Evening star., 1947-08-31

ant than ever in these Rectic days"
Mr.. Robinson added.
In Los Angeles, Mr.. Patterson de-
clared in his opinion the House
Committee 'is really un-American.
Mr.. Patterson said he was willing
TO sponsor ANY organization fight
ing for the equal rights of the
people. regardless of race, color or
creed"
Savage Assails Committee.
Mr.. Savage said when advised he
had been named as among the Con-
gress founders, that's the first I
ever heard of it. I certainly was
not at the Detroit meeting" He
said the House Committee is out
to perpetuate hate. 1t is out to de-
stroy democracy in America. 1t is
headed by narrow minded men who
never saw anything wrong with Fas-
cists, such as Gerald L. K. Smith"
In Seattle, Mr.. De Lacy COM
mented: The report is another in
long series of acts by the Rankin
Thomas committee intended to in
timidate the expression OF free
opinion in this country. Calling
prejudiced witnesses, having star
chamber proceedings and citing
anti-Fascists for contempt while
the Coughlinites and the Gerald l..
K. Smith followers go free. This is
evidence of a real need for an
American Civil Rights Congress. I
am proud to have been in at the
founding of this organization and
shall stay with it until the Rankins
and Thomases are retired from pub
lie life"
DR.. Clement, reached in New York,
said that sin the first place I've
never been a Communist>or fellow
traveller" adding:
st suppose am identified with
a number of organizations in which
some Communists or fellow travel
ers might possibly hold membership
but they are organizations which are
trying to do things which think
ought to be done in a democratic
country.
Saints and Sinners.
I'm pretty sure a close investl-
cation will show that there are
saints and sinners in any large
group. I think it absurd to label
any man a Communist or fellow
traveller simply because he belongs
to a group in which there are
Communists or fellow travellers"
The committee described the for
nation of the congress as "effec-
tuating the merger of the 1nterna-
tional Labor Defense and the Ma
tional Federation for Constitutional
Liberties" The latter organization,
the committee continued, "had been
so badly discredited by repeated ex-
posure as to injure their usefulness
in the newly envisioned campaign OF
communist lawlesSness."
ut has been time-honored Com
munist tactics to set up a hue and
cry for civil liberties precisely at
moment when boldest attacks upon
democracy are intended.
Invariably this appeal finds a
response among Communist sym
pathizers, and ingenious profess
sional bleeding hearts, who would
rather sacrifice the interests Of their
country than do violence to the
Communist conception of civil lib
critics as applied to the United
States.
"For some curious reason these
are never applied to any
territory under the Communist die
tatorship.'
S47,555 Gifts Reported.
The report describes the "enor-
nous financial income" of the Or
ganization. According to the report
the congress on July z filed state
ments with Congress, under the
Lobbying Act, showing receipt of
contributions totaling $47,555. The
New York branch on July 9 re-
ported contributions totaling $14,939,
the report continued.
Gehart Eisier, recently convicted
in District Court of violation of the
passport law, was described in the
committee report as "one of Mos
cows brain trusters." 1t also pub
lished reports to Congress showing
he and his wife had received ST.