Evening star., 1939-08-24
'Medd|ing' byF Foreign
Diplomats AssaiIed
By Chairman Dies
Asks Counsel to Determine
Whether U. S. Has
Any Recourse
Nv the ASgociated Press

Any Recourse
Dy the Associated Press.
Chairman Dies asked counsel for
the House Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities today to determine
whether this country has recourse
against nations whose diplomats
"meddle in domestic affairs"
Representative Dies made it plain
this action was the result of testi-
mony by Henry D. Allen of Los An
geles, who said two days ago he
visited the German and Italian EN-
bassies on trip to Washington in
1888.
Mr.. Allen described himself as a
West Coast leader of activities
against Jewish communism"
"It occurs to me it's an intolerable
situation" Representative Dies said
in the open committee session, when
the diplomatic representatives of
foreign powers seek to divide our
people into hostile camps.
IF American representatives in
Germany or Italy joined movement
contrary to Nazi or Fascist ideals, it
would cause an international crisis.
probably threats of war"
Il think it's violation of the
spirit if not the letter of our treaties
with those countries"
Meanwhile, investigators searched
for William Dudley Pelley, Silver
Shirt leader, cited by Chairman Dies
as attempting to sabotage the work
of the committee.
Disclosure by a committee source
that a subpoena has been issued for
the Asheville, N. c., publisher lee
turer came shortly after Represent
ative Dies declared the Silver Shirt
organization had attempted to place
an undcrcover agent on the COM
mittee's staff.
The committee yesterday recon-
mended Federal "prosecutive action"
against Fraser Gardner, 81, WASH
ington political researcher who was
employed by Mr.. Pelley's Skyland
Press while seeking q job as investi-
gator with the Dies group.
This is clear case" Mr.. Dies
said. that Pelley and his Silver
Shirts have undertaken by this
method to secure information in ad-
vance and sabotage this investiga-
ton"
Whereabouts Unknown.
Mr. Gardner, flushed and endless
~ putting cigarettes, appeared before
the committee yesterday in a sur
prise investigation of his relations
with Mr.. Pelley.
DO you know where Pelley is
now?" Chairman Dies asked him.
mo, I don't" was the reply.
Neither does this committee" Mr.
Dies snapped. Go ahead
Mr.. Gardner testified he was not
employed or paid by any group under
investigation by the committee when
he sought job on the investigative
staff, but acknowledged later that
he had been employed by the Sky
land Press since March to make re-
ports on trends of immigration"
He also acknowledged he knew Mr.
Pelley, had talked to him by tele-
phone several times, and had re-
ceived kilograms signed wv. D. p
He contended. however. there was
distinction between being employed
by Mr.. Pelley and by the Skyland
Press. Mr.. Pelley never paid him
he declared, adding that he received
about $50 a week after being hired
by HAL Cummings, cartoonist for a
Pelley publication.
Not 4 Silver Shirt.
Outside the hearing, Mr.. Gardner
said emphatically:
II am not Silver Shirt. never
was, and I never will be- What J
was asked to do was perfectly ethica
and perfectly legal
Chairman Dies contended in {
statement. however, that the witness
had concealed and denied materia
facts to get a job with the com.
mittee.
Mr.. Dies said several Senators ant
high Government officials had rec.
commended Mr.. Gardner. The lattel
afterward said Senator Tydings
Democrat, of Maryland was one O.
these.
Mr.. Gardner also said that OF
November II, 1898, he had luncheon
with Senator Tydings to learr
whether the Dies committee had {
chance to obtain a new 100000 ap
preparation.
After Senator Tydings expressed
belief the appropriation would b.
made, Mr. Gardner said, he applied
for the job as investigator in Janu
ary, 1899. Senator Tydings recon-
mended him by telephone, he added
Then, when nothing came of th'
application, he said, he accepted tn,
work with the Skyland Press TIVE
months later.
Changes Statement.
Mr.. Gardner at first had said h
was engaged to do work for Skylan'
Press by David Babp, whom h
identified as Assistant United State
Attorney General in charge o
espionage cases during the Worl
War. Later he changed this to sa
he made the arrangement with MI
Cummings in Mr.. Babp's presence.
George E. Sullivan, Washington
attorney, testified that Mr.. Gardne
had offered to sell him information
as to when impending meetings Q
the committee would be held, tn
names of witnesses and other detail
concerning them, but he said n
was not interested. Mr.. Gardner
questioned, denied this, but Mr.. Sui
livan reiterated that it was true.
Mr.. Sullivan served as counsel 70
Gen. George Van Horn Mosele
when the retired Army officer was