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| 52. COMMUNISM MS TEE HJHIC opinion' But tne coincidence in phrasing between the Communist Line and the manifesto, the known presence of Communists and fellow travelers in the group, the fact that such a joiner and fronter as Dr. Harold Urey is a spokesman for the group, and tire utter naivete of the proppsal that we give our most fearsome military secret to the Soviet Union —— the one Ally which did not share military secrets with us —— that all this should represent independent political conviction in a group which is known for its retirement from public civic controversies, would be indeed be difficult to accept* In ' this connection, it is important to distinguish between groups, however naive, who use the atomic bomb as an argument for the formation of a world government; and those who advocate release of the weapon to the existing United Nations Organization, which in essence means to the Soviet Union, the only major power which does not share the secret. There is no evidence that Communists intend to remain in the peacetime army in large numbers. They would like to control military government and 'the orientation courses, but otherwise their concern is with civilian affairs* At this first this would appear'to conflict with Communist theory, as present- ed in House Report 839, in 1945, but the present Communist Policy is to promote a small army and to speed the return of the Veterans, so tint the Soviet Union will have a free hand in Europe and Asia, Such a program was logical from the Communist viewpoint, although surprisingly it was not reveal-' ed until October 19, 1945, in the Daily Worker, Once the/reteran has returned, there will be major efforts by the Communist to capture Him. Already they have formed a United Nations Veterans' Victory Conference, which attended the 46th national encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chicago, and on October 3rd demanded that atomic energy be placed under international control. The WW rejected their plea. Now the Communists oppose military Communism and the Liberals. The problem of Communism and the liberals is difficult and highly controversial, It would not be an easy task even to construct a definition of the term "liberal," and it is still more of a problem to single out the characteristics whicn make some liberals to be consistent fellov/ travelers and others to be dupes and fronters. Perhaps the basic characteristic of the liberal is broadmindedness. It was ance remarked that many a liberal would consider the day well spent when he had lunch with an Archbishop and-dinner with an outstanding and militant atheist. .The American liberal — the term is used differently in Europe and in the Papal encyclicals — normally believes in complete freedom of speech and thought, Any kind of restraint is abhorrent to him. As a second char- acteristic, he is normally a fighter for justice, particularly economic and social justice for the underprivileged. He champions the weak and the defense- less* Philosophically he holds that man develops best in an atmosphere of complete freedom —• academic, personal, and economic. "~hile this viewpoint would conflict with some encyclicals fif Pope Leo XIII, particularly that "On Human Liberty", yet in the socioeconomic sphere these same liberals would advocate programs which could easily be reconciled with the social encyclicals of Popes Leo XIII, Pius XI, and Pius XII. Because of this, they frequently travel in the same circles as those frequented by American Catholics who endeavor to. promote these same encyclicals. These Catholics are naturally more sympathetic towards this liberal element that they are towards conserva- tive groups who are indifferent or opposed in regard to social reform and |