Evening star., 1935-01-14
COREY IS KISSED
FOR RED DEFENSE
Town Hall Meeting Ends in
Condemnation of
Speaker.

Lewis Corey, author and econo-
mist, advanced an argument for
Communism and defended it amidst
Misses and boos at the town hall
meeting In the Shoreham Hotel last
night.
So far to the left did Mr.. Corey
lean that he almost succeeded in hav-
ing the very pronounced Republican
Representative Hamilton Fish, jr.,
putting up arguments for the New
Deal.
Before the evening wore on, 1t
looked as If general an-around fight
might develop in the ritzy ball room
of this fashionable hotel where ladies
in evening gowns and gentlemen in
full-dress suits watched the Com
munistic agitator, in tuxedo, being
baited by the capitalistic defender, in
a plain business suit.
Outlines Doctrines.
In a 55-minute summary Of his
economic beliefs Mr. Corey outlined
his SocialiStic and Communistic doc
with Marxism-and
Sketched the coming of the revolution
which will replace capitalism in Amer
lea with a sort of rarefied Commun-
ism.
Immediately he was hoped on by
Wayne C. Williams, assistant to the
Attorney General. who thumbed the
pages of MIR. Corey's latest book
..rrl of ropit a 1icy1 o--ond
pulled a quotation which insinuated
violence.
rs that the way Socialism Is COM
ing to American" the Assistant At
torney General asked.
Mr.. Corey would not admit an alb
solute revolution with bloodshed and
murder, but he insinuated as much.
saying: That's about the way it will
develop if the ruling classes stand in
the way. if the ruling classes resort
to violence. Then; but that de-
pends on the ruling classes"
Kissed and Booed.
Kisses and boCs followed and the
condemnation Of Corey kept up until
all the big limousines had carried
away the audience.
Mr.. Corey drew the ire Of his audi
ence when he insisted upon holding
up Russia as a more advanced country,
economically, than America. He was
going along well with his argument
until some irate citizen in the back
row shouted to know how long Mr..
Corey had been in Russia making his
elaborate studies. From his answer
Mr.. Corey led his audience to believe
he had never been in Russia. All he
knows, he implied, is what he reads in
the newspapers.
Down came the house on Mr.. Corey's
shoulders.
Hamilton Fish. who had kept his
temper pretty well, unburdened him.
self Of question-but he directed 1t
at the management of the Town Hall:
II believe" said Mr.. Fish, lin the
fullest freedom of speech, something
which is not practiced in Russia; but
here in the Town Hall I've heard
speakers telling us how rotten and
corrupt our system of government is
and not one man on the whole list Of
speakers has upheld our American
institutions. There ought to be at
least one speaker to reply to such
people as Norman Thomas. the Social
ist; Lewis Corey, the Communist:
Lawrence Dennis, coming here next
week to talk on Fascism, etc."
Fish Jumps to Defense.
Mr.. Fish said that while he repre-
sented President Roosevelt's district in
New York, he was not exactly rep
resentative of the New Deal, yet some
body had to defend American insti-
tutions against such charges as those
made by Corey, and if nobody else
volunteered Mr.. Fish let it be known
he was willing to take up the burden.
Vladimir Gzozski, former officer in
the Imperial Guards of Russia and
now in the law division OF the Library
of Congress, preceded to cut Mr.. Corey
to pieces.
LET my voice be a voice of warm
ing" shouted the former officer of the
Cars guards, with gesticulation. "A
warning, because revolution begins at
the top. The revolution begins when
those at the wheel lose self confidence,
and my only wish is that those at the
wheel in this country do not lose the
self confidence"