Evening star., 1940-12-29
House Probers F|ay
Labor Board, Urge
Full Reorganization
Dismissal of All Leftist'
Employees Is Called for
BY Smith Committee
fContinued From First page.)

stCOIlClLu6U FTOIn f1TSG Pdge.D
based upon class conflict rather
than cooperative enterprise.
-. A complete lack of loyalty
and belief in democratic institutions
and processes, demonstrated at
times by an open or half concealed
allegiance to alien and subversive
doctrines and by affiliation with or
sympathy for un-American organi-
cations advocating the overthrow
of our political and economic sys-
tenn; at others, by a bold defiance
Of the will of the people of the
United States.
"3. A iagrant disregard of con-
stitutional rights and procedural
safeguards demonstrated by the in
tention of non-statutory remedies,
the use of economic pressure de-
vices and the abuse of administra-
tive discretion.
"Leftist Tendencies" Charged.
a. The Interpretation of this law
by certain members of the board
and its staff as an affirmative man
date to use the power of their off,
cial position and prestige as a stim-
illus to drive employees to accept
and join forms of organization not
of their own choice, thereby ac-
tually depriving the workers them
selves of their statutory right OF
self-organization."
Under a subhead reading "Leftist
Tendencies of Personnel" the re-
port in part, said: %" Examples
from the record are presented to
show how members and employees
of the board were profoundly in
fiuenced by the doctrines and
teachings of a leftist philosophy
which the committee believes in
compatible with a truly democratic
system of government. Fraterniz-
ing with Communist sympathizers,
attending meetings of societies be-
hind whose innocuouS names turks
the Communist incubus, accepting
suggestions and instructions from
Communists and near Communists
all these and many other in
stances of improper associations
and activities have convinced the
committee that many of the en-
ployes of the board are unfit for
the task of fair and impartial ad-
ministration of the act. Amid such
luxuriant growth of alien phil
osophies, no democratic process
would long have a chance of sur
vival."
Leiserson Commended.
The report declared the appoint
ment of Or. Harry M. Mills to the
board to replace j. Warren Madden,
the former chairman, whose term
expired several months ago; the
subsequent designations of T. I.
Emerson, assistant general counsel;
Nathan Witt, board secretary. and
Alexander Hawes, chief administra-
tive examiner, together with aboli-
ton Of the division of economic re-
search, represents good beginning
for muchneeded reorganization of
the personnel of the board" At this
point the report especially COM
mends William M. Leiserson, a board
member, for the spirited single
handed fight" he conducted for
elimination of partiality, incom-
petence and ineff1ciency," and adds:
AT no time is there any place in
an administrative body of the Fed
eral Government for persons of pro-
nounced radical PHILOSOPHERS so
strong as to cloud their perceptions
of the constitutional rights of
citizens with whom they must deal.
Much of the criticism and malad-
ninistration by the board would
have been avoided had personnel
been selected because of the indi-
vidual employees ability to perform
his work in fair and impartial
manner, rather than upon a basis of
his leftist inclinations or precon-
ceived prejudices"
Smith and Madden Called Leftists.
Edwin S. Smith, board member;
former Chairman Madden and
David Saposs, who directed the
boards now defunct division of eco
nomlc research, were named in the
report as having leftist tendencies.
In addition, the report declared, tes-
tlmony before the committee showed
there are other employees holding
extremely important positions" who
were sympathetic to the Communist
movement" The boards employees
union, which includes virtually every
type OF employe with the exception
OF supervisors and trial examiners.
21cn 1nPI1cni of -
leanings.
THE committee" declared the re-
port, either by its investigation or
this report, does not intend to cast
any reflection or discredit upon the
employees of the board who have
rendered conscientious and fair
services to the Government of the
United States.
Complete Reorganization Urged.
However, the committee recon-
mends the complete reorganization
OF the personnel employed by the
board and the separation of those
persons who have demonstrated a
partial and biased attitude towards
l1tigants, as well as those whose
conduct and expressions of opinion
have indicated their determined OBJ
lection to the American system of
government.
THE committee further recon-
mends the prompt dismissal of all
members of the erstwhile League of
Peace and Democracy and the
League Against War and Fascism,
together with all employees of the
board who may be, or have been
at any time, members of similar
Communist front and other radical
organizations
Attention was called by the COM
mittee to amendments it recon-
mended to the Wagner Act last
March and the subsequent approval
by the House of II of them. These
amer dments, the report said, were
designed to improve the existing
labor law by making provisions more