The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-04-20
Uhr Lrxtngtnu Anurrttarr
Fighting Communism
The John Birch Society Is Not The Answer

III CAICpl lOI u puUllSHCu lSt VI
council members, presumably a group
that serves as an advisory board. He
claims he doesn't want any publicity for
the Society yet one of his publications
urges members to use every means pos
sible to get the Socie.y's cause across.
Welch didn't sound like a man who
shms publicity last week when he told
an audience in Los Angeles that 1000
American Protestant ministers are Com
munists or Communist sympathiZers.
protestant ministers do not be-
come Communists, but Communists do
be nome Protestant minister's" he
said. There are about 10000 Minis
te~s. according to Welch. and only
1000 of them could be called "cOm-
symps' which he defines as a Com
munist or a ~sympathizer with Com
munist purposes.
Nobody is accusing the other 81 per
cent of anything except the ~gullibility and
apathy with which Americans as a whole
are afflicted" Welch was quoted as tell
ing the 5000 persons assembled in Shrine
Auditorium.
Welch is best known, for his attack
or Dwight D. Eisenhower, an attack he
undoubtedly would like to forget. In a book
which he wrote for private circulation
the founder of the John Birch Society
said:
"But my firm belief that, Dwight
Eisenhower is a dedicated, conscious
agent Of the Communist conspiracy is
based on an accumulation of detailed
evidence so extensive and so palpable
that it seems to me to put this con-
viction beyond any reasonable doubt"
Then he added, "In my opinion,
the chances are very strong that
Milton Eisenhower is actually Dwight
E%isenhower's superior boss within the
Communist Party. For one thing he
is obviously a great deal smarter"
Welch also contends that Presi-
dents Roosevelt, and Truman and Sec
rotary of State Dulles were "being
used by the Communists"
At S 1000 a throw WEIGH has a sweet
er racket than making candy, obviously.
Bnt what a pity that in this great
land we should have such termites gnaw-
ing at the heart of our government!
We would not in any way interfere with
the right of Welch or any of his followers
to have their opinions and tell the world
about them. Frankly, it seems the best
thing is to let them talk and write their
heads off. In fact, we should make GER
tain their activities, are reported to the
American people in full. Only by exposure
to the white light of publicity can their
cause get the attention it needs to be
completely and thoroughly d%iscredited.
This does not require a congressional in
vestigation unless they start advo-
eating the overthrow of our government.
]. Edgar Hoover has sounded a warn
in to the American people about those
citizens who contribute to arousing fear
and hysteria in the community at the
same time they profess to fight commu-
nism. He has suggested the average citi-
zen could best serve his country by letting
the legally constituted authorities curtail
and contain Communism.
Please read that warning printed else
where on this page.
This warning is timely and should be
needed.
The John Birch Society should heed it.
There is a need for more unity among
the conservatives in this country - but
the John Birch Society obviously is not
the answer
We Americans are a pretty gullible
people, as Birch said, but We are not
THAT GULLlBLE.