The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-04-14

William Henry Chamberlin, for
twelve years a resident of Russia as
correspondent for the Christian
Monitor" and as war correspondent,
brought to a close the series of lee
lures presented by st. Mary's Sun
day Night Forum this season at the
Hotel Alexander, with his discussion
of Soviet Russia and World Peace
last Sunday evening. He was in
troduced by G. Victor Cushwa.
Mr.. Chamberlin began by giving
what he thought was the best def
milton of Soviet Communism as he
saw it in action-a combination of
a one-party dictatorship in addition
to complete economic collectivism
The party is organized like an army
and keeps its power by unlimited
propaganda and unlimited terror
ism.
Originally, Mr.. Chamberlin con-
tinued, Communism was challenge
to all forms of human experience.
Then he went on to explain how
the Communist approach has chang
ed with the years. There is still no
private property as we know it, but
in order to keep the Russian peo-
pie working, the Communists have
set up a system of awards and re-
wards for better workmanship and
there are now gradations in the
salary scale.
Then in the field of religion, form
erly there was only hostility to-
wards all forms of religious prac-
tice and belief. In recent years
Stain has taken a more lenient at
titude, especially towards the Greek
Orthodox Church, but only on the
condition that the Church support
the Soviet Regimes policies, which
is obviously not religious freedom.
Mr.. Chamberlin then went on to
draw up a balance sheet on Com
munism. On the positive side, he
stated that Communism has made
Soviet Russia stronger politically,
militarily and economically. Russia
has become more mechanically
minded, and the people have high
er percentage of literacy than in
the days of the Tsars. He also stat
ed that Russia is entirely free of
the bugaboo of racial discrimination.
"On the negative side, however,"
continued the speaker" there is the
total absence of respect for the
dignity of man and his liberty With
the tremendous power held in the
hands of the party, frightful things
happen to the individual, such as
the elimination of the middle peas
ant class by the ruthless confscation
of their property and the wholesale
sending of these. peasants into slave
labor camps There was the man
made famine OF 1928, during
which about 100000 people in the
Ukraine and the North Caucasus
died for want of food And finally,
the institution of slave labor under
the most inhuman conditions"
Mr. Chamberlin then went on to
explain how Communism affects the
United States, and why we cannot
ignore it, giving the following four
main reasons:
IS ID The belief of Communist lead
ers that there must be a decisive
battle between Communism and the
rest of the world.
ca The habitual and persistent
bad faith of leaders who have grab
bed foreign soil against the will of
the people and in total disregard
for pacts which they have signed.
: 60 The enormous worldwide
nest of spies whom the United States
is now trying to deal with.
ca The complete contempt of the
Soviet Union for the United Nations
when they are not in line with the
Soviet's own ideas, and their block
ing action on every side with the
use of their veto power.
Mr.. Chamberlin said that under
such conditions there can be no ap-
peasement, and that, even though
we do not want war, there are sew