Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-13
PegIer Raps
Go Council
For Protest
Tryine to Gag editor
by Probe Pleas. He Says
BY wESTBROOK PEGLER

THE CIO council OF Fort
- Wayne. Ind. in its campaign
to suppress these dispatches. has
sent three communications to
Washington.
One, addressed to George w.
Gillie, the local congressman,
asks him to initiate a congress
sional investigation Of Pegler."
Another asks Francis Biddle,
the attorney general. to "inves-
tigate the policies, activities and
connections of William J. Cross"
who runs these essays in the
Fort Wayne Tews-Sentinel. Of
which ne is editor.
The fhird went to Senator
Robert M. La Toilette Jr., who
has been running a sort of left.
wing Dies committee in the Sen.
ate for long time, suggesting
that Gross be Investigated by the
La Toilette committee.
COMMENTING on the resolu-
~ ton editorially, Gross alleged
that Parke L. Kreachbaum, the
secretary OF the council, a posi-
ton which the Communists in
union politics always try to con-
troll, had been active in the Com
munist organization known as
the American Peace Mobiliza.
ton.
The organization picketed the
White House and damned Presi.
dent Roosevelt as a warmonger-
ing British imperialist until last
June %. when Hitler struck
mother Russia. Then il changed
its name to the American Peo-
pies Mobilization. went about
for American Intervention and
continued to damn the President
until Pearl Harbor because he
didn't Immediately ask Congress
for declaration of war.
For printing these allegations
about Kreachbaum, the News
Sentinel and Gross were accused
OF attacking "the entire labor
movement" but as Gross pointed
out, the council. in demanding
an apology and retraction, very
pointedly did not deny anything
that Gross had written about
Kreachbaum's activities.
KNOW nothing about KreacA-
Il baum or his politics and have
never met Gross. but gather that
he was q straight-out, anti Com
munist. anti Maxi American
noninterventionist until Pearl
Harbor. and many editors and
most other citizens were.
II j ever had any correspond
ence with Gross before this fight
With this faction In the Fort
Wayne Go IL was about nine
years ago when he told our
syndicate that some one would
have TO tone down the Pegler
stuff.
Well, now that you have the
background. I want 10 point out
that this proposal to La Follette
means much more than ySu
might suspect. because Il Is
duty Of newspaper to obtain
and print news. and here Is this
influence in the Go steaming
up a lot Of American citizens,
who are mostly genuine Hoosiers
and Kentuckians, TO charge
Gross with a violation OF a law
that forbids the employment OF
anti-labor spies.
WHAT charge rises out OF the
Il fact that when the Go
committee called on Gross to de-
mand retraction of his remarks
about Kreachbaum and suppress
sion Of the Pegler anti-Commu-
mist copy. he refused TO tell them
how he got his hands on a copy
of the original resolution.
Gross got II from some Ameri-
can citizens who happen to be
members Of certain unions and
when he refused to name them
to the committee, one of the
unioneers called them Gross
stooges.
with . laugh and In o tone
Of mock seriousness" says
Gross, IL said: An, my opera
tives'w
On the basis OF this remark.
the Go council now tells La Fol-
lette that Gross admitted quite
brazenly that he had four oper-
stives in the Fort Wayne labor
movement" and says these in
dividuals clearly come under the
category of paid labor spies" az
established by the committee.
THERE Is no evidence that he
Il paid his informants, but even
If, for the sake Of argument, we
concede that he did and that
they are regularly on his pay
roll as inforImants on union mat
ters, still maintain that Gross
is within his rights.
In the activity he would be
acting in his capacity of jour-
nalist seeking information of
public interest.
In the present case he would
be performing public service
of unusual Importance because
the Communist Party has now
sA--AtEt-L