Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1945-01-09
POLITICAL
PARADE
BY George
RothweII Brown

4 24-HOUR guard is standing
~ vigilant watch over the
secret files and documents of the
old Dies committee IN
American activities!
Now isn't that a pretty COM
mentary on left-wing fidgets in
wartime Washington?
And isn't il something that
the guardians of the property of
the Congress of the United
States should stand in fear of
the destruction of that property
by others within the govern
ment?
For this guard is being main
tanned not against the second
story worker or the casual bur-
glar, but to prevent these files
from falling into the hands of
those who might make legiti-
mate claim 10 them. as being
representatives of another
branch of the government.
There was lot more than
the mere words he spoke in
what Rep. Rankin, Mississippi
Democrat. told the House last
opening that the Dies files
had been visited by those who
declared they would like 10
throw them into the Potomac
River"
Rankin didn't explain, but il
Is reported that 10 days or so
ago representative Of the
Library OF Congress went TO the
Dies committee, and announced
his intention of taking the files,
then and there.
TT so happened that on Dec.
Il Is Speaker Rayburn had ex-
planned TO the House that under
the rules these files and reports,
containing so many records OF
Communists and fellow travel
lers. and assorted left-wingers,
some of whom are now in the
government service, would re-
main in the custody OF the old
committee until Jan. s. That
is TO say, until the third day
after the meeting OF the new
Congress on Jan. 3.
Confronted with this. the
spokesman for the Library of
Congress departed, ito look it
up" and he did not return.
Why did the conservative
southern Democrats who so
quietly engineered the plan 10
convert the special un-Ameri-
can activities committee into
permanent standing" commit
tee of the House. take their
precipitate action on the very
first day of the seventy-ninth
Congress
THIS action was rush G d
Il through because these Dem
ocratic conservatives WERE
AFRAID TO TRU st THE
SECRET FILES TO THE L.
BRARY OF CONGRESS, which
would, three days later unless
prohibitive action were taken.
become the custodian Of these
papers.
This is truly remarkable, for
the Library of Congress. as the
name implies, is the creature Of
the Congress itself
The fact is that there has
been no little diStrust of the
Library of Congress un d err
Archibald MacLeish. True, few
days before the House acted,
the New Deal librarian of Con-
( greSs had been appointed 10
new post in the state depart
ment.
But the old dislike of Mac
Leish still fingered in many
congressional minds.
/ LNR reasons that need not he
Il gone into here many south
ern Democrats strongly dis
approve of library policies As 10
personnel under the MacLefSh
/ regime.
More than 1000 new appoint
ments 10 the library staff we're
made in the last fiscal year
II has been rumored that the
library has been made A snug
haven for many left-wingerS and
assorted radicals, and that GER
tain European refugees have
been given cushy jobs with large
pay and theoretical occupations.
Some members Of the House are
of a mind TO look into these
matters.
At the time MaCLeiSh. with
I out any experience whatever as
a librarian, was appointed
Librarian Of Congress by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, the Dies COM
mittee furnished TO certain
senators who had asked for it
quite long file on the verS libre
poet. That file is still part of
the committee records.