Evening star., 1940-02-07
Dies Committee
To Quiz PeI|ey
This Afternoon
Silver Shirt Leaders
Testimony Is Sought
On Fascist Legion
BACKGROUND


Storm center since its creation,
the Dies Committee probing un-
American activities got back In
the headlines Uhen charges Dere
made that members of Congress
were attempting to sabotage it
by linking the chairman, Repre-
sentative Dies, Uith the Stluer
Shirts, q Fascist" group. Let
ters purporting to inpolue Mr..
Dies 11ere introduced into the
Record, and promptly branded
torgerteS-a contention that U1s
proved yesterday.
BY the Associated Press.
The Dies Committee ordered a
public hearing today at 2:30 pm. to
question William Dudley Pelley
about his activities as leader of the
Silver Shirt Legion.
Acting Chairman Starnes, Demo-
crat. of Alabama made the an.
nouncement after he and Repre-.
sentative Mason. Republican, Of
Illinois, another committee member.
had talked to Pelley privately for
almost two hours. Neither Mr..
Starnes or Mr.. Mason would say
what was discussed.
The soft-spoken, goateed Pelley,
who had been sought for months by
the committee and its agents, pop
ped up yesterday and was reported
ready to testify on committee
charges that his organization is
probably the largest Fascist group
in the United States.
First, however. he helped bring
about a quick announcement of the
furor over the letters used by Rep
resentative Hook, Democrat, of
Michigan in a recent House state
ment desigend to show a connec-
ton between Chairman Dies, DEM
ocrat, of Texas and Pelley.
The latter told a House Rules
Subcommittee yesterday that the
documents appearing over his sig
natures were forgeries and that he
gave Mr.. Dies "a clean bill of
health"
David Mayne of Washington, a
one time aide of Pelley who had
produced the letters, followed him
on the stand and calmly said that
he had manufactured them right
out of the clear air"
Hook Withdraws Letters.
1t wasn't long before Mr.. Hook
arose in the house. said the letters
were the "figment of somebody's
Imagination" and withdrew them
from the Congressional Record.
Pelley, meanwhile, dropped from
sight after being given a SUBJ
poena by the Dies Committee. Men,
bers, plainly baff1ed by his sudden
appearance, said they were consid-
ering placing him under surveillance
to assure his presence whenever
they were ready to take his testi-
| mony.
II think that Pelley knew sooner
or later he would be caught and
would have to testify" said Repre-
sentative Voorhis, Democrat, Of Cali
fornia. committeeman.
Members were uncertain what
would happen if Sheriff Laurence
E. Brown of Asheville, N. c., should
succeed in locating Pelley. A Caro-
lima judge has declared that he vio-
lated the conditions on which Jail
sentence for State blue sky" law
violations was suspended.
They said they understood that
the statute of limitations on those
accusations would expire February
18 Representative Starnes added
that neither State nor Federal Off
GERS could interfere while Pelley was
under committee subpoena.
Called Racketeer in Report.
In discussing Pelley, a distributor
of anti-Semitic literature, the Dies
Committee said in a report to Con-
gress last month:
From the documentary evidence
and testimony before the committee
concerning the activities of Pelley.
the conclusion that he is a racketeer
engaged in mulcting thousands OF
dollars annually from his fanatical
and mlsled followers and credulous
people all over the United States.
Canada and certain foreign coun-
tries, is inescapable."
Mr.. Hooks request to the House
to withdraw the "Pelley letters" was
coupled with an apology and the
statement that he had presented
them innocently.
After all" he added, "this con-
troversy brought up by me forced
Pelley before the Dies Committee.
Mr.. Starnes also told the House
yesterday that his attention had
been called to the fact that in exon
Grating four members of Congress
| from complicity in an alleged plot