Evening star., 1949-03-04
Maryland Committee
To Act on Modifying
Anti-Communist Bill
BY the Associoted Press

by me eSSociO1eo FfeSS
ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 4.-Mem-
bers of the House Judiciary Com
mittee will meet privately within
the next few days to decide
whether to recommend dulling
some of the sharper edges of a
bill to combat communism in
Maryland.
The committee as whole is
agreed the anti-Communist legis-
lation. which already has passed
the Senate. is good in principle.
The big question is whether it is
so stringent it may hurt innocent
persons.
They met for six hours yester-
day as more than a score of wit
nesses suggested amendments
some of them nullifying. Mem
bers of the Governors Commits
sion on Subversive Activities urged
its passage "as is
Senate Vote Unanimous.
The bill passed the Senate
withous a dissenting vote. AS it
stands now it would:
MAKE persons who persist in
belonging to subversive group or
urge overthrow of the Govern
ment by force liable to long
prison term.
2.-Force diSbanding of sub
versive organizations;
3.-Make mandatory loyalty
checks of all public employees. in
cluding school teachers. All sub
versive persons would be fired.
Centralize Investigations
and prosecutions in the Attorney
Generals Office. A special assis-
tant attorney general would be
placed in immediate charge.
Attorney General Hall Ham
mond told the committee yester-
day that, instead of a special as
sistant in his Office, the State
could set up a Maryland Bureau
of Information. patterned after
the FBI.
Former Attorney General VIII
liam C. Walsh contended, how
ever. that the law department is
the logical place" for supervisory
powers. Frank B. Ober. commits
sion chairman. said that provision
is the heart of the bill"
Some of the witnesses urged
deletion of the whole criminal
section of the measure.
| DR.. Arthur o. Lovejoy, professor
emeritus of philosophy at Johns
Hopkins University, suggested the
preamble be stricken out. It
mentions Communism-something
the body of the bills does not do.
| He felt it might be regarded as
a bill to outlaw the Communist
Party" That, he contended,
would play into the hands of the
Communists"
Loyalty Board Urged.
Representatives of school
teacher groups urged a loyalty
review board" and changes to
dispel anxiety among those mot
willing to risk being investigated. !"
T A suggestion that the bill be
amended to provide for maximum
fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for
not more than six months, or
both, for persons convicted of
charging that a public employe is
disloyal without substantiating the
charge under oath was advanced
: by Nilsson c. Raver. executive
secretary of the Maryland State
Teachers Association.
1t was learned the proposal was
drawn by Edgar M. Douglass, as
sistant superintendent of schools
in Montgomery County, who was
among those who defended Mont
gomery schools last year in at
tacks by Franklin T. Miles, Chevy
Chase attorney for allegedly per-
mitting the use of Communistic
textbooks.
Public Hearing Asked.
DR.. Thomas G. Pullen, jr., State
superintendent of schools, who in
vestigated the Miles charges at
the request of Gov. Lane. reported
about two months ago that Mr..
Miles had refused to swear to his
statements under oath in Balti-
more.
Mr.. Miles claimed, however. that
he had been unable to go to Bal
timore but had offered to substan-
tiate his charges at a public hear
ing in Montgomery County.
Chairman Melnicove of the Ju-
dietary Committee said his group
would have "the bill ready for the