Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-06-20
Might Be
Wrong BUT
by P. G. Stromberg


Where did the term originate?
I AM TOLD that General Fran
cisco Franco gave the world this
expression during a siege, when
he stated that he had "four
columns outside the city and a
fifth column inside" But how
it has caught the imagination!
Already the term is accepted as
one of the most contemplate of
all human villainies. It has
come quickly to be comparable
to the lowest type of vermin.
Like the proverbial snake in the
grass - the termite = murder
GUS thief sneak migrate,
traitor = skunk--all rolled into
one. To be convicted of Fifth
Column activity should prove the
most heinous of all crimes. It
is creating such a tremendous
feeling of revulsion among the
general populace that fear of
violent consequences might act
as a deterrent. Slow to arouse,
that thing we call American
public opinion is a force which
cannot be measured. Woe to
the man who might be so unfor-
tunate as to fiaunt it and under
estimate it. It were better for
him that he had not been born.
1T SEEMS TO NE that one
of the most important phases of
our defense program is to spread
our nets to thwart any Fifth
Column activity. But if we find
that boldness and numbers de-
mand constant vigilance, then let
members Of veterans organiza-
'tions be again called to service
as DOLLAR A YEAR men to
carry on their unfinished task.
Surely if there is any group of
men in America today who can
be counted on, individually and
collectively. to stamp out rotten
spots, it is that group who saw
service during the World War.
l SUGGESTED to one man
that we call this veteran effort
the "Sixth Column" but he said
the "Sixth Column" is the
column Of women, children and
old folks driven from their
homes in Holland, Belgium and
France. Let it be called any,
thing so long as its aim is to
ascertain, apprehend and eradi-
cate the Fifth Column. This
would give immediate coverage
of every community in the
country. It would serve as an
outlet for the energies of many
who can't serve in the active
forces and it doesn't tax the
imagination to visualize these
soldiers of a generation ago
being directly instrumental in
rekindling in the hearts of the
younger generation the patriotic
fire necessary to maintain
democracy as it has been handed
down to US.
THERE ARE MANY ex-serv-
ice men who feel that they failed
the present generation by not
completing a task in 1918. One
man said to me that he felt
somewhat embarrassed when his
son said, "Dad, if yeu fellows
had finished your job we would
hoC De called on today to DO IL
all over again."
ON THE OTHER HAND, we
who served in the World War
were the youngsters then and
can just as properly lay the
present state of the world at the
door of those in command in
1918 and 1919. We were ready
then to enforce our Judgment.
We were anxious to finish job
that had appeared almost impos-
sloIe. But our political pendulum
swung in the opposite direction
and when we as a nation refused
TO go along with our Presidents
plan for an enduring ENFORCED
PEACE the would-be patriots
TOUR believing isolationists) laid
the foundation for successful
challenging of The League of
Nations authority and therefore
the foundation for the present
sad condition Of the world.