The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-06
TO AMERICAN PUBLISHERS
AND EDITORS

Last Sunday nights rebuttal to a
legislators attack contained a basic
declaration, which was deleted d. 4.
It was an announcement that ! in
tend to test the constitutionality Of
the Dies Committee procedures
Having demanded subpoena to
the point where one newspaper In
dicated that the Dies Wincheu fra
cas- was descending into personan-
ties, the record is clear that did
not dodge the facts. And state
ments having been made OFF the
floor, I now have the initiative. My
attorneys have been instructed to
proceed at once.
In the meantime, Congressional
investigation Of a free presumed
not wait on my determination to OBJ
tain personal vindication The
press Of the nation has summed 1t
up as an issue far more important
than myself, In which I heartily
agree Something more than
freedom of the press is involved,
however If my belief Is cor
is attacked in a more subtle form
intimidation Of advertisers-by
by threat Of Congressional probe.
Intimidation Of advertisers, par
ticularly those doing business with
the Government, or holding Gov
eminent contracts, is more than
governmental bulldozing 1t Is,
in fact, more than government by
nuisance It Is government by
threats On the day that a
newspapers advertising customers
are forced to answer. without evil
dence, charge based on malice,
every American newspapers own
ership may be att he masthead
but the flag Of free speech will be
at half-mast This, I believe,
the Supreme court will prevent.
The following brief quote is from
a leading editorial in The Louisville
fKy) Courier-Journal: 1.-THE Dies
Committee has for too long a time
been tolerated as an informal sort
of GeStapo, able to summon, bully.
de1ame any citizen who happens to
annoy 1t. It may possibly have
overreached itself in this instance.
Mr.. Winchell may not be averSe to
become martyr n the cause of
free speech, and he may follow
advice freely rendered to him to
ignore the subpoena and thus chal-
1enge In the open the scope and
authority Of the committees sum
monSes. The result, should he do
so, will be interesting and probably
salutary."
That editorial and many like it
from newspapers all over the nation
papers in which these writings do
not appear is why l wanted (but
was not allowed to announce to Mr..
: Dies: II no longer beg for your SUBJ
'lpoen0. I now defy it,"
Another editorial page suggestion
(the name OF the paper escapes me
and all the editorials have been
mailed to Cincinuat) said in ef-
feet: "Winchen must consider the
rest Of us in the United States. We
all have a stake in the same Issue
Let him stop his hravado and his
demands for a Congressional sum-
mons and fight it out until the
case reaches the highest court in
the land, where the Messrs. Dies,
Hoffman, Rankin. ct al, will learn
the law. Mr.. WincheN must never
quit this fight, the most important
IN his life and ours"
After waiting for almost two
weeks. since I asked Mr.. Dies in
person for the subpoena before
over 80 reporters in Washington
it occurred to me that Mr.. Dies,
for reasons best known to himself.
was posturing. am tired of call
ing his bluff Now certain
amount Of hippodroming is permit
ted any politician, particularly one
whose appropriations are coming up
and who is also standirg for re-
election But to anybody con-
lnected with the press-and any
body who Is at all sensitive to the
American principle of free speech
those principles are not a matter
for mounteOAnks even at election
time or aaproiations time.
MY facts, am advised, may now