Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-15


American Legion, as he arrive
seven-story Washington Headqu
NV. yesterday.
ism is under terrible attack today.
True Americanism needs defend
ing-here and now. 1t needs de-
Tending by evrey decent human
being in this country.
Americanism is under attack by
communism, at home and abroad,
We are defending it against that
attack. We are protecting our
country from spies and saboteurs.
We are breaking up the Com
munist conspiracy in the United
States. We are building our de-
lenses, and making our country
strong. and helping our Allies to
help themselves.
II We keep on doing these things
If we put our best into the job
we can protect ourselves from the
attack of communism.
But Americanism is also under
another kind of attack. 1t is be-
ing undermined by some people
in this country who are loudly
proclaiming that they are its chief
defenders. These people claim to
be against communism. But they
are chipping away at our basic
freedoms just as insidiously and
far more effectively than the Com
have ever been able to do.
These people have attacked the
basic principle of fair play that
underlies our Constitution. They
are trying to create fear and
among us by the use of
SANDER, improved accusations,
and just plain lies.
irresponsible" Accusations.
They are filling the air with
the most irresponsible kinds of
accusations against other people.
They are trying to get us to
believe that our Government is
riddled with communism and cor
ruption-When the fact is that we
have the finest and most loyal
body Of civil servants in the world.
These Slandermongers are trying
to get JUS so hysterical that no
one will stand up to them for fear
Of being called a Communist.
Now, this is an old Communist
trick in reverse. Everybody in
Russia lives in terror of being
called an anti-Communist. For
once that charge is made against
anybody in Russia-no matter
what the facts are-he is on the
way out-and what I mean, he's
On the way out.
In a dictatorship, everybody
lives in fear and terror of being
denounced and slandered. Nobody
dares stand up for his rights.
We must never let such a condi-
ton come to pass in this country.
Yet this is exactly what the
scaremongerS and hate-mongers
are trying to bring about. Charac-
ter assassination is their stock in
trade. Guilt by association is their
motto. They have created such a
wave OF fear and uncertainty that
their attacks upon our liberties
90 almost unchallenged. Many
people are growing frightened
and frightened people don't pro-
test.
Foresees Peril to Freedom.
Stop and think. Stop and think
where this is leading us.
The growing practice of char
acter assassination is already
curbing free speech and it, is
threatening all our other free
doms. l daresay there are people
here today who have reached the
point where they are afraid to-
explore a new idea. How many of
you are afraid to come right out
in public and say what you think
about a controversial issue? How
many of you feel that you must
play 1t SAFE in all things-and
on all occasions?
1 hope there are not many, but
from all that I have seen and
heard. I am afraid of what your
might be.
For I know you have no way of
telling when some unfounded &C
cusation may be hurled at you,
straight from the halls
of Congress.
Some of you have friends or
who have been singled
out for the pitiless publicity that
follows accusations of this kind
that are made with
out any regard for the actual guilt
or innocence of the victim.
Not Playing Fair
That is not playing fair. That
is not Americanism. 1t is not the
way to slur the loyalty
and besmirch the character of
the innocent and the guilty alike.
We have always considered it
just as important to protect the
innocent as it is to punish the
guilty.
We want to protect the country
against disloyalty-of course we
do. We have been Furnishing peo-
pie for disloyal acts, and we are
going to keep on Furnishing the
guilty whenever We have a case
against them. But we don't want
to destroy our whole system of
justice in the process. We don't