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W. CLEON SKOUSEN
JOHN
BIRCH
SOCIETY
A Secret Society?
I found that chapters of the John Birch Society were being built
in each city around people who had already been studying Commu
nism. These individuals then invited into the chapter the people who
were interested in staying informed. They pledged themselves to
work through their respective political parties to stop the advance of
Communism and Socialism in the United States.
They seemed neither secret nor exclusive. In fact, I noted they
were scouring the country for workers. One of their coordinators told
me, "We are looking for all the people who are ready to do something
besides just talk."
By the summer of 1960, the Society had attracted the attention
of other conservative groups. A few were critical because they said
the Birch people had rallied together most of the best informed and
hardest working patriots in many cities. I observed, however, that
members of the Society did not restrict their support to John Birch
groups but seemed anxious to help other conservative movements
succeed.
The first trickle of open publicity came from an article by Jack
Mabley with the Chicago American. He wrote a column on July 26,
1960, in which he attacked Robert Welch and the John Birch move
ment. However, I did not see any further public criticism of the
group until the Communist Party ordered the annihilation of the John
Birchers six months later.
The John Birchers Take On The Communist Party
as I read the first paragraph I knew the John Birch Society was in for
a real professional tar-brush treatment:
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LITHOGRAPHED IN U.S.A.
BY