STAMP OUT THIS RED MENACE! ¹




It is with an ever increasing uneasiness that we have watched, from the very beginning, the steadily increasing influence of Communism, not only in our own country, England, but more so on the Continent of Europe with which our own fate is so closely related.

Political reasons make it necessary for us to remain anonymous.
Officially the Soviet Government is an ally and a friendly ally
We, who have at last and after long hesitation decided tob draft and publish this appeal, are mostly "intellectuals" whose names are well known throughout the British Empire.

It is our intention with this pamphlet to point out, in very simpe language, the dangers of a situation of the political and military situation in which we find ourselves at the beginning of the year 1945.

We began this war not, as it is sometimes stated, to guarantee Poland's frontiers, but to stem the tidal wave of dectruction and tyranny tha thre tuned to overrun the whole of Europe and sweep our civilisation and all we worked and foufht for from the face of the earth.
The Poland incident was only the last milestone, in the series of rapidly cases of international political blackmail ,-the milestone when at last France and we decidednot to blackmailed any longer and fight it out.

We have fought it out. We have made immense sacrifices. Our national wealth has for the greater part, gone down the drain. Our economic ties and fina cial relations with the different parts of our Empire have been severely weakene d. Very important sections of our overseas trade and commerce, sections that were and are absolutely vital for our national life have been lost. It is to be doubted if we can ever recover these important markets once they have been taken over by for inst nce, the United States.

These same United States do now have the greatest marchant marine in the world... while ours is tied upmin war transport and is compelled to let control of the world's merchant snipping slip out of its hands.

All these sacrifices, that are far greater than the U.S.A. have ever made, we shouldgladly have made if we had the sturdy conviction that by making them we secured for our country a secure postion in the world and a firm ans lasting peace, - the firm and lasting peace we her so much about -, in which we can recover from the wounds sustained.

But this, we fear, has never been a more vague future illusion.

The case as we see it, and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, as it is, according to our firm conviction is, that we have beaten down one form of dictatorship with one hand.... all the while nursing another kind along into prosperity.

We have been trying to find any essential differences in the politi cal philosophy and Communism... and we have failed.

But regard the individual as a ninentity, - a mere cipher in the machine ry of State, to be crushed or used up as the State desires.

It is bad enough that for ye rs we h ve been pouring out our material with right ² into the hands of an "ally" who may be our eternal foe to morrow. Or by ³ right of his political creed and doctrine, IS our foe to day.

It is sheer idocy to let Communist agit tion fester in the army and navy.... to tolerate Cimmunist pamphlets that preach sabotage, strikes and advise every kind of obstruction that impairs the Allied war effort.

"These are the orders from Moscow" it says in thede pamphlets. "Germany has been defeated already. The Red Army is moving in for the kill... Mowcow has no further use for string Western armies. Sabotage! Strike!

Something must be done and done quickly. To tolerate this agitation... to sanction rwitings that are the most vile treachery of the brave men on the front... to go on ignoring this smouldering menace that may burst and will burst out into devouring fire the moment the chances aregood is sheer madness.
It is sekf suicide for us and the continent of Europe to go on tolerating this. We shall have our hands more than full when Germany shall be defeated and we shall have to bear the competition of two such gigantic powers and the USA and Soviet Russia.

Only a level head and political hardness can save us. Let us, for heavens sake and for the sake of our Empire and children, burn out this nest of Red pestilence in the liberated territories and in our own country and ranks.

STAMP OUT THIS RED MENACE!

[1]	Ongedateerd pamflet (of tekst voor de Radio-Gil?) van W.H.M. van den Hout, in het NIOD-archief opgenomen onder nummer "19b"; het stuk dateert in elk geval uit begin 1945.

[2]	Omdat de bovenhoekjes van het document zijn afgebroken, zijn twee woorden onleesbaar; ik geloof dat er staat "with right".

[3]	Omdat het linker bovenhoekje van het document is afgebroken, zijn ook hier twee woorden onleesbaar; ik geloof dat er staat "Or by".