The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-26
SENATORS VII |
HEAR ARGUMENTS
OF PRO-RUSSIANS
Klieforth Loses When
Borah Spurns Secrecy
By LAURENCE TODD
,staa Correspondent Of the Federated Pr,

BY LAURENCE TODD
tstea Correspondent Of the Federated Press)
WASHINGTON-Lieutenant Klie-
forth, recent anti-Russian propa-
| ganda writer and lecturer for the
National Civic Federation, now
assistant chief Of eastern European
affairs in the state department,
wound up the presentation of docu-
mentary evidence" for Hughes be-
fore the senate committee investi-
eating Russian-American relations.
Evan Young. his chief, made an
urgent suggestion that Chairman
Borah permit the Offering Of some
more evidence in secret. This secret
stuff, Young said, was highly inn
portant.
Borah ignored his offer, and hear
ings were adjourned for a few days
to await the arrival of the first of
the witnesses in favor of friendly
relations with the Russian workers
republic.
To newspaper men Borah said that
he would not have any secret discus
sion Of evidence with the state de-
partment. Experience in the past
had taught many senator's that the
department simply shut their mouths
while it permitted its own version of
the "secret" information to leak out
to the press.
If the department has anything OF
Importance, bearing on this subject,
let it come into THE open with the
facts. SO that they may be fairly
tested.
Observation-Disclosures into the
record long series of extracts from
reports, programs and speeches by
Communist organizations and lead
ers, purporting to show that the
Communist Party of America wss
organized under directions from the
Third international and that the
! Workers party is the legal organiza-
ton masking an illegal and terribly
revolutionary secret Communist par
| ty, made up the second days work
of the department of justice before
the Borah subcommittee on Rus
sian-American relations.
Lieutenant Klieforth, formerly en-
gagged in the Siberian expedition,
and now on the staff of the depart
ment, presented these documents, be-
ginning with the history of the So
cialist movement in this country and
tracing it thru the various factional
struggles of 1912, 1916, 1917, and
1919, to show how the Communist
party grew out of the radical ele-
ment in the Socialist movement.
He admitted, in answer to Borah's
questions, that this radical move
ment, and party split came lszg be-
fore the Russian revolution, but he
asserted that its program of vio-
lence was given to it by the Moscow
leadership Of the Third international.
Borah reminded him that at least
twenty years ago, in the Occur d.
Alene riots, there was seized guam
tity of literature advocating violent
revolution in this country.
When the hearing adjourned for
the day, the state department had
almost smothered its own argument
in the mass of quotations offered,
in the attempt to prove that the
Communists in Russia are danger
Gus to the peace Of mind Of the gov
eminent and capitalist system of the
United States, and indeed Of the
whole world outside the Union OF
Soviet Republics.
Samuel Gompers, Bert Clarke Of
Searles fred peril" fame, and VIM.
J. Burns and J. E. Hoover, direc-
tor Of "red raids" remained in the
hearing room as on the first day.
VIM. English Walling, anti-Russian
expert for Gompers, was likewise in
attendance.
Federated Press Answers Charge
1.-THE Federated Press has neither
been bombed nor captured by the
COMMUNISTS" declared Carl Haess-
Ter, managing editor of this CO.
operative daily labor news service,
in reply to a statement made before
Senator Borah's committee on Rus
sian-Amerscan relations by Lieute-
nant Klieforth, a state department
agent.
| OerS IS elected Dy LABOR eultOFo III
annual meeting. Seven of the nine
board members belong to the A. F.
of L. The eighth is secretary-treas-
urer of the Amalgamated Clothing
Workers and the ninth is editor Of
the official journal Of the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Engineers. Six
of the nine edit the official organs
of their international unions or Of
A. F. Of L. city and state central
bodies. The Communists are repre-
sented on the board, of course, as
are the other wings of the labor
movement, but the Communists are
in a small minority. Neither the
managing editor nor the business
manager have any party affiliations.
Both are members Of old and power
full A. +. Of L. unions"
German Conference in Detroit
The Detroit branch Of the Friends
of Soviet Russia will hold a confer
anco for tho German relief action