Mass agitation is most effective in capturing the support of noncommunists. By securing even the temporary allegiance of an individual, as in a testimonial, the Party gains. In this way communist propaganda enters the orbit of that individual’s personal influence. “Why,” a friend will say after reading the testimonial, “if So-and-So endorses that organization [or issue], it must be OK.” The dupe becomes a communist thought-control relay station. That’s why communists are always eager to secure the support of doctors, clergymen, teachers, and other persons highly respected in their communities. The more widely known the person, the better. Circulating petitions is another favorite communist technique for capturing noncommunist support. A young woman stands on the sidewalk. A housewife, carrying a package, comes out of the grocery store. “Pardon me,” the young woman says, approaching her. “Wouldn’t you like to help a young man win his freedom?” The appeal is attractive. The housewife stops. “We have a petition to the governor asking for the release of John Doe. He’s sentenced to die....” The housewife looks at the petition. It contains nothing communist. There is no hammer or sickle or mention of Russia. It is just a statement that we the undersigned believe that John Doe should be released. “You can help a lot by signing....” She signs and so do thousands of others. Party teams are everywhere, on street corners, at factory gates, in bus terminals. Sign here, please. Won’t you send a telegram or write a letter? Here’s a sample all fixed up. Just sign it. Would you like a leaflet? Won’t you call the governor’s office? Come to our rally tonight. Write a letter to the newspaper. Is your club meeting soon? Have it pass a resolution. Your pastor can help. Have him call a protest meeting. The pressure is tabulated in thousands of letters, resolutions, and telegrams, ten, a hundred times the number of all Party members in the United States. Agitation campaigns are of all types, local, state, and national: —dealing with the high cost of living; —against a rise in transit fares; —opposing a bill in Congress or a state legislature; —protesting the showing of a “Fascist” movie; —urging amnesty for convicted Smith Act “victims”; —demanding “peace”; “repeal the draft”; “more aid to schools”; —protesting the arrival in town of some celebrity not liked by the Party. Campaigns involving court cases as a general rule provide the most sustained agitation. These can be divided into various _exploitation stages_. 1. _The arrest stage_: the “victim” has been illegally arrested. The charges are “trumped up.” 2. _The trial stage_: “false evidence” is being used, the jury is “packed,” a fair trial is “impossible.”