The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-12-10

One of Natures seven wondrous
mirac cles-if not the tirst--is the sud
den patriotism of American Commun-
lists.
Now we don't believe in miracles
not in this day and age-so we've been
delying into the subject and inter
viewing some of our friends who are
Communists in fact, if not in name.
There are very few Communists who
will admit to their pefsuasionS. That
is one of the characteristics of the
breed.
These Communists to whom we have
talked are more fervcntly war-cOn-
scous, more eager to suffer and sacri-
flee for victory, than the average
American citizen is today. In fact,
they're bloodthirsty. They demand the
immediate opening of western
Front''-not Il second front any more,
mind you-regardless of the cost in
lives and in blood.
But what is the interest in victory?
What, in their opinion, are we fighting
for? We asked these questions and the
ANSWERS we received was "the utter
destruction of Fascism.'
Now we agree fully as to the de-
and necessity of wiping out
|FaSciSm. But we also want just as
strongly a victory for the kind OF
democracy which we regard as Amer
|icanism. That is where we and the
Communists part company.
Who Is Reactionary?
The Communists - lct'S call them
ICommies for short-don't believe i'll
Americanism any more than Hitler
does. They regard Amelicansm as Il
"rcactionary' word. They rega + d
American democracy as Il reaction
larry" form of government In fact, the
Ionly form of Government which seems
to suit their peculiar fancies is that
prevailing in Soviet Russia.
Now we're sick and tired of being
called reactionaries by the Commies.
lThey haven't preempted that word.
lThey can't make it their exclusive
lcpithct. In fact, it is our considered
lopiniOn that the worst reactionarieS in
1.-The world are the CommicS themselves.
And This is why. They Commies do
mot believe in progress once they've
Established their own regime. They
consider Communism the "be all and
end all' of progress For that reason
Ithey are reactionaries. No human be-
| Iing-even Commy-knoWS all the
ANSWERS Even if we were to admit
THE Commy claims that Il communist
Ircgime offers greater advantage to the
masses of the people than they now
Ienjoy under any other form of Gov
Iernment-and we don't believe it for
lone mOmcnt-Still that does not pre-
Icludc the possibility of a better form
iof Government being devised in the
future. But would the CommieS toler-
late that? The example of Soviet Rus
sia, where any and i'll opposition 10
the regime in power has been brutally
| suppressed, fully answers that queS-
| ton.
SO our conclusion must be that the
! CommicS are "progrcsSive' only when
they lack power but become just ar
reactionary as FascistS once they gair
power. If that is progreSSiviSm, if thai
is liberalism, they can keep it to them
selves exclusively.
who Are The Patriots?
The same intellectual hypocrisy Is
lapparcnt in the sudden patriotism OF
1.-The COmmics. We discover that those
IWho were loudest in condemnation oi
this war before Hitler moved in o'
Russia are now most vocferouS in dc
,mHnding all-out support for the war
I'rhe very ones who Joined with the
IiSOlationiStS in calling this IAN i'm
IpcrialiStic war" are now yelling fol
the defeat of the Fascist aggrcSSorS.'
The question therefore occurs as t,
whether these Commy patriots arc
Ipatliolic to the country in which they
hold citizenship or to Soviet Russia?
We could give Il categorical answer
to that question but for the time beins
we will content ourselves with remain
ing quite Skeptical about the motive
and principles of the COmmies.
/ We will also watch very carefully
Ithe developments of their party line
land of their continued attempts [,
"borc from within" the labor move
Imcnt while waving The flag and sing
ling patriotic hymns,
We advise all members of the Amer
IiCan Federation of Labor TO do like
IA.