◆ SpookStack

REACTION'S PAWN the split of the American liberals, master-minded by a few astute man- ipulators, marks the “longest , stride forward by fascist imperialism in the United States. By a single stroke, the border-line liberals — the unconvinced, the frightened, the politically ambitious and the vested-interest liberals — have been detached and set at odds against the all-out advocates of democracy, world cooperation and freedom from fear of war. Unless the consequences of the split can be averted by such well meaning, sisled individuals as Mrs. Eleanor-Roosevelt half-heartedly involved in the split through the calculating influence of politi-_ cally ambitious intimates — this blow against the anti-fascist ranks will pro— bably have disastrous results, Despite the recent success which crowned the efforts of the country's cartelists to unify the fascist groups. they were aware that reaction could, in the end, be put to flight by a united and aroused liberal majority. When united liberal action appeared to be imminent through the merger of the National Citi- zens PAC and the-Todependent Citizens Committes of the Arts, Sciences and Profes- ‘sions into the new-Ptogressive Citizens of America (PCA), reaction struck sav— agely to split the liberal ranks. ‘The fascist group had a catalytic agency ready to function. That agency was an astonishing collection of border-line liberals who had marched by devious ‘paths into a violently anti-Russian political line. This line is skill~ fully fixed and planted by a small group which determines the editorial policies. of a.New York weekly publication called THEYNEW LEADER. Although fairly obscure, ‘it apparently is now well financed. This sudden properity, reflected in the paper's makeup, i8 a new phase of its existence, It is a phase which has closely paralteled an increasing inclination among fascist publications to quote from THE NEW LEADER. To comprehend fully why reaction chose THE NEW LEADER to split the liberal movement, it is necessary to understand the origins of the publication. At one time, it had a background which was not "respectable." It was laborite and socialist. Mildly anti-Tory, it found favor among professional liberals like Lopis: Waldman, “labor lawyer," whose principal activity of late years has been to “expose” Labor; and like the AFL leader, Matthew-Woll, who combines a private insurance business with fronting for right-wing labor unions. With such a “laborite" background, THE NEW LEADER makes the perfect authority with which to frighten people away from a popular front against fascisa. Tad Iyer we@ 1 Dancy eidale aunted te ank Today, the columns of THE NE® LEADER are widely Quoted 16 snaancs the Rg. scare. Occasionally it echoes the pro-fascist sentiments of William Randolph }rneais., which are thereby purified by association with THE NEW LEADER's carefully preserved "pro-labor" reputation. THE NEW LEADER now even makes the pages of the READER'S DIGEST, thus lending a special odor of sanctity to the war-with-Russia campaign, The members of the staff of the American Embassy in Moscow avidly read “THE NEW LEADER and regard its columns as authoritative sources of information on Russis. + t better proof of the State Department's utter "liberalisz” with { reear rd to the ite hm elections than ta choose Liston Oak, managing aditor of THE _ NER LEADER, as an official observer of the recent elections? In this _Way THE NEW “LEADER {3 now being used officially to sanctify international red-baiting. and- to promote friction in Europe. It explains why the cbsgcure NEW LEADER. and its numerous ramifications among the vested-interest liberals, was chosen as the catalytic agency for the coup which reaction considered essential. These ramifications extend into right-wing 100 -PAOT -/Fhp .-T- —. ——- ae ——— . Se eee