The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-04-10

Martin Dies changed condi-
tons abroad. II
he'd done that his investigation un-
doubtedly would be very popular
one now. instead Of which the vice
president refers to some OF his
statements as about what might
have been expected from Goebbels
himself"
The -Cies committee started its
Inquiry quite awhile before the war
began. Its mission was 10 look into
all sorts OF un-American activities,
but the Texas lawmaker. its chair
man, was chiefly interested in the
Communistic kind, and he pretty
much ran the whole inquisition,
without much regard for the half
dozen other representatives includ-
ed in its membership.
The other committeeman didn't
give the inquiry the attention that
Dies did. having additional work 10
occupy them. Dies, though. concen-
trated on it to the exclusion Of vir-
tually everything else. The probe
was his inspiration in the first
place and it's putting it mildly to
say that he was an enthusiast on
the subject Of making 1t a bowling
success-that is. uncovering and
conclusively proving the existence
OF all the un-Americanisnl, in our
mist that Was available
One Good Probe:
BY un.Americsnism the Texan
apparently meant Communism.
Dies had no objection TO. catching
suhversive Nazis, Fascists, Falan-
gists or Jap plotters, but Commu-
nists were the folk he really was
after.
Well, that was o. K. just then.
Plenty Of folk considered Commu-
nists dangerous. They may have
felt that Dies was somewhat neg
lecting Hitlers, Mussolini's, Fran
cos and Tokyos forms Of subver-
siveness, but they'd no fault to find
with Dies poking into Comrade
Stalins brand OF il. They all we're
generally classed together al that
luncture.
But, oh!-what a difference to-
day!
Russia is one Of the United Ma
tons, and darned creditable one,
on the basis Of its showing against
the Nazis, not to mention its anti
Japanese possibilities. It's too bad
IL it's still Communistic. but there
are hopes that it'll democratize IT.
self. Anyway, it's tactful TO put a
husher on Communistc talk about
il for the present.
Congressman Dies, however,
hasn't assimilated this idea.
He's so anti-Communistic that he
can't quit harping on it.
1t quite naturally makes the
Economic Warfare Boards MEM
bership gore TO have the Texan de-
scribe them (some SIS was the fig
ure mentioned) as past or present
Communist affiliates and II like
wise Is natural for Vice President
Wallace TO resent it.
Communism Still Target
But il isn't alone that Henry
Wallace and his associates are en-
ragged on their own account. The
thing that hurts on a larger scale
is that Dies implies it's such a ter
rible offense 10 be a Communist
with Russia Communistic, at pres
ent, anyhow, but in arms against
the more immediate threat Of Hit
ierism.
It's fact that Congressman
Dies makes a sufficiently conclusive
case concerning one OF the warfare
boards economists who favors all
around nudity. The chap published
a book advocating Il, illustrating il
with number Of middling sugges-
overlooking Photographic repro
auctions, 50 he can scarcely de-
fend himself convincingly. But how
his nudistic procliTties (weather
permitting proves that he's
Communist also isn't altogether
obvious. Seemingly anybody with
cuckoo notion. and don't argue
that nudlsm ism ore, is a Commu-
mist likewise, in Martin Dies opin-
ion.
II the Dies committee, following
the Russo-German clash, had
switched from Communism TO
Nazism and Fascism as un-Ameri-
can, it unquestionsbly would have
made a great hit Dies didn't sense
the altered situation. though. He
already was 50 predominantly anti
Communistic. and not much else,
that he hadn't the judgment to call
of his anu-Communistic dog for a
spell. and sick hin onto the Nazis