The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-02-22
US. Communists
Continued from Page d

l0ontlnued from rage IL
Wet action in regard 10 Hun
gary and Poland.
Other items of interest in
ths convention included the
relatively high proportion OF
Negroes in the new collective
leadership. This indicates .
strong desire TO exploit the
racial tensions existing in some
areas Of the United States.
While there are no accurate
figures on the present percent
see Of Negroes in the small
bend of communists here. past
figures Of unquesfioned seeur-
aey indicate that communists
have never made great inroads
In the Negro community. Some
years back, only about 10 per
cert Of communists were col
cred, ard the turnover in This
group Yves very high. Since one
third OF fhe new committee is
Negro, n 10 quite likely that
Negroes are over represented
NJ the top.
In considering all these devel-
opments, the inevitable question
Is bound to arise: Is all this play
acting? Since communists are con-
firmed conspirators, there is
bound TO be some suspicion that
the whole affair was staged in
order to deceive the public and
render regulatory laws less eff
fective. This writer is inclined
TO discount the conspiracy hypoth-
esis. 1t is dangerous to Judge
such matters PRIOR. On the
available evidence, particularly
the controversies in the Daily
Worker, the internal struggle is
real and grim.
We must also consider the fact
that post-Stalin changes caused
violent uprisings in Poland and
Hungary. They tore apart the dis
ciplined Communist parties Of
Italy and France. Ii is not un-
likely that they genuinely affect
ed the much more free Commun.
lists here. Added TO these factors
Is the understandable desire for
changes which will free party
leaders from Smith Act prosecu-
ton. Certainly the more reals
tic among American communists
realize that staged change could
hardly escape notice by the F.BI.
and hence would effect no real
change in their status.
Given at least tentative judg-
nnent that the Communist party,
U.S.A., has at least partially brok-
en- from Moscow, what will be the
results? The communists hope
for several favorable develop
ments that may follow from these
events. They expect to restore
their status as a genuine Ameri-
can political party and social
movement. They wish to regain
prestige and standing among lib.
erals, labor leaders, and fight.
ers for civil liberties and racial
justice. They might even dream
of spearheading a great united
front movement that would 81.
phon off the liberal elements
from both major political parties
and lead 10 an American labor
party.
In addition to all this, the new
forces in the Communist party
here feel that they can effectively
fight laws which have so strongly
hampered their lunctioning in
recent years. BY denying the ne.
cessity for violent revolution
they would be able to argue that
the Smith Act no longer applies
TO them. In cutting their ties
with Moscow, they free themsel-
YES from the disabilities OF the
Internal Security Act They prob
ably would also bypass the Com
munist Control Act OF 1854, al.
though few attempts have been
made TO enforce this hastily writ.
ten and doubtfully effective law
II all these hopes are realized
communists can again work open,
ly and freely, fearing neither leg
al sanction nor community os
tracism.
Are these hopes fsncifvl7 II
may well happen that the COM
rvnisfs may partially or even
fully realize their objective OF
freedom from prosecution On.