Evening star., 1939-06-07
MacLeishScored
As a Traveller
Of Communists
Thomas Charges
Called Little Short of
SIonder' by Royburn

in nominating Archibald MacLeish
of Connecticut to be librarian of
Congress was assailed in the House
this afternoon by Representative
Thomas, Republican, of New Jersey,
who said it "once more raises the
vital and alarming issue of the Com
munist influence" on appointments
emanating from the White House.
Mr.. MacLeish, Representative
Thomas told the House, is a "fel-
low traveller" of the Communist
party. according to information in
the possession of the Dies Commit
tee on Un-American Activities. He
added that the foremost traveller"
of the party was Robert Morse Low
EFT, who, he said, recently had been
appointed to a secretarial post in
the Virgin Islands.
The Thomas statement touched
on an unusually noisy wrangle.
Representative Rayburn of Texas,
the Democratic leader, jumped to
his feet to shout that the Charges"
were little short of slander" and
inquired what Mr.. Thomas meant
by the phrase fellow traveller"
Other Names Coming.
Representative Thomas replied he
referred to person who is SYM
pathetic with the Communist party.
but who does not want to become a
party member. He said Mr.. Lovett
had been affiliated with at least Is
united fronts of the Communist
party Later he told newsmen he
dld not know to what post Mr..
Lovett had been assigned.
Representative Schafer. Repub-
lican, of Wisconsin asked and OBJ
tanned unanimous consent to place
IN the record the names of high
Government officials who he said
had Communist leanings. At the
request OF Representative Hoffman,
Republican, of Michigan, Mr.. Scha-
Ter said he would try to insert. too,
a definition of fellow traveller"
Mr.. MacLeish, a poet, soldier and
editor, after 40 years service, has
been nominated to succeed DR.. Her
pert Putnam, who becomes librarian
emeritus when his successor is in
stalled.
The nomination. sent to the SEN
ate by the President shortly after
noon. was referred to the Senate
Committee on the library of Con-
gress, of which Senator Barklev of
Kentucky, majority leader, is chair
man.
Lauded by President.
indication that Mr.. MacLeish had
been selected for the important post
was given by the President yesterday
at his press conference. He praised
the nominee as gentleman and a
scholar, whose attainments would be
respected both at home and abroad.
The Chief Executive said he had
given much thought to the selec-
ton because he considered it a
difficult post to fill Because of the
nominees varied experience, the
President felt the nomination should
meet with the approval of artists.
writer's and businessmen.
The Presidents selection for this
important post is Al years of age and
has had wide experience as a writer.
editor and poet He graduated at
Yale and later took the degree of
law at Harvard Law School. He re-
ceived the degree of master of arts
from Tufts.
Knows MacLeish Personally.
Mr.. Roosevelt had known Mr.. Mac
Leish personally for number of
years, and is understood to have
consulted very few, if any, political
leaders or members of the Senate
before he made the appointment.
The appointee visited the President
recently at the White House. He
has been lifelong friend of Justice
Felix Frankfurter of the Supreme
Court
Mr. MacLeish was a field artillery
captain during the World War. He
is contributing editor to Fortune
Magazine and contributes also to the
tSee MacLEISH, Page A-4D