Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-16
f1Convicted Reds
Could Continue Action
For Year or More
~ the Associated Press

NEW YORK, oct. l5.-Amerl- |
can communists, their top leaders
in Jail and their party's future
uncertain, sought grimly to rally
today from the most crushing
blow in their 30-year history.
Despite new pressures shaping
UP against them in Washington,
it looked as though they could
patch together a business as
usual operation for months if
not years to come.
National Chairman William z.
Foster said the Communist Party
will carry the fight to the higher
courts. to the broad masses of
the people"
Foster meant a fight to upset
yesterdays conviction of II of his
National board colleagues on
charges of conspiring to teach
overthrow of the United States
Government.
Long Delays Possible.
The verdict can be appealed to
the United States Circuit Court
of Appeals and then to the Su-
preme Court.
These appeals. along with other
delaying actions that could be
taken from time to time, might
easily last for year or more.
During that time the II con-
victed men, top figures in the
party's American Politburo," pre-
sumably would be free in bail
to carry on, if they chose. the
same kind of activity that left
them Temporarily behind bars to-
day.
The II are locked up in the
Federal House of Dentention,
awaiting sentence next Friday.
Facing maximum sentences OF 10
years in prison and $4,000 fine
each. the men are:
Eugene Dennis. general secre-
tary; Benjamin j. Davis, jr., New
York City councilman; John
Gates, editor of the Daily Worker:
Jacob Stachel, education director;
Robert Thompson, New York
State chairman; Carl Winter,
Michigan chairman; Gus Hall,
Ohio chairman: Henry Winston,
organizational secretary; John B.
Williamson, labor secretary: Gil
bert Green. Illinois chairman; and
Irving Potash. president of
the CLIO Fur g. Leather Workers
Union.
Velde Wants Speedy Action.
In Washington. Representive
Velde, Republican. of Illinois, a
member of the Un-American Ac-
tivties Committee, said The Com
munist Party must not be per-
mitted to drag their appeal
through the courts over number
Of years"
Mr.. Velde didn't say how the
Communists. who stretched the
conspiracy trial to near-record
nine months, could be prevented
from doing this.
He said the committees staff
has been alerted to the possibility
that the Communists may 60 I'M
foreground. I
Senator Mundt. Republican, OF
South Dakota, said the conspiracy
trial verdict underlines the need
for speedy passage of the Mundt-
Nixon bill, which would require
Communists to register as such.
There have been threats that
the party would go underground !
that is, dissolve publicly but
continue active in secret-if a |
registration bill such as the
Mundt- Nixon proposal should be-
come law. /
Judge Seeks Quiet.
Federal Judge Harold R.
Medina, the nerve-wearying Or
deal of the trial ended at last,
drove to his Long Island summer
home He said with manifest
pleasure that twas going to be
a quiet week end.
This decision puzzled his wife.
who said Judge Medina had been
considering a reunion with some I
old friends from the class of '09
at Princeton-a matter of the
Brown-Princeton football game
this afternoon and poker ses-
sion tonight.
Il would have bet 80 to one on
Princeton and whoopee,' Mrs.
Medina said.
United States Attorney John F
x. McGohey, who directed the
successful prosecution of the Com
munist leaders, had a pleasant
Saturday, too. He leafed through
more than 100 messages congrat-
ulating him on his handling of
the case.
Learns of Nomination.
Mr.. McGohey also learned of
his nomination by President Tru-
man to be judge of the Southern
District Federal Court of New
York and commented:
president Truman's encourage
ment and support during the re-
cent trial were constant and COM
plete. I am of course very happy
at the new expression of conf
dence in me-"
For the defense attorneys, the
week end was less pleasant.
Judge Medina held them all in
criminal contempt of court yes
terday and sentenced them to Jail,
beginning November Is. for terms