The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-07-15

tary Welles, presumably speaking
with presidential approval, made 1t
perfectly clear, to be sure, that we
like Communism no better than
ever we did; that we simply wish
the Soviet forces well in their strife
with the Nazis and Fascists.
Nevertheless 1t was awkward.
before he'd much more than fin
ished pledging to Joe Stain all
the aid we're in position to ex-
tend to him against Adolf Hitler.
TO have a trio Of Joe's hirelings
found guilty. in a Washington
court, Of criminal offenses, COM
mitted at the Kremlin's instigation.
The trouble was that we didn't
know, when the case was launched.
that Adolf was so soon to take the
warpath against Joe, considerably
to the democracies' advantage, pro-
vided that Joe could put up a stiff
enough scrap at least to keep
Adolfs hands full for some time.
The accused individuals were
President Morris Liskin, Vice Pres
ident Raphael Rush and Secretary
Norman Weinberg Of what's been
known as the Brookniga corpora
ton, which, it's asserted, has been
Communistically propagandizing in
the United States for long while,
in Moscows pay.
Now, we have a law requiring
foreignly-supported organizations
and their officers, in our midst, to
register with the state department.
Brookniga neglected to do it, as
did Liskin, Rush and Weinberg. All
were indicted accordingly. and
Rush also on a charge Of criminal
conspiracy.
In Same Boat-Then
The trial started before District
OF Columbia Justice F. D. Let's
while the Axis and the Commu-
nists still were hooked up together,
and we wanted all their scalps-
Nazis, Fascists and Communists
Unfortunately Maybe we were
harder after the Communists than
either of the others, for they had
the most effective set-up.
For the justice department.
prosecuting, Assistant Attorney
General Benjamin Parker did a
thorough job. Finishing It, he
turned the case over to the jury,
= with Joe Stain and Herr Hitler
still apparently in cahoots. The
jurors locked 'emselves up to con-
fer. Just about as they were turn
ing the key inside, Adolf leaped on
Joe Undersecretary Welles made
his spiel-not Of sympathy with
Communism but Of helpfulness
toward Russia in this particular
instance.
Before his broadcast had had
time to sink in, out came the jury
with a verdict against Brookniga,
Liskin, Rush and Weinberg.
Joe Stains appreciative Of our
attitude, as expressed by Sumner
Welles. He's said so officially. All
the same, it's surmised in Wash
ington that he can't be very tickled
over that verdict. The convictees
are appealing, it's true. How, in
such a situation. their appeal will
pan out remains to be seen.
In the meantime the guys are
locked up. No, Brookniga isn't.
You can't lock up corporation.
AS Sir Edward Coke, the great
English jurist, once remarked.
that's the difficulty that justice
encounters in dealing with mean
corporations. They have, as he put
IL, in effect, no pants to kick, no
souls to damn" But Liskin, Rush
and Weinberg are locked up. JUS
tice Let's refused to turn EN- loose
on bond pending appeal. He said
the United States supreme court
has held negatively.
The trio was socked with heavy
fines, too.
Diplomatic Problem
They can't very we'll be par
doned, because the evidence they
were convicted on was overwhelm-
ing. Can Russian agent, who
unquestionably has fractured
United States law, properly be
pardoned on the basis OF the ex-
tenuating circumstance that we're
pro-Russian now?-not prolific
Communists, but pro-'em as against
the Axis. -.---