Evening star., 1939-10-28


books covering David Lawrence.
that point. The Hatch law has a
provision in it, little noticed at the
time of passage last August, which
says:
1T shall be unlawful for any
person employed in any capacity by
any agency of the Federal Govern
ment whose compensation. or any
part thereof. is paid from funds
authorized or appropriated by any
act of Congress to have member
ship in any political party or Or
ganization which advocates the
overthrow of our constitutional form
OF Government in the United States.
ANY person violating the provi-
sions of this section shall be i'm
mediately removed from the posi-
ton or office held by him, and there
after no part of the funds appro-
priated by any act of Congress for
such position or Office shall be used
to pay the compensation of such
person"
But is the American League for
ganization and does membership in
it constitute violation of law on
the basis of the proof offered? While
the Dies Committee unanimously
contends that the league is Com
munist controlled" does this mean
that the members of the league be-
lieve in Communist doctrines? This
has yet to be proved
Resentment Explained.
Many Government workers who
are on the mailing list" of the
league resent bitterly the publicity
that has been given their names.
They do not feel that being on a
mailing list is the same as being
member, or that being member,
they should be chastised on the basis
of the proof offered thus far. One
Government employe writes as fol-
lows:
Il am on the mailing list. Some
months more than year ago a
friend who is member asked that
I contribute dollar to help the
cause. I sympathized with most of
the professed purposes of the organ
ization and contributed the dollar
Yesterday my name appeared under
headlines proclaiming the presence
of reds in the Government. 1 re-
sent the implication. No one loves
and reveres America and its tradi-
tions more than I, native-born of
native-born. My folks are Republi-
can and I am Democratic. I was
brought up to believe that America
stood for free speech.
Il have always felt that as an
American I must smite hard at every
evidence of injustice or discrimina-
ton. And If the league processes
to stand for these principles, I am
not ashamed to be on their mailing
list. And I challenge the American
ism of anyone who challenges an
American citizens right to have
such a creed, be he even Govern
ment employe.
The league is said to be Com
munist- controlled I read the tes-
timony very carefully and have yet
to find any further proof of this,
other than the fact that there may
be Communist membership. even at
this time None of the members I
know are Communists; none has ever
remembered being in contact with
Communistic influence I do not re-
fuse to contribute to the Community
Chest because Communists probably
do, although I hate and despise all
that Communism stands for"
Propriety of Probes Action.
The question then turns on the
proprietv of the action of the Dies
Committee in making public a mail
ing list. presumably because it did not
have an accurate membership list.
President Roosevelt calls this ''sor-
did procedure" Differences of opin-
ion always arise as to the behavior
of congressional committees when
they invade the private rights of cit
liens. Thus it will be recalled that
the White House did not froWn on
the unwarranted use by the famous
Lobby Committee of private tele-
grams, a committee headed by form
er Senator Black of Alabama. In
deed, the Senator was later elevated
to the Supreme Court of the United
States. Likewise, when a congress
sional committee published a list of
alleged tax irregularities on the part
of prominent business men, no such
delicacy was felt about the proce-
dure and the public was left to in
fer that men who took advantage
of lawful provisions were guilty of
some sort of tax evasion.
Two wrongs, of course, do not
make right and the improper use
of mems names and regulations is,
indeed, "sordid procedure" when
the facts do not justify disclosures.
1t will be interesting to see what
proof can be offered that the indi-
viduals VINO joined the League for
Peace and Democracy knew any
thing of its communistic affiliations
or connections. The Dies Commit
tee doubtless will wish to give all
whose names are mentioned an op-
portunity to clear themselves of any
connection with Communism.