Evening star., 1948-08-10
ave Moves 10 ExpeI
Daily Worker Editor;
New York Hearinq SET


tee moved today to expel John Gates,
editor of the Communist Party pa
per, the Daily Worker, from men,
bership in the organization.
A hearing. set tentatively for Au-
gust 27 in New York, was ordered
by the AVC's National Administra-
tive Committee to determine
whether in fact Mr.. Gates is a men,
Der of the Communist Party. He is
one of the IL Communist leaders
recently indicted by New York
grand jury on charges of seeking to
overthrow the Government.
The AVC's position Is that any
member of the Communist Party
who signs the membership applica-
ton of the American Veterans Com
mittee and who Is a member of the
organization is thereby engaged in
acts inimical to the interests of the
American Veterans Committee and
should be ousted from membership"
Says Case Is No Witch Hunt.
If the fact-flnding hearing estab-
fishes Mr.. Gates membership in the
Communist Party, a statement by
Joseph A. Clorety, jr, acting chair
man of AVG, declared, lit is the
sense Of the National Administrative
Committee resolution that he should
be ousted from membership in the
AVG"
Mr. Clorety' said "the John Gates
case is not witch hunt. It is in
tended to determine whether or not
veteran of World War II can hold
membership in the Communist
Party and, in good faith, sign the
AVG statement of intentions"
This statement includes a pledge
Of support to the Bill of Rights and
the maintenance of full production
and full employment in our country
under a system of private enterprise
in which business, labor, agriculture
and Government cooperate"
The case came to light after two
Washington members of AVG raised
the issue of whether a Communist
Party member could also belong to
AVG.
Member for About a Year.
The two men, Forrest Finley, a
Washington correspondent for an
Oregon newspaper, and Wadsworth
Likely, q radio writer, wrote the
AVC's administrative committee to
question the Gates membership.
Mr. Gates has been a member for
about year, an AVG official said
today
The letter said, in part:
1T is our conviction that no men,
Der of the Communist Party can be
member of AVG except under false
pretenses. 1t is also our conviction
that it is the duty of the govern
ing bodies of AVG first to take steps
to prevent Communists from be-
coming members of AVG and second.
when that is not possible, to expel
from membership, in accordance
with the pertinent provisions Of the
AVG constitution, all Communists. :"
The letter pointed out that since
AVG Is not "a nation or a trade
union," there is no issue of civil lib
critics involved. AVG has been active
in efforts to protect civil liberties
of all individuals.
Principles Held Inconsistent. ~ :
The AVG administrative group,
made up of five members of the Ma
tional Planning Committee which
runs AVG, met last Friday and or
dered the hearing In New York. The
group issued a statement, made pub
lie today, saying in part that "the
principles of the Communist Party
ARE inconsistent with the principles
of the American Veterans Commit
tee" The group resolved that pro-
ceedings be instituted against the
Daily Worker editor, a World War II
veteran, Ito determine the facts as
to the alleged membership in the
Communist Party of Mr.. Gates"
The two men who raised the issue
stated the belief that Mr.. Gates is
guilty of perjuring his oath ito
AVC) and should therefore be ex-
PEELED"
AVG is an organization of vet
eran5 of World War II as we'll as
members of the Merchant Marine
who served in the war.