The attack is primarily agitational. Propaganda, although valuable, is a long-range softener, to be handled chiefly on an intellectual level by the educational department; agitation is immediate, inflammatory, conducive to acute discontent, the specialty of the field organizer. Lenin’s distinction is decisive. A propagandist, he says, to explain unemployment must talk about the capitalist nature of the crisis, the need for building a socialist society, etc. “‘Many ideas’” must be expounded, “so many indeed that they will be understood as a whole only by a (comparatively) few persons.” But the agitator, on the other hand, selects one well-known aspect of the problem, such as “the death from starvation of the family of an unemployed worker.” He will concentrate on imparting a single idea to the masses: why this family died. Or, in Lenin’s words, he will show “the senseless contradiction between the increase of wealth and increase of poverty.” Evoke discontent and revolt _now_. “Leave a more complete explanation ... to the propagandist.” Here is an example of how agitation works: The communists publish a story: John Doe has been arrested, the charge is murder. Of course it is a tragic event. Crime always brings sorrow. It reflects maladjustment in society and points up abuses that genuinely need correction. But the communists aren’t interested in John Doe. They do not try to discover the true facts in his case, study his background, or improve his condition. Here in the day’s news is a human tragedy that can be exploited for propaganda purposes. That is enough. The Party machinery springs into action, typical of thousands of mass-agitation campaigns. The communist press publicizes the case with pictures, an interview with the wrongdoer, stories about his family. It carries heart-rending and sentimental accounts, without regard to truth or the suffering of the victim of the crime or the sorrow of his loved ones. If the arrested person is a member of a minority group, or a veteran, the father of ten children, a union member or unemployed, the agitational appeal is broadened. “Union Member Framed on Murder Charge.” “Unemployed Veteran Railroaded to Jail.” “Father of 10 Arrested on False Charges.” Almost always the charge of “police brutality” is thrown in too. In a few days a decision must be made. Should the campaign continue? Maybe the case is quickly over, no special interest having been aroused. Or the “victim” himself announces that he’s been treated fairly and has no personal ill feelings. That’s the end. The Party drops it.