The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-11
AS Pegler Sees It
BIZ WEsTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1s47, BY King Features Syndicate,
IncN

Copyright, 1s47, By King Features Syndicate,
NEW YORK, Aug. 10 - The American
Veterans Committee, one Of the theology
fronts organized to entice zullible men and
women who served in the latest World War,
recently held its second national convention
in Milwaukee. This organization has been
infested with communists from the day of
its founding and still offers the most con-
genial company for an avowed Muscovite that
may be found on the Hitler side of the COM
munist party itself. Its attitude toward COM
rnunists may be likened to that Of a social
minded summer toward a mildewed bum on
the next pallet in a nickel flop. The AVG.
winces about the nose but doesn't get up
and go, because that would be Red-baiting.
The AVG. was conceived and founded by
Charles G. Bolte. an American who fought in
the British. Army and lost a leg. The wooden
prop, on which he stomped noisily to some
slight and momentary prominence during a
term OF one year as the chairman. or found.
ing father, has been publicized no less than
the ninble pegs of Peter Stuyvesant and Lone
John Silver.
The New York Herald Tribune gave BoIte
a job writing his opinions on veterans or.
CARNATIONS. He soon took sock at the Amer
lean Legion, the big store Of the veteran
business and the principal opposition of his
W upstart concern. In this role. the Tri-
bune did not identify him as a political and
financial rival OF the Legion. But shortly after
one OF my daily messages to p~osterity called
attention to the queer ethics of the case
MT. Bolte's weekly contributions to the know
leoge, Or confusion, OF his fellow-citizens ceas.
ed 10 run. Later. the New York Times used
a review by Bolte, laudatory. of course, on
the latest and, no doubt. final, book of John
hoy Carlson, the notorious levantine sneak.
entitled The Plotters."
Carlson, born Derounian. was associated in
sneakery and snoopery with the Friends of
democracy, a private and personal spying
concern. For a short time he was wished onto
tne +. b. l. as a paid informer but was fired
because he was not turning up original in
The Friends of Democracy is 2
enterprise of a former preacher
rom Kansas City named L. M. Birkhead.
henneth blrkhead. his son, is now executive
oirector OF the espionage system and was
elected a member of the planning
me national governing body of the AVA, at
the recent convention. The AVG. bulletin
says young Birkhead helped the frightened
sneak Derounian to write both Of his books.
Under Cover" and 18th Plotters." in a
lawsuit In Chicago the federal court said
Oerounlan was such a Wanton professional
liar that he was unworthy of belief even on
oath.
bolte now departs for England to immerse
himself in the nut-brown scholarship Of the
mother country, fat apd easy-minded on a
rich diet Of home-cooked compliments whin.
ped up by the Ayes publicity department.
The commanding officer of the AVG. is
called the chairman. Bolte's successor, elect.
ed at Milwaukee after a fine reproduction. in
miniature, Of French and Czechoslovakian
partisan parliamentary scheming. is one Chat
Pa.terson. He seems to represent the yes.
and-no party. There were two other parties.
Doth lett-wing but one to the left OF the
other.
After the election, Ken Pettus. the defeated
candidate Of the farthest left group. sent a
message of congratulation to Patterson. He
promised his support but went on to saw
before a tidal wave Of reaction. He wrote
that the fire and. fight that was our boast
and strength is gone" The confusion of the
plural and the singular may be ascribed RI
Mr.. Pettus' editorial raising. He amt no con.
formist. even in grammar. He once was an
eoltor Tor the mine. mill and %s1ae1ter workers
OF the C.1.O.. which has been enjoying a
gaudy purge Of his old communist collea g,,es
in the last six months. At the end Of tho
war, he bobbed up as managing editor of
the pacific edition Of the Stars and Strines
in Tokyo. There he flunked a loyalty checl
and was relieved and sent home.
Mr.. Patterson's party at Milwaukee d;s.n
proved Red communism along with the b1a ~
and brown versions of the same i%nfect;on
The official A.V.C. bulletine reported that H.
Pettus party resented all such aspersions m.
bolshevism. vi
MIR. Pettus' dubious fluctuations told Mr.
patterson that too many members had lost
faith in the AVG. and that too MANY chsn.
tiers were dying on the vine."
Too many chapters now exist in nam.
only. Mr.. Pettus said, and there now existad
within the AVG. "A bitterness which 800
him to contemplate the grisly Spectacle ~
the AVG. dancing on its own grave At neo.
years convention. IVA
This is the first admission from the ;n,ou
circle that the A. V. c. actually is dving off
Here was just one more group of i,veniIa
political cut-ups who persisted in ch1mmine
with the communists and antagonizing IN.
eaulvocsl American patriots long after Stain
SEM roosevelt home from Yalta in his shorts