Evening star., 1937-06-17
PROBERS |MP0UND SENATE UNIT VOTES
MOVIE SHOOTING FOR STRIKE PROBE
News Reel Described by
Thomas as Showing Pc.
lice Aggressors.
(See DAVEY. Page A-3.)

The Senate Civil Liberties Commit
tee has impounded suppressed news
reel film, described by those who saw
it as showing police on the aggressive
IN the Memorial day fatal riot at
the Republic Steel Corp. plant In
South Chicago.
This was revealed today as five
investigators of the committee were
in Chicago pursuing their quest of
other evidence concerning the pitched
battle which resulted in death of nine
and injuries to scores OF strike sympa-
thizers.
The committees probe of the riot
has been set tentatively for July l.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of
Utah, member of the committee, said
the neWsreel, which was made by
Paramount, showed police pushing
back the crowd and welding night
sticks vigorously. He and Chairman
La Toilette were the only members
OF the committee who saw the film.
Has Praise for Crowd.
Il am surprised the number OF
casualties was not far larger" Thomas
said. 1T is very much to the credit
OF the crowd that it showed 30 much
control under great provocation by
the police
THE strikers offered absolutely no
resistance and showed no belligerence.
1t was a one-sided fight-if you can
call it fight at all.
L am not attempting to fix blame
for the riot by that film" Thomas
said. But if it gave a fair picture
of what went en-, the police are to be
condemned. This picture did not
show the police being attacked. It
showed them entirely on the often
sive, pushing back the crowd and
welding their sticks
L realize that this may have been
only one angle of the riot The police
may have been justified in what they
were doing-1 do not know. Per-
maps pictures taken from other angles
would have shown the police being
attacked. am simply giving my i'm
preston OF that particular newsreel."
Senator Thomas said the picture
revealed some strikers or strike SYM
patnlzers apparently trying to get out
OF the way and being followed and
beaten by police. He added that he
saw one woman who evidently had
been injured. She was being helped
away, he said
The Utah Senator said he did not
see any shots fired, although they
could be heard on the sound track
He did not see pistols in the hands
OF police. He described a published
account OF the suppressed film as
exaggerated in Places" but fairly
accurate on the whole.
Senator Thomas said he thought
Paramount was right in withdrawing
the film from its exchanges adding
that it might have caused further
trouble If shown to the general
public.
La Toilette Withholds Comment.
Chairman La Toilette would not
comment on the film except to say
that 1t revealed "a deplorable situa-
ton" He said he did not think as
chairman of the committee he should
pass judgment on the riot without
more complete evidence.
The chairman added that the com.
mittee planned to make q complete
investigation of the battle within a
short time, hearing from numerous
witnesses and probably viewing this
Aim and perhaps others taken at the
scene.
1t was learned that those under
subpoena to appear before the COM
mittee include several amateur pho
tographers who were at the scene.