Evening star., 1947-10-27
Un-Americun
(Continued From First Page

week." Mr.. Thomas shouted, pound
ing the gavel.
Mr.. Lawson returned:
Its unfortunate and tragic that
have to teach this committee :"
He got no further. Mr.. Thomas
asked him once more If he refused
to answer the question. AS the wit
ness started to reply Mr.. Thomas
shouted: Stand away from the
stand"
Applause and BOOs Heard.
Mr.. Lawson left the stand to
mixture of applause and boos, after
which Mr.. Stripping called Louis j.
Russell, committee investigator, who
reported his investigation had
turned up a Communist Party card
bearing Mr.. Lawson's name. He
read into the record the data ap-
pearing on the alleged card held by
Mr.. Lawson.
In his announcement of plans to
seek the contempt citation, Mr..
Thomas recalled Mr.. Lawson had
refused to answer the question as
to whether or not he held Commu-
mist Party membership, then said:
"It is the unanimous opinion of
this committee that John Howard
Lawson is in contempt of Congress. y
Fine, Jail Term Possible.
If the contempt citation is voted
by the. full committee, a statement
of it's action is filed with the
Speaker of the House who can turn
the matter over directly to the
United States Attorney for prose-
cution.
The prosecution would be before
. jury.
The law calls for . fine Of 800
to $1,000 and imprisonment OF one
month to 8 year in jail for anyone
found guilty.
In tracing his Affiliations in as
serted support of its contention
he had followed scrupulously twists
of the Communist Party line, the
committee investigation report on
Mr.. Lawson noted he was q speaker
at q rally held by the American
League Against War and Fascism
in 1884. That group was cited by
former Attorney General Francis
Biddle as an organization seeking
to generate public support of "a
foreign policy adapted to the in
terests of the Soviet Union, ac-
cording to the report.
Later, in 1887, he became a mem
La~ - fhn odvicoru council of tbs
Theater Arts Committee of the
American League for Peace and
Democracy, successor of the first
group, the report continued.
The American Peace Mobilization
was formed by Communists with
signing of the Stalin-Hi pact
In 1899, and Mr.. Lawson was a spon-
sor of one Of its meetings, the re.
port stated.
When the United States and Rus
,sia became wartime Allies the
Artists Front to Win the War was
among the new Communist fronts
that sprang up, the report asserted
and Mr. Lawson was sponsor OF
one of its mass meetings.
Other Counts Listed.
Among other of the IS counts" ir
the report were assertions that:
Cd In an article in New Theatel
magazine in 1884, he wrote, "as fol
myself, I do not hesitate to say that
it is my aim to present the Com.
munist position. and to do so in the
most specific manner"
CD "The Communist Party line
was also advanced in the screen
play which Mr.. Lawson wrote fol
the movie Blockade, according te
the California Committee on Un.
American Activities"
90 Rena M. Vale, a screen writel
and former Communist, declared II
1910 that Mr.. Lawson had beer
identified to her as Communis
Party member when she met him a
q Communist Party meeting
% THE Communist Party ha
been publicly defended by JOIN
Howard Lawson in articles in tn
Daily Worker, party organ. and h
also has written extensively for Nev
Masses, an official Communis
weekly magazine"
go Mr.. Lawson at one time wa
associated with Frontier Film,
producers and distributors of pro
Communist films"
Acted on Advice Of Counsel.
After the session recessed 70
luncheon, BARLEY Crum. an attorne
. ton the so-called hostile" witnesse