Evening star., 1939-10-29

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Underwood Photo.
Within the brief space Of 16 months
there has come to pass one of the most
singular reversals in the recent history
of Congress. During some of that period
denounced as national scandal and
jest, the hearings of the House Special
Committee on Un-American Activities
and Propaganda have become the Capt.
tails overshadoWing investigation. with
testimony resounding through the land
and overseas. In May, 1888, its chair
man, Martin Dies, a rangy, 38-year-old
Texan, was merely one among hundreds
of obscure members of Congress. Today
his name is household word
resolution will be offered in the
House in January extending the COM
mittee's life for third year and grant,
ing it further appropriation of $780,
900. The bill, it appears likely. will pass
by an overwhelming majority, as an
Identical one was adopted early in 1885,
This will make total Of S225 900 for
committee which started with a miserly
budget of $4,000.
What was the determining factor in so
remarkable a revolution? Was it the
committee own accomplishments in in
vestigation? What part was played by
deliberate showmanship? Was the lead
ing role enacted by sheer luck? Does
the committee, on its merits, deserve to
continue? The present article seeks to
y,royiIo dot
tions.
Fish Headed First Probe.
Official inquiry into foreign propa-
ganda began in 1890, when the late
Nicholas Longworth, then Speaker of the
House, appointed special committee on
Communist activities and named as
chairman Representative Hamilton Fish,
Republican, of New York. 1t held ses-
sions in IA cities, heard 275 witnesses
and returned a voluminous and vehe-
ment report on January II. 1881.
Next, in 1884, House Special Com
mittee on Nazi and Other Propaganda
was created, with Representative John
w. Mccormack, Democrat, of Massa-
chusetts, as chairman. 1t took 1920
pages of testimony and presented a dig
nified and exhaustive report on February
Is, 1885. Finally, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation inquired into Nazi agita-
ton in this country and embodied its
findings in bulky secret report.
AS grotesque as anything in its own
record is the fact that the Dies Com
mittee owes its existence to what was
felt to be the necessity for muzzling Rep
resentative Samuel Dickstein, Democrat,
of New York who had been vice chair
man of the Mccormack Committee.
After it expired in 1885, Dickstein re-
lieved his emotions with frequent anti
German diatribes on the House floor
These were displeasing to many promi-
nent Jews who believed the New Yorker
was doing his people more harm than
good. They also irritated numerous
members of Congress, who were flooded
with aff1davits from constituents swear
ing they were not Hitler agents. It was
Dickstein's custom to read into the re-
cord long lists of citizens whom he ac-
cused of being Nazis.
Dies Selection a Surprise.
In order to deprive him of further
excuse for talking, it was decided not
to revive the Mccormack Committee, of
which Dickstein would have been q
member but to form new one after its
model. A resolution of May 26, 1888,
was copied verbatim from that authoriz-
ing the Mccormack Committee, with one
significant exception. The original text
directed an investigation of "subversive
propaganda instigated from foreign
countries" To these five words were
added: "Or of a domestic origin"
The idea had flashed upon the Dem
ocratic faction led by Vice President
Garner that the committee could be used
for tying up alien propaganda first
with the Congress of Industrial Organ
izations and second with the Roosevelt
administration itself, for the purpose Of
discrediting the New Deal and averting
a third term.
To the general astonishment Dies
was selected to offer the resolution,
which meant that he would become
chairman of the committee when the
measure was passed. At that time he
possessed only one outstanding distinc-
ton in the House, in which he had
served since 1881. When a member is
guilty of a particularly f1amboyant
speech, his colleagues gather in the
cloakroom and elect him to what is
laughingly known as The Demagogues'
Club" To Dies, for some years, had
been yielded by common consent the
title of president of this jocose and
unofficial organization.
According to Dies, he was chosen
because he was member of the Rules
Committee and had been making
speeches about the country on Amer
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