Evening star., 1944-05-13
End Of Dies Committee
Expected When Texan
Retires From House
Only One Of Original
Members Is in Running
For Reelection
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Martin Dies announcement of
his decision to give up his seat
in Congress was interpreted
generally today on Capitol Hill
as the swan song of his House
Committee on Un-American
Activities.
The Texas Democrats announce
pt in Beaumont yesterday that a
iroat Illness would preclude his
making a strenuous campaign to
mold the House place he has occu-
pied for 13 years and which his
father once held, left only one of
the seven original Dies Committee
members in the running for re-
election.
The CIO Political Action Com
mittee, headed by Sidney Hillman,
had marked Mr.. Dies down for de-
feat. On May 8, In the Representa-
tive's home county, a Democratic
County convention dominated by
the Refinery Employees Union
tCIO) denounced Mr.. Dies as a
"demagogue." Mr.. Dies has charged
that the Political, Action Commit
tee was raising huge fund to beat
him.
Combs Announces Candidacy.
Judge j. M. Combs. who recently
resigned as justice of the Ninth
Court of Civil Appeals, announced
this week his candidacy for Con-
gress opposing Mr.. Dies. He said
he knew nothing of reports that
certain interests were raising large
funds to swing the election, but said
that If they were true there isn't
a decent man or woman in this dis
trict who wouldn't resent it. In
East Texas we've always done our
own voting"
Mr.. Dies made no reference to
these developments in his an
nouncement, but his withdrawal.
coming on top of the defeat in the
recent Alabama Democratic pri-
mary of Representative Starnes,
another Dies Committee member
opposed by the CIO, set politicians
to reassessing the potentialities of
the Hillman group, though some did
not concede it figured Importantly
in Mr.. Starnes' defeat.
Peoorl1acc Of ,,,k,;al,
party controls the next House, the
fate of the Dies Committee appar-
emily was sealed by the decision of
its chairman, despite his assertion
that he believed the committees
work will go on indefinitely"
Created in 1888 and continued six
times since then, with total appro-
priations of approximately $625 900,
the committee probably will cease
to exist when the present session of
Congress ends.
Three Inquiries to End Soon.
Three Investigations undertaken
by the Dies Committee are expected
to be concluded shortly. They deal
with the CIO Political Action Com
which the Dies group only
recently assailed in special report,
the Civil Service Commissions pro-
cedure in checking on the loyalty of
Federal workers, and Walter Winch
ell, radio commentator, who recent
ly debated Mr.. Dies on the air.
The score or more of reports al
ready made by the committee, which
for several years held the congress
Sional spotlight because of the prom
inence of its witnesses, its attention
hearings and it's Sensa-
tional findings, including documents
dealing with Communists, Nazis,
Falangists, japanese and
German American Bundists.
Delegates to the CIO United Steel
Workers of America convention in
Cleveland cheered announcement of
Mr.. Dies withdrawal and Philip
Murray, president of the CIO as
well as the steel workers, observed:
Il think it is the greatest single
contribution he has made to the
of the country since he en-
tered public life"
The steel workers subsequently
adopted resolution saying, in part:
Resolved that this convention
stamp Congressman Dies for what
he precisely is-one who deliberately
seeks to disunite the American
people and to cause such disruption
(See DIES Page A3)