Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-11
Dies EIudes
Shipping From
Inner Circle :
$4,000 Budget Makd
Pinks' Faces Red \
BY wESTBROOK PEGLER

appears to be little more than
its yearly average expense up
to now.
The important thing, however,
is that the committee is TO con-
tlnue its work and preserve its
files from a hostile administra-
ton which has always resented
disclosures of communistic affili-
alton or filtration among gov
eminent bureaucrats and would
like to get its hands on the
records.
This great mass Of information.
containing, il is true, an ele-
ment OF gossip and hearsay, has
been accumulated in four years
against stubborn resistance
from the extreme left wing of
the government, including Mrs.
Roosevelt. who undertook to dis
credit committee of Congress
by public mothering group of
precOcious pinks.
III is a record which probably
could not be replaced and should
be protected from those whose
political peace of mind would
profit from the knowledge that
so many damned spots were re-
duced 10 pulp or ashes.
MARTIN DIES is not TO be
AVA counted among the wiser
statesmen of his time. for he is
bit OF pumpkin and his
ways are uncouth. IL
Dies began work with tw1
strikes on him. for il was in.
evitable that any honest man
starting such an investigation
would not confine himself TO the
treacheries of the notorious Ger
man-American Bund. but would
pay equal attention 10 the rami-
ficatlonS of the Communists
operating under many false
names and labels.
Ii was inevitable. too. that.
as individuals in and close TO
the government were identified
with such groups and activities.
Dies would be smeared as q
total ignoramuS, which he is
not. and as a NaZi. Fascist and
dlsruptioner, all terms now ap-
piled to all anti-Communists.
He was an utter greenhorn
- when he started and was
the butt OF many ribald pranks.
including some outrageously
preJudiced and distorted report
ing by that element of the press
corps in Washington who felt
that they had mission 10 pro-
mote New DealiSm and hide it's
faults rather than 10 inform
the poole.
On one occasion. for several
days. he was openly heckled,
and witnesses teStifying about
Communist activities were au-
dibly ridiculed by reporters of
the administration set. and Dies.
not yet sure of his authority as
chairman of a committee of the
United States Congress, suffered
this lndignity, instead of order
ing a cop TO throw the claque
downstairs. for fear that he
would get bad press"
nlES seems 20 have irritated
- colleague or two by re-
leasing publicity on his own
initiative, and for this minor
violation of an unimportant
canon. he may be censured ac-
cordingly.
On the whole. however, he
has turned in a good perform-
ance on thanklesS and I'M
pleasant task which. in the
hnal history OF these times. will
provide a chapter of disagree
able truth.
lie started with small knowI-
edge of communism or the
methods OF the Bolos. but went
TO the books for larnin' and had
The good luck 10 connect with J.
b. Matthews, a renegade Bolshe-
Vlk, who knew all the person
alitles and most of the answers
and much more important and
helpful 10 Dies, knew how TO
trace connections.
IT MUST be observed that Dies
has been abused and ridiculed
by members and adherents of
the administration only when
he was exposing communistic
activities and the infiltration of
Communists and fellow-travel-
ers into the government.
When he was digging I'D
Nazis and FaScists and expos
ing anti-Semitic groups he was,
at worst, ignored and at some
such times even heard his name
uttered in tones of praise.
But at no time has he had
any real cooperation from the
department of justice, and it
may be we'll TO keep in mind
the fact that most of his ma
terial has never been refuted.
The defense, or reply. has
been personal ridicule of the
investigator, which is ever the
tavorlte retort of the political