Evening star., 1939-11-28
Dies Unit Undecided
On Whether 10 Call
Mrs. Roosevelt
Acting Chairman Says
Committee Welcomes
Views if She Wishes
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Members of the House Committee
on Un-American Activities dis
cussed but deferred decision today
on whether to invite Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt to testify before them.
Under consideration since Mrs.
Roosevelt indicated at a press con-
ference yesterday that she would be
willing to appear, the matter prob
ably will not be settled until Chair
man Dies returns from a few days
rest. Acting Chairman Starnes re-
marked today that he knew of no
question which the committee has in
mind to ask Mrs. Roosevelt, but
added that IF she or any one else
has any light to shed on subversive
activities, of course we would be
glad to hear her"
1T is all up to the chairman" he
added
Meanwhile, the subcommittee
selected by Chairman Dies to con-
duct the inquiry during his absence
called off public hearing scheduled
for 10 O'Clock this morning, when
the witness it called failed to make
his appearance. The subcommittee
waited As minutes for the witness
before canceling the hearing.
Witness Misses Train.
Newspapermen were told the wit
ness was to have been William
NOVEL;, who last week testified pri-
vately before Chairman Dies in De-
troit. Mr.. NOVEL;, it was said, missed
train in Detroit, which prevented
his arrival in Washington in time
to take the witness stand today.
Mr.. Starnes announced he would
be the first witness when hearings
are resumed tomorrow at 10 m.
Mr.. NOVEL;, it was said, recently
split with the Communist Party in
the United States as result of the
Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact and
plans to tell the subcommittee some
OF the activities of the party in at
tempting to get control of student
bodies Of American educational in
stitutions.
Representative Voorhis, Democrat,
Of California, committee member,
had this to say of Mrs. Roosevelt's
possible appearance:
Il think the committee should
extend every possible courtesy to
Mrs. Roosevelt. If she wants to ap-
pear, it might be within the discre-
ton OF the committee to invite her.
II she doesn't want to appear l
don't think the committee should
ask her"
Dies Considers Invitation.
Resting in his Washington home
from an arduous two-week private
investigation in New Orleans, Chi
cago and Detroit, Chairman Dies
relayed to newspapermen through
his wife, the word he is consider
ing extending an invitation to Mrs.
Roosevelt to appear before his COM
mlttee. He said, however, via Mrs.
Dies, he had not yet discussed the
subject with other members of the
committee, but would do so at the
first opportunity.
To newspapermen who surrounded
Mr.. Starnes yesterday, the Ala
baman summarized his impressions
in these words:
I was impressed by the sincerity
OF the men who testified today. They
showed the necessity for caution
and care in keeping Communists out
OF our educational system"
Mr.. Starnes had reference to the
testimony of Maj. Hampden Wilson,
a Veterans Administration investi-
gator who has been working for
the committee for eight months;
Prof. George w. Hartman of the
teachers college of Columbia Uni
versity in New York and DR.. Henry
R. Linville of New York, one of the
organizers of the American Fedora
ton of Teachers.
Student Union Accused.
Maj. Wilson, who lives at 1841
kilbourne place NV, charged that
the American Student Union has
been the agency used by Communists
in spreading Communism in the high
schools and colleges of the Nation.
I'm practically every institution
OF higher learning and in many city
high schools" he declared, at was
found that the American Student
Union was the agency used in
spreading Communism"
Maj. Wilson reported that the
Student Union "is always noisy
minority wherever it exists" and
invariably gets representation on
the school paper, if not full con-
troll"
Maj. Wilson's testimony brought a
prompt denial in New York City
from Joseph P. Lash. national sec
retary, that the Students Union
was dominated by Communists or
had ever expressed any belief in or
sympathy for Communism" He
said the unions aim was to voice
the students concern for his own
and his country's welfare"
DR.. Linville took occasion dur
ing his lengthy testimony con-
corning the attempts of Com
munists to get control of teach
ers' organizations, to point out that
the two Washington locals affiliated
with the American Federation of
Teachers-one white and the other
colored-are among the teacher
groups that "persistently' carried
on a fight against the flow tide of
Communism.
DR.. Linville devoted a major por-
ton of his testimony to events sur
rounding rift in the New York
Teachers Union in 1885 as a protest
against Communist activities with
in the organization. AS result of
that situation, he said, the New York