The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-06

| views of Mr.. Pegler, and often disagree
with them as much as many of his read
| ers His articles serve the good purpose
of making people think.)
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER
| Copyright, 1914, by King Features Syndicate.)
| NEW YORK, - There are many Americans,
including some clergy and, dare say, some
republicans, too, who believe it possible for the
United States to cooperate politically and with
mutual good faith with Russia.
1 wish l could think so because their peace
of mind is enviable
When l speak of Russia I refer, of course, to
the Russian communist government, not the
millions of Russian human beings who exist to
serve that government. It is not difficult to be-
Iieve that the Russian people are, on the aver
age, aJniable and that they are more inclined
to like Americans than to dislike U.S. That they
are brave and good fighters, industrious and
much more intelligent than the Russians who
went 10 the first World war under the Car is
denied by no man.
But the Russian government and its secret
international organization amounting to con-
spiracy against other nations. including our
own, which trust Russia in spite of the record,
seem to me not to have changed their attitude
in the slightest degree during our cooperation
in this war.
At once, the objection will be raised that the
international has been dissolved because Rus
STA said so publicly. To that, the unhappy
answer is that Russia did not even say it had
been dissolved. The statement was complicated
and obscure, resembling some of Felix Frank
furter's Supreme Court opinions, and most of
our editors carelessly jumped to conclusion
that it announced the dissolution, but careful
study will show that it did not go that far.
And, anyway, in the light of past perform
ances and many declarations of revolutionary
intent against other trusting nations, I think
that hope, the desire for mutual confidence
and for peace in collaboration with Russia,
defeats intelligence.
Maurice Thorez the leader Of the communist
conspiracy against the French republic has re-
Gently been forgiven and welcomed back to
the country that he betrayed. He traitor
and a deserter from the army in the face OF
the Nazi enemy. Communists in the French
war plants Stacked and sabotaged the job and
units of the army in which communists were
numerous or predominant, refused to fight and
deliberately spread confusion and defeatism in
the most terrible hours of the Nazi invasion.
At the same time, the communists in the
United States, operating in many guises, were
similarly denouncing the war as an aggression
of the British and French empires against the
Nazis and the Fascists who, presumably, were
peace-loving victims of British and French ag-
gression. Similarly, also, they were conducting
strikes and other blockades of our war indus
tries and picketing the White House in Wash
ington.
In our country, like Thorez of France, these
people have been granted political amnesty, SO
t. speak, since Hitler attacked Russia in June,
1941 at which time, within SO hours, all of
them changed their opinion of the imperialist
war and now demanded a total industrial war
effort so that all help could be sped to Russia.
They also set up a clamor for open, about
war against the NaZis who now became law
less aggressors. Since that time President
Roosevelt has extended gratuitous and wholly
unnecessary courtesies to many of these in
divicnals.
Henry Wallace has openly fraternized with
some of them Mrs. Roosevelt has treated them
with a friendly consideration that has been
consistently withheld from Americans OF I'M
questionable patriotism whose sons are nSht-
ing in every combat arm of the service, Tor
the United States, because these Americans are
sketical of Russia and susicious OF communist
penetration of government Several con-
spicuous leaders of this conspiracy OF sabotage
which the President, himself in general terms,
denounced as such at the time, have been
gwen draft deferments on the ground OF their
essenti atty as union leaders or bosses IN the
Wa. plants.
Russia gave Thorez asylum after he betrayed
France and now that he has returned unoer
amnesty from General De Gaulle, who, IN turn,
makes pilgrimage to Moscow, Thorez holos
communist mass-meeting at which he demands
communist government for France
If France were consistent, Thorez would De
tried, convicted and shot for his treachefy
which was far more effective, deliberate and
costly to all his fellow countrymen than the
collaboration of wretched women who slept with
German soldiers during the occupation or
French industrial men who elaborated with
| the Nazis at gun-point. Even those French men
and women, boys and girls. who denounced
members of the underground and sent them to
the firing squads were less guilty in the effect
of theil t1eachery than Thorez was. They con-
demn1ed individuals. Thorez directed party,
movement whose purpose was to take France
out of the war through defeat
These are develoments of this war too recent
for denial, and those Americans who believe
we can cooerate in good faith with Russia
must deal with them in justifying their con-
clusi-n and their hope.
They must justify, too, Russia's particpa-
ton, from the East, in the German attack On
POLAND which started the war, for, as will be
remembered, when the Nazis invaded from the
West, RUSSIA invaded in pace from the East
' "rt'' t'n t'et- o~~i-r