Evening star., 1938-11-01
Funds Running Short,
Dies May Conclude
Hearings Shortly
Choirmon Cites FutiIity
Of Pleas to Departments
To Furnish Aides
BACKGROUND


To Furnish Aides
BACKGROUND
Authorized by the last Congress
to Investigate SubverSiue dctivi-
ties by alien groups in this coun-
try. House subcommittee head
ed by Representative Dies, Demo-
crat, of Teras has heard erten-
siDe testimony dealing principal
ly aDith NasiSm and Communism.
By the Associated Press.
Chairman Dies, Democrat, OF
Texas, said today the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activities
may have to end its hearings soon
because its $25,000 expense fund is
running low.
Since President Roosevelt and
members of his administration have
made some verbal attacks on the
committee, Mr. Dies was none too
hopeful of getting more cash after
Congress meets in January.
The $25,000 would have gone
farther, the chairman indicated in
4 radio address last night, had Gov
ernment departments supplied law
yers, investigators, stenographers
and clerks in accordance with the
House resolution ordering the in
yestigation.
He said, however, that appeals to
the Justice and Labor Departments,
the w. P. A. and finally to the Presi-
dent had brought no results.
In fact, he added, Secretary OF
Labor Perkins and Secretary of the
Interior Ickes joined certain radi-
cal writers" in campaign Ito dis
credit the committee by ridicule and
misinterpretation."
When the secretary of the Senate
Civil Liberties Committee offered
aid in obtaining departmental per-
Sonnel. Mr.. Dies asserted, it was re-
fused for fear of sabotage"
BY arrangement of the Demo
cratic National Committee, Paul Y
Anderson. Washington correspond.
ent of the st. Louis Star Times
followed Mr.. Dies on the air. Mr.
Anderson said he had seen some
"slipshod" and "shockingly unfair
congressional Investigations, but de.
clared none had approached The
Dies Committees hearings in either
Of those respects.
Accepted by Committee.
Some of the most fantastic yarn:
ever heard outside of an insane asy.
lum," he added, ARE gravely accept.
ed by the committee without thu
faintest effort to discover whether
the witnesses are credible or re.
snonsible or whether they are &C.
tuated by ulterior motives.
''At no time is there anything
which could be called cross exam
ination. Some of the yarns contain
serious accusations against publ,
officials and private citizens. Thes'
officials and these citizens are no
present to defend themselves; the.
are never asked to be present; thei
first knowledge that they have beer
accused comes from reading the &C
CQSaClOnS IN newspapers.
Mr.. Anderson said the committe
used an extraordinary presentation
and manipulation of witnesses" TO
political effect, regardless OF "th
e'emage the truth suffers in tn
process"
Dies Defends Moves.
Mr.. Dies contended. on the othe
Ind, that every person or or
~-nization against whom charge
ere made in hearings had an in
tation to appear before the com
l,ittee. He added:
The very fact that only a sma
number of the hundreds of peop
and organizations who have bee
charged with subversive activitit
have sought an opportunity to az
rear before the committee or to II
eidavits is strong proof that mo
q the testimony we have receive
is reliable"
Describing testimony by a Mich
ran judge and a former city maj
sger Of Flint-both Republicans
which Gov Frank Murphy Of Mich
gan was accused of treasQnable a
ton during sit-doWn strike, M
anderson said the accusations we
supported only by the bare stat
nlents of their authors.
Il don't think any one who studio
this performance" he remarke
could escape the impression that
vas deliberately staged and that
purpose was to defeat Gov. Murpl
when he comes up for re-electi'
next week.
He recalled that the testimo
had prompted President Roosev'
= to rebuke the committee for allo'
ing itself to be used in fragrant
unfair and un-American attempt
influence an election"
Mr.. Dies wanted to know why,
the President were displeased wi
the methods of inquiry, he or
partmental heads had not furnish
investigators, attorneys and cler
''If there had been the slight
intention of 'smaring' the New De
as has ben charged" he ask
would I have been willing to r
largely upon New Deal appointees
do the investigating?"
Mr.. Dies spoke over the Nut
Broadcasting System, after he /
charged that many stations or
inally scheduled for inclusion in
chain had Cancelled his speech.
did not know the reason, he said,
r thought it was more of the sa
old thing"