Evening star., 1940-02-05
Mrs. Roosevelt
Again Defends
Youth Congress
Answers HumiIton's
Charges, Denies
Reds Control Group

Mrs. Roosevelt today answered the
charges made against the American
Youth Congress by Republican Ma
tional Committee Chairman John
D. M. Hamilton and reiterated her
denial that the congress is Com
munist- st-dominated.
Commenting on Mr.. Hamilton's
refusal to send representative to
the forthcoming Citizenship Insti-
tute of the American Youth Con-
gress because it had failed to purge
itself of CNhmunistic elements"
Mrs. Roosevelt asserted that Mr.
Hamilton was a victim of slight
misunderstanding"
Pointing out that the Dies Com
mittee report does not say the
Youth Congress is Communist
dominated, she said she thought it
would be "fair" for Mr.. Hamilton
to ask the congress for list of its
representation.
Sees All Parties Represented.
"He would probably find that the
congress has representatives from
all political parties" she said.
Therefore until Mr.. Hamilton can
purge the whole United States for
allowing a Communist to exist in
the United States, I don't see how
any youth organizat ation can do what
the whole country cannot do"
She expressed surprise that no
Republican Senator and only one
Republican Representative had been
invited to the informal White House
gathering of members of Congress
and representatives of the youth
group tonight. She said the list of
Senators and Representatives had
been made up by the Youth Con-
gress with the idea of including
congressman who had shown an in
terest in youth problems.
1t was neither her intention nor
that of the Youth Congress, she
said, to draw the line at one po-
ltical party. In fact, it wasn't
until the list was shown to her at
her press conference that she rea-
lized Mrs. Edith Nourse Rogers was
the only Republican included.
The gathering, Mrs. Roosevelt ex-
planned, was called to give a few
young people an opportunity to
discuss what the four-day Citizen
ship Institute planned to be and
to do. The evening will be de-
voted to questions and answers be-
tween the young people and the
congressional group.
Doesn't Know Hamilton's TARGET,
Mrs. Roosevelt was asked to COM
ment on another phase of Mr.. Ham,
ilton's letter to Joseph Cadden, ex-
ecutive secretary of the Youth Con-
gress, in which the Republican
chairman made his Communist
charges.
Mr.. Hamilton had said it was un-
fortunate that well-meaning per-
sons of high standing and in places
of responsible leadership had per-
mitted themselves to be made
fronts to give respectability to the
activities of such groups and thus
to mislead and confuse persons
about whose Americanism there can
be no question"
Mrs. Roosevelt responded:
Il don't really know whom he
refers to-"
AS the questions piled up about
her attitude toward the Youth
Congress, and she was specifically
asked if she still felt as she had
month ago that the youth organi-
Zation was free of Communism, she
decided to give this statement:
"As far as I have been able to
find out and observe-and I have
seen the F. B. I. reports and many
other things including those charts
that were sent to every Congress-
man-as far as can discover the
American Youth Congress is not
Communist dominated.
Has Communist Representatives.
Now they have the Young Com
munist League as one of the con-
gress groups and naturally in the
Communist papers they always claim
that the Young Communist League
has done so and so in all the organ
izations it touches. Naturally the
Young Communist League repre-
sentative speaks on any subject and
votes on any subject that comes up
IT have not discovered, however,
that what that representative said
or that vote was the predominating
influence and I feel that a youth
organization must stand for the
same kind of tolerance and freedom
of expression and representation
that we as Nation have always
stood for under the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights"
The informal White House meet
ing. arranged by Mrs. Roosevelt, will
be a preview of the four-day insti-
tute which will bring 5000 young
people to Washington Saturday tt
discuss the problems of jobs fol
youth, peace and civil liberties anc
methods by which 8,5O0,000 new
voters can best exercise their citi.
zenship.
The young people plan to stage 6
parade from the Capitol to the
White House where the President
will address them Saturday. Attor.
welt, Aubrey Williams, James Carey
ney General Jackson, Mrs. Roose-
and others are also on the roster o1
speakers during the institute.
White House Guest List.
Invited to the White House gath
ering tonight are Senators Wagner
Guffey, Minton, Wheeler, Hill, Lee
E. D. Thomas, Lundeen, Mead
Murray, Green, Schwellenbach ane
Pepper and Representatives Ray
burn, SABBATH, McGranery, Geyer
Voorhis, Lac, Houston, Rogers, Nc
Keough, Ford, Havenner, Freis
Marcantonio, Tarver, Schultz
Pierce, Sacks, Keller, johnson, Hook
Tenerowicz, Dunn, Casey, ODay
Norton, Eberharter and Patrick.
Two of the members of Con
gress who will be present at to-