The Omaha guide., 1943-02-13
INFLUENCED
BY DIES
COMMITTEE
DIES TELLS CONGRESS- HIS
FRIENDSHIP FOR NEGROES
THEN PINS RED LABEL
ON PICKENS, BETHUNE
CHARGES A.
POWELL WANTS HIM
ASSASSINATED

Martin Dies, representative from
Texas who is at the capital help
ing Hitler fight Red Russia, des-
cribed himself as a friend Of the
Negro" before Congress Monday
before listing 40 Communist crack
pets" among them Dean William
Plckens and Mrs. Mary Mcleod
Bethune. This is the second time
that the head OF the Dies commit
tee has singled out the two dis
tinguished leaders as dangerous
Red radicals"
Dies painted himself as PRONE
gro when he told Of defending a
Negro named Ben Wilkes in Tex
as when no other lawyer would 60
into court for him. Wilkes had
been indicted as an accessory to
crime after his son had killed 9
white men and Dies defended him
and protected him against any
possibility Of lynching." according
TO the story.
The Texan also claims to be one
Of the few men in his state to
fight the Ku Klux Khan when the
hooded tribe was in power there.
He said e stumped against the
Khan throughout the state and for
his fight against it was burned III
effigy and his law firm boycotted
by that group.
Dies also took a shot at Negro
newspapers and their fights for
social equality. Speaking Of one
New York Newspaper. he said:
in the Peoples Voice not long
ago. a. Clayton Powell. a Negro
Communist, advocated that I be
assissinated-that my death was as
desirable IS Killers Immediately
other publications took it I'D ana
throughout the Negro press there
was a most vicious denunciation
not only Of me but of
What do they hope to gain BY
that? We in our country live in
peace with the Negro; we respect
him, for he has contributed much
to the progress Of the country. /
have made hundreds Of speeches II
this country. and in many speeches
1 have said to the American PEG
pie that the great majority Of the
Negroes are loyal patriotic Amer
lean citizens"
His accusations against the two
leaders yer stated as follows:
Now, take the case Of William
Piekens, who is principal securit-
les promotion specialist for the
treasury department at a salary
Of $500. Pickens signed a mani
fest in defense of the notorious
Communist Sam Darcy. PickAns
was vice chairman OF the Ameri-
can League Against War and Fas-
cism, which the attorney general
branded al s~ubversive. He was al
so a contributor TO the Commun-
ist party's New Masses. He was
a sponsor of the Greater New YORK
Emergency Conference on Inalien-
able Rights. a section Of the Ma
tional Federation for Constitution
al Liberties which the attorney
general also found to be subvers-
i've Pickens was a sponsor OF the
American Committee for Protact-
ion Of Foreign-Born, a Speaker for
the United States Congress a.
gainst war, and a sponsor Of the
American Committee for Democ
racy and Intellectual Freedom.
Here is the ease of Mary Nc
Leod Bethune who is employed W.
the National Youth administration
at a salary Of $3.50. Mary Ne
Leod Bethune was publicly and
prominently affiliated with four
Of the organizations which the at
torney general has branded as sub
versive. She was national vice
chairman OF the American League
for Peace and Democracy. The
other three subversive organiza--
ions with which she was affiliated
were the American Youth congress
the National Negro congress and
the Washington Committee for De
mocratic Action"
On the occasion OF a previous
attack both Dean Pickens and Ms.
Bethune issued statements deny
ing all allegations made by the
Texan.
The other attacks were levelled
at some So other persons. white,
holding important government pos
itions.