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The John Birch Society THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY April 22, 1961 Letter from America The John Birch Society "Our Government has been the greatest single force supporting the Communist advance u title pretend­ ing to oppose that advance." - Robert Welch A NEW and different political lice Department has disclosed that of the Arizona Supreme Court, a ideology and approach is be­ this ultra-conservative society "was personal aide of General Douglas ing offered to the American people a matter of concern" to Attorney MacArther, a medical director of by the John Birch Society which General Robert F Kennedy. News­ the New England Mutual Life Insur­ includes among its tenets thy ter­ paper editorials and columns have ance Company and other.-;. The mination of all foreign aid, cam­ suddenly been filled with various organization claims 100,000 Ameri­ paign against the United Nations opinions on what to do and what cans as its members organized into and NATO (!), war on Cuba, end not to do with the Society. 100 chapters- in at least 34 .states of * desegregation, abolition of pro­ Birth of Birchism and the District of Columbia. gressive income tax, opposition to A recent disclosure in the New the fluoridation of local water Like most great earth-shaking York Times revealed another source supply, the impeachment of Chief movements, Birchism was horn of strength for Birchist ideas. Major Justice Earl Warren, the denuncia­ under humble circumstances that General Edwin A. Walker of the- tion of Eisenhower and his brother have added to the mystery and folk­ Twenty-fourth Infantry Division for their "membership of the Com­ lore gathering around the organiza­ stationed in West Germany is re­ munist underground" and a repeal tion. It is said to have been found­ ported to have established a special of all social and economic legisla­ ed after Mr Robert Welch, a candy office to conduct a '"pro-Blue" cam­ tion of the last 30 years. And this manufacturer from Massachusetts, paign along the Birch principles. rich, intriguing and diverse fare had delivered a two-day speech to Copies of "The Life of John Birch** could be had by joining the Society 11 men that were invited to hear by Robert H W Welch. Jr, are being that asks for an annual fee of 8 24 him in a parlour in Indianapolis on distributed. This indoctrination pro­ for men and $12 for women and no the 9th of December, 1958. The gramme is reported to have been in more than $100 for a life member­ speech has since become the mani­ progress for the last six months. ship for either sex. festo of the movement proclaiming that "the greatest enemy of man is, Undaunted by the Soviets man- With an idelogy that hovers on and always have been, government". in-spaee triumph, Robert Welch has a semi-lunatic fringe, the John It warns the American people that just returned from a week's tour of Birch Society has now openly de­ before long "they can no longer California. Again and again lie clared its strategy of communist resist the Communist conspiracy as repeated the McCarthy tune and witch hunt. Rut the tactics it is free citizens, but can resist the Com­ with baffling precision chimed to advocating have brought a glare munist tyranny only by themselves know that "3 percent of Protestant of controversial publicity it has becoming conspirators against Go­ ministers" and "2 percent of Fede­ never enjoyed since its beginning. vernment." ral employees are contsymps (com­ Robert Welch, the founder-leader munist sympathisers)." California, of the Society, in a recent inter­ The organization was named after which has long been a hot-house view with an Associated Press re­ the young fundamentalist Baptist for extremist ideas, sterns to have porter, which made the headlines, missionary from Georgia. He acted shown modest enthusiasm for Bir- accused former President Eisen­ as an intelligence officer in China chism. Several Birch libraries and hower of being a "dedicated, con­ during the World War II. The Speakers Forums have been, active scious agent of the Communist organization claims that he was kill­ on the West coast. conspiracy." Soon after, Congress- ed 10 days after the V-J day by the The Birch group has not confined men were made aware of the "Im­ Chinese Communists. He was 27 its attention and concern to the peach Warren" campaign by a years old. John Birch is now hailed growth of communism within the as "probably the first American flood of mail received from the country. Robert Welch documents casualty in that third world war be­ members and sympathisers of the his allegations of the Communist tween Communists and the ever Society, Some time ago the Chan­ conspiracy in the rest of the world shrinking free world which is still cellor of the University of Califor­ in his magazine American Opinion. nia spoke of a new organization being waged against us." On occasion the periodical has de that encourages students to become* The leaders and spokesmen of the voted the entire issue to "surveys'' informers and "take on the task of John Birch Society are far from in­ of Communist infiltration in 107 security agencies". conspicuous. The governing body countries of the world. For each Senator Eastland of the Senate comprises an array of personalities country Welch gives a percentage Internal Affairs sub-committee des­ that reveal the sources of strength score on the degree of red infiltra­ cribed the John Birch Society as a for rightist movement in the coun­ tion. To avoid embarrassment to ''patriotic organization" champion­ try. Twelve of the twenty-six mem­ the readers, the tables will not be ing the anti-communist cause. Sena­ bers of the council are listed in the reproduced here. Curious readers tor Jacob K Javits has corre forth Who's Who in America, which in­ will have to wait, perlnps in vain. calling for a Congressional investi­ clude former Presidents of the Na­ to obtain such invaluable data in gation of the Birch group which tional Association of Manufacturers, the ever-enlarging United Nations seeks to "undermine the very foun­ a retired Dean of the Notre Dame Statistical Year Books or World dations of the Republic," The Jus- Law School, a former chief-justice Almanacs! 651 April 22, 1961 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY .
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