Evening star., 1947-06-13
ljn-American Probe
Said 10 Hold Surprise
For Wallace Backers


tiles Committee report on the South
ern Conference for Human Welfare,
sponsor of Henry Wallace's speech
here next Monday, will reveal "at
least one thing that the conference
doesn't know we know" Chairman
Thomas said today.
Mr.. Thomas was replying 10 a
conference spokesman who said he
had learned the report, to be pub
lished Sunday, does not contain
anything more than the committee
had said before.
"Our interest in the Monday
meeting LIS In the Southern Confer
ence," Mr.. Thomas said. "The COM
mittee called the Southern Confer
ence a Communist-front organiza-
ton as far back at 1914, and we had
been preparing this report for the
past two months.
"It was a coincidence that the
Southern Conference made this date
with Mr.. Wallace at the time we
were preparing to make the report
public"
Scare Effort Seen.
The contents of the report un-
known to the coference definitely
identifies 1t as q Conmunist-front
organization" Mr.. Thomas told The
Star.
In New York yesterday, Mr.. Wal
lace said the House committees
avowed plan to send observers" to
hear his speech at the Watergate
was meant ito scare Government
workers so that they will not attend
the meeting"
"If the police state has not yet
arrived in the United States, the
Government workers will rebuke
these tactics by turning out in
force" Mr.. Wallace said.
Mr.. Thomas rebuttal to this was
that Mr.. Wallace has made so
many foolish statements lately" he
didn't see why reply was neces-
sary.
David Lachenbruch, press rela-
tions directors for the conference,
said the Un-American Activities
Committees action was the best
advertising" the Wallace speech has
had.
Ticket Sales Declared Good.
yesterday, when the publicity
was running at its peak, we sold
more tickets than ever before" he
said.
Mr.. Lachenbruch said the sale was
particularly heavy in the higher
priced ticket range and that only
"about so to rs of the $3.50 seats
remain" He guessed that IS or 90
per cent of the 5000 available
tickets had been sold.
Conference officials knew about
what the House committees report
contains, the spokesman added.
I'VE have been advised by Con-
gresham that there is nothing new
in it and that it is mostly list of
other affiliations of conference off,
ciais," he said.
He said the conference had never
been investigated by the committee,
and that observers" would be well
coined at the Wallace speech,
But the observers had better get
their tickets early if they want
seats" he added.
Letter Turned Over to FBI.
An additional six loud speakers
will be placed outside the amphi-
theater for persons unable to buy
seats SO that they may hear the
speech from two nearby bridges"
Mr.. Lachenbruch said.
Mr.. Thomas revealed he has
turned over to the FBI a letter from
an anonymous amateur poet threat
ening him with death. The New
Jersey representative said he re-
garded the threat more seriously
than the average "crackpot" note.
1t was addressed to Obit (obit-
uary) No. l and signed "Finis." 1t
read in part:
May I be the first to inform you
that you will be relieved of your
duties in June. In fact, you won't
have any duties. There will be a
resistance movement of righteous
people, white and black, that will
make any underground look silly"
The letter included this attempt
ut poetry:
MY little butterball
You're due for a fall
Sometime in June
"There will he a hO0m