The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-22
HARTFORD WRITER CLAIMS kOPPLEMANN IS PRO-
 COMMUNIST

l
 Hartford, Conn.
 August l9, 1888. Editor, Waterbury Democrat:
 MT. Herman P. Kopplemann, Congressman from the First Con- gressional District has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for United States Sena- tor, thus seeking to un-seat the present incumbent Senator Angus tine Lonergan.
 MT. Kopplemann and his followers are passing their appeal for his pre- ferment upon the claim that he has given, and in the future will give, l00% support to every wish of President Roosevelt. It does not seem to me that the President has. or is, asking any such abject sub serviency. If Connecticut wants a dummy in the United States Senate with no thoughts or opinions Of his own, no concern for the welfare of Connecticut, one who will say "Yes" every time the string Is pulled, 1t would be cheaper and just as ef- fective, to borrow Charlie Me- Carthy" from Edgar Bergen and place him in the Senate. However, this attitude of MT Kopplemann Is not my chief con- cern; what I am concerned about is the action of MT. Kopplemann last January in signing a letter of congratulation and encouragement to the Reds in Spain, whose prin- cipal objective is the destruction of religion.
 In signing that letter, MT. Kop- plemann offended every one who professes any religious belief at all, and he certainly insulted and Haunted every Catholic in the State of Connecticut.
 At the time the notorious docu- ment was signed by MT. Kopple- mann, Rt. Rev. Msgr Michael J. Reidy, General Secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Confer ence said concerning 1t: "The Barcelona Government and it's predecessors have been responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of bishops and priests and nuns, the desecra- ton and destruction of hundreds of churches and shrines, and the complete denial of religious free- dom.
 Further evidence of the fine democracy of the Barcelona Gov ernment is seen in the suppress sion of freedom of the press and the denial of every other liberty the sixty signers profess to hold dear.
 No such government, whether 1t Is legally in power or not, whether 1t can call itself demo- cratic or not, deserves the good wishes and moral support of any conscious upholder of our Consti- tuition, the more so If he is sworn to that obligation as an official representative of our genuinely free democracy"
 Of course, MT. Kopplemann's ac- ton was very pleasing to the Con- munists of Spain, the Communists of the United States, and the Com munists of Russia, who are, and have been, encouraging the attempt to Sovietize Spain.
 am aware of the excuses ofYer- ed by MT. Kopplemann for signing the letter which he now finds 50 embarrassing when he is seeking votes, but in referring to those who who signed that letter, United States Senator, David I. Walsh of Massac achusetts said:
 Tt is to be noted that many Senators who were asked to sign this message refused to do so. and 1t Is also significant that a large number of Senators were not in- vited to sign the message, for 1t was obvious to whoever promoted the plan. that Senators of the Catholic faith and other we'll informed Senators would consider such a document as indirectly acquiescing in and approving the Nero methods that have been invoked by the Barcelona Gov- ernment to destroy religion in | Spain"
 Yes, indeed, they.--the Reds knew whom to go to when they sought and got Mir. Kopplemannt ( signature. Tn the signing of that letter he approved of everything