The people's voice., 1943-06-11
REPORT OF The
kerr COMMITTEE
IS BLASTED

| On May 1S the house voted 1852
an amendment to the deficiency ap-
preparations bill CHR 2714 prohibit
| ing the use of any appropriations for
payment of salaries to DR.. Goodwin
B. Watson (chief analyst of the For
eign Broadcast Intelligence Service),
Mr.. William E. Dodd Jr., assistant
news editor of the Foreign Broadcast
Service) both employees of the FEC
(Federal Communications Commits
sion); and DR.. Robert Morss Lovett
government secretary of the Virgin
Islands).
This action was taken after the
Kerr subcommittee of the house ap-
preparations committee on May IA
issued a report charging that Watson,
Dodd and Lovett are each unfit to
continue in the employment of the
United States government by reason
of association and membership in and
with organizations whose aims or pur-
poses have been subversive to the
government of the United States"
Dies Pattern
Such charges were originally level
led against these three and 36 other
government employees by Rep. Mar
tin Dies ID. Tex. poll taxer) in Feb
ruary. The charges have not to this
day been substantiated. Amidst ris
ing public sentiment against such
witch hunting, Axis-like procedure, the
house rushed to create a committee
(Kerr) to investigate the results of
the investigators.
The Kerr committee followed the
Dies procedure: 1t gave no prior no
tice of charges; issued no indictment;
held secret sessions in which the ac-
cused were permitted no counsel;
gave. no opportunity for accused to
verify, compelte or qualify charges or
testimony; permitted no witnesses;
and gave no transcript.
Following this land in no funda-
mental sense modified by the clear
ing" of several other persons brought |
before it,, the Kerr committee issued |
the aforementioned reports urging |
that Watson, Dodd and Lovett be
barred from further government en-
ployment, and causing them to be |
branded "subversive and unfit" from
one end of the country to the other
in the press, in the Congressional
Record, and in the public mind. |
In the house debate and in the sem
ate hearings, it has been repeatedly
pointed out that the house action of |
rying to pass judgment in this man.
Ter on employees of the Executive
Branch of the government is COM
)letely and provedly unconstitutional.
Ample evidence has been introduced
o show that the power to remove
executive officers rests with the Exec
tive, and congress can only remove
hem through impeachment by the
louse, trial by the senate on oath or
and conviction by two
birds vote Similarly, it has been
hown that the amendment to the
deficiency bill is invalid, constituting
Bill of Attainder Ga legislative act
which inflicts punishment without
judicial triaD.
BIackIisting
In the Kerr Reports, the charges
gainst Watson, Dodd and Lovett are
ased to large extent on accusations
f membership in or association with
1ore than a dozen anti-fascist organ
zations branded as "subversive." This
st includes such groups as Consum-
rs Union, Co-ordinating Committee
D Lift the Embargo (on SPAIN, Span
,h Aid Committees, American Com
littee for Democracy and Intellectual
reedom, National Federation for Con-
titutional Liberties, and "The New
epublic."
The organizations on which such
erious judgments have been passed
-ere given no opportunity to appear
CONTINUED ON Page Four)