The Northwest Times

National Education Plan Leader Cites Communist's Techniques And Tactics

By DR. GEORGE S. BENSON, extra reporting for Newsweek magazine, the Toledo Blade, Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Globe-Democrat and New York News.

DIRECTOR-NATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

Searcy, Arkansas

He also was correspondent for the Federated Press, which serves the Communist Daily Worker. He was an influential member of the American Newspaper Guild's Louisville chapter and said he had written articles, speeches and radio scripts for important CIO and AFL unions.

Testimony showed that Braden had been extremely active in the Progressive Party, whose top officials always disclaimed charges of communist control. In Louisville he prepared radio scripts, recruited and otherwise wielded wide influence in the party. He was also secretary-treasurer of the American Peace Crusade which has mobilized considerable strength for admission of Red China to the UN and for trade with Red China. Its slogan, designed to attract the support of trading people, is: "China Trade Would Mean Two Million New Jobs."

It would be reassuring to know that every American citizen has read and accepted the following recent statement by J. Edgar Hoover, FBI chief:

"From coast to coast hard-core Reds continue to use every available technique, ruse, and artifice to capture the minds and control the behavior of loyal Americans, and in a lamentable number of cases, they are successful in doing so."

Unfortunately every citizen hasn't read this statement. And no doubt many who read it could not accept it as truth because they do not understand the nature of communism, its tactics and techniques. That's why the exposure and conviction of Carl Braden, Louisville newspaperman, is of priceless educational value to the people of America. Braden was convicted of advocating sedition after being identified as a communist leader in Louisville by an FBI counterspy. The power and influence of a single communist—for capturing the minds and controlling the behavior of loyal Americans—is vividly shown in the facts brought out in Braden's trial in Louisville.

The biggest factor in Braden's power and influence in Louisville was the front of respectability he was able to present by being a staff member of the Louisville Courier-Journal. A second factor was his membership in Louisville's St. Stephens Episcopal Church whose rector, J. Edwin McKinney, testified in his defense just before he was identified as an influential communist of long standing. These two positions of respectability provided the base for the wielding of an astonishing mass of influence and power.

The prosecution brought out that Braden himself testified that in addition to being a copydesk "editor" on the big Louisville newspaper, from time to time he did freelance writing for communist fronts.

MANY WRITING TIES

Communists are constantly searching out vulnerable spots in the careers of public officials so they can blackmail them into doing out propaganda work advantageous to the communist world conspiracy.

The communists in these fronts lure thousands of non-communists into carrying out propaganda work at the bidding of the Red conspirators.

State's Attorney A. Scott Hamilton introduced evidence designed to show Braden's membership in a long list of alleged communist fronts, including the Civil Rights Congress, Committee for a Democratic Far Eastern Policy, Council on African Affairs, the National Lawyers Guild and National Council of American Soviet Friendship.

WELL OF POISON

He also was active in the Women's International Peace and Freedom, branded by witnesses as a Red front. This organization was shown to have been active in racial controversies. Its corresponding secretary was identified at Braden's trial as a communist. Prosecutor Hamilton produced almost a truck load of communist educational and propaganda literature seized in Braden's home, some charging germ warfare by the U.S., branding America the aggressor in Korea. This was distributed by Braden, the prosecutor said, where it was felt it would do the most good.

Perhaps the most significant piece of evidence was a letter from a cohort of Braden's telling of working on a campaign in behalf of "the 25 Un-A (Fifth Amendment) contempt cases, the Hollywood Ten (convicted communists)," and which asked Braden:

"We are trying and trying to figure out some way to put pressure on Vinson (Chief Justice Fred Vinson). What do you know about his political ties in Kentucky?"

(Fifth Amendment)

"RESPECTABILITY" VITAL

Yes, each communist in America is a powerful and influential force, undermining our nation's principles, shaping public opinion, creating destructive civil strife, usually unrecognized as a communist.