Arizona sun., 1953-09-18
GETTING
Along
BY LAUREEN WHITE

and see themselves enSlaved.
Whenever forces show themselves
that threaten our Well-being, they
should be opposed. 1t makes no diff
ference from what source these
forces stem. Both Communists and
non Communists who are trying to
interfere with the peace and har-
mony of the world by sitting hu-
man freedom should have their ac-
tivities curtailed.
The foregoing thoughts inn
pressed themselves on my con-
SciousnesS when I read an article
by Ferdinand c. Smith recently
Mr.. Smith was deported from the
United States because of his Com
munist activities. He now lives in
Kingston, Jamaica, and his article,
why 1 Am A Communist" was
published in Spotlight magazine.
Mr.. Smith gave several reasons
for having joined the Communist
Party: 1-"Racial discrimination
is not practiced by Communists.
Mr.. Smith states, "Soon after being
in the United States, l came face
to face with the harsh realities of
racial discrimination, of white men
brutally trampling upon even the
most elementary human rights of
Negroes. 1 had been in the south
ern states of the U.S.A. and tasted
this bitter fruit of degradation and
segregation. And 1 resented it."
2-HWorkers are exploited and
treated unfairly under other sys-
TENS of government" Mr.. Smith
says, II had experiences of exploi-
tatoin of workers by employers.
On board ship I marveled at the
ship owners and officers attitude
toward crewmen who were treated
as another bit of expendable ma
chinery. I have often rebelled at
the two pot system where top
grade rations were prepared for
officers while crewmen were fed
the meanest of rations."
GIN the Communist Parry, Mr..
Smith thought he saw answers to
many problems that perplexed
him. Naturally 1 became involved
in a number of demonstrations,
strikes, and other activities aimed
at achieving better working condi-
tions for workers and especially
Negroes" Mr.. Smith says. II
joined the struggle for a change
in the system whereby Negro sail
,ors and longshOremen were rele-
gated to the meanest jobs with the
lowest pay. We won the fight-led
and supported by the Communist
Party" he concluded.
In other parts of his article Mr..
Smith tells of his trip to Russia
and his impression of that coun-
try. 1t is easy to realize that the
undenlocratic elements in our De-
mocracy have helped to make a
Communist of Ferdinand Smith,
and those people who, by their
daily actions are showing the
world that Democracy will not
work for all people are as guilty
of trying to enslave the world, as
the Communists.
The undemocratic elements in
our Democracy have caused many
other people besides Ferdinand
Smith to embrace Communism.
Many individuals all over the
world have lost faith in our way
of life for the same reasons. The
only way we will ever be able to
touch them is by changing our at
titude.
I do not approve of the position
taken by Mr.. Smith. Just because
you have trouble with your ship,
doesn't mean you should attempt
to destroy it. You should try to
repair it. If Ferdinand Smith rep
resented a force that threatened
the we'll being of our country, he
should have been banished., Those
who deported him rendered a great
service. However, there are many
others who should be penalized
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