Evening star., 1942-08-10
Brooks Says Purge
Is Aimed al Himself,
Others in Congress
Newspapers Booking
His Reelection Are
Also Torgets, He Claims
e! the Associated Press.

sNSS SSASg III ~iAHNS
E! the Associated Press.
Senator Brooks, Republican, of
Illinois told the Senate today that
there was well-organized, we'll
financed purge and smear cam
paign" under way, directed at him.
self and other members Of Congress,
and at newspapers which supported
his candidacy for reelection.
ITO dogmatically smear, destroy
or dominate the Congress Senator
Brooks said, ito intimidate and
arbitrarily control the press, to set
up Government of fear through
Investigations and intimidation is
not part of the American way
for which we fight, and will die
The Senator asserted that these
tactics are only causing fear in the
hearts of the American people," and
added: 1--WE must stop this smear
We must stop this insidious intimi-
dation, we must stop importing the
purge into America"
Senator Barkley, of Kentucky, OBJ
tected to use of smear in describ-
ing opposition views.
The smear highway is not a one
way street" Senator Barkley said.
1T has become fashionable in
recent years to describe anybody
who opposes our views by saying
they are trying to smear somebody.
1T don't like the word smear. I
don't like to hear it because it is an
insidious word. do not think it is
fair to use it whenever anybody op-
poses our views"
- Accuses Magazine.
Senator Brooks said the purge
campaign" was aided and abetted
by those who were the most de-
termined and aggressive in their
effort to get us into the war"
II Since then" he said. "a group of
men have set themselves up as
committee known as the Union for
Democratic Action. and with the aid
of the Communist party and the
left-wing New Republic Magazine,
they listed a group of members of
Congress to be purged and defeated
in the recent primaries or the COM
ing elections"
~ On the list, Senator Brooks said.
was his name and those of Senator
Capper of Kansas and Senator
O'Daniel of Texas and some %
other members of Congress"
"Vicious" Attack on Press.
Senator Brooks told his colleagues
that the Chicago Sun and the Chi
eago Daily News. which is con-
tfolled by the Secretary of the Navy
Knox. and from which he receives
S60OO0 a year for advice while re-
ceiving $4,000 from the Navy" had
Soined in the attack on him in Illi-
f1ois, and on the Chicago Tribune,
which supported his candidacy.
He called the attack on the
Tribune vicious, malicious and
constant" and added: whether
Wayland Brooks is returned to the
Senate or not is incidental, but
whether the power of this Govern
taent is to be used to suppress the
freedom Of the press is Of vital and
burning Importance to all the Amer
tcan people"
II speak of this today Senator
Brooks said in his prepared address.
mot because I speak Of the Tribune,
but I speak. of the method that is
being used to intimidate, coerce or
control any legitimate newspaper,
for if 1t can be done to one, it can
Be done to all"
:. Says FBI Visited Newspapers.
Senator Brooks referred at one
point to a grand jury investigation
in Chicago of a story printed by
the Chicago Tribune on the size Of
the japanese naval forces at Mid
way. He said that it was one OF
several stories by Stanley Johnston
which provided new insight into
the tactics and problems of modern
warfare at sea. and in the sky"
At another point Senator Brooks
said that Archibald MacLeish, Ii
hrarian of Congress, in speeches be-
fore the American Society of News
paper Editors and before the annual
meeting of the Associated Press, had
made bitter attack on newspa-
pers which had been critical of the
inefficient conduct of the war"
Prior to this meeting of the Asso-
ciated Press" Senator Brooks said.
"'the FBI sent agents to visit every
member newspaper which held As
sociated Press franchises throughout
The country and I believe every
newspaper in my State having such
a franchise was visited by member
nf the FRI