Evening star., 1939-02-24
Bar Guild Split Held
'0ne-Man Mutiny'
OF Justice Pecora
President Of D. G. Unit
BeIittIes Sehism; Gets
But One Resignation

OeIlttIeS SCnISm, 1etS
But One Resignation
Leaders of the Washington chap.
ter Of the National Lawyers Guild
asserting charges that the guild i.
dominated by Communists are
"baseless," today described threat.
OF split in the guild as "a sort o1
one-man mutiny" by New York
State Supreme Court Justice Ferd-
inand Pecora.
Merle Vincent, president of the
guilds Washington chapter and ar
attorney in the Labor Department.
.Wage-Hou Division, today called a
special meeting Monday night to re-
amrm opposition to Relationships
OF any kind" in view of statements
OF Justice Pecora in New York. The
meeting will be held in the old In
terror Department at BIS pm.
Justice Pecora, retiring president
OF the guild, said yesterday the
National Executive Board was con-
trolled by pro-Communists and that
he and at least II other State off,
cials and lawyers would resign, prob
, ably to form a new organization.
He named Assistant Attorney
General Thurman Arnold and Sc
curities and Exchange Commits
sioner Jerome Frank among those
planning to withdraw with him,
but Mr.. Vincent said he was
advised that Justice Pecora was not
\ authorized to speak for these New
Dealers. They could not be reached
stor comment Immediately.
1t was understood both Mr.. Arnold
and Mr.. Frank were investigating
to determine the exact basis for
the dispute, which grew out of
the guilds recent national conven-
ton in Chicago which they did
not attend, before deciding what
course they would pursue.
Only One Resignation.
Mortimer Rlemer, national Secre-
tary Of the Guild, with offices here
at 1901 Fifteenth street NV, said
he had received only one of the
threatened mass of designations
by noon today. This resignation was
py Frank P. Walsh, the Guilds first
presldent, who is chairman of the
New York State Power Authority.
Mr.. Reimer said he believed Mr..
Walsh resigned under a misappre-
nenslon and that efforts were being
made to see him in New York and
'acquaint him with the true situa-
ton"
The dispute appeared to center
around failure OF the Guilds recent
national convention at Chicago to
approve an amendment to it's con-
ftltutlon which would directly ex-
press opposition to all dictatorships.
Procedure Not Policy.
Gerard D. Reilly, vice president of
ne Washington chapter and La
or Department solicitor, explained
nat he understood objections to
pprovlng the amendment at the
onVentlon were based on methods
Il procedure rather than policy. He
pointed out that the Guild Executive
Board did indorse unanimously a
speech by Justice Pecora, denounc-
ing Communism, Fascism, Naziism
ana all undemocratic "isms," and
ordered the speech and Endorsement
printed in the Guild Quarterly for
distribution to all its members.
delegates to the convention felt
TINS action had settled the question.
!Ar. Reilly said, after Justice Pecora
had first threatened to resign when
there was some controversy over
whether the denunciation of "isms"
should be published.
The Guild Executive Board is
composed of 78 persons, including
Charles M. Wright, Reconstruction
FInance Corp. counsel; former Sen
ator Smith Brookhart of Iowa. Les
lie H. Buckler of the University of
virginia Law School, Lee Pressman,
c. I. O. counsel, and Charles H
Houston and Lawrence Koenigs-
berger. Washington attorneys.
No DissensiOn Heard Here.
Mr.. Vincent and Mr.. Reilly said
they had not heard of any dissen-
( SION within the local chapter or anv
plans of Washington members to
resign.
Like any other organization. ."Mr
vincent said, "the Guild can. of
course, expect an occasional deser-
tlon oy a summer soldier, but for
every such desertion there will be
many more new members"
statements that the Guild is
dominated by Communists are base
less" he declared, land the same
KIND OF SANDER that is leveled at
every one who stands for construc-
tive legislation to protect the rights
OF laborers and farmers.
members of the Guild have a lob
to do as long as there is any assault
on democracy, and as long as there
are other lawyers who will advise
their clients to disregard acts of
Congress designed to protect the
iaborer and the farmer.
Fighting All Dictators.
"Dictatorships are one of the
things we are fighting against, and
as long as there are any defenders
of relationships in this country to
fight there will be a National
Lawyers Guild"
Mr.. Vincent said he did not con-
slider there was any threat of
widespread split in the Guild, but
that the current dispute was "a sort
Of one-man mutiny" by Justice
Pecora.
Government lawyers make up the
majority of the membership of the
Washington chapter of the Guild,
which was organized" three years
ago in protesting what its members
termed "reactionary" policies of the
American Bar Association.
Many of the Child members also