Evening star., 1947-04-25
Ickes Charges Parfie,
Threaten Liberties
With Witch Hunts

The American people today had 4
warning from former Secretary of
Interior Harold L. Ickes that both
Republican and Democratic leaders
are engaging in an ''un-American-
ism witch hunt" that is the greatest
threat to civil liberties this country
has ever seen.
Mr.. Ickes' statement was con-
tanned in a speech prepared for
delivery last night at Washington
hotel banquet sponsored by the
Washington Press-Radio Wing of
the American Veterans Committee
to honor outstanding Americans Of
the year"
He departed when an entertain
ment program stretched Is minutes
past the time he was scheduled to
speak. Economist Robert Nathan.
postmaster at the dinner, said later,
"Mr. Ickes had to leave because he
wasn't feeling we'll" His address
was read by Malcolm Ross, former
head Of the Fair Employment Prac-
tices Committee.
Warns Of Growing Threat.
Mr.. Ickes warned the American
people to steel themselves against
the threat to our civil liberties that
Is growing stronger every day"
Directing strong blasts against
both major parties, the former off,
cial said they "are IN race to per-
suade the voters that each is the
only true knight who will protect
them from the evils of communism. /"
The Republicans, who expended
themselves to the point of spiritual
bankruptcy on the issue of COM
munism, missed bet when they
failed to copyright" the issue, he
said. "They were to discover that
President Truman, on behalf of the
Democratic Party, had neatly taken
their dishonest issue away from
them" he asserted.
BY his proposal for the S400, ,000,-
600 loan to the Greek and Turkish
governments, said Mr.. Ickes, what
President Truman did was to shout
communism right in the face of
Russia ITSELF On the loan ques-
tion, he said the American people
should be given a clearer explana-
ton "of the diplomatic moves their
Government is making"
One Received for Eisenhower.
On hand to receive the AVG cita-
tions, granted for extraordinary de-
votion to the ideals of democracy"
were Cartoonist Bill Mauldin. James
B. Carey, secretary of the CIO; DR..
William Higinbotham, nuclear sci
enlist; Eric Sevareid, radio COM
mentator. and DR.. Charming Tobias,
YMCA executive. Mai. Gen. Claude
L. Ruffner received a citation for
Gen. Eisenhower and Col. w. F.
Magill accepted one for his chief
Veterans Administrator Bradley.
Not present were 80 other leaders
who ranged from former Secretary
of State Byrnes and Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt to Frank Sinatra. The
others included
Former Gov. Ellis Arnan of
Georgia, former Economic Stabiliza-
tion Director Chester BowIes, Capt.
Earl j. Carroll, of counsel in the
Lichfield Army prison brutality
trials; former Senator La Toilette of
Wisconsin, Representative Mon
roney, Democrat, of Oklahoma;
Representative Douglas, Democrat,
of California; former Representative
Clare Booth Luce Of Connecticut,
Supreme Court Justice Robert Jack
son, Phillip Graham, publisher of
the Washington Post, and Robert
Sherwood, playwright.
Also, John Hersey, John Roy Carl
son, Walter White and Leland Stowe,
writer's; Robert st. John and Ray
mond Swing, news commentators;
Albert Einstein, Thomas Stokes,
Samuel Grafton and Drew Pearson.
colunmists: Bishops Barnard j.
Shiel and G. Bromley Oman, for
mer Housing Expeditor Wilson
wyatt, Henry A. Wallace, Ralph
McGin, editor of the Atlanta Con-
stitution: Robert M. Hutchins,
chancellor of the University of
Chicago; Lester Granger, National
Urban League official; James Doo-
little and former UNRRA chief,
Fiorello n. La GuarCia.