Evening star., 1948-07-21
Eighth Top Red
Surrenders as
6 Post Bonds
Wallace Campaign
Chief Calls Timing Of
Case coincidence
BY the Assoeioted Press

NEW 1Ofth, July Z1.-1ne
eighth top Communist leader of
IL indicted on charges of advo-
eating violent overthrow of the
United States Government sur
rendered today.
John Gates. "a, editor of the
Daily Worker, Communist Party
newspaper, said as he appeared in
Federal Court, Il have a clear con-
science"
Six others of the party high COM
mand, headed by Chairman William
z. Foster, were arrested last night
shortly after the special Federal
grand jury returned the indictments.
A seventh was held in Detroit.
The six arrested here were re-
leased overnight after Promising to
return this morning. Bail of $1,000
each was posted for them today.
Gates, an Army paratrooper in
the war, said he learned of the in
dhtments from the newspapers this
morning.
$4,000 in Treasury Bonds.
The 100000 bail for the six was
posted in Treasury bonds by Rob-
ert w. Dunn, treasurer of the Civil
Rights Congress. when they ap-
peared before Federal Judge Vim
cent L. Leibell.
Freed on bail besides Foster were
Eugene Dennis, general secretary
of the Communist Party; John Will
Hanson, national labor secretary;
Jacob Stachel, chairman of the
partys department of agitation,
publication and education: Benja-
min j. Davis. New York City coun-
Gilman, chairman of the party's
Legislative Committee, and Henry
Winston, organizational secretary.
Carl Winters. chairman of the
Michigan State Council of the party,
was seized in Detroit last night.
The other four are being sought.
The arrests, one of the sharpest
blows yet struck against organized
communism in this county, brought
an immediate, strongly worded pro-
test from national headquarters of
the party.
Reds Call 1t Frame Up"
1t described the indictments as
a "monstrous frame-up" and said
the arrests were part of plan by
President Truman to embarrass the
New Party of Henry A. Wallace.
Foster and the others indicted are
specifically accused of "conspiring
to teach and advocate the over
throw of the United States Govern
ment by force and violence"
The seven under arrest were ar
raigned last night on the charges
and all pleaded not guilty.
OF those arrested here, five were
taken into custody at Communist
National Headquarters in lower
Manhattan. The sixth, Councilman
Davis, was arrested at his Harlem
home.
All those indicted by the grand
jury, which had been investigating
for 13 months, we're identified by
Federal officials as members of the
Communist Party's National Board.
Davis and Winston are Negroes.
Editor Among Those Sought.
The four being sought were iden-
tilted as:
Irving Potash, manager Of the
CIO Furriers' Joint Counoil of New
York City; Robert G. Thompson,
chairman of the New York State
Communist Party; Gilbert Green of
Chicago, district chairman for the
Communist Party at Chicago, and
Gus. Hall of Cleveland, chairman
of the Communist Party in Ohio.
Separate indictments returned
against all II men charged them
with holding membership in the
Communist Party, knowing well
that said Communist Party was and
is society or assembly of persons
teaching the overthrow of the
United States by force and vio-
lence."
The indictments which named the
IL charged them with illegal ac-
tlVltleS, under the Smith Act, dat
ing back to April /, l945. The Smith
Act characterizes as Illegal any ac-
tivity which advocates or teaches
the overthrow of the Government
by. violence.
June 1945 Meeting Cited.
Specifically mentioned in the in
dictments was a meeting of the
party's national board ION or about
June, 1945."
This meeting, the indictments
(See COMMUNISTS, Page A-5J
1hunderstorms 10 Brinq