Evening star., 1939-10-26


by illegal means when they could
have gone down there and merely
asked them to produce them"
Meanwhile, from the Offices of
the Federal employees named, some
of whom hold high positions in the
administration, came steady
stream of statements. Some denied
they were members of the league.
others said they had been, but were
no longer active, and still others said
they merely were on the league S
mailing list. Some said emphari-
cally they were not Communists.
violates Civil Rights"
Harry c. Lamberton, chairman
OF the Washington branch, said the
committees action was an out
rageous violation of civil rights
that could serve no possible puplic
purpose" He asserted it was ut
terly false" that the league is q
Communist front organiza ton.
Along with the names. the COM
mlttee included the salaries of Fed
eral employees.
Those named, as listed by the
committee, included:
Oscar L. Chapman, Assistant Sec
retary of the Interior, whose salary
was given as $4,000 a year; Edwin
S. Smith, member of the Labor Re-
lations Board, $1,000; Louis Bloch,
member of the Maritime Labor
Board, $4,000; Mordecai Ezekial.
director of the Agricultural Adjust
ment Administration, $1,000; Nathan
Witt, secretary of the Labor Rela-
tions Board. $500: Sigmund TIM
berg, Securities and Exchange Com
mission attorney, $500, and L. C..
Vass, S. E. c. statistical expert,
IS 400.
Ivan Assay, administrative advisor,
$1,000, and Merrill G.. Murray, direc-
tor Analysis Division of the Social
Security Board, $1,000.
Several employees of the Rural
Electrification Administration were
listed, including Ward B. Freeman,
co-ordinator engineer, $4,000; Mr..
Lamberton (the local league chair
mani, attorney, 5000; T. E. O'Cal-
lahan, public relations counsel,
$4,000, and Franklin Wood, attor-
ney, $4,000.
Also listed were Willard w. Be-
atty, chief of the Office of Indian
Affairs, $500; Gregory Silvermaster,
economist, Forest Service, $500;
Robert Marshall, administrative
officer, Maritime Labor Board, S. 300;
Carroll Daugherty, chief economist,
Department of Labor. $1,000; Milton
Kramer, attorney, Railroad Retire
ment Board, S. 90, and Dorothy Wal
ton Cor Mrs. Stanley Survey. as
sistant legal counsel of the Treas
ury. $500.
Mr. Bloch issued a statement say
ing he was a member of the league
two or three years ago and attended
one meeting. Since then. he said,
he has been too "preoccupied with
official business to think about
league affairs and so was uncertain
whether he was still member.
These are the facts" Mr.. Bloch
asserted. Il am not offering them
as an apology or explanation"
Mr.. Vass said that ito the best of
my knowledge" he was not a men,
ber. and added that he did not
have the slightest idea" how his
name got on the list.
Mr.. Witt said he was on the
leagues mailing list, but was not a
member.
Mr.. Timberg also said he was on
the mailing list, but did not know
whether he was member.
Proud Of Membership.
In Missouli, Mont, where he is
stationed for the Forest Service, Mr..
Marshall had this comment:
Certainly I'm a member. I think
it's been doing an exceptionally good
Job in the advancement of peace,
democracy, and higher standard Of
living for the majority of Americans,
in all of which I believe enthusiastic
ally"
John Collier, Commissioner of In
dian Affairs. issued a statement in
which he said none of the employees
Of his department who had been
named were Communists.
Mr.. Lamberton said in his state
ment that the Washington branch
Of the league has made it plain on
occasions, and has tried
its best to get an, opportunity to
make it plain to the Dies Committee,
that it is not a Communist front