Evening star., 1939-10-18
Convict 10 Explain
Preference Of Prison
Life in Soviet
Dies Committees
Witness Says Russio
Forged Passports
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Released temporarily from prison,
Fred E. Beal, North Carolina con-
vict, was scheduled to appear today
before the House Committee on Un-
American Activities to tell its men,
bers why he preferred serving a
term in penitenitary in the United
States to living in the Soviet Union.
Beal was taken from a prison in
Raleigh, N. c., and brought to Wash
ington late yesterday under guard
He is serving a term of II to 20
years In connection with the killing
OF a police chief in Gastonia, N. c.
In Raleigh, he told the Associated
Press he would tell the committee
how the Soviet government forged
passports to send its agents into for
eign countries.
Chairman Dies, however, said the
prisoner witness would detail to the
committee why he preferred" to
live in an American prison instead
OF In Russia under Stains rule.
Testifies This Afternoon.
Accompanied by a guard who es-
corted him from Raleigh, Beal was
scheduled to 60 to the witness stana
at l pm, when the committee re-
sumes its investigation OF -Ameri-
can activities.
In preparation for his appearance
the committee yesterday questioned
Benjamin GitloW, charter member
OF the Communist party and one of
its three-man American secretariat
until his expulsion in the factional
split of 1929.
Mr.. Gitlow said that Beal was con-
sidered one Of the party's ablest Or
ganizers and had completed a Sue
cessful campaign in New Bedford,
Mass, just before he was sent to
Gastonia. Beal is native of Law
renee, Mass.
The committee heard conflicting
testimony from Mr. Gitlow and Rep
Iesentative Vito Marcantonio, only
Amerlcan-Labor party member in
Congress, about alleged Communist
influence in the International LABOR
Defense, of which Mr.. Marcantonic
is chairman,
Mr.. Marcantonio declared he
definitely knew the I. L. D. is not
connected with the Communist
party. Mr.. Gitlow, who described
himself as one of the original found
ers OF the organization in 1925. said
he could not understand how Mr.
Marcantonio could make such a
| statement. The I. L. D. was or
ganized by Communist party ex.
ecutives, Mr.. Gitlow said.
Mr. Marcantonio, who became
chairman Of the /. L. D. in 1887
said:
Il took Office with the distinct
| understanding that this was going
to be Communist organiza-
ton and that policy has been main
tanned"
The I. L. D. is an organization
which gives legal aid to persons al
legged to have been deprived of civil
liberties. Mr. Gitlow said:
1T is not a defense organiza tior
IN the pure sense of the term. It is
the legal defense organization of the
Communist party and the Commun-
ist International. and also serves az
highly political and propagandist
Communist organization"
Chairman Dies reminded Mr.
Marcantonio that two communists
are officers of the l. L. D., that il
had never gone on record against
communism, nor had it given aid
to victim" of communism.
Let me nail that right now" Mr.
Marcantonio interrupted. I'VE nev-
er have had any cases of that type
before us. The communists have
always been the victims. If tomor-
row a case should be brought be-
fore us regarding the deprivation of
, civil rights by the Communist
party, by Josef Stain, Earl Browder
or anybody else, We would defend
that person"
Mr.. Gitlow said the Communist
party organized the I. L. D. and read
to the committee what he described
as minutes of party meetings at
which plans for the organization
were discussed.
Says instruction Received.
He also read what he said were
minutes OF meeting of the Com
munist party's three-man secre-
tariat in October, 1925, noting that
instructions were received from
Moscow from the international
Workers Aid and the International
Red Aid for I. L. D. protests against
certain executions contemplated ir
Hungary.
Mr.. Marcantonlo said he was not
responsible for anything the I. L. D
did before he became its chairman
but since then he would accept full
responsibility for its activities.
II took the chairmanship" he de-
clared, with the full understanding
it Il. L. d. was to be strictly non-
communist, non political and non.
partisan"