Background
In Nanking in 1911, Dr. Sun Yat-sen became the first president of the Chinese Republic. During the inaugural ceremonies, he profoundly thanked General Homer Lea, whose Chinese army had contributed largely to the democratic victory. The sickly, half-blind young hunchback from California then delivered a brief but prophetic speech, in which he stated, “You Chinese are now free from the tyrannical yoke of the Manchus. ... It is an unfortunate truism that peace is but a fleeting respite between wars. ... I therefore charge you not to rest upon the laurels of your victory and thus blindly permit your greatest enemy to destroy you. . . . You will face many enemies from without, but you will face your worst enemy from within your own borders and ranks. ... I refer to those insidious scourges of mankind, public ignorance, indifference and apathy which—acting singly or collectively—have always bred that moral corruption that precedes the destruction of great nations.”
On that occasion, one of Lea’s listeners was a young army officer named Chiang Kai-shek. One surmises that the Generalissimo, who led China to victory during World War II, may recall those words of wisdom as he gazes westward from Formosa today. He well knows how the Chinese citizenry, apathetic toward his repeated warnings against Communism, permitted their great nation to sink to the lowly status of a vassal people’s republic of the Soviet Union.
Homer Lea’s field prowess was not his foremost achievement. He was truly a global strategist and, like Leonardo da Vinci, his prescience transcended and confused his contemporaries. Neither a necromancer nor a devotee of astrology, his brilliant mind completely surmounted his physical deformities. No Delphic oracle, no twentieth century Nostradamus, Lea was completely self- trained in the principles of war and the inexact science of international politics.
His mastery of these subjects was proved not only by battlefield application, but by his predictions of future events. When his two noteworthy books were published—The Valor of Ignorance in 1909, and The Day of the Saxon in 1912—public reaction was violent. He was castigated by isolationist and pacifist organizations throughout the United States and Great Britain as a sabre-rattling warmonger and a rabble-rousing chauvinist.
But the board of directors of America’s Army & Navy National Defense Union were voluble in their praise for this realistic appraisal of America’s indifference and apathy toward preparedness. General Adna R. Chaffee, a former Chief of Staff of the United States Army, wrote the introduction for The Valor of Ignorance. General Chaffee had personally witnessed Lea’s tatterdemalion but victorious Chinese army in action against the Boxers. Hence his great respect for the proved abilities and talents of “the American Lafayette of Nationalist China.”
Said General Chaffee: “We do not know of any work in military literature published in the United States more deserving the attentions of men who study the history of the U. S. and the science of war than this, The Valor of Ignorance. And, as the government of the United States is ‘of the people, for the people, and by the people,’ it is quite in order to invite citizens who control in military matters of the nation, as they do in other important national affairs, to ‘know thyself.’ . . . The popular belief in our country that money is the controlling factor in war needs to be materially shocked and greatly modified.”
Penned in 1909, the general’s statement is today far more apropos than it was then. One daily hears strident boasts to the effect that as the wealthiest nation on earth, we are capable of out-producing any potential aggressor.
In the United States, The Valor of Ignorance was accorded a low order of popularity by the civilian population. Regrettably, during periods of peace and prosperity, the subject of national preparedness ceases to interest the people. But in other nations the book was read very carefully. Research indicates that Lenin was overjoyed when he perused Lea’s statements relative to America’s ingenuous attitude toward national defense. Doubtless in his disingenuous mind he reasoned that such a naive citizenry would greatly facilitate the termitic tactics of his Communist Party.
In 1912, death ended Homer Lea’s plans for a third somber warning to the democracies. Having so unerringly predicted World Wars I and II, he devoted his last days to the compilation of notes for a book which he entitled The Swarming of the Slav. As Lea saw it, World War III would be the greatest and last war the United States and Great Britain would ever fight—their war against Russia.
It is neither the intent nor purpose of this paper to eulogize Homer Lea. Rather, he is mentioned symbolically, as a clarion voice strongly advocating America’s total preparedness. Today, more than ever before, we need such a symbol!
The Situation
Why are Homer Lea’s predictions of vital significance today? Because throughout his brief span of life he sedulously preached preparedness to us—total preparedness which we must have to insure our national survival. Because his soundest logic was that in peace, and not in war, is the time to judge the worth of a man’s or a nation’s patriotism. When, in peace, men postpone their patriotic activities, their procrastination is only indicative of their worthlessness.
Otherwise stated, Lea firmly believed that in peacetime the responsibility for preparedness should most emphatically not rest solely upon the shoulders of the military. During periods of peace, every loyal citizen of these United States should strive to ensure preparedness. Furthermore, such patriotic effort should not be construed as an onus, but as a privilege.
Americans today are abysmally ignorant of the basic facts concerning the U.S.S.R. and world Communism. Such an appalling condition must be rectified, now. The trenchant observation that facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored is highly relevant. The very fact that we sacrificed many of our hard-won victories of World War II only serves to stress our national ignorance of the U.S.S.R. and Communism. The fact that we have apprehended “experts” who have betrayed us is small consolation, for no such individuals could ever function if the American public were awakened to the true and sordid facts concerning Communism.
Baldly stated, thermonuclear weapons, delivered by guided missile, submarine, and plane, have utterly removed from us the advantage of time. Whenever the enemy is ready to strike, there will be insufficient time for further preparedness measures. Hence the belief and conclusion that our citizens must learn all possible facts concerning the force that poses an immediate threat to our democratic way of life. It is the solemn duty of every loyal American to arm himself with all pertinent information relative to any force that menaces our nation.
Education today is designed to develop the ability to increase one’s income. The Sybaritic “make money and have fun” is in vogue. Why waste time learning about that force that one day may attack and destroy us? History has provided us with myriad morbid instances wherein great civilizations were destroyed by such evasion. Nevertheless, our people persist in nurturing that most negative of attitudes because of the ignorance born of apathy. The most honorable quality of mankind, called patriotism, the prime motivating factor in the growth of our great nation, is considered to be of insignificant value.
One may imagine Sam Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and all our founding fathers pointing admonitory and accusatory fingers at us while inquiring: “What are you doing to protect that heritage for which we fought?” One feels constrained to conjure such a picture whenever he listens to the oft-voiced statement of one of our own contemporaries: “Communism? The H-bomb? But there is nothing I can do about them.” Having made such a statement, our perfervid citizen feels smugly satisfied. He has fully justified his apathetic attitude—he hadn’t really desired to be of service, anyway.
Immediately subsequent to the commencement of future hostilities, patriotism would not be found wanting. But why not imbue our citizens with the desire to perform a service to our country before the opening salvo? Knowledge of the facts might not preclude World War III, but it could and would insure the interdiction of the covert phase, already in progress. It is this thought that has impelled the writer to formulate the proposal now presented.
The Proposal
It is proposed that millions of Americans be taught the salient facts about the U.S.S.R. and world Communism. The program envisaged would encompass alt loyal American citizens, from 14 to 80. Students would include university professors, farmers, bankers, housewives, mechanics, clergymen, high school and college students, members of the armed forces, union leaders and members, doctors, and men and women of all other walks of life. Never in the history of our nation has any student body included such a diversity of backgrounds. And this student gathering, unlike most educational groups, would possess one great common bond that would transcend such factors as monetary, cultural, or educational differences. The university professor and the mechanic seated next to him would regard one another with mutual respect, for each would know that he was in a class comprised of patriotic volunteers. They could well be classified as modern Minute Men.
Does the idea seem fanciful? Were not such commonplace realities as radio, television, and jet aircraft until recently considered as belonging to the realm of fantasy? When our forefathers first voiced their thoughts relative to the formation of these United States, were they not ridiculed as addled visionaries? Our Union was formed and attained its present greatness because of visionaries who thought ahead while keeping their feet firmly anchored to the deck. By virtue of its greatness, our nation is now imperiled. Why? Because all wars, hot and cold, when academic jargon has been eliminated, are wars of property. The acquisition and control of all property on this planet constitute the fundamental aims of the Communist Party.
How could the proposed program, involving the teaching of one subject to millions of Americans, be implemented? The task is far from impossible. In round numbers, in the United States today there are 1,100 senior colleges and universities, 525 junior colleges, and more than 200 teachers’ colleges and normal schools. These are in addition to the countless high schools that could and should be utilized for the proposed classes. The vast potentialities of television and radio should also be exploited. What better media are there to insure the mass reception of the proposed lectures?
President Eisenhower laid the cornerstone for a better America when, on 11 April 1953, he created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. This organization should represent the keystone of the present proposal, whose purpose is to make America better and stronger by acquainting our citizenry with the facts concerning world Communism.
No president in our history has ever attempted to educate Americans during peacetime relative to an immediate threat to our national survival. Presidential support of this recommended program would constitute one of the most patriotic peacetime preparedness measures ever effected. By his support of the program, the President could free us from our ignorance of the present menace to our national existence.
Help is available in abundance. Our great veterans’ organizations, which have been fighting Communism for many years, could aid the proposal by appealing to all veterans to take the voluntary course. They could act in concert with our great civic organizations, including the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs. Beyond question the clergy— they who are free to preach the Word of God regardless of denomination—would enlist the active support of their congregations in our struggle to prevent any godless dictatorship from enslaving our nation.
The proposed course would comprise a series of one-hour lectures, one lecture or class each week. If interest warranted, the frequency of lectures could readily be increased. Or, if delivered via television, there should be two half-hour lectures per week. Such a course could be completed in five or six months. Attendance would be, of course, on a purely voluntary basis. The citizens of every town, city, or hamlet taking this course could take inordinate pride in the knowledge that they would be making a positive contribution to freedom for the entire world.
The following description of the proposed course should be construed solely as an initial point of departure. Therefore, this framework or nucleus should be considered neither as absolute nor in final form. The complete plans should be held in abeyance until there is a meeting of the minds of those cognizant of policy formation and coordination.
THE U.S.S.R. AND WORLD COMMUNISM
A Series of Lectures for all Americans on the U.S.S.R., the Meaning of World Communism, and now Loyal Americans Can Actively Fight Communism
This prospectus covers the lecture subjects included in the course, seriatim. Planned as an inductive survey, the course comprises five main divisions. Each division is broken down into appropriate sections. The complete course material obviously cannot be set forth herein. Extracts, with appropriate comments, follow. Since the course constitutes an indictment of Communism, these comments will be, in the main, in the form of specifications.
FIRST DIVISION—GEOGRAPHY
Section 1: National and Racial Minorities of the U.S.S.R.
Significance of the designation Union of Soviet Socialist Republics—Soviet concept of “ethnic democracy”—federative principle of the U.S.S.R.—names and locations of the sixteen constituent republics with their capitals and principal cities—description of autonomous republics and regions—population of the U.S.S.R. and its ethnic divisions —diversity of languages spoken in the U.S.S.R.—main ethnic groups, i.e., Slavs (including Great Russians, Ukrainians, and Byelorussians), Turco-Tatars, Japhetic peoples, Finno-Ugrians, et al.
Section 2: Physical Features of the U.S.S.R.
Physical geography—geology—glaciation —hydrography—rivers and river systems— canals—lakes and inland seas—climate and precipitation—soil—flora and fauna—division of terrain into five zones, i.e., tundra, forest (including Ural and Siberian taiga), the steppe, semidesert and desert regions, and the subtropic zone—intensive survey of natural resources.
SECOND DIVISION—POLITICAL SCIENCE
Section 1: History of Russia and the U.S.S.R.
From the emergence of Russia as a state to the present.
Section 2: Conduct of Foreign Relations by the U.S.S.R.
Chronology thereof—thirty-eight years of intrigue, duplicity, subversion, and conquests of democratic nations.
Section 3: Government and Politics of the U.S.S.R.
Survey of the Communist Party, the real government of the U.S.S.R. Description of the Soviet Constitution of 1936, which is perhaps the world’s most liberal constitution—but it never has been and never will be placed in operation.
Explain that the November (1917) Revolution was definitely not a people’s revolution, but a conspiratorial, bloody overthrow of the first approach to democratic government in Russia’s history. This Russian democracy reflected the desires of the Russian citizenry, and had functioned for eight months. Russian democracy was brutally murdered in the November Counter-Revolution staged by the Bolsheviks (now the Communist Party) led by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin. This counter-revolution was spearheaded by only 18% of the urban workers of Russia, aided by a detachment of Lettish expert riflemen. Lenin well knew that the Russians regarded Bolshevism with disfavor—hence, his employment of foreign troops.
Immediately subsequent to the Bolshevik coup, the circumspect Russian populace, wary of Lenin’s lies, voted. Of 36 million votes cast, 27 million were against Lenin’s Communism. Of the 707 deputies chosen, only 175 were Bolsheviks. It was then that Lenin moved fast to crush Russian democracy utterly. On January 18, 1918, when the elected deputies attempted to enter the Tauride Palace where the Constituent Assembly was to have met, Lenin ordered his Lettish mercenaries to open fire. This Constituent Assembly was the freely elected democratic parliament of Russia. Russian democracy died in a bath of blood. Soon thereafter, Lenin’s Latvians entrained for Moscow, where they again supported hated Bolshevism with their bullets. It may be said that a civil war against Communism commenced on January 18, 1918 and has continued to the present day.
Lenin’s peace treaty, signed at Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918 to consolidate his power, forced the Allies to fight Germany alone for nearly nine months.
On March 1, 1921, more than 18,000 Red Navy officers and men stationed at the Kronstadt naval base, on Kotlin Island near Leningrad, became so disillusioned with Communism that they demanded new democratic elections by secret ballot. These men had all been loyal Communists and they had militantly supported Lenin throughout his lying campaign, during which his slogan had been “Peace, Bread, and Land.” But they could no longer stomach the Communist tyranny Lenin had created. They were exterminated to the last man during this phase of the unceasing Russian civil war against Communism.
Immediately subsequent to the Kronstadt uprising, Lenin implemented his New Economic Policy. The NEP was a desperate expedient to combat active hatred of the Communist regime. It constituted a return to “odious” capitalism. The majority of Communists do not know these facts, so rigidly have they been suppressed by the Party.
The Communist purges and liquidations of the period 1934-1939, initiated by the assassination of Communist Party leader Sergei Kirov, were definitely not conducted for the extermination of Nazi sympathizers and collaborators. This blood bath resulted from an internecine war for power during which one-fifth of the Party members were killed. In addition, these purges provided the opportunity to bolster the sagging economic situation by the commitment of more than 20 million Russians, who openly hated the Communist regime, to the slave labor camps of Siberia. Andrei Vishinsky, as chief prosecutor for the Party, personally signed the death warrants and commitment papers for his fellow Russians. Here was another incident in the Russian people’s continuous civil war against Communism. And the placatory gesture this time was the 1936 Constitution, which gathers dust in a Kremlin vault.
When World War II involved the Soviet Union, the Communists’ statement that “We are not fighting for Communism, but for the security of our homeland, Mother Russia” prevented a general revolt against the regime. And during the war another clever concession was made to Russia’s fighting men—so long as they fight to preserve our power, let them have their religion, was the consensus of Politburo opinion. The Communist anti-religious museums were closed for the duration, and the churches opened.
Section 4: Jurisprudence in the U.S.S.R.
The following is quoted from the 1940 edition of AGENCIES OF LAW IN THE U.S.S.R., by Andrei Y. Vishinsky: “Soviet /Communist law is a combination of the rules of behavior, established in the form of statutes by the workers’ government, reflecting their will. ... In their application, these laws are enforced by the entire coercive power of the state for the purpose of completely and for all time destroying capitalism and its relics in economic life, social life, and in the consciousness of mankind; for the purpose of building a world-wide Communist society and state.” The astounding fact is that this tome of Vishinsky’s is readily available in our libraries, yet one daily hears the opinion that peaceful coexistence with Communism is possible. Coexistence may lead to appeasement, which is defeat! Does one co-exist with murderers or cobras?
The rule of stare decisis, i.e., to stand by previous judicial decisions, does not apply in the U.S.S.R. Furthermore, one is automatically assumed guilty until proved otherwise. Finally, jurisprudence as mal-practiced in the U.S.S.R. assures the continued stability of that frustum upon which the Communist Party stands, and without which it would topple economically, slave labor.
Section 5: Czarist and Soviet Relations with the United States
The usurper Catherine II (called “Great”), a true predecessor of Lenin who had her husband murdered to insure her regency, refused to honor the credentials of our first diplomatic envoy, Francis Dana. When Dana arrived at St. Petersburg in 1781 with his young secretary, John Quincy Adams, Catherine decreed that no democratic upstart should ever be accorded recognition on Russian soil. We achieved recognition by Russia 28 years later, some time after Catherine had passed away.
Our first period of tension developed soon thereafter, incident to Russia’s militant leadership in the attempts of the “Unholy Alliance” to crush South American independence. In 1824, even as today, democracy was anathema to Russian dictatorship. Concurrent with this grave threat to the newly formed democracies of Latin America, an even closer menace to our security threatened. This was manifest in Russia’s attempted seizure and colonization of the Pacific northwest. President Monroe’s Doctrine, backed up by the British Navy, effectively checked these imperialistic aims at latitude 54°40'. Today, curiously, the vitriolic dross emanating from Radio Moscow unremittingly accuses the democracies of “imperialistic designs.”
When our Continental Navy was disbanded, our renowned John Paul Jones was “on the beach.” Thomas Jefferson suggested to Jones that he accept Catherine’s proffered commission as Rear Admiral commanding the Black Sea fleet, to help promote better understanding between Russia and the United States. Jones won an outstanding victory for Russia but, having an eye for attractive women only, refused to bow to the “boudoir ukases” of this haggish dictator. Unrewarded for his victory and insulted by Catherine’s trumped up charges against him, our foremost naval hero died soon after his ill-starred Russian experience. The pattern of duplicity has not changed through the years.
One of our gravest mistakes was our diplomatic recognition of the U.S.S.R. in 1933. We must not give aid and comfort to the enemy by recognizing other Communist- controlled nations, for this would constitute the compounding of our original error.
Section 6: Russia in World War I and the November Counter-Revolution
The Communist myth that the November Revolution was fought against czarist “capitalistic imperialism” should be exploded. Russian democracy, born during wartime strife and turmoil, represented the heartfelt desire of the Russian citizenry. Lenin’s coup was the death blow to the progress for which millions of Russians had striven.
Section 7: The U.S.S.R. in World War II
Billions of dollars’ worth of lend-lease money and materiel, plus American lives lost while effecting delivery of our materiel to the U.S.S.R., insured a Communist victory.
The territorial gains that accrued to the U.S.S.R. because of her nefarious activities throughout the war were enormous. They include acquisition of the Karelo-Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republics, plus southern Sakhalin Island and the Kuriles.
Millions of Russians preferred even Hitler to the Communist slave state. In fact, Red Army General Vlassov deserted to the Germans with an entire Russian army. But for an incredibly stupid policy on the part of the Nazis, Communism and the Soviet government could have been destroyed. Destruction could and would have been effected by a popular uprising of the Russian citizenry, including the Red Army.
To insure a Poland devoid of leadership and thus guarantee an easy Communist conquest, the Communists murdered 15,000 Polish army officers. Although the U.S.S.R. has frantically attempted to place the guilt on the Nazis, unassailable evidence by thousands of post-war Red Army defectors, including many who were participants, places the guilt for the grisly Katyn Forest Massacre squarely on Joseph Stalin and his henchmen.
Had we let Hitler and Stalin tear one another to pieces, giving no aid to the U.S.S.R., Communism would doubtless have been liquidated by reason of internal revolt and outside pressure. Hence, because of Nazi brutality and our own naivete during World War II, two opportunities for the total annihilation of Communism were lost.
THIRD DIVISION-SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE U.S.S.R.
Section 1: The Economic System of the U.S.S.R.
He who does not work shall not eat, is Communist law. The Communist economic system is based solidly on slave labor. One of the primary duties of the MVD is the continual procurement of an adequate supply of slave labor, for the insurance of production norms. On the other hand, the Soviet “emancipation of women” actually means that they are eligible for the performance of hard labor. Most of the back-breaking labor in the U.S.S.R., from street cleaning to bricklaying, is performed by women.
This section should conclude with a survey of the five-year plans, various Gosplans, etc., and a description of Communist economic warfare against the democracies.
Section 2: Brief Survey of State-Controlled Banking and Finance in the U.S.S.R.
Section 3: The Agricultural Situation in the U.S.S.R. and Its Satellites
More than 12 million Russian peasants were killed for having resisted the collectivization of their personal farms. During the famine of 1932-1933, rather than give up their hard won farms, livestock, and farm implements to the Communist bosses, these farmers killed their animals and destroyed their crops. All farm implements are now owned and controlled by Machine Tractor Stations as a Party control measure to prohibit further agrarian uprisings.
Section 4: Industrial Development in the U.S.S.R.
This section should begin with a description of the huge industrial kombinats and Stakhanovite methods of speeding up production. It should be pointed out that producers’ goods, including arms and munitions, account for more than 90% of the total production of the U.S.S.R. Workers are informed that consumers’ goods will be more readily available when capitalism has been completely destroyed throughout the world.
Section 5: Communications in the U.S.S.R.
This survey should include railways, highways, waterways, airways, radio, and television. To show their importance, this statement may be quoted from the WORKS of Vladimir Lenin: “Penetration and control of a nation’s communication facilities by Party workers, thereby insuring paralyzation of these communications, represents the prime factor involved in ultimate Communist control of that nation.”
Section 6: Survey of Social Institutions in the U.S.S.R., Including Health and Medicine, the Educational System, and Christianity in Czarist Russia and under the Communist Party
The educational system presently in effect in the U.S.S.R. is excellent. Science instruction proceeds from the lowest grades. In the elementary schools, all Russian children must devote a third of their class time to the study of pre-sciences. Before leaving elementary school, the child has an excellent beginner’s knowledge of algebra, geometry, natural science, introductory physics, and elementary chemistry. In their equivalent of college-preparatory secondary education, all Russian students, regardless of their eventual specialization, must spend 40% of their time in the sciences, with mathematics heavily stressed. Meanwhile, an alarmingly high percentage of our high school students are taking watered-down general science courses rather than the more difficult, but more useful, chemistry or physics. A high percentage of Russian students are presently studying English.
Communism is the most powerful, most jealous, most fanatic religion in the world today. It knows no bounds of race, class, or nationality. Its adherents exceed 800 million. Hence it is not merely Russian nationalism on the warpath.
Section 7: Survey of the Armed Forces of the U.S.S.R. and Its Satellites
The Red Army, although the world’s largest array of military manpower, has experienced the largest number of defections in modern armies. If MVD members were not a part of every unit down to squad level, there would be a further inordinate increase of such defections.
In the recent words of General Nathan F. Twining, U. S. Air Force Chief of Staff, “The Soviet Air Force is by far the biggest air force in the world. In numbers of combat planes it far exceeds the U. S. Air Force. In fact, the Red Air Force has thousands more planes than the U. S. Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army combined.” But, like the Red Army, it has its defection problems.
The Red Navy is second only to the U. S. Navy in tonnage and naval air force. It is furiously building up its cruiser, destroyer, and submarine strength. It presently has nearly 400 submarines—more than Hitler had at the end of 1942, when the Battle of the Atlantic was at its height. The latest submarines are equipped for the launching of guided missiles with atomic warheads, which can be launched at least 200 miles from our shores. Popular fancy generally considers only plane delivery of the A- or H- bomb, but, in keeping with long established Communist preference for clandestine operations, submarine delivery is quite likely. And it would constitute the complete outflanking of our billion dollar radar screen. Meanwhile, the Party line pleads for wholesale disarmament—to be implemented by the democracies only, of course.
FOURTH DIVISION—HUMANITIES AND SCIENCE IN THE U.S.S.R.
Section 1: Philosophical Thought: Basic Ideas of Communism
The following topics should be stressed: the significance of dialectical materialism and its connotation of “change,” by recourse to which a fanatical Communist explains everything; the influence of Georg W. H. Hegel; his philosophy as interpreted by the Communist Party; and the influence of the works of Marx and Engels as “tailored” by the Party. There is a paucity of evidence indicating that the Communist state is “withering away.”
Stress should be placed on the major role played by economic factors. The student should be reminded that he who owns two cows is considered a “bourgeois capitalist” and is therefore a potential enemy of the Communist regime.
Section 2: The Russian Language
The importance attached to the learning of Russian by Americans must be made clear, because of urgent requirements for qualified Russian interpreters and translators in government and business. The number of Americans presently studying Russian is appallingly small.
Our universities’ Russian language methodology needs a complete overhaul. Too many of our Russian majors emerge from college glibly reciting the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov but possessing no practical working vocabulary. Important courses in scientific Russian degenerate into grammar reviews, all too often, with little or no emphasis placed on the student’s acquisition of a working technical vocabulary. On the other hand, fewer than 230 of our 1,100 senior colleges and universities offer courses in the Russian language. The writer and two others (both Air Force officers) comprised a class in one of our largest western universities.
Americans may be justly proud of their U. S. Military and Naval Academies. At Annapolis, 100 midshipmen of the class of 1954 completed the prescribed Russian course. At West Point, the number of cadets studying Russian was almost as large. Russian is an elective at our service academies, with their difficult scientific curricula. These young men could have assured their graduation, without risk of language failure, by taking one of the much easier Romance languages. Fortunately, however, they chose Russian, and their vocabularies equip them for fighting Communism, or for diplomatic colloquies with non-Communist Russians.
We do not desire, nor can we tolerate, any repetition of the confusion rampant during World War II incident to our desperate efforts to qualify personnel in foreign languages with great speed. One simply does not become proficient in the speaking of a difficult language rapidly—despite film strips, wire recorders, and allied electronic crutches.
Section 3: The Monumental Stature of Pre-Communist Russian Literature as Contrasted with Communist Writings since 1917
This section should begin with a survey of the Russian literary giants, notably those of the nineteenth century. The greatest of all Russian writers, Fedor Dostoevski, is no longer even mentioned in the Soviet Union College Anthology of Russian Literature. Small wonder! Dostoevski fought for the dignity of mankind, not the Communist mockery thereof.
By contrast, Communist literature since 1917 could aptly be described as trash, or worse. Every Communist writer is a parroting purveyor of the perfidious Party line, or he neither writes nor eats. Every scrap of paper printed in the U.S.S.R. is carefully edited by the Party. This is the Party’s insurance that every article and book carries the latest Party line. It is true, however, that many of the scientific texts published in the U.S.S.R. are excellent.
Section 4: Survey of Music and Composers of Czarist Russia and the U.S.S.R.
This section must be very brief, since this is not a watered-down course in Russian civilization and culture. The Russian majors in our universities today are taking such courses in profusion, unfortunately. They are graduated extolling the virtues of hoary Russian folk tales and fairy tales as well as Russian ballet, drama, and music. This is exactly the degree of knowledge of contemporary Russia that the Communist regime wants American youth to possess—absolutely zero, in most instances. By thus neglecting to give our students the true facts of Communism, many misguided educators have actually contributed to the Communist cause.
Section 5: Russian Science and Scientific Accomplishments under the Soviet Regime
The myth that the U.S.S.R. has very few capable scientists must be destroyed. Communists desire that we believe this, of course. But the truth is that the U.S.S.R. has excellent scientists, and many of them, and they enjoy very high pay and numerous privileges in their “classless” society. The majority are Russians—not Germans, as is also popularly believed. The regrettable admission must be made, further, that the tasks of present day Communist scientists have been appreciably lightened because of the machinations of some of our American Communists and their dupes.
In a technological society such as ours, trained brains are the basic fuel. Until recently, trained American brains led the world of technology. But we are rapidly losing our lead to the Russians. In June 1954, Russia’s output of graduate engineers exceeded the number of American engineers graduated by a ratio of 2 5 to 1. Russia’s engineering force is now close to the U. S. total of about 500,000. They are steadily overtaking us in this vital field. And their many engineering colleges demand at least five years of concentrated study for a professional degree.
Scientific manpower experts of our National Research Council first blamed our colleges for this deplorable trend. Later, the fault was found to exist in our high school system. Too many of our high school students, as noted above, are taking general science courses rather than full courses in chemistry and physics. Add to these facts our teacher shortage, and the outlook is indeed bleak. While 7,500 men and women were accredited this year to teach physical education in our high schools, only 260 were accredited to teach the vastly more important subjects of physics. When biceps commence to take precedence over brains, we are headed for trouble.
FIFTH DIVISION—HOW AMERICANS CAN FIGHT COMMUNISM
Section 1: Recognition of Communist Front Organizations in the United States
The predominant and resounding theme of the current Communist Party line is peace. Hence, any democracy that attempts to protect itself from the Communist threat is immediately denounced as a tool of the “imperialistic capitalist warmongers,” meaning the world’s greatest stronghold of freedom, the United States. In their attempts to disarm us, the Communists emphasize heavily their peaceful aims. For peace is quite definitely a Communist device for conquest. The same, of course, applies to disarmament.
Whenever Communists, their dupes, and their fellow travelers speak of peace, they mean what we define as war in the full sense of the meaning of the term—that is, the conquest of nations and peoples. Communists call war peace because the accumulation of territory by the universal Communist state is achieved by what to them constitutes voluntary action. To members of the Communist Party, voluntary action means that Communist agents, having penetrated the government, educational system, and labor organizations of a country, have gained sufficient power through united fronts—which are almost invariably peace, world government, or labor fronts—to produce what they like to call a people’s republic. Hence these people’s republics are devices of conquest. Every such people’s republic has become a Communist controlled satellite.
We Americans in 1945, unwitting dupes of the militant Communist peace front, effectively emasculated our armed forces in conformity with Communist plans. Our government leaders, swamped with myriad summonses to get our boys home and out of uniform, were practically forced to order the military to demobilize precipitately.
Our supine policy of Communist containment, implemented in 1947, in no manner contained Communism. Czechoslovakia and China became submerged under Communist control while this academic and impotent policy of appeasement was enjoying questionable popularity.
Millions of dollars’ worth of Soviet gold is supplied to Communist agents in our country for the purchase of narcotics with which to destroy the moral fiber of our youth. Undermining our youth ranks high on the Communist agenda to effect the moral disintegration of our armed forces from within.
We must not accede to Communist desires and plans by recognizing the People’s Republic of Red China, or any other satellite government. We must not under any circumstances permit commercialism to weaken our morality. Recognition can lead to appeasement, which is defeat. Like the Russian citizenry, millions of Chinese now behind the “Bamboo Curtain” hate Communism. Let us not nullify our signal psychological victory in Korea, where 75% of our Red Chinese prisoners of war freely elected not to return to Red China. Hundreds of Chinese daily depart from Red China to find refuge in democratic Hong Kong.
Recognition would thus defeat democracy by what would effectively constitute our condemnation of millions to continued slavery. Recognition would serve to annihilate the largest fifth column the world has ever known —our fifth column, comprising those millions whose fervent desire is to be liberated from Communist enslavement.
Since 1933, when we committed a great error by recognizing the U.S.S.R., spies and other subversive agents have successfully suborned and subverted thousands of our weaker people. Communist penetration has reached into our highest government agencies. To compound this error would constitute our defeat. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, although it is our finest internal security organization, cannot alone win our present and future war against Communism in the United States. Like the military, it does not possess sufficient personnel to cope with the situation effectively. It must be actively aided by all loyal Americans. Knowing one’s enemy and his modus operandi is the prime requisite necessary to insure the defeat of that enemy. We urgently require an FBI Reserve Force composed of Americans who know the sordid facts about Communism.
The very existence of a Communist Party, in any country and regardless of its minuscule proportions, automatically means that peace fronts, labor fronts, and disarmament fronts will be organized and, unfortunately, supported in the main by those who are ignorant of the true facts behind the front facade. Hence a people’s republic can be created without a single shot having been fired. Rigged ballots have often proved infinitely more dangerous to freedom than rugged bombs.
In Italy’s 1953 elections, 35.3% of the votes went to the Communist Party. Compare this to the 38% polled by the Communists in free Czechoslovakia just prior to the 1948 Communist coup. The Marx-Lenin Institute stresses that a nation’s ignorance and apathy always combine to insure a Communist victory. That such a diabolical pattern has enjoyed a phenomenal degree of success is readily verified by statistics. In excess of 800 million people are presently under Communist control. It could happen here.
This heretofore successful pattern of conquest must be interdicted—now! Public indifference has contributed to its success in large measure. Its efficacy can be effectively nullified by a public armed with the true facts.
Section 2: Putting the Necessary Materials into the Hands of the Students
The first four divisions of the proposed course contain the necessary background material. The fifth division, the most important, should consume at least one-third of the course’s allotted time. It has been indicated that this course could be completed in five or six months. Logistical support through our universities and high schools is feasible. Moral support from our president, veterans’ organizations, civic groups, and the clergy has been envisaged. Television, an ideal medium for the transmission of the course lectures, has been suggested and recommended.
Under logistics, one additional item of major importance is required. Employing the foregoing material as a base, the requisite course material should be incorporated into a treatise entitled Handbook on the U.S.S.R. and World Communism. No such text, worthy of the title, is presently available. This Handbook is needed primarily to insure unity of thought and manner of presentation among the instructors. It should serve as a reference text for students and instructors alike.
Under the sponsorship of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a Committee on Recommendations should be formed, for the express purpose of compiling and editing the Handbook. This Committee should comprise outstanding specialists in the fields of Russian geography, history, government, economics, science, armed forces, political warfare, psychological warfare, propaganda, and paramilitary operations. The man who presides over this Committee should speak Russian fluently, be thoroughly familiar with the whole Russian/ Communist picture, and have fought Communism actively. He must definitely not be an ivory-tower pedagogical type who has basked too long in the adulation of starry- eyed students. He must be a global thinker, strategist, and realist, for the success or failure of the entire program lies in the choice of this man.
Perhaps the greatest need for the Handbook is to acquaint Americans with the Communist “Book.” This gelid tome, required reading for all hard-core Communists, sports the deceptively innocuous title, A Short History of the Communist Party. Extracts from it should be embodied in the proposed Handbook. For example, “Capitalism must be utterly destroyed to insure a Communist- dominated world,” and “Friendship with any non-Communist nation is manifestly impossible.”
The writer has spoken with more than a dozen university professors of political science and international relations about the threat posed by Communism. Not one had read this revealing statement of Communist plans for world conquest. This serves to explain why so many of our world affairs experts continue to preach peaceful coexistence. Permitting the chips to fall where they may, the fundamental purpose of the recommended Handbook is to awaken our “experts” to the facts of life—the stark facts of global Communism.
Conclusions
During the twenties and thirties, when because of our indifference we did nothing to stop Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, and the Communists, as always our undermanned and underpaid regular armed forces guarded America. Another group of patriotic citizens, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, dedicated one night a week, throughout the year, to military drill and instruction. During the summers, the majority of this group went on active duty for periods of two or more weeks. These summer training periods often constituted a member’s vacation time. In addition, many thousands included in this group completed correspondence courses in order to increase their military knowledge further. Perhaps five per cent of this large group received pay for the drills they attended. It should be noted that these men were voluntarily learning a second job or profession. These men comprised the reserve components of our regular armed forces.
When Pearl Harbor and the Philippines were attacked, most of these reservists were on active duty in the field and aboard ships of the fleet. Many were killed during the first day of war at Pearl Harbor, or soon after on Bataan. Many, captured in the Philippines, were prisoners of war for four years. Throughout World War II, hundreds of these reservists commanded ships of the Navy and Army field units. One, a lieutenant general, commanded an air force.
In 1945, most of the survivors of this tremendous volunteer group did not elect to receive discharges or resign their commissions. They returned to their civilian jobs, but chose to remain in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard reserves. In view of their five or six years of absence from their homes and positions, readjustment to civilian life often proved difficult.
They had a five year interval of peaceful living, during which they performed their weekly drills and training duties. When the Communist fire broke out in Korea, many of these reservists were immediately recalled to active duty. Again the disruption of home life and the departure from their primary jobs and professions—again the concentration on their second job or profession, the military, and after Korea they returned home once more to pick up the pieces. Many heard, for the second time, “We’re sorry, but we simply had to replace you.”
What is their attitude today? Despite participation in two wars, did these men who had never seen a draft board become disillusioned and decide that the next time they would wait and be drafted? No! The vast majority are again in civilian jobs, and are still devoting one night a week to military drill and instruction, maintaining themselves in readiness for the next fire, whenever and wherever it may break out.
Is it therefore asking too much of the American citizenry to devote one evening a week for only about six months to help fight the enemy that threatens our way of life? It is axiomatic that military personnel fight best when assured that their rear area or home front is protected. The home front today has become a front within the full military meaning of the word. When next the fire alarm sounds, the regular and reserve components of the military will as usual be called on to fight the enemy from without. Our citizens must volunteer en masse to fight the enemy from within.
Regardless of the severity of a thermonuclear attack on our country, many millions will survive unscathed. Whether these survivors, as an untrained mob weakened by a defeatist complex, will suffer defeat at the hands of a disciplined Communist fifth column or, thanks to their knowledge of the enemy, rise and annihilate that enemy is the decision that American citizens can and must make, now. Plainly stated, knowledge of the facts pertaining to the enemy presently operating within our country must be gained by all our people. Our national survival is at stake. As Homer Lea so effectively stated in 1909, “To free a nation- from error is to enlighten the individual, and only to the degree that the individual will be receptive of truth can a nation be free from that vanity which ends with national ruin.”