The Omaha guide., 1947-02-01
Common Defense
(BY REV. c. w. kERNAN)
THREE WAYS-ONE
GOOD. TWO BAD

S@3 AL 0O4lodI "
Freedom House in New York will
launch an educational campaign to
help Americans recognize the to-
talitarian left and Highland to
guide them toward a vigilant CEN
ter devoted to the ideals Of free
dom.
Freedom House points out that
on the left are the communists and
fellow-travellers who set up in
nocent sounding organizations as
traps for minority groups and
bore from within established de-
mocratic political and labor or
CARNATIONS. They seek a shiefd Of
respectability by associating them
selves with unsuspecting liberals.
They have their spokesman on the
air, the public platform, in the
newspapers. They are tireless, re-
s~ourceful and crafty. They are
clever in concealing the truth that
communism is fundamentally
wiring in principle and practice
for any country-that it is intol-
cradle for America. When you cor
ner the communists and call them
by their right name, you are cali
ed a red batter and fascist"
The communist road leads to
chaos and despotism.
Freedom House points OUT that
on the right is another form of
Observation-Disclosures by fas-
cists. They, too. use American slo-
gans; they organize apparently
innocent religious" and "patrio-
tic" fronts and seek to associate
with their cause the names Of
well-known Americans.
When Hitler threatened to con-
quer the world the American fas-
cists were complacent and undis-
turbed. They became transmits
sion belts for Nazi agents and
mouthpieces for Goebbels' pro-
kpaganda. Using the appeal to pa
triotism as a cloak, they cater to
those who claim national super
iority; they foster antagonism
against m~inorities; they develop
tensions among national groups
and etween capital and labor. They
employ anti emitism for the pur-
pose of gathering a following by
whose strength they hope to OBJ
tain political power. When you
corner the fascists and call them
by their right name you are call
ed q communist" The fascist
road leads to human degradation
and slavery.
Freedom House points out that
there Is a third road-the road of
democracy and n world. Along
this broad center road travel the
people who aspire to a genuinely
democratic world. They know that
freedom cannot exist in a totalitar-
ian state, whether it be ruled by
man or my lawless groups who
contemptuously ignore the inalien-
able rights of others. They know
that, in order to have a more per
feet democracy. law Enforcement
agencies must be overhauled to
abolish lynchings; poll taxes must
be forever banished; and all men
must have equality of opportunity.
In the hearts and minds Of these
democratic Americans there is no
room for prejudice against other
human beings because of differ
ences in race, religion. or nation
al origin. They are the inheritors
Of the liberal American tradition.
They spurn the paths of reaction
to advance the cause of progress
under law" They are prepared to
defend their faith and the liberty
of us all. They are Americas CEN
ter. To overcome communism and
fascism-to reach true American
goals-we need this center devot-
ed to democratic ideals with fer
vent drive and resourcefu1neSs.
How much we need it-and why
will be told much more fully by
Freedom House in advertisements
in The New York Times, HERALD
Tribune. and Post on january Z.
The full text iof these ads-or
matsLmay be had simply by writ
ing to Freedom House. 20 West
10th ST., New York City.