Evening star., 1937-12-09
|CKES WARNS j. S.
OF FASCIST PERIL
Says Certain Groups Men,
acing Nation Mask Acts
Behind Red Scare.


sy the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. "a warning was
out from Secretary Harold L. Ickes to-
day that the "Fascist-minded men of
America" grasping for more power
and greater riches, were more real
threat to the country than Commu-
nists.
1T is these men who, pretending that
they would save us from dreadful Com
munism, would superimpose upon
America and equally dreadful Fas-
cism,'
The Interior Secretary, in brisl-
ing denunciation of corporate over
lords" declared at the annual dinner
of the American Civil Liberties Union
last night that the Supreme Court had
gone far to convert the bill of rights
into charter of corporate privi-
lege."
Calls Struggle World Wide.
IckeS, introduced by William Allen
White, Kansas publisher, as the Sir
Galahad of the under dog in this, our
national dog pound" said worldwide
struggle was under way between the
forces of democracy and absolutism.
Internationale has been supplanted,
he said, by 'Ku KluX Kode"
And just as certain nations, utter
ing the excuse that they are stamping
out Communism, commit crimes at
which SavageS would blush," he said,
80 in our land those who would un-
dermine our democratic institutions do
Every candidate for Office in America
who lacks real issue proceeds to shout
Communism -
Points to Peril.
Employers who deny to their work.
erS the right to associate together in
a labor union for the common good of
all frequently declare that they do so
because of 'Communistic influences
which are at large in their factories. 1t
does not require much intelligence to
see that such Communism may become
a wooden horse within the bowels of
which ruthless Fascism may enter the
shrine of liberty"
In his discussion on the Supreme
Court, he said it had gone out
of its way" to support attacks upon
personal rights; he asserted it also
had frequently nullifed' the efforts
of Congress to protect minority
groups against economic
coercion"
Sees "Overl0rdship" Exercised.
The Judiciary in general, he said,
had aided giant corporations" in the
assumption Of "an overlordship over
the civil rights and substantive liber-
ties of the individual" by decisions
treating corporation in its relations
with Government "as if it were a
mere individual"
The individual, weak and helpless
in his struggles with and against cor
porate power, has turned to Govern
ment for protection only to find that
corporate power frequently controls
Government" he said.
Government protection, when OBJ
tanned unfortunately has often been
frustrated by the courts, the tradi-
tlonal defenders. of civil rights and
liberties, Eminen counsel, retained
by corporate power, have been very
successful in convincing judges, many
OF whom were themselves trained in
the service of great corporations be-
fore ascending the bench, that the
Bill of Rights is really a
Charter of corporate privilege"
Attacks Parts of Press.
Ickes, turning to an attack on parts
OF the press, said under the stress
Of economic forces our press and news
agencies are coming more and more
under the domination of a handful
Of corporate publishers who may print
such news as they wish to print and
omit such news as they do not wish
to print. They may even color the
news
Individual news writers, he de-
clared, have little to say as to what
news shall be printed
1T is rarely difficult for an intelli-
gent person to ascertain the political
or economic views of the newspaper
owner without recourse to the edi-
torial page. This despite the fact
that free government depends upon
the free dissemination of news"