Evening star., 1939-10-26
Dies Probers Condemned
For Peace League List

The Dies Committee encountered
fresh criticism from one Of its own
members today for publishing what
1t termed membership and mail
ing list of the Washington branch
Of the American League for Peace
and Democracy.
In the wake of a dispute on the
House floor over the action, Repre-
sentative Voorhis. Democrat, of Cali
fornia told reporters that the COM
mittee to which he belongs, had
done wrong in making public the
list of 565 Federal employees.
The committee has called the
league a Communist front" Or
ganization, but Chairman Dies en-
phasized it had no evidence that
any of the persons named was a
Communist.
REFLECTION on Committee"
Representative Voorhis said that
giving out the list was "just what
the Communists wanted us to do"
He added:
1T will lead to casting doubt upon
aAAS AiAAAAAASo Va lllC cVeu
when they are of the most substan-
tial and important sort"
A vigorous protest also came from
the Executive Committee of the
Washington branch of the league.
which declared the list of names
released by the Dies Committee is
really the mailing list of the league
and not its membership list.
The mailing list includes both
members and non-members as we'll
as former members whose member
ship has lapsed, the league said.
The House committee had no right
to publish the mailing list when
the actual membership list al
ready had been submitted to it by
the league, the Executive Committee
declared
Mason Replies Tomorrow.
Representative Mason, Republican,
OF Illinois. at whose demand the
Dies Committee made public the list
OF names, said he would make a
Commute speech in the House to-
morrow to answer attacks on the
committee for releasing the list.
1t also was announced at the COM
mlttee's headquarters a statement
would be issued later in the day in
defense Of its action in making the
list public.
At the request of Mr.. Mason. the
House, few minutes after it con-
Vened, agreed by unanimous consent
to allocate him 30 minutes tomorrow
to make his speech.
1he committee Cancelled today's
hearing because of the failure of a
witness to reach Washington in
time.
Representative Dempsey. Demo-
crat, OF New Mexico, protested to his
Dies committee colleagues yesterday
that all the persons named were not
members of the league and will be
done an injustice"
Later in the House, Representa-
tive Coffee, Democrat, of Washing
ton demanded that the Chamber
and the Roosevelt administration
repudlate the committees action.
He accused it of engaging in "un-
American activities which it was
created to smoke out"
Representative Cox. Democrat. of
Georgia interrupted to inquire:
If there is not something that is
bad about this so-called League for
Peace and Democracy, if it is not
actually a front for the Commu-
mist party if there is not something
about it that members should
wish to conceal. then why object
to the publication of the list of the
members of the Washington chap
ter?"
Dies Raid" Charged. |
Representative Coffee said that
although league leaders were will
Ing to submit the list on request,
Dies Committee agents had "raldad'
the league Office here to get it.
I'm other words" Mr. Coffee said,
"they were guilty of the very prac-
tices which we are prone to in