Evening star., 1949-08-07
Byrd Charges
Attack by PAC
In Campaign
KroII Denies Any Part
In Virginia Election,
DiscIuims Circulars

Senator Byrd. Democrat, of Vir-
ginia, yesterday charged the CIO
Political Action Committee with
outright lies" and an attack on
his personal affairs.
He said in statement that CIO
circulars charged that, as an
apple grower. l was selling my
apples to the Federal Government
at high and exorbitant prices"
Jack Kroll, director of CIO-PAC,
told reporter his organization
did not participate in the Virginia
primary campaign. He added that
1t did not circulate any pamphlets
in connection with the election
Senator Byrd said charges also
were made that he was obtain
ing large sums from the Federal
Government under the conserva-
ton programs" and that he was
buying fertilizer from the Govern
ment at half price
I'm addition to the circulars.
Senator Byrd said, "a publication
called League Reporter the Off
cial organ of Labor's League for
Political Action published in
Washington under the date Of
August 1.-The day before the pri-
mary in Virginia-carried similar
false charges under the headline:
Byrd would pare budget, but likes
aid for apples"
Charges Denied.
With respect to the lies about
my private business" Senator
Byrd added, which these labor
propagandists have spewed all over
Virginia, and generally broadcast
elsewhere, the truth is:
Il have never received a check
or money in any other form from
the United States Government in
the Is years I have been in the
Senate. except my salary as
United States Senator.
In the IA years 1 served in the
government of Virginia, I never
received a check or money in any
other form from the Government
except my salary check.
Il have never sold any apples
to the Federal Government. and
I have never sold anything else to
the Federal Government for any
consideration.
I have never purchased any
fertilizer from the government at
half price or any other price.
Il have never accepted soil con-
servation payments. and I have
never accepted any remuneration
from for participation in any gov
eminent program.
Cites Principles. 49,
1T would not be illegal for me
to do any of these things, but as a
matter of principle I have never
accepted payments except salary
for the office held from a govern
ment in which I have been an
elected official, whose duties re-
quire an unbiased decision on ap-
preparations and legislation which
may affect my private business.
So long as remain in public life
this will be my unalterable policy"
Senator Byrd said that in recent
and previous experience with the
Political Action Committee of the
C1O I have learned first hand it's
political campaign techniques.
"One of the most vicious of
these techniques," he continued.
is to distribute-some times by
mail and some times by hand
thousands of circulars making
charges which are outright lies or
couched in language deliberately
designed to deceive. The distribu-
tion of these malicious circulars is
Invariably held back until the eve
OF the election when there is no
opportunity to nail the lie and
identify the source.
In Virginia the overall tech
nique usually takes the form of a
venemous personal attack upon
me-not necessarily upon my DO
l1tlcal record. but more frequently
upon my personal affairs
Kroll Criticizes Byrd.
THE CIO-PAC was not in
volved in the campaign in vir-
ginia,' Mr.. Kroll told a reporter.
The League Reporter is no
organ of ours.
I'VE are not concerned with
Harry Byrd's private affairs. What
we are concerned with is his
extremely undemocratic and die
tatorial control over the political
lives of the people of Virginia.
1T comes with very poor judg-
ment for Senator Byrd to accuse
the C1O-PAC of lying. since we
put out no such pamphlets or
circulars. His charge is just an
other example of taking out a
tar brush to smear over the labor
unions of Virginia.
I'VE are not surprised that
Senator Byrd feels desperate after
the close call his political machine
suffered in the August 2 primary"