Evening star., 1941-11-14
House Group Delays
Action on Grand Jury
Subpoena 10 Fish
Committee Expected
To Rule on Lawmakers
Rights Later Today

The House Judiciary Committee,
meeting in executive session this
morning considered for the third
time the question of whether Rep
resentative Fish. Republican. of New
York. should honor a subpoena to
appear before the special District
grand jury investigating Nazi prop
aganda.
Again there was no announced
action. but Chairman Sumner said
the committee would meet again
this afternoon and a decision was
expected at that time.
The committee was charged by
the House with looking into the
legal issue involved after the jury
had summoned Mr.. Fish to testify
at the inquiry that resulted in
perjury indictment against one of
his secretaries. George Hill
Fish Leaves for Army Duty.
Nj. Fish, a colonel in the Army
Reserve. left early today for Cam
den. S. c. to report for tour Of
active duty.
Questioned regarding the grand
jury situation shortly before he left,
Mr.. Fish said he would be glad to
appear at the proper time He
added that he did not know how
long he would be away on military
duty.
Mr.. Fish, an iSolationist leader,
who opposed arming American mer-
Z y l. IL
which the House concurred with the
/ Senate in neutrality revision "a
great moral victory for those who
are opposed to war
Hears Magazine Executives.
The grand jury. meeting for four
hours yesterday. heard more testi-
mony from executives of Scrlbner'S
( Commentator, non-interyentionist
magazine. William Power Maloney
and Edward j. Hickey, jr., special
! prosecutors from the Justice De-
partment, planned to present further
evidence to the jury this afternoon.
Hope was expressed that Mr.. Fish
other witnesses had been summoned.
The case of Mr.. Fish's secretary.
f1ared into personalities in District
Court yesterday afternoon when
Justice James w. Morris summoned
the attorneys to set for hearing two
preliminary motions for the defense.
Mr. Maloney. who in open court
earlier in the day had charged the
defense with deliberately delaying
disposition of the motions and hence
the trial, accused Mr.. O'Connor 'and
others of hurting ''cowardly
charges that the Justice Depart
ment was using the inquiry to con-
duct a smear campaign against Mr.
Fish.
Associate Answers.
Mr.. O'Connor, one time chairman
of the powerful House Rules Com
mittee, was not present. His asso-
ciate in the defense of Mr.. Hill,
William CuSick. was in court, and
he retorted that he did not think
the case was on trial at this stage
or that Mr.. O'Connor is defend
ant"
Mr.. Maloney said the defense had
charged the Government with trying
the case in the newspapers, but
that it was the Government which
was eager to bring the issue before
a jury and have it settled "in the
forum of this court"
AT a time when the very exist
ence of the country is at stake,
Mr.. Maloney declared. these cow
ardly charges are made. This man
Hill has come before this grand
jury and perjured himself. The
grand jury has indicted him in good
faith. and we have no doubt that he
will be convicted. Yet We are
charged with conducting a smear
campaign The American people
are entitled to know the facts, and
that's all we ask"
Justice Morris set the motions for
hearing at pm. next Tuesday
after Mr. Cusick had explained that
the defense was ready to argue them
but Mr.. O'Connor had to be in court
in New York Monday. The defense
has filed a demurrer, attacking the
legality of the indictment.
Mr. Hills indictment grew out of
testimony he gave while the jury
was investigating George Sylvester
Vierick, New York publicist, who
later was indicted for allegedly
withholding information from the
State Department when he regis
tered as agent of a foreign govern
ment. Mr.. Hill was questioned
about mail sacks removed hurriedly
from the American First Commit.
tee headquarters after the grand
jury had subpoenasd It's records