The Chicago star. (Chicago, Ill.) 1946-1948, 1947-10-04
Ed IT . n A :
The DiIIing Suit

+ Asst week we announced that Elizabeth billing had
IL filed suit against the Chicago Star asking 100000
and imprisonment of the editors if convicted libel
Her attorneys who her xhusband Albert and her
son. Kirkpatrick, contend that her reputation dam
aged by being called fascist in these pages
Because of Mrs billings known record and her
fringe, there may be tendency to consider the pending
suit merely added evidence of crackpot mentality
In action, and to laugh the whole thing off as UNI
important
But knowledge of the billing connections and all
factors involved indicates this court action is of vital
importance not only to The Star but to the entire liberal
and progressive movement.
During Is months of publication, have sought
to speak for organized labor minority groups and lib
erals and progressves We have tried to fight the peo
pies battles speak out against all forms of injustice
and bear the torch for democracy We have been out
spoken in criticism of the profteers, the
mongers and the hate merchants who would split the
people into rival factions and the for fascsm
Since The Star is owned by its readers, have been
able to speak up for the plain people without fear of
offending some million dollar stakeholder
ERE in America liberties are slowly being swept
away. Any citizen organization newspaper that
courageousy fights for the of progress today
made the target of attack The Witch-hunters in high
places instead of prosecuting the Elizabeth
billings have begun to them their agents and
fingermen And the attack is broadsde against every
thing decent and democratic.
Labor has been pushed back by enactment of the
Taft-Hartley law. Anti-Semitism is the increase
Lynchngs continue in the South and both housing riots
and school riots aimed at Negroes Rankin and his
un-American committee have never before been SO
powerful. Our Wall Street lperlaSS seek world dOm
nation Anti-fascists sentenced to Jail while those
under indictment for sedition including Mrs Dng get
complete freedom with all charges dropped.
Because these things true. it is not possible for
laugh off the Ding suit The record of Germany
shows what happened those who merely laughed at
another "crackpot, -Adolph Hitler.
Today the billings of America the agents for
the most powerful indusrialist and mperalist group
ings Mrs. billings fanatcsm the Big Business
fascsts of America-and they stand by her side.
Any careful examination of this 100000 suit against
The Star indicates that this not publicity stunt
nor an attempt by isolated screwbal to save injured
feelings with cash.
This part of deliberate plan TO silence and destroy
fighting peoples newspaper.
The plan is to drain out the likelihood of this paper
in exhaustng legal battle court costs and legal fees
OF COURSE Mrs. billing does not expect to collect
" 100000 She knows we have half million. But
if she could receive judgment in court and send the
editors to JAIL then serious blow would be administered
the entire artculate liberal and progressive
whose spokesman is The Star.
With the present trends this is not far fetched But
this threat be averted by fighting back by giving
renewed support to The Star in its uncompromising
stand against the billings the McCormicks, the dollar
dictators and the warmongers.
This is plea to readers and friends to rally to
defense. We asking the people of Chicago the
common people, the workers to help us build fund
to fight this victory We appeal for flood of
"Ant-Dng Dollars" to head off this attempt to gag
your paper by draining off its publishing funds in
long drawn-out legal fight
We believe it's worth dollar to every Star reader
to join in and continue this fight. That's why were
asking each of you to send in at least 81 to help
strengthen this newspaper and show Liz Dng and her
gang that the liberal and progressive forces refuse
be inundated