Evening star., 1941-03-30

| widespread labor upheaval, is made
to order for skilled promoters of
civil, social and economic rebellion
against the orderly processes of cap
ital and labor, he says. Other OBJ
servers add that saboteurs, hereto
| fore kept under wraps by industrial
peace, hardly will overlook the
slightest opportunity to spring an
l1th-hour effort to stall defense
machinery.
Authorities say there is no out
ward manifestation of Communist
collaboration with axis powers to
intimidate Americans with threats
of armed force. They doubt even
the existence of secret understand
ings, insisting the two ideologies are
fundamentally opposed and can
have little in common here except
that each has the purpose of Great
ing confusion, dissatisfaction, unrest
and distrust of democratic processes.
Most Charges Unsubstantiated.
The Communist party in this
country never has broken with Mos
COW, but many of its leaders, testify
| ing before the Dies Committee,
categorically denied subsersive ac-
tions against the United States Gov
ernment Mr.. Dies says three
fourths of the charges brought
against individuals by thousands of
witnesses whose testimony cost the
committee s235,000 over a three-year
! period were unSubStantiated
| The Dies Committee said in a for
NAL report that the Nazi-Soviet pact
in Europe showed Similarity" be-
tween the two relationships, but
emphasized that the Communist
party in America functions chiefly
as border patrol for Moscow.
There have been unofflcial re-
| ports that the Stain government.
using its favorable trade relations
with the United States, frequently
has diverted its purchases here to
the Reich's war machine, but they
have not indicated to what extent,
if any, the Communist party aided
such deals.
Mr.. Dies report listed the fol-
lowing as Communist front" Or
ganizatiOns: American League for
Peace and Democracy, International
Workers Order, American Student
Union, Friends of the Soviet Union,
National Negro Congress, Southern
Negro Youth Congress, League of
American Writers, Workers AL
lance and Friends of the Abraham
Lincoln Brigade.
Communist Infiltration.
1t said Communist leadership was
entrenched in the following unions:
National Maritime Union, United
Cannery, Packing and Allied Work.
ers, Federation of Architects. Chem
lists and Technicians, Fur Workers
International Union. International
Longshoremen's and Warehouse
mems Union, American Communi-
cations Associations. United Elec-
trical Radio and Mechanical Work.
ers Of America. United Furniture
Workers of America.
His principal accomplishment, Mr..
Dies says, was to destroy the use
fulness of persons and organiza-
tions exposed as Communist and
Nazi agents. The Communist party
has been dropped from election bal
lots in IL States.
Fritz Kuhn. former head of the
German-American Bund, is serv-
ing a prison term of two and one
half to flve years and a number Of
bunds Of various designations have
been diSbanned Mr.. Dies said he
found that while they required
American citizenship of their mem
bers they, in some cases, affiliated
with hte National Socialist party.
The Potential Danger.
The first important disintegration
of Communist and Axis organiza-
tions here began with unfavorable
reaction to the signing of the first
Berlin Moscow accord Mr.. Dies
says Of the Communists that the po-
tential danger from them now lies
more in what Moscow might at
tempt in event the United States
got into war than in their day-to-
day activities.
Some believe the F. B. I. now is
amply equipped to cope with any
fifth column developments. There
are unofficial estimates that it has
1900 operatives, 100 more than the
peak Secret Service force of the
Treasury Department during the
World War, and soon may add an
other 1900.
Identity of these men is virtually
unknown, and likewise the identity
of hundreds of secretly selected men
and women who act as watchers in
key positions. These latter are not
directly affiliated with F. B. I. and
receive no pay. They make regular
reports on suspected persons and
whenever their quarry engages in
espionage or sabotage a low-voiced
stranger suddenly appears at his ell
bow, shows F. B. I. identification,
and takes his prisoner out of cir
culation.
1873 Watchers in One Industry.
One key defense industry alone
has 1873 such watchers. F. B. I.
also maintains current file on all
suspected fifth columnists, has
secret operative in every dangerous
pro-foreign group, and informed
sources feel confident it could reach
out at any time and nip the most
closely guarded un-American plot.
These sources say the Oman" is
as efficient in his way as the Ger
man Gestapo or the Russian Ogpu
agent in his The F. B. I.
however, operates only against the
enemies of the country and not
against enemies of a political re-
gine or administration.
Army and Navy authorities dis
count fifth column dangers within
the armed forces, although there
have been persistent reports that
enlisted international Communists
seek to undermine morale and that
axis agents try to ferret out military
secrets.
There were only two known at