Evening star., 1939-12-01
Dies Committee
Visited Third Time
By Mrs. Roosevelt
President, Meanwhile,
Refuses to Comment
On Continuation
1y the Associated Press,

On Continuation
1y the Associated Press.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt today
made her third visit to the Dies
Committee to hear testimony by
leaders of American youth organi-
Zations.--
Meanwhile, at press conference,
President Roosevelt refused to say
whether he favored continuation of
the committee, which has been in
vestigating un-American activities.
It is scheduled to expire January 8,
but Chairman Dies has asked the
House for a years extension and
also challenged the administration
either to support the committee or
declare its opposition.
Mr.. Roosevelt said continuation Of
the committee was matter for Con-
gress to consider Congress has the
right to set up dozen such commit
tees if it wants to, he added.
Mrs. Roosevelt said she Joined the
committee spectators again espe-
cially to hear Joseph Lash, executive
secretary of the American Students
Union.
= II thought I'd like to hear what
he, had to say" Mrs. Roosevelt
smiled to newsmen as she took her
seat among a group of young men
and women on the front row.
Appeared Twice Yesterday.
She appeared at the hearing in
the House Office Building for the
first time yesterday morning and
returned again in the afternoon,
when the American Youth Congress
had its hearing.
Asked today how she thought the
Youth Congress leaders had &C
quilted themselves, Mrs. Roosevelt
thought for second and then said:
well. don't you think I'd better
leave that to your judgment rather
than mine
The Presidents wife today wore
a black dress trimmed in red. Yes
terday she was in a green woolen
outfit trimmed in black Persian
lamb.
When Mr.. Lash took the stand,
Mrs. Roosevelt moved from the
front row of spectators to the end
of the committee table-the same
place she occupied yesterday when
the Youth Congress leaders were on
the stand. The Student Union is an
affiliate of the Youth Congress.
Sitting beside Mr. Lash at the
table was Agnes Reynolds, tall
brown-eyed girl, who is the college
secretary of the Student Union.
Quit Socialists in 1887.
Under questioning by j. B. Mat
thews, committee investigator, Mr..
Lash testifed-while Mrs. Roose-
welt listened intently-that he Joined
the Socialist party in 1929 and re-
signed in 1887 shortly after return
ing from the Spanish war. Asked
his reasons for quitting. he said:
Il believed that the Socialist party
was subordinating the interests OF
the people as whole in the interest
of factional political strife in the
left"
The witness said, answering an
other inquiry, that he had given to
the press and friends" copies OF his
letters of resignation.
Unfortunately, it was made use
of only by Communist publica-
tions." he added. II regret that"
Mr.. Lash said, in reply to further
questions, that he had no recollec-
ton of having made statement in
connection with his resignation that
he was widely suspected of having
become Stalinist."
He said he had never been
member of the National Student
League, but that the Student
League for Industrial Democracy, of
which he was once secretary, had
co-operated with the N S. L. on
some phases of its program.
Went to Harlan.
He was one of a number of STU
dents who went to Harlan, KY, in
1882 in a delegation organized by
N. S. L., he said, adding that he did
not realize until after the trip
started that 1t was under N. S. L.
sponsorship.
Mr. Lash said he was a graduate
student at Columbia University at
the time He had graduated from
the City College of New York in
1881.
He told the committee he had
fought proposed amalgamation Of
the National Student League and
the League for Industrial Democ-
racy because he did not trust the
motive of the people making the
proposals"
In response to questions, the wit
ness conceded that he used the Ma
tional Student League and the term
Communists INTERCHANGEABLE.
Amid frequent clashes with Mr..
Matthews over Technology, Mr..
Lash expressed belief that "a good
many" of this country's problems
grew out of the profit system. He
maintained that he did not think it
was "disloyal" to be in favor Of
changes in the profit system.
Starnes Upholds This Right.
Acting Chairman Starnes inter-
posed that the witness had per
feet right" as an American citizen
to his opinions.
However, the witness statement
drew a declaration from Represent
ative Voorhis, Democrat, of Califor-