Route 1, Box 869 Albuquerque N.M.

Jan. 24, 1946

Collector of Internal Revenue
Albuquerque, N. M.

Dear Sir:

As a Christian Anarchist I am for the third time refusing to pay my income tax. As a Christian I do not believe in the wholesale murder known as war; as an Anarchist I do not believe in the retail murder known as the ordinary eye for an eye policy pursued by all governments - if not to the electric chair, at least in that direction.

The reasons for my stand, sent to you previously, my statement of refusal to register published in the May 1942 Catholic Worker, and an analysis of the lies and deceit by which we were brought into this war, as given in my other statements, have peen augmented by the disclosures in the Pearl Harbor Investigation of trickery on the part of Roosevelt and army and navy officials in provoking Japan to attack us in order to fulfil promises made by Roosevelt to Churchill to get us into the war. Fear of the prematre disclosure of the plans of these two war criminals caused the imprisonment of Tyler Kent, the official code clerk in the American Embassy in London.

The traditional "American Way of Life", the Four Freedoms and the Atlantic Charter used as window dressing for this war, has degenerated into the revengeful Morganthau plan of starvation for Germany, the giving in to the Stalinist dictatorship on vote power, rule in Baltic and Balkan countries, and the power to hamstring Macarthur's valiant effort in Japan. The deceit of rubbing off the "USA" on the munitions used to reestablish English, French and Dutch imperialism in the Far East is worthy of that product of Kansas City gangsterism now vainly trying to solve domestic and foreign problems by drifting and compromise.

But the crowning achievement of the "American Way of Death" is Atomic Bomb. Wealthy, arrogant, unrepentant, we shall soon reap what we have sown. Stealing the brightness of the Sun for devil worship; building new temples to Mammon and sending missionaries with the blood money of war bonds, our so-called Christian civilization is doomed to die. Perhaps then light and peace will endure only among those, such as the Hopi Indians, from whom we have stolen this country.

Sincerely,

Ammon A. Hennacy

Jan. 24, 1946

Dear Sir:

The reasons for my stand, sent to you previously, my statement of refusal to register published in the May 1942 Catholic Worker, and an analysis of the lies and deceit by which we were brought into this war, as given in my other statements, have peen augmented by the disclosures in the Pearl Harbor Investigation of trickery on the part of Roosevelt and army and navy officials in provoking Japan to attack us in order to fulfil promises made by Roosevelt to Churchill to get us into the war. Fear of the prematnre disclosure of the plans of these two war criminals caused the imprisonment of Tyler Kent, the official code clerk in the American Embassy in London.

But the crowning achievment of the "American Way of Death" is Atomic Bomb. Wealthy, arrogant, unrepentant, we shall soon reap what we have sown. Stealing the brightness of the Sun for devil worship; building new temples to Mammon and sending missionaries with the blood money of war bonds, our so-called Christian civilization is doomed to die. Perhaps then light and peace will endure only among those, such as the Hopi Indians, from whom we have stolen this country.

Sincerely,

Ammon A. Hennacy

R.1, Box 1000, Glendale, Arizona.

July 22, 1947.

Dear Claude:

Got your card from San Diego. Should have written but
did not do so; thought I might hear from you from Chicago. So now
am writing c/o CYO and hope you will get it.

I hope that you have the dropsy under control.

Anything new about your book? I sent the one I wrote:
"Unto the Least of These" to New Directions but have not had time
to hear from them; doubt if they will take it.

Talked to Fr. Burns the night before I left (July 4th.).
He asked about you. You can reach him in care of Msgr. Garcia. He has
a new church in the north of Albuquerque. Garcia also asked about
you. They did not know the Friar's address. Had several letters from
Dr. Light and some bundles of Communist papers.

Had an article on The Indians in the Catholic C.O.
Spring issue and will have one on non payment of taxes in the
Summer issue. Ludlow, the editor, says something more radical than
pacifism: that it might be that anti-Christ would occupy the throne
of St. Peter; and that the hierarchy are not Christians; they are
Pagans for they follow the golden mean of Aristotle rather than the
Golden Rule of Christ.

I guess an anarchist should never work for a rich man.
Gardner got tight as hell; wanted me to work every other Sunday for
nothing; meanwhile 9 couples had come and gone in a year and I
pinch hit in between.

I had planned to get a job in Winslow or Flagstaff
where I might visit the Hopi Indians but could not find work there.
Chester, my Hopi C.O. friend, met me at the bus in Winslow and we had
a visit for a day. He comes to Phoenix to work in the winter and I
will see him then.

Work at irrigating on a dairy farm; $6 a day of 10 hrs.
Wages are much higher here in all trades. Live 17 miles west of
Phoenix 3 miles this side of Luke Field.

Met some Russian Molokans-something like Doukhobors.
They keep the Jewish holidays and at these seasons all who are on
the outs have to make up. They do not go to war, buy bonds, vote, go
to court or accept jury service. Do not eat pork or use liquor or
tobacco. No divorce. Have very large families and are prosperous
farmers. The preacher is a farmer and is not paid; he hears confessions.

Hello to any of my friends you meet. Glad to hear from
you anytime.... Had an article on Christian Anarchism in THE ARK, an
anarchist acts magazine hand printed in Frisco. Kenneth Patchen, and
many better known persons than myself contributed.

COMMENTS

16

James Robinson

I am particularly interested in Calhoun's suggestion that the relation of left-wing pacifism to religion be discussed. I feel there is a great deal of irrational reaction against religion simply because of the smug ineffectiveness of many self-styled religious people. Yet those who react thus are usually impressed by movements like the Catholic Worker. Can we combine the spirit of the Catholic Worker with tight organization and discipline? If so, should not some kind of program, such as retreats with a day of silence and/or fasting, intermingled with speeches by a leader, be tried? Most modern religion is dead, but it is evident that the religious practices of the past were alive. Only by some such method can we protect ourselves from the disintegration always risked by a power-seeking group; and the program of the Call certainly indicates a search for power (as does any realistic left-wing movement).