The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-02-20
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright 1916, BY King Features Syndicasel

Security Administration by way of the denart-
ment of Agriculture, the American Veterans
committee Inc, similar political growth and
not necessarily benign, invites watchfuI and
| critical attention.
The expressed aims Of this organization are
such as Sidney Hllman and his P. A. c. could
| endorse, and Hillnan's program, be it remena
bered, has been so consistent with the line of
the communists that they joined him with wild
Whoops in the 1914 campaign and drove out
OF the so-called American Labor Party of New
York, the entire socialist faction who now
called the party communist front out loud.
This American Veterans Committee was not
the result Of any spontaneous get-tcgether of
servlcemen, according to its own little biogra-
ply it was started by one Gilbert Harrison on
JAM %, 1943, when he sent a letter to "a group
Of his friendc.''
without name to identify the group the
history says, correspondence continued, short
ly involving many more men than the original
25 1t was then carried on through mimeo-
graphed letter exchange edited by Miss Ada
line Guenther assistant director of the univer-
slty Religious Conference at the UCLA and
personal friend OF most of the original men,
bers."
The UCLA means the Los Angeles house Of
the University of California. Mr. Harrison is a
UCLA man and was chairman of the Student
Religious Board and editor Of the university
daily paper.
Meaning no insinuation but strictly in the
interests OF clarity it may be recalled that the
Dies Committee found number of cases in
which the word religion and "religious''
were used by organizations which it regarded,
on the basis OF evidence and collateral informa-
ton, as communist fronts or transmission belts
There was time during the rightwing devia-
ton of Earl Browder, for which he recently was
repudiated and fired. when the communists re-
sorted to religion to beguile and seduce
young men and women Of strong religious con-
victions, both Christians and Jews
We do not question the religious sincerity Of
either Mr.. Harrison or Miss Guenther or i'm
pute communism to them But the fact that
these religious associations are cited in their
background justifies us in the exercise Of some
reserve, mere mention OF these affiliations is
not necessarily persuasive.
In February, 1914, Harrison contacted"
Charles Bolte, an American veteran of the
British Army who had lost leg in Africa
Bolte took an office in New York and, by inner
processes of his autogeneous nucleus, became
chairman. This small founding group. obvious
ly because Of political compatibility, rather
than by coincidence, includes two members
OF the Lawyers Guild, two former employees of
the Office Of War Information one former
Italy, one alumnus Of the London School of
Economics, one former bureaucrat Of the MIRA, |
the fascist experiment of the first new deal:
one public relations director Of Hillrnan's P. A.
C., two men associated with Time, Inc. and
one veteran Of the Office of Civilian Defense
in Washington, that fantastic boon-doggle
which introduced female dancer and male
Hollywood beauty, friends of Mrs. Eleanor
Roosevelt, In the role Of salaried public morale
builders The T auyvere Guild n VT .rl
AMG attracted many communists and the
London School Of Economics might be called |
with equal truth, the London School for the |
Study Of Communism Time Inc, is some
thing special with political pecularities all
its own
Although Bill Mauldin, the left-wing political
cartoonist has insisted that veterans who Join |
the A. V. C. should remember to be citizens, |
not veterans, his picture, published in the
bulletin shows him in uniform and helmet |
All publicity concerning Bolte carefully notes
the fact that he lost his leg and he is coming
along to rival Long John Silver. And John
McNulty, now Al years old, a New York politi-
clan and ex-judge and official of the LAWYERS
Guild, served only IS months entirely with the
A. M. G., apparently starting from scratch as
captain at the ago Of SO in 1913. Appropriate
mention is made of the fact that William j.
Caldwell, the treasurer flew 68 missions as
not tell us whether McNulty might have been
drafted as a private had he not been commits
stoned.
On the average, the official roster OF the A.
V. {. would seem to be no more representative
of combat veterans than any typical roster of
the American Legion or the Veterans of For
eign Wars who have been derided for their
strong and narrow nationalsm. It's veterans
OF heroic service are adequately recognized
even as they would be in the Legion or the v.
F. w. and due respect is given individuals who
served in less perilous commands, it being
theirs not to reason why.
This is pertinent because the Legion, in
particular, has been Knocked about the antics,
often idiotic and downright indecent, Of nom
combat veterans Of the first war at the Legion's
National Conventions The Legion seems to
have outgrown this unpleasant adolescence
now and that is we'll because it has serious
opponent for all its purposes. not merely a
social rival, in the A. v. c. The Legion and
the " F. ". have been conscientious1y non
political
This new group is plainly and aggressively
political in the direction Of the detectives Of
the P. A. c and the c. I. O. which are, for
the most part, those of the communists 1t is
no haven fer Republicans or for conventional
Democrats irnbued with that strong and mar
row patriotic nationalism which. in the Demo-
cratic deep south, drew the highest ratio of
volunteers in the country. 1t IS, IN short, a
veterans auxiliary of Sidney Humans politi-
cal Action Committee.