Evening star., 1949-10-23
Feurs Communist Votes
In New York Election
Reds Seen Controlling Result of Race
Between Lehman and Dulles
Bv Frank r. Kent


By Frank r. Kent
often the political reactions Of the people
seem to make no sense at ALL For example.
take the question of communism So gen.
orally is communism now abhorred that tho
word has almost become an epithet. For
this there are excellent reasons.
Alter q trial lasting nine months We
recently convicted II American Communist
leaders Of conspiracy to destroy our eco
nonlic system and overthrow our Govern
ment 1t has been further proven that al
early as 1887, when the national admins.
tratlon was favorable to communism abroad
ana friendly to Communists at home Com
munlst agents were stealing secret docu-
ments from the State Department for trans
mission to Moscow. Also there is q daily
published organ in New York, taking its
direction straight from the Kremlin, which
has steadily sought to promote violent revo-
luton in this country and insists that any
means, however foul, are justified II they
tend to disrupt our way of life.
There Is likewise incontestable proof that
many of our biggest labor unions are con-
Jrolled by Communists. In Others where the
Communists lack control, they have large
following and potent influence. Men like
Paul Robson, the Negro singer. roam the
country in an effort to make trouble and
promote discord. And from Moscow there
steadlly pours out a poisonous propaganda
OF vltuperation and Misrepresentation. The
United Nations, upon which such high hopes
Tor world peace were built, has been reduced
10 utility by the Russian attitude Because
OF that attitude We are obliged to appro
pirate billions for defense and provide other
billions to strengthen our Allies abroad
against the aggression of a ruthless Russia.
because OF that attitude our own financial
structure is badly strained.
No one disputes these facts. Yet at this
moment we permit the Communists to make
monkeys OF U.S. In New York an election for
united States Senator will be held on No.
vember 8. The Republican candidate, John
Foster Dulles, has charged that the Com
munist- t-dominated American Labor Party is
supporting his Democratic opponent, ex-
Governor Lehman. This charge cannot be
denied. But Mr.. Dulles is denounced for
making it. The eountercharge is that he
represents the selfish interests and that
Mr. Lehman is no more Communist than
Mr.. Dulles, which is true. The liberal"
columnlSts either ignore the charge entirely
or lndlct 1t as extravagant, absurd and not
to be taken seriously.
1t is neither extravagant nor absurd, and
those who fail to take it seriously are playing
the game of the convicted Communist lead
erS, and, Tor that matter, Communists every
where. Here are the facts: The American
Labor Party used to include a minority of
'bleedlng heart Roosevelt New Dealers who
now compose the American Liberal Party.
They left the ALP proclaiming that it was
Communist-controlled. Since the departure
OF the bleeding hearts," the ALP has been
completely Communist. There is no longer
minority. It is the instrument of the
Communist leaders and it's official head is
Congressman Vito Marcantonio, whose Com
munlSt athllations are not questioned. It
polls approximately 100000 votes in the
state. In 1914, when it supported Roose-
veIt. the official figures were 1876 4O5, and in
1946-an off year, when it supported Mr.,
Lehman in his first effort to become Senator
-435,046 The interesting thing is its dis
clpl1ned voting solidity. 1t votes as solidly
when the ALP has no candidates of its own
as when it has. It votes the way the leaders
direct, and strictly on the party line.
This year 1T has made no nomination Of
its own, but is supporting Mr.. Lehman. So
IS the Daily Worker. So is every New York
Communist Violently against Gov. Dewey.
they are all equally violent against M
Dulles. To repeat, Mr.. Lehman is no more
Communist than Mr.. Dulles and no more
than the late Mr.. Roosevelt, who got the
solid Communist vote in 1910 and 1914
Nevertheless. the ALP will deliver to Mr..
Lehman on election day 100000 Communist
votes. whether he likes them or not. If
elected. it certainly will not be by 100000
majority, which means he will owe his elec.
ton to Communist support, whether he likes
it or not.
Now, then, the Communists have a right
to vote for Mr.. Lehman even if he is anti
Communist, even if he publicly repudiates
them as the late Mr.. Roosevelt once did
but got their votes just the same. In view
OF the above undisputed facts, it would
seem reasonable for the ordinary nom Com
munist voter to ask himself this question:
Conceding that Mr.. Lehman is just as anti
Communist as Mr.. Dulles, why are the Com
munlsts so solidly supporting him? There
Is but one answer to that. The Communists
are for Mr.. Lehman because they believe
the programme supports tends toward their
aVowed goal economic chaos and the
breakdown OF our system. They believed
That about the Roosevelt New Deal and they
believed it about the Truman Fair Deal"
ana welfare state"-and their reasons for
so believing are extremely sound
Proof of this belief is to be found in a
nunored Daily Worker editorials and hun
ored communist speeches since 1888. More
over, there is no other logical answer. That
ought to mean a lot to nom Communist
voters not only in New York but in the
country. In New York they can't do any,
thing about the Communists voting solidly
Tor Mr.. Lehman but they can do a lot to
prevent them from swinging the election and
making saps out of the electorate. In the
country as whole. if they reflect upon the
facts, it might disturb the complacency
OF all save the most obtuse advocates of the
welfare state and deficit financing"
been observed and reported. Officer Bran.
son was called before the trial officer of the
police department. Complaint also had been