Evening star., 1936-04-09
Bill Eliminating Ban Gets
Committee O. K.-Goes
on Calendar.
FULL UNDERSTANDING
OF ISSUE ADVOCATED
Record of Testimony to Be
Printed to Clear up Vague Points.
Blanton Faces Fight.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Charges that the House Subcom-
mittee on Appropriations, which
framed the 1897 District appropriation
bill went beyond the scope Of its
constituted authority in conducting
an investigation of alleged COM
munistic inroads into the public
schools were made today by Repre-
sentative Sisson, Democrat, Of New
York.
Sponsor of a bill providing for
outright repeal of the anti-commun-
ism rider to the 1886 appropriation
act, Sisson is laying the groundwork
for. the battle he will make in the
House for its passage. From present
indications he will center his fight
on Representative Blanton, Democrat,
Of Texas, chairman of the Appropri-
ations Subcommittee, who was instru-
mental in having the "red rider"
attached to the 1886 supply act.
Approves Sisson Bill.
SiSSon's bill is now on the House
calendar, bearing the stamp Of ap-
proval of both the District Committee
and it's Subcommittee on Education,
which conducted hearings on the
measure. The District Committee put
its ok. on the bill yesterday in
executive session.
Two hundred and sixty EIGHT pages
Of the record of the testimony be-
fore Blanton's subcommittee during
hearings on the appropriation bill.
Sisson declared, bear evidence Of the
fact that an investigation was con-
Quoted into alleged conmunistic
activities in the public schools in an
effort to justify continuance of the
red rider"
AN Appropriations Subcommittee
has no authority to conduct an in
vestigation," said SisSon. "Blanton
used the committee as an inquisitorial
body. He had no right to do it."
May Attack Printing.
Sisson also indicated he intended
to attack Blanton for his action in
having printed at public expense,
1000 copies of the 268 pages Of "red
rider" testimony before his Subcom-
mittee. The testimony, he pointed
out, was printed in the voluminous
record of the hearings on the ap-
preparation bill, but Blanton had
separate reports printed containing
only the testimony relating to COM
munism, and distributed them to
members Of Congress.
Confidently, SiSson predicts the
House will pass his bill If it is
familiar with all the facts in the
case-the manner in which the ''red
rider" was slipped" into the appro-
priation bill last year, as well as
the more recent developments.
IF the facts are known by the House
and there's an accumulation of
them-I have no doubt about the out
come of my BILL" he said. "Unfortu-
nately, the House, as rule, passes on
District legislation the day it is called
up. Members who miss the discussion
on the floor, of course, have no op-
portunity to famiiari2e themselves
with the issues involved before voting
In the case of other legislation, which
is debated for several days, members
can read the Congressional Record
and get better understanding"
May Delay Action.
Chairman Norton of the District
Committee. however, is going to make
determined effort to enable every
House member to understand the is
sues involved before she calls Sisson's
| hill Yfy1 for aO11eidoro finr
For that reason she proposes to
delay action on the measure until
April 81, the final so-called District
Day" of the month. In the mean
time, every member of the House is to
be presented with a printed copy Of
the record of the recent hearings on
the bill with request that they read
it from cover to cover
The District Committee has ordered
the hearings printed despite the fail
ure Of Representative Jenckes, Demo-
crat, of Indiana to return the official
stenographic transcript of the hear
ings. She is member of the Educa-
tion Subcommittee and was given the
official copy to revise and correct her
own testimony, which included a
blanket charge that members of the
Board of Education are pro-commu-
nistic and grossly inefficient.
Rather than delay printing Of the
record of the hearings any longer, the
committee decided to use another copy
of the transcript. AS result Mrs.
Jenckes' testimony will appear in un-
revised form.
Mrs. JenckeS has been a bitter
enemy of the Sisson bill. She and
Blanton are expected to be linked IN
the impending battle to prevent its
approval by the House, battle of lib.
eralism and academic freedom vs..
"red riderism." =