The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-07-01
STAIN
SECRET
ARMY
By WILLIAM L. RYAN
APP Foreign News Analyst

By WILLIAM i. RYAN
AP Foreign News Analyst
What accounts for the startling
success of the Stalinist fifth col
umn? How are its recruits. often
highly intelligent and educated
persons, persuaded to join an un-
foreground conspiracy against their
own countries?
It is a long, careful process.
The recruitment of the fifth col
umn often requires money, and
Moscow is willing to spend it with
out stint for the purpose, but
money is secondary. Few of the
cases of convicted Communist
spies involved the payment Of any
large amount of money.
One Of the most important meth
DDS of recruiting for Stains se-
cret army is the Communist cell.
Communists scout carefully for
their prospects-persons whose en-
vironments, backgrounds, way Of
life or ideals indicate the posi-
bility of persuasion.
Those persons are not invited
into the Communist Party itself.
They are often not reliable enough.
Moreover they are more valuable
outside the party. These persons
instead become subjects for what
the Communists call develop
ment."
Prospects are lured by one
means or another into study
groups" or discussion groups,
which in reality are operated by
cells of the Communist Party.
The recruiting agents concen-
trate their attention on such per-
sons as scientific workers, teach
ers, students and persons engaged
in intellectual pursuits--in particu-
lar likely prospects who either
work for the government or have
chance of doing so. Wherever
possible, these persons are caught
young.
Persons with grievances against
the world-those who consider
themselves or their race or their
creed &c be persecuted--are sim
gled out for special attention and
often become easy victims. Disil-
lusionment hits these people hard
when it comes.
II considered myself a second
class Canadian, not a first class
Canadian" testified one agent in
the Canadian case. THAT is not
a laughing matter Mr.. Commits
sioner. II is serious"
But there are other motives.
the files of prospects in Moscow
contain careful entries on personal
habits, ambitions, attitudes to fam
lilies, characteristics Of private life
and even inclination to, drink hard
liquor. A man. who is financially
insecure may be persuaded to take
money. If he does, he quickly be-
comes mash, the Russian word
for ours"
Gradually the recruits are inn
bued with sense of a secret mis-.
sion. a sense of conspiracy which
sets them apart from their fel.
lows. The cell carefully develops
the secrecy habit. Gradually II
works to make the prospect doubt
the need OF honesty and loyalty
to his own community. Ultimately,
the prospect, comes to believe that
anybody expressing such senti-
ments is guilty of petty bourgeois
morality" or some other iargonis.
tic Communist sin, pronounced
with a superior sneer.
The study groups are induced
To study political and philosophical
works highly critical Of Western
Democracy--not necessarily, as
yet, Marx, Engels, Lcnin and Stall
in. These come later.
Once the cells have completed
the basic program OF develop
ment" with their prospective fifth
the second stage Is
reached That brings a transfer
Of loyalty TO the Soviet Union,
blind obedience TO the party, de-
yotion TO the cause" This Is a
gradual process, too, The prospect
gets small doses. His capacity be-
comes greater and greater as he
becomes more and more en-
meshcd In SECRECY and conspiracy.
He acquires the psychology OF .
double life and a double standard.
and the moral principles he once
knew are displaced, He stIii be.
ieves he is working for mankind.
bit now the good Of mankind and
the Soviet Union are becoming
The stories Of the penitents --
people such as Elizabeth Bentley
ard Whitaker Chambers who left
the Communist fifth column, ring