Evening star., 1947-10-25
Communists Trickery
Makes II Difficult
To Outlaw Party
Congress Probe Of Films
So Far FuiIs to Turn Up
Sinqle Confessed Red
By Jay G. Hayden

Reappearance OF the Comlntern
in Europe, followed by the new
hoopla over communism in Holly
wood, probably will revive agita-
tion in favor of outlawing the
Communist Party in the United
States, but these events also en-
phasize the difficulty Of effectively
achieving this purpose.
The congressional group tnvesti-
eating Hollywood Reds 50 far has
failed to turn up single confessed
Communist. John Howard Lawson,
named by several witnesses as the
kingpin promoter of Communist de-
signs in the movie world, was first
summoned by the Un-American
Activities Committee three years
ago and then denied under oath
that he was or ever has been
member of the Communist party
And after Adolphe Menjou pro-
duced a photostat copy Of an alleged
Communist membership card OF
Herbert Sorrell, head of the AFL
Conference of Studio Workers,
Mr.. Sorrell revealed that he already
had signed the non-C Communist
affidayit required of labor leaders
by the Taft-Hartley law.
Seems Not at All Afraid.
II Mr.. Sorrell has sworn falsely
he Is liable to long term In jail,
but he seems not at all afraid that
his charged Communist member
ship can be proved in court.
In hundreds of deportation pro-
ceedings, brought during the past
few years on the ground of Com
munist membership, scarcely any OF
the persons charged have admitted
Communist membership; nor has
the Government been able IN most
cases to prove such membership.
The reason for this condition, OF
course, is that Communists are past
masters at deception and secrecy.
Almost all Communists assume fake
names and the numerous spies sent
into the organization by the FB1
rarely have been able to secure
membership lists.
And even though the ballot was
wide open to them, the Communist
Party frequently has preferred to
enter candidates under other than
its own name. For example, after
the United States Communist Party
declared its own dissolution in 1914,
enough Communists moved into the
American Labor Party of New York
to win control of that organization
at the polls. Because of that coup
David Dubinsky, head of the Ladies
Garment Workers Union, led a bolt
of non-Communists from the ALP
into a new liberal party.
Whether the Communist Party Is
oficially outlawed or not. 1t Is i'm
probable that 1t will enter candi-
dates in its own name in next years
elections. Certainly its leaders know
very well that the fulminations OF
Mr.. vishinsky In the U. N, the re-
appearance Of the Comintern and
other similar developments recently
have made 1t increasingly difdcult
to persuade Americans to support
avowed Communists.
Might Aid Infiltration.
The logical expectation is that the
Communists will extend the proc
ess of infiltration, practiced in the
New York Labor Party, into political
organizations in other States. This
practice might even be helped by a
law forbidding the ballot to Com
munists directly.
Several of the organizations
merged into the Progressive Citizens
of America PCA, presently de-
voted mainly to boosting Henry A.
wallace's presidential aspiration,
had been charged with being Com
munist Party fronts, and MIR. Wal
lace's most ardent California sup
porter. Robert w. Kenny, Is acting
now as attorney for alleged Com
munists from movieland before the
Un-American Activities Committee.
Possible action by the Truman ad-
ministfation to bar Communists
from the ballot was indicated when
Secretary Of Labor Schwellenbach,
last March II, declared that Com
munists should be excluded from
any type of public activity, including
the right to run for office. or hold
office in labor unions"
But Chief j. Edgar Hoover OF the
FBI few days later expressed doubt
that formal outlawing Of the Com
munist Party would prove helpful
actually toward exterminating Com
munist activity, which he described
as "a fifth column If ever there was
one"
tReleased By North American Newspaper
Alliance, 1ne)