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ee anaes ED nar meen m—___-= gu eee — ——— THE TECHNIQUES OF SOVIET PROPAGANDA § _—— \ a genes; SHB MENAGERIE OF COMMUNIST AUXILIARING ets Slee : Bolshevism has always been fond of underground activities. It has always attempted to spread ite influence by the use of ‘transmission belta”: individuals or organizations which would conceal their alle- giance. This phenomenon is repugnant to Westerners, who prefer to air political differences openly, based on professed ideas and declared allegiances. But it would be not only foolish, it would be disas- trous if free people choose to ignore secret allegiances because they find them repellant. The reality which must be faced is a Communist world as made by Moscow, rather than as we would prefer it to be. @ menagerie of Soviet propaganda auxiliaries includes an infinite number of species, having a wide variety of duties and utilizing s multiplicity of methods. The conventional hired agent stands at the lower end of the spectrum; at the other extreme 1s the prestigious friend who will act only after tactful entreaty, and then only according to the dictates of his conscience—a conscience which has, however been subtly conditioned.|. Between these two extremes may be found all gradations of crypto-Communista and fellow travelers, all to some extent circumscribed and bound by innumerable fetters ranging all the way from cupidity to sentiment, with variations involving ambi- tion, cowardice, snobbery, loyalty, professional interest, and a host of other motivations. Some spread hes about the virtues of the Soviet regime; others suppress the truth about its horrors. Some trumpet a Yes,” while others whisper a muted “but.” -: An excellent illustration of the havoc created by these undercover relays is provided by the case of President Edouard Benes, who | allowed them to circumvent him. When he realized how he had been duped, his country was enslaved, and he died of grief. Subsequent developments have indicated that sagacious crypto-Communist ad- visers were expertly planted in his entourage, who consistently pre- sented him with theses favorable to the Kremlin, and whom he accepted as arbiters of statecraft and morality. It should be noted that in free societies, in which reputation is achieved by the display of opinions, a type of “fashionable” phraseology and a “progressive” attitude may determine the olitical postures of the most responsible leaders. The same sort of “bright young men,” whose task it was to bewilder and mislead the pundi among the consultants of Presidents Edouard Herriot and Franklin D. Roosevelt. ; - _ - Obviously, all political parties seek to attract influential personalities, but the Communists have enormously expanded this method of ex- tending their influence through reflections from preadjusted mirrors, creating an entirely new phenomenon unique in both size and stealth. There is no known political party which, to attract prominent sympa- thizers, uses men who deny serving it. The Communist pseudoparty alone works behind such a mask. Disillusioned Communists have testified that on many occasions the party has requested members, during their early enthusiasm, to forgo a membership card to better serve Soviet propaganda efforts by their apparent ‘independence.” _ In considering the infinite variety of methods and procedures used by the counterfeit universe of Communist propaganda, it is dificult to 1 Bee statement of Harry Gold to the Internal Security Gubcommittes, “Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States,” pt. 68, p. 3814, nally | ts they ostensibly served, were also ©