Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-27
Leaders Deny Reds
lnstieated Welfare
Conference
Dies Group Is Making
Birmingham Probe,
Chairman Says

u0uUSAu S0yS
BACKGROUND
Special House committee in
peStigating subversiDe political
activities in America has devoted
much OF its attention to linking
certain Ne,D Deal appointees
Nth Communist tendencies. FeD
weeks ago President Roosevelt
took unprecedented step OF re-
buking committee, and Free
tor-aH exchange of criticism and
ridicnle bet1Deen committee chair
man and NeD Dealers has gone
on euer since.
By the Associated Press.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Nov. 90
Charges that Communists instigated
the Southern Conference for Human
Welfare were denied today by two
officials of the organization as Rep
resentative Dies, chairman of the
House committee investigating I'M
American activities announced his
group was conducting an inquiry
here.
Judge Louise o. Charlton of Biz
mingham. chairman of the confer
ence here and honorary chairman
of the permanent organization elect
ed Wednesday, and Dr. Arthur Ra-
per, member of the conference
Committee on Continuation and
Agnes Scott College faculty men,
Der, gave statements denying Com
munists were responsible for the
meeting.
Mr.. Dies told newspapermen at
Washington he had received infor-
nation the conference was "insti-
gated by Communists"
I'VE are investigating the whole
thing" he said. Il have ordered
our Investigator in the South to go
to Birmingham and look into the
matter"
Asks Congress Probe.
Meanwhile a committee of Bir-
mingham civic club members asked
a congressional investigation to de-
termine whether the Works Prog
ress Administration or other agency
of the Government contributed
financially to the conference.
The "a Greater Birmingham Com
mittee" adopted a lengthy resolu-
ton saying the conference lis not
representative of the South"
Regarding the congressional in
vestigation, the committee resolu-
ton said:
The chairman is instructed to
request a congressional committee
to make inquiry as to whether the
Works Progress Administration or
other agency of Government,
through Aubrey Williams Or other
wise, made available funds with
which to defray expenses of the
conference or its delegates, and pre-
cisely what action was taken by
Federal authorities to have relief
officers and employees attend the
conference"
Answered Criticism.
Judge Charlton's statement was
In answer to criticism leveled at the
conference and its leaders by reso-
lutions adopted yesterday at mass
meeting called by the Democratic
Women's Club of Alabama.
She said the conference was spon-
sored by 200 Southern leaders and
was financed By those attending it.
DR.. Raper said the reply to charges
of Communism should be found in
the leadership of the conference"
He cited DR.. Frank P. Graham,
president of the University of North
Carolina and new chairman of the
conference: Judge Charlton; Mark
Ethridge of the Louisville Courier
Journal and Times, and H. C. Nixon,
Southern economist, as examples of
the conference leadership.
DR.. Raper said only six delegates
registered as Communists, of more
than 1900 accredited
The conference adopted resolu-
tons indorsing Federal anti-lynch-
ing legislation and deploring Jim
Crow laws here which segregated
colored and white delegates.