The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-25
WILD CHARGES
BEST HUGHES
AGENT COULD DO
Klieforth Couldn't Back
Claims with Facts
Continued from page y


the Idahoan arrived, he talked glib
ly about workers Party" and "Com-
munist Party" which he said were CO.
existent, tho the Communist party
officially went out of existence in
America nearly a year ago; the
Workers Party remaining as the sole
representative of the Third Interna-
tional.
Couldn't Explain Difference.
Later, when asked by Senator Pit
man, Klieforth could not explain the
difference between the Workers Par
ty and the Communist Party.
The senators let the loose talk
about the two parties go by, but
when Klieforth began to beat the
verbal tom-tom about the presence
in America of John Pepper, revolu-
tionary leader, who, he said, came
here March, 1928, and issued in
structions in the name of the Com
munist International the senators
asked him for proof.
Senator Pepper was particularly
anxious to get the documentary facts
about the Communist who shared his
name, and Lenroot, Swanson and Pit
man showed their interest bv asking
Klieforth to clinch his statements
with evidence.
He Gets Into Hole.
But the Department of State wit
ness realized that he had got into a
hole. He rummaged around his pa
pers with embarrassment, but with
out success, and finally said that he
would produce the proofs about Pep
per's status at some other time. SEN
ator Pepper sharply ordered him to
make good at once. Klieforth quit.
Klieforth quit on that tack but
rambled off on another tangent by
saying that 10 Americans attended
the sessions of the Fourth Congress
of the Communist international.
"Who were these Americans?" ask
ed Senator Swanson, checking the
flow of blather.
Klieforth didn't know but said he
could get them-later.
Only Momentarily Checked.
But the blather was only momen-
tarily checked and visitors to the
senate chambers had their ears as
sailed with a windy monologue
against the Young Workers move
ment. AS one of the visitors said,
Klieforth must seem very funny to
youngsters, or he wouldn't hate them
so.
Starting with the Young Commun-
list League convention at Bethel, Con-
-4aectieut,- 1922 he conjured up for
the committee the apparition Of a
Moscow organizer, who, he said, ac-
tually appeared before the conven-
ton. From there he went on to tell
how the "Young Worker" Of April,
1922. used scorching words against
the Young Mems Christian Asoscia-
tion, Young Mems Hebrew Associa-
ton, Boys Scouts and other institu-
tons catering to immaculate Adde'S
cence.
Failed to Respect Fourth"
In short, the young Worker"
said Mr.. Klieforth with an air of
righteous indignation, melted against
all authority, civil moral and relig-
ious and even failed in one article to
show the proper respect for the
Fourth Of July.
Lenin College, Chicago, and schools
in eleven other cities, came in for adj
verse comment.
Here Mr. Klieforth actually pro-
duced some leaflets and foreign lang
uage publications as evidence of the
fact that the foreign-languag Com
munist press was doing business.
RNVoh III l.I s.,-A IL
him if all these publications were not
going thru the mails with the per-
mission of the United States gov
eminent. Klieforth admitted that
they were.
No Substantiating Evidence.
Weakest of all Klieforth's sallies
was his assertion that Foster brought
$4,000 from Russia for the Trade
Union Educational League and later
got $4,000 more and again $50, 900
at Bridgmsn, Mich. This Mr..
Hughes witness, asked the commit
tee to believe because the state de-
partment believed the information
was reliable. Not a shred Of evil
dence was offered to substantiate
this baek-stairs, William J. Burns
rumor.
That Communists were active in
the mining fields Of West Virginia,
Klieforth said, the department be-
lieved from evidence seized in a raid
in Bleecker street, New York, but he
did not attempt to read the alleged
evidence. The Communist activity,
said Klieforth, consisted in melting
miners against the government.
Shocked at Reed's Speeek