Evening star., 1939-10-24
Un-Americun
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Un-Americun
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statutes. I am confident they can
be indicted and prosecuted in the
courts.
I'VE must put stop to the rack
eteering going on under the guise
OF patriotism. We must bring this
thing to showdown and I wish to
commend the Department of Justice
for its cooperation"
After Mr.. Dies made his state
ment, he turned to the press table
and explained to newspapermen that
AL facts would be submitted by
the committee to the Justice De-
partment without delay.
If they agree in our statement
that the laws are being violated the
Justice Department is going to take
action" he said.
Mr.. Dies pointed out he could not
undertake to speak" for the JUS
tlce Department. but he felt it
planned to take definite action.
Francis Adams Henson, 1923 G
street NV. had just taken the
witness stand when Chairman Dies
made the statement. He said he
was co-secretary of the American
League Against War and Fascism
five or six years ago.
Mr.. Henson said he and other
Socialists left the league in 1894
after deciding that Communists and
their fellow travellers dominated it.
When the Socialists left were
there any people left in the league
out Communists and fellow travel
ers?' Chairman Dies asked.
Very few the witness replied.
Student of Marxism.
After Mr.. Henson said he had
been a longtime student of Marx
Ism and Leninism, j. B. Matthews.
committee investigator, led him into
a recital OF criteria by which Com
munlst front organizations are
known.
The witness listed these tndi-
cations:
l. The fact that a front eroun
refralned from adopting in full a
communist party attitude on
given question. The purpose of that
procedure, as the witness explained
1t, is to attract members who might
not want to join the party itself.
2. Communist control of the secre-
tary, rather than the chairman or
president. of an organization.
3. Participation of front groups in
Communist parades.
4. The amount of space the organ
lzations get in the Daily Worker,
New York Communist newspaper.
In a brief outline of his education
and experience, Mr.. Henson said that
until the latter part of last year he
was administrative assistant to
Homer Martin, head of the United
Automobile Workers, an American
Federation of Labor affiliate.
Il was the unfortunate victim of
fractional fight and was dis
missed" he said.
Since then, he explained, he has
been in Washington, engaging prin-
cipally in free-lance writing.
Defends Organization.
DR.. Harry F. Ward. president of
the American League for Peace and
Democracy, spent nearly five hours
on the witness stand yesterday de-
Tending the organization against
charges it was front" for Com
munists. Later came Harry C. Lam
berton, chairman of the Washing
ton branch of the league, who regis
tered indignation over the procedure
adopted by committee attaches in
seizing its records. It was the long
est session ever held by the COM
mittee, lasting from 10 am. until
sos pm, with only brief luncheon
recess.
Just before the committee placed
Mr.. Lamberton on the witness stand
it called one of its own Investigators,
Robert Barker, former employe of
the Veterans administration, to
outline how he procured the records
of the Washington branch of the
league. Mr.. Barkers testimony
served as a somewhat humorous
prelude for Mr.. Lamberton's testi-
mony which was frequently marked
with clashes between him and COM
mittee members.
Chairman Dies explained he had
called Mr.. Barker and Mr.. Lamber-
ton to clear up" a charge that COM
mittee Investigators had seized"
league records, not only in Washing
ton, but in Chicago, too.
Mr.. Barker went into minute de-
tail to describe his visit to the head
quarters of the Washington branch
Of the league, which he said were To-
Gated at 804 Seventeenth street NV.
He told how he walked up the steps
and met woman he declared was
Lucy Hancock. who later was identi-
fled as the voluntary secretary Of
the league. He explained he recog-
nized the office of the headquarters,
because it had the usual Hitler
wanted for kidnapping sign on the
door.
Miss Hancock failed to return to
the ofiice, Mr.. Barker said, although |
she had left there her hat, pocket
book and glasses. Then he wheeled |
around In his chair and pointed ct |
q woman in the front row Of Spec
tators, saying: She's still got tho
same hat"