Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-14
The Fifth Column

the fifth column.
We must confess to an ignorance
! of the origin Of the name. But the
| nature and purpose of the movement
should be made known to every loyal
| American citizen, who should con-
| stitute himself t committee Of one
to be ever on the alert against trca-
son and attack from within.
This fifth column" is the name
! given foreigners who make their
way into Il country marked by die
tatorS as their victim. They come
as unSuSpecting, friendly visitors on
some oStenSible business or other
mission. They plant themselves in
| strategic positions i'll communities
and localities where they operate.
They worm their way into the good
graceS of ncighborS and citizens.
! Then when the blow is struck, they
! iojn hands with the invaders to
make quick. complete job.
Every one by now knows how
. Germany made easy work Of Nor
way. There WAS treason, OF course,
! but the major portion OF the ground
work was laid by persons sent ahead
weeks in advance Of the day fixed to
strike. When Hitler's planes drop
ped parachute troops, they united
with the fifth column group al
ready on the spot, and speedily took
command OF the situation.
The same tactics were and are
being followed in Holland and Bel
givun. and nave worked with almost
as much success as in the Scandlna-
Wan invasion. So perfectly had the
plans been coordinatcd and carried
out that there was scarcely hitch
at any turn.
The public here knows little or
nothing of the extent to which this
sort Of scheme is being carried Out
in our own country at this very
moment. When d bit Of alarm is
sounded about NaziS, FaSciStS and
Communists in this country, sup
poSedly loyal Americans yell bloody
murder and make fun Of and try to
Squelch the warnings that are given.
The general hostility in certain high
places to the operations OF the Dies
committee in investigating un-Ame-
rican activities is an excellent eN-
ample of this very thing.
We think that those who are so
quick and so eager to denounce at
temptS to ferret out dislOyal citizens
should be watched and Investigated
as closely and should be regarded
with as much suspicion as the very
groups at whom these TRADES are
aimed. Those who seek to defend
communists when they arc operating
un-American Institutions should
themselves have the finger Of
suspicion pointed directly at them.
Democracy is such an institution
that by its very nature it can only
with difficulty, if at all, defend it
self against its enemies. It offers
free speech and freedom of assembly
to every one, literally which sets
the stage perfectly for these nefari-
Gus activities. In its real essence it
more or less has to look on helpless
ly as its foes aim their daggers at
its very heart.
We yield to no one in our adj
herence to the American bill Of
rights, and admit of no one who
would go further in defending that
solemn right to those deserving of
it. But the time has come, indeed
has long since been here, when such
privileges should be withdrawn to
aliens in cur midst and to those who
may come among us.
In the present precarious state of
civilization, we are not SO sure but
that Senator Reynolds is on the
right track in his proposal for
hosting the bars completely against
all foreigners entering this country,
for whatever reason, except so far
as there can be no slightest sembl-
ance Of doubt or question about who
they are and what their mission is
And even then they should be under
the strictest surveillance until they
leave our shores, which should be as
speedily as possible.
Wen go even further and back
stand those, including the junior
North Carolina Solon, who would eX-
pei undesirable aliens who are al
ready here. There are enough of
! them in our midst now to destroy
millions of dollars worth of property
! if and when they choose to do so.
They could r3IISp no end IF trouble