Show a Result Morality Breakdown Top World Problem k lIe Brak Bra Bra- s tors tor's s note note- Spruille pru assistant secre- secre a former formers and onetime amdor am- am Vr tate state oC Cuba and Colom Colom- std dor or to heads the thc New Newt r c heads i t Cit i-Cit City Anti Crime Anti Crime commit commit- t the accompanying n S arS art ar- ar tin nn Sir tr Braden sees more t r. r merelY the local or na na- s of condi condi- implications 1 i j f b brought aught to o light by b y the investigation j Je crime Spruille Braden l an New York City Crime Committee r YORK TORN NEA The Theirl Thet irl t single problem con con- humanity today is the thein a it cg g in in morality every- every but especially ally in govern govern- it is precisely this call rf d morality which is for communism gg es- es i and ind Russian expansionism p with aith th all the many other otheral t Hi al l ills that afflict us in itic tic as well as in world af- af ess ys our citizenry and in every one of those ga cern and who are charged galate UK late jw enforcement get back wilY and common honesty der efforts and struggles t ic sterile W We c will be at- at Ji g symptoms rather than pease se itself Stories of or Corruption hive ave watched the Senate Investigating Ia committee 7 j bit extract from witnesses J 1 stories of corruption in York City We plain citizens resented the arrogance and kence shown hown before this have Ibave been shocked to hear hearT T f 7 commissioner commissioner admit to toj j gig with gangsters and andling ling Agin in his office such loath loath- creatures as the called so-called lang tare have drawn the only im- im im ions that can be drawn these evil enl associations bed bethe be- be 3 d the hoodlums and high of- of j 3 JO of a great city We know trine Dine cannot exist on a maae maale ma- ma ale ae or on organized or syn- syn d ti bases unless there is isSing Sing jing rotten in city hall J. J on another aspect of theand the and corruption situation has Ms been been so so far as I know i e or no comment I refer I to its repercussions on our foreign foreign foreign for for- eign relations Irrespective of whether we want it or not the mantle of or world leadership rests on our shoulders On how well we wear it depend not merel merely the fate of these United States but of oC civilization civilization civilization civi civi- itself We Ve can only exercise that leadership successfully if we have self respect and are respected respected re re- re- re by and enjoy enjo the con confidence confidence i- i dence of other peoples I regret to say that W we have been losing that respect and confidence of other nations which we formerly held Swift and Sure Through the years I have been proud when repeatedly my foreign foreign foreign for for- eign friends have remarked Of course you have some crime and corruption in the United States but you keep it at a minimum because because because be be- I cause the punishment is swift I and sure In contrast to these statements of late years these same friends pointing to the revolting conditions conditions conditions condi condi- disclosed by the Senate Investigating Investigating Investigating In In- InI I committee and other investigations have commented sadly on our moral tion One of the outstanding statesmen statesmen states states- men of this hemisphere a former former former for for- mer ambassador and president of his country in effect told me only a few weeks ago Police Connivance Conni The scandalous connivance of the police disclosed by the Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn Brook Brook- lyn grand jury is known throughout through through- out Latin America It destroys your efforts to win the minds and hearts of oC our people I If C dis dishonesty dishonesty dis- dis I dis-I honesty among your officials continues you might as well forget forget for for- for I get about the Voice of oC America and other efforts to keep us on your side The m millions of oC dollars dollars dollars dol dol- lars you are arc spending for these purposes will go down the drain I unless you get back to your old system of integrity in public life The loss of moral prestige by bythe bythe bythe the United States and its repercussions repercussions repercussions reper reper- on others was vividly demonstrated last October when a report issued by an official of ofa a friendly government stated that the bankruptcy and corruption corruption corruption cor cor- existing in his country have an intimate relation to the American example of racketeering racketeer racketeer- ing ing Leads to Dictatorship One of the phenomena accompanying accompanying accompanying the breakdown in mor morality morality moral moral- lity l- l ity may be stated practically as asa asa a law of nature Just as dictatorships dictatorships dictatorships dictator dictator- ships almost always become corrupt corrupt corrupt cor cor- rupt so so conversely corruption often leads to dictatorship This happens because either the crooks and dishonest officials off off- I dais become dictators in order to continue stealing or there ISan is isan isan an armed revolution to throw i I them out In the latter case the I resultant chaos and exercise of oC force in turn lead to dictatorship This vicious circle has destroyed the Roman and other civilizations civilizations civilizations and could do the same to ours if we do not take prevent preventive preventive t tive measures In other words either we must out these mobsters mobster and their political partners or we will lose our way of life Joe Stalin if he had planned it that way could not find a speedier and surer way to defeat the democracies than by subsidizing subsidizing these gangsters and foul politicians Actually as I have seen in other countries how closely the gangsters and Communists work together I sometimes wonder if iC the Soviet is not at least in some measure inciting these vermin to defile our system of oC law and order But whether or n not t this be so so of one thing we can be sure The Costellos and the rest of this scum and still more the miserably corrupted law enforcement enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment officers are among the Kremlins Kremlin's best allies es Perhaps in a sense they are even more Inore dangerous than the spies convicted of stealing our atomic and m mil military i l i ita t a r y secrets After all by scientific ingenuity and hard work we can compensate compensate compensate sate for these thefts but the loss of morality in government will cause us to lose our self-respect self and the respect and confidence I of other peoples From such stich a catastrophe no I nation has ever recovered |