The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-02
As Pegler Sees 1t
BY PEGLER

winners of a set Of dubious honors called
the page one awards, among them were
Henry Wallace and the late Sidney Hi1man.
founder of the CLOS Political Action Com
mittee. Hillman's own old colleagues in the
|murky and conspirato-ial field OF European
unionism in New York had accused him Of
collaborating with the Stalinite fifth column
here,
The New York Times published in its
vox pop a few days later, a letter from one
who signed himself Edward Hunter.
'As a newspaperman and a member OF
the Newspaper Guild of New York" M.
Hunter said, the list of those recognized by
the guild showed a distinct communist bias"
TT is obvious Mr.. Hunters letter said,
sthat such a list does not represent the
opinion Of the overwhelming majority OF
newspaper people in New York city. There
was no referendum to select the names. They
were Just communist-selected."
With a salute to Mr.. Hunter for his
courage in inviting all the nasty harassments
tha will make him wretched in newspaper.
news-magazine and radio shops henceforth. we
proceed to the next development.
This is a letter to the Times, signed John
T. McManus, president Of the Newspaper
Guild of New York, condenning Mr.. Hunters
statements as "a series of cranky mlsstate-
ments written to justify a cranky conclusion
that the guilds page one awards were
communist selected
McManus named the Jury" of guild mem
bers who made the decisions but left I'M
challenged the essential point OF Mr.. Hunters
protest. That was that the members of the
guild were not polled in a referendum which
might have wrought other results.
He says the Jury acted on ITO "nomina-
tons originally selected from an extensive
list OF top-flight personalities in the fields
of films, drama, music, books, sports, art.
photography and public affairs"
To digress, should say that genuine
newspapermen usually have more to do than
who is great, realizing that recognition from
them would have no more value than medals.
plaques or writs from so many other sa-dines
in the subway.
Among those invited to make the original
nominations there were IS guild members
occupying authoritative positions as COM
mentators, critics or editors in these fields
on leading newspapers, magazines and radio
stations in New York"
Forty persons finally did submit nomina-
tons, eight of whom were not members Of
the guild, Mr.. McManus said. So we now
find that. afte- all, Mr.. Hunter was not really
wrong in writing that the occasion did convey
an erroneous impression that this business
represented the sentiment of the membership.
We. aren't told who the 40 nominators
were, SO Mr.. Hunter is left with better than
a fighting chance for the correctness of his
suspicion. And We do get from Mr.. McManus
the admission that only 80 guild members, who
may have been a red as fire enginesrplus
eight outsiders, who presumably were hand
picked for certain qualifications, finally made
the nominations.
Now, coming to the jury. we find one
name that really does give aid and comfort
to Mr.. Hunter. For Mr.. McManus says Will
liam S. Gailmor attended the jury meeting
but was unable to remain to cast his vote, and
then he adds that Gailmor, himself, got one
OF the awards for his distinguished work as
a radio commentator.
What is William S. Gailmor doing in any
society OF decent American newspapermen, if
that is what the guild purports TO be? And
must good American newspaper workers.
including SO many who fought the war while
tnls gold-orlck went around l~ecturing to battle
patients on his own awful agony as a thief
VINO couldn't help stealing, have to put up with
that %indignity to hold their jobs under the
Wagner Act? 1t is a fact, they must.
Gallmor! Right name Margolis. Stole five
automobiles, got caught three times. paid
and got away with a plea that he had a com
pulslon neurosis," meaning that he Just
couldn't help stealing.
l turned up this miserable liar in 1914.
just as he was about to start a season as =
news commentator" for the Blue Network.
l ,1St asked Ed Noble and Chester La Roche.
VINO then were running the Blue, whether
they knew his record. They called in the
ielloW who takes down employees personal
histories and he said, nope, this was all news
10 tnem. This man said Gailmor had stated
mat ne mad had a rabbinical education but
mad apostatised and now had no religion
HIS preaching on the air was strongly nro-
Soviet. Wv
"A few days later, the showdown came
Gailmor had changed.
Why, OF course he wasn't a communist.
Ganmor was a very pious, religious man now
AS PEGLER SEES I
and a religious fellow couldn't be 2 COM
munist.
So. in one. statement to the Blue he had
renowned his religion and now, to clear him.
self OF communism and keep his miserable
job, he claimed the protection of the faith
he had thrown away.
His sponsor was one Samuel Novick, an
Immigrant from Russia, who was doing highly
secret work for the American Army. In a
few days, it turned out that Novick's press
agent was a well-known communist who had
even been a communist candidate for office.
Marshall Field, who knows a thing o. two
about n%eu-osis, himself, gave Gailmor facilities
to present his whining answer. But a develop
ment OF particular interest to Mr.. Hunter
and other American journalists who now
lind that, through their guild, they were COM
PEELED to join in honoring this despicable
rogue, occurred in another edition of Marshall
Fields thing in New York a few days later.
That was a little piece by a fellow who had