sos the he ‘hiais gous deeper into America's past, Lawson has been ., - able. to: uncover the social and economic forces that motivated the people. and the movements of other daye, and be has found moh ose neglected truth. oo tone of the worst aspects of most of our’ histories isthe ae failure to personalize the past,* he. cContimed. ‘Our leaders are -. made too abstract--we don't learn enough about their different -  @¢enomie and cultural backgrounds. In my lectures and in my book I try te bring forward the actual, living variety of history." "fhe book of which he spoke so casually is an American history on which he hag been working for a long tine. "John Howard Lawson's ability to ‘bring forward the actual, living variety of history? 1s werhtee Site eae, have heard. his lectures at the Writers School in Hollywood, who ~~ have absorbed some of his enthusiasm, have delighted ‘in his ur, and have gone. away with a new understanding. "AS there is no room Large anough at the Workers School. to mmcdate the mmbers who are expected to register for this oourea, tha lectures on the Amarican Democratic fradition will be given st the Unitarian Clmrch, 2936 West Raghth Strest, « on a Fridey evenings beginning Hay 7 oe This. course by LAYSON began tay 17, 2513s havitig been - get back from ite original opening date of. April 30th. Informants attended ‘the fifth, seventh, and eighth of this series of lectures at tho, Unitarian - : WW 354460 of the tims. In this comection informant advised that he. reed part. FO Church. Confidential National Defense Inforaant LA-1357 attended the fifth lecture and this lecture was delivered by ALBERT MALTZ,° subject of UL whose talk was, "The Hegro in the Civil. War , ring thie lecture HALTZ dvalled on the bad conditions existing among ‘Negroes » and mistreatas ete. This informant advieed that B. H. JAMES g 310 North Kemnore, Hembor= ship Director of 584 Branch, Midtown Section, Los Angeles County Communist. Party, was in charge of ticket sales: of this mssting, and WAX SCHOEN, son of ELLA SCHOEN, who is a Communist, according to the informant, was in charge of literature sales. A regular’ Communist Party. Literature table was in evidences at the meeting. . On dune 18, 19h3, Confidential National, Defense Infermant LA~1358 advised that JOHN HOWARD LAYSGN was the speaker’, having been intro~ duced by EVA SHXFRAN. LAYSON's subject was the failure of the reconstruction period after the Civil War. He spoke on American History between 1875 fo and 1900, dwolling on the efforts of labor to unionize, ‘ths. fadlure of the . Negroes of that time to obtain the right to vote due to the: ‘white: ‘peopl Docld: 323368752 Page 10
& letter written by a ‘candidate advocating that the people, "shoot the Negro. down. in his tracks should he attempt to vote." Literature at this meeting was sold by MAX. SCHOEN « ; tm June"25, 1943, Special Agent DAVID A. MAG cuLLOCH attended the eighth end the last. class of this course at which JOHN HOWARD LAWSON was the speaker. The meeting lasted for one and one-half hours during which time LAVSON discussed the history of this country from the Spanieh- wo American war in' 1898, which, he stated was tho. start of the imperialistic trond of thie nation. He also discussed the inorease and popularity of the Socialist movement from 1900 to.1912, reflecting in the increasing popularity of EUGENE V. DEBS. He stated that out of the first world war cane the first and greatest. Democratic state, the Soviet Unions With the | dnerease in power, the imperialistic nations, the fifth column, ond the Fascists began a plan toward the destruction of the U.S.5.R. and United States even sent troops to Siberia, refusing to recognize ths. Soviet Union. ; He stated that the attack by Germany against Russian forces Juno 22, 19)1, was perfectly logical and that. the U.5.8.R. was the only state botween Germany and the ‘United States because of its great strength ag a Democratic rere Conterning ‘the race riots; the soot suit riots, ete., recently ecourring in Beaumont, Texas, Detroit; and Lea Angeles, he atated that they were not just. chance occurrences, ‘Bat were. plarined by the Fascist fifth column, and to lok upon thom om merély a social problem was to | mise the point.as the real reason was deeper than, that and that the only way it gould be. solved ‘would be the exposure of | she Axis agents active — in our midst. The entire: yepeech was in regard to the Paseist fifth - column at work in. the United States spreading race) hatred, discrimination, and red-baiting.. Not once ‘was the war with Japan mentioned. According - to Agent MAC CULLOGH, whose information is contained in a mesorandunfer the file dated Juno 26, 193, the entire meeting was pretty well sumed ‘up by an. unidentified lady who, on: leaving the hall, casually remarked, "HS said nothing: revolutionary whatever or new, but the manner he has of - : saying *hings ave one new faith ‘in. nis beliefs." ] ; Confidential Watdonal. Defense Informant LA~1357, who. also attended this mesting,s vised that there ‘wore approximately. sixty porgons present. and it: appeare to him to be the same crowd that he hag . seen at: other Conmuniet mestinge,' forum, etc. _ At the meeting on June 18th, Sonfidential National | pefense Informant. Li-1358 advised that there were approximately forty- five parsons presont.. Copies. of the reports of these informants, together with the ce ney obtained from the: pond ge of. Jane 16th and: ‘WW 54460 Docld: 32336752 Page i1
* Wl conduct inquiries about BILLIG BEL, in care of LILLIAN wkeL's TEA ROOM, 3h5 Bast Seventh Street, Long. Beach, California, (telephone = Long Beach 61,065). # W411 contact the appropriate officers of the W. Te GRANT COMPANY, $10 South Spring Streets to ascertain tho identity . and Communistic tendencies of H. A. BARTH. # WALL ascertain subject BIBERMAN's activities prior to his Leadership in the American Peace Mobilization through Confidential National Defense Informant 14-1138. 3 Ss Ysa? \, Se ' WW 54460 Docld: 323368752 Page 12