Evening star., 1938-10-26

Text Of Dies Reply to President

Following is the text of the for
NAL statement in which Chairman
Dies replied today to President Roose-
velt's criticism of the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activities:
After reading the Presidents state
ment, / desire to make q more de-
tailed reply. As I stated last night,
/ have known from the beginning that
neither the President nor his advisers
favored this investigation. The de-
partments not only refused to comply
with the request Of Congress that our
committee be supplied with adequate
personnel, but they have thrown every
obstacle in the way Of q successful
investigation.
In addition to this, q well-planned
campaign Of Misrepresentation, ridi-
cule and sarcasm was conducted by
those who hoped to discredit the In
vestigation. This campaign was aided
by members Of the cabinet. The Shir-
ley Temple fabrication was conceived
by certain radical writer's whose SYM
pathies for Soviet Russia are matters
OF common knowledge. Immediately,
and as If by pre-arrangement, Secre-
tary Perkins and Secretary Ickes
repeated this crude and silly fabrica-
tion. thus hoping to lend the color
of truth and respectability.
Even the President was induced to
refer to the Shirley Temple fabrication
in one of his press conferences. When
this campaign utterly failed and re-
coiled upon the heads of those who
conceived and engineered it, the next
move was to exert every conceivab BILE
pressure to stifle this investigation.
When this likewise failed, as a last
desperate move, the President was in
duced to permit the prestige Of his
great office to be used for the purpose
of discrediting the investigation.
Sees President Misled.
That the President has been wholly
misinformed is obvious from his
statement. OF course, the President
did not hear the testimony and has
not read the record. He is evidently
relying upon reports that have reached
him from prejudfed sources. Had he
read the testimony. he would have
found that Democrats testified the
same as Republicans. and that some
of the testimony came from former
officials of the United Automobile
Workers. He would have also found
that the principal witness was 1t.
Mulbar, chief of the State police, who
holds civil service position and is
absolutely non-partisan.
In this connection. I wish to say
that our investigator spent two months
in Detroit with instructions to con-
duct fearless investigation AS a re-
suit of two months work on the
ground, he subpoenaed these witnesses
independent Of the question of politics
so that when the President states that
the committee made no effort to get at
the truth he is obviously misinformed.
He is likewise misinformed when he
says that we did not call for facts to
support personal opinion"
The evidence which we received
would be acceptable in any court, and
II the President has any doubt about
this suggest that he appoint some ex-
perienced lawyer and will do likewise
Then the two can appoint third. and
together they can examine all of the
evidence with reference to the Michi-
gan situation and then report to the
country as to whether or not this evil
dence was competent and admissible.
Says Policy Is Fair.
have stated many times that every
individual or organizat ton against
whom charge or attack was made
during the course of these hearings
had standing invitation to appear
before the committee to disprove such
charge or attack. In adopting this pol
icy the committee has shown itself
absolutely fair.
The testimony with reference to the
Michigan situation showed very clearly
that well-known Communists insti-
gated and engineered the sit-down
strike and the so-called Lansing holi-
day. when mob of $4,000 people bar
ricaded the State Capitol and 1000 of
them, many of whom were armed with
clubs, were ordered to march on the
university and to bring part of it back
with them.
The evidence shows that the State
police sat helplessly by for lack of in
Structlons from the Governor in the
face of open rebellion. while the Gov
ernor looked down upon the scene
from window in the Capitol. 1t can
not be disputed that misdemeanors and
felonies were committed on that dis.
graceful day under the very eyes of the
Governor who had sworn to upholc
law and order. If open and undis.
guished rebellion is to be countenancec
in the name of political expediency
then constitutional democracy viii
perish in America,
The people Of this country are en-
titled to know the truth AS Chairman
of this committee. have felt it m
duty to conduct fearless investiga
tion regardless of political expediency
Under my conception of public duty
it would have been wrong to shiel,
Gov. Murphy simply because he wa
a Democrat and strong friend of tn
President. While I deeply regret tn
Presidents bitter attack on q Con
gressional committee of an indepen
dent department Of the Government
and while regret that the Presiden
did not read the testimony befor,
issuing this statement. wish to max,
it plain that shall continue to do m,
duty undeterred and unafraid.
Text of Roosevelt