The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-04-27
Comment On
World Events

The crucial fact that Dlocks
world peace is the existence Of an
aggressive nation which at every
important turn in national events
reiterates it's dogma" that capital
ism and communism cannot exist
together in the free world. This
dogma" ignores the fact that they
did exist together until the USSR
set out to execute its plans for
aggression after the second World
War. Looking back, we can clearly
see that at every strategic phase Of
the war the conditions insisted on
by the Kremlin were in accord
with its blueprint for later aggres-
sion.
The Communist political commits
sars accompanied the Russian army
with the secret police as camp fol-
lowers. Trained Communists moved
in as the military lines moved
West. The essential conquest took
place before the West awakened to
the implications of the Soviet pos
session of the Balkans. Likewise
with Asia, where under secret
terms of treaties we reversed
pledges to our ally, China, while
the USSR made ready to move into
North China and the heartland Of
Asia.
In a period of few brief years,
without formal war declaration but
by strategy, trickery and invention
of military methods of secur-
ing the fruits of military aggres-
sion, the USSR now dominates
Eastern Europe to the Elbe, more
than half of Asia, and has increas-
ed the number of people under
Moscow's rule from 200,000,C00 to
5000, 900, 900.
We are in serious situation
which the diplomats of the demo-
cratic world failed to avert. Our
own government and many of our
people failed at first to understand
Communist purposes and methods.
There is yet time to prevent the
Iron Curtain from shutting in if
we move promptly and effectively.
Many in the Soviet Union and in
Eastern Europe do not have the
faintest idea of what democracy is
or what it means. But evidence of
resistant groups still fighting
against arbitrary tyranny, still try
ing to have a decent life proves
that human detestation of tyranny
has not been killed.
The American Federation of
Labor is one organization that has
never trusted the Kremlin. We
were long a voice in the wilderness,
calling for an international trade
union federation free from Stalin's
orders. At last such an organiza-
tion has been established. The In
ternational Confederation of Free
Unions is now ready to function
1t will be ably supported by the
International Transport Workers
Federation, the heroic organization
which rescued workers in Axis ter
ritory from Hitler's fury during
the war and furnished aid to free
trade unions and to the resistance
movements in many countries.
These two organizations of free
labor should have the active sup
port of our government.
X I. ::
But this is not enough. All or
ganized groups of democratic cit
liens in this and other countries
should band together to get aid to
the underground forces courage
ously fighting the cause of demo-
cracy for US. Employers, technic-
ians, professional groups, religious
organizations should make their
contributions early and work stead
lily for the cause of liberty until
totalitarian despotism is defeated
This is not an easy undertaking.
1t will require sacrifice and de-
votion, to carry it through, but
each age develops those who do its
own distinctive work. Every seq
ment of society should assume its
responsibility for winning the cold
war which the Communists Initial
ad and are directing AT Our whole