Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1954-07-02

EDITORS NoTE-Another Fourth Of July week.
end is upon Us. For many, IL merely means
extra holiday Few persons anymore recall the true
spirit in which July FoUrth-or independence Day
was established. Today our freedoms probably
are being threatened more seriously than at any
time since memorable 1776. This editorial on Com
mvnisn, therefore. is particularly appropriate as
the nation pavses TO observe another independence
Day. Mr.. Reder, publisher Of The News, is the
Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary Of State.
He was decorated by the French Government in
World War II for his work a special agent OF
the U.s. Army's eovnferinteisenee corps; he serv
ed two and one.half years a member Of the Ohio
Un-American Activities Commission, and currently
is state chairman Of the Veterans Of Foreign Wars
committee on svbversive activities.
Communism, as an deology and politi-
cal activity, is repugnant to the American
people. The knowledge that this is so con-
stitutes the bedrock on which any program
for combating it's menace may be erected.
The American people, fortunately have
lived too long within the flexible boundaries
them to any dogma of political thought or
RECOMMENDATION of political action. Commun-
ism requires rigid control of thought and
action to penetrate our institutions to any
appreciable degree. 1t is in complete contra
diction to the habits and desires of free
people. Therefore, we may assume that Com
munism can never recruit the vast majority
of Americans into it's ranks.
However, this fact should not lead to COM
placency. The very fixity of thinking and
action, the RECOMMENDATION of even handful
of deluded Americans, renders Communism
Tn Oth tho, nh
highly disciplined group, no mat
ter how small or large in numbers, cannot
be disregarded because quantitively it ap-
pears to be helpless in attainment of it's
objectives. 1t should be remembered that
while any ordinary criminal element, organ
lied or unorganized constitutes only a frac-
tion of our population, it always represents
menace to law and order.
Just as criminaity flourishes in confu-
sion or corruption of the orderly processes
which protect our lives and property, so does
Communism flourish in confusion or corrup-
ton of our political, social and economic in
stitutions. 1t represents false beacon to
those who are bewildered by the complexity
of our society," necessarily complex because
it is the essence of democracy that it gene
rate it's own improvements and changes in
it's institutions. The Communist seize upon
such periods of change to accomplish two
things: u Increase confusions among us,
and p Pose their dogma as a way out of
confusion. They utilize the admitted faults
within our institutions, the very faults we
are constantly striving to correct, to con-
denim democracy in it's entirety.
This process creates the dilema in which
we find ourselves. How can we combat Com
munism within the framework of our free
institutions without altering or destroying
that very freedom of thought and action
which is the source of our strength?
1t is clear by now that in recent years,
we met the problem with the two extremes
of apathy and erratic action. Neither ex-
treme, either of shutting our eyes to it or
of taking action outside the due processes
of law, has succeeded in doing anything ex-
cept grant aid and comfort to the Com
munists.
AS a result of apathy, Communists were
able to penetrate areas of influence with
their dogma; as result of violent reaction
against such penetration we have come close
to establishment of pattern of control of
thought and action very similar to that ex-
erted in lands already conquered by the Com
munists.
These twin dangers-the advance of Com
munism among us and the restriction of
freedom of thought and action under our
accepted Institutions constitute the reefs
between which we must steer our course.
SIZE OF THE PROBLEM