Scouting, Volume 49, Number 1, January 1961 Page: 8
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Austria. I came to know a high-ranking Russian officer,
an extremely able man and a dedicated Communist.
We saw a great deal of each other, both on official busi-
ness and on an informal basis. I was convinced that we
were facing a new and better world, and he said that this
was largely his concept, too.
How they see us
In talking about the future, I would distill his philoso-
phy to something like this: First, you in the United
States boast about your freedom, but has it ever oc-
curred to you that this freedom can be divisive? You
attempt to solve everything by the ballot. But your peo-
ple do not know really how to use the ballot and they
never will; not all of your people exercise that privilege.
Then you have pressure groups who really make the de-
cisions. We in the Soviet Union appoint wise men for the
top positions, and they tell the people what to do. The
people may not always like this procedure, but, in the
end, it is the best thing for them.
Second, you exploit the working masses. You even
have a religion to help you achieve this objective—
a commandment that says, "Thou shalt not steal." Of
course, you want the reward to be deferred until they
get to heaven, which does not exist. What a clever way
to fool them. But this will not work either.
And his third premise. In order to have an effective
government you must start to indoctrinate the young-
sters at a very early age.
This officer and I parted in late 1945. He returned
to the Soviet Union and was assigned to the Ministry
of Defense, where he became the head of an agency re-
sponsible for the indoctrination of the young men of
the Armed Forces. Knowing him as I think I did, I am
sure that he did an effective job.
But his part was relatively easy because of the ground-
work that had been laid. Starting with a voluntary group
at the age of six, they move into another classification
at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen, those qualified
become members of the young Komsomol. The cream
of this crop move on into the Communist party.
The Soviet Union has a population now of 212 million
people. However, the number in the Communist party
is only about 8% million. The only reason it is not 87
million is that they do not want 87 million. Membership
in the party is the culmination of a long period of train-
ing, and only the dedicated ones are admitted. This, in
effect, is a reward for long-and-faithful service and for
those who are willing to make new sacrifices.
This fanatically dedicated group, with the backing
of a population that has been trained to support it from
childhood, represents a formidable strength. It is that,
whether one thinks of a hot war—and I believe we are
going to be able to avoid that—or whether one thinks
of an ideological conflict. We are undergoing such a
struggle now, and there is every probability that it will
be existing throughout the lives of the youngest Cub
Scouts today.
At stake is the method of running a society. Ours is a
concept of individual responsibility, where the govern-
ment derives its authority from the individual. The Com-
munist system is based on the fact that the government is
supreme—that man does not have a sovereign soul—and
that the individual is subject wholeheartedly to the orders
of the government.
Material or spiritual?
The Communists have many secrets, but one thing not
a secret is their basic philosophy that the essential ele-
ment of life is material; the spiritual aspect is secondary.
Of course, this is not our doctrine, but in a society
where material gains are increasing there is a tendency
for us to become soft. One of the things that has dis-
tressed me, as I have visited various areas of the world,
is to find people is other countries saying:
Really, there is not so much to choose between the
avowed materialism of the Communists and the material
concept which you Americans appear to be adopting in
an unconscious way."
I do not agree with that conclusion, but I think that
it points up one of our problems. As to the solution, one
can only comment in a general way. First of all, we must
widen our horizons so that we will understand more
about other peoples—their cultures and their civiliza-
tions—than ever before in our history. This is primarily
a task in the educational field, and our schools will have
to take the lead. But we, as adults, have a great respon-
sibility, also, and our increase of knowledge must also
start at the top and move downward.
I also feel that we must continue to develop a high
dedication of service. That is the reason why I was
so glad to become associated with the American Red
Cross, a voluntary organization. Just as with the Boy
Scouts, it depends on the contribution of time and effort
by the volunteers. We—all of us—must do everything
we can to develop a high degree of civic responsibility
and to increase community interest.
I think we are making considerable progress. As I
review my own life, I am sure that the young people in
their teens today are far better educated on affairs of
the world that I was at the same age. I had no particular
(Continued on page 25)
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 49, Number 1, January 1961, periodical, January 1961; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth331718/m1/10/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.