The Phoenix Jewish news., 1961-03-10
Witch Hunt. Junior Size

Arizona has Communist menace wed be very
much surprised to learn that there halfdozen full
fledged blown-inthe-bottle Communists in the whole
state And if there be fairly sure that each
one is being watched by at least half-dozen FBI men,
Nevertheless Phoenix of late has been going through
what only be described witch hunt. Little
matter that real Communists can't be found The Com
munst-hunters will find all they need in the mental
health movement among teachers preachers and people
who carelessly let drop the evil word, progressive
What makes the whole thing really rather weird is
that the witch hunt is strictly local phenomenon The
rest of the country to have its pretty well
under control Even Tucson is tranquil obviously not
realizing what pack of subversves turks within its
mental health mOvement).
What started it? We aren't really sure. We suspect
of the main is the local press and its quaint
custom of equating everything doesn't like with Com
munism and Socialism
Then on top of all this came Operation Abolition ,
film produced by the House Un-American Activities
Committee about the San Francisco city hall rumpus
The film is stew made up of about equal portions
of haf-truths, plainout lies, slick innuendo and ad
mittedy some truth. (There were some Commies at
the San Francisco riot but they didn't foment the pro-
test brainwash the students, and there egt
mate grievance against the House UnAmerican Activ
ties Committee)
True false in between however number of prints
of Operation Abolition" acquired by local ct
They then set about with impressive zeal to
to it that everybody in Phoenix except possibly babes
in arms, viewed Operation Abolition" Organization
after organization showed it at meetings. Members of
the Arizona Civil Liberties Union made bold to
suggest that Operation Abolition wasn't entirely
curate and that just possibly the whole thing was in
tended to nmidate and silence anybody who criticized
the Un-American Activities Committee.
Finally, with the stage thus set and the community
running nice high fever there arrived the that
theological medicine show that called itself the Greater
Phoenix School of Anti-Communism. Manned by
functionaries of the Christian Communism Crusade
(Jews can't be anti Communist it here follow
ing similar one-week stand in San Diego And for
week, with thousands of jtery citizens packing the
hall tat up to $40 throw and the local press serving
No. barker outside the main tent the Anti Com
munsm Crusade went at full tilt We were warned by
frenetic coup of orators down the pike
to look out for Communists in the schools in the unions
IN the mental health movement among minister's teach
erS college professors and mionaires. In short we
got the full treatment. And when the week over
half the town regarding the other half with
pcon He didn't attend the school, did he? D'ya sup
pose he's Communst?") The anti-Communists had
in short, accomplished just what the Communists would
have done given the chance They had generated fear
and strife and conflict caused neighbor to suspect
neghbor and generally raised hell with what had been
a pretty decent town.
And with it all came Outburst of predctabe legis-
aton on the part of legislature fortutousy in session
at the time. bill to outlaw the Communist party and
permit search of your home for books papers what
not that might be evidence of subversion bill to
require a loyalty oath both scooted through the
House without dissent and, this is written, are
pending in the Senate.
The sad part of it all is that great many naive in
nocent and uniformed people have really been conned
into thinking that they're surrounded by Communists
and Armageddon is at hand. When should be strong
and united to fight very real Communist on
the world scene dissipate strength and energy
looking for Communists under beds
Well, In time Phoenix will probably through it's
silly If nothing else summer will be on us short
ly. And you know how summers in Arizona People
are just too hot and bothered to get hot and bothered
Anyway, what Communist in his right mind would
hang around Phoenix in July and August?