching the
Spanish capital had entered the city, they
would be joined by mysterious fifth
column" or phantom brigade" He meant
the enemies of Loyalist Spain who, un-
able to fee Madrid, posed as friends Of
the government but who we're ready to
knife 1t in the back at the first opportune
moment.
This prediction was never tested, for
Madid held firm against the Ma
tionalists until recently when beaten,
starved population surrendered the city
without fighting. But the remark OF
Francois press officer had wider signi-
ficance than he, perhaps, knew. For 1t
applied not only to Madrid but to every
government in Europe which rules its
people by fear and arms.
Every dictatorship in Europe today
has its fifth column" of those who have
suffered at the hands of the ruling re-
gime, and would gladly take up arms
fighting with the abandon OF the hope
less, if there were a reasonable chance
Of victory. In Soviet Russia, Germany
and Italy there are millions of citizens
who have seen their property confiscated
or have been thrown into jails or con-
centration camps or have been sent into
mer political loyalties, a careless word
or even because they were members OF
an outlawed social class.
Millions Of others, escaping them
selves. have seen parents, wives, hus-
bands or children taken from their
homes by the secret police to disappear
for months or sometimes forever.
Anger Flames Secretly.
can only nurse their white-hot anger
while outwardly protesting loyalty to the
perfect state" But their memories are
long. They do not forget. They only
wait.
These phantom brigades" have their
influence on world politics, for their
presence acts as a strong deterrent to
dictator who contemplates war. In time
of peace the widespread net of the po-
litical police holds these people in check
They dare not plan rebellion, for the Sc
cret agents of the regime are omnipres-
ent. But If the power Of the state were
weakened by long and exhausting
war, the guns that had been placed in
the hands of the fifth column" might
be turned against the regime. This fear
haunts the dreams of every dictator.
1t Is the common judgment of scores
OF diplomats and foreign correspondents
to whom this writer has talked that the
spectrum of political terrorism in the
relationships has its deepest hue In
Soviet Russia, paling gradually through
Germany and into Italy But funda-
mentally the regimes of Joseph Stain,
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini are
Identical in one respect-their support
rests upon closely-knit, fanatically-
loyal minority group which imposes its
will upon the majority of the people.
Each depends upon vast army of secret
police and the threat Of prison, concen-
tration camps or exile to stifle political
opposition. AS a result, each has its
phantom brigade"
Two Per Cent Rules In Soviet.
In Russia. the membership of the
Communist party Is approximately $780,
600 out of total population of about
10000, 900. In other words, the ruling
group consists Of less than per cent of
the people. Admission to the party is
difficult and its membership has pur-
posely been kept limited in line with
AC1LAA . OCAC1 CIldC q SAAAdA 11OAAOSCIlcOuS,
monolithic party of proven loyalty to the
leader Is more effective in time Of revo-
luton than larger one whose member
ship might include some dissident ele-
ments.
Joseph Stains list of enemies within
the gates" would include large part Of
the following elements: The clergy, the
former nobility and rich merchants;
many professional men, technicians and
artists who were arrested on suspicion Of
sabotage or disloyalty, and hundreds Of
thousands Of peasants who were dispos-
sessed Of their land and sent into Siberia
or the Far North during the period Of
enforced agricultural collectivization.
The so-called former people"-the
clergy, the nobility and the merchants
compose q very small percentage Of
Russia's population today. Hundreds of
thousands of them have fed from the
country and the rest have been ground
down into impotency. Those who were
not reconstructed" are pitiable human
wrecks eadng out . miserable existence