Evening star., 1949-03-21
Red Peace Delegates
Include Secret Police,
Opponent Charges
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Mar. 21.-A SpOkeS-
man for Americans for Intellectual
Freedom asserted today that at
least one member of the Russian
secret police is in the Soviet dele
CATION en- route here to attend the
Cultural and Scientific Conference
for World Peace.
The spokesman, who asked that
his name not be used. said Ivan
Rozhansky, secretary of the dele
cation. is an agent for M. V. D.,
Soviet secret police organization.
He said Rozhansky and probably
one other M. V. D. agent had been
sent with the delegation to pro
tect' Dmitri Shostakovich, the
composer, and others in the group
from "any anti-Soviet contacts"
Americans for Intellectual
Freedom was founded recently to
oppose the world peace" confer
ence, which it terms a Communist
front. The founders are DR.. Sid
ney Hook, professor of philosophy
at New York University. and Dr..
George S. Counts, a professor at
Columbia University Teachers
College.
Will Hold Counter Rally.
The State Department charges
the conference will be used to
spread Communist propaganda.
The conference is sponsored by
the. National Council of Arts.
Sciences and Professions. It will
open Friday.
Americans for Intellectual
Freedom has announced it will
hold a counter rally Saturday to
voice its opposition to the So
called peace parley.
Meanwhile, three religious
leaders have expressed their
"dismay" over the State Depart
ment's declaration.
A joint statement defending the
conference was issued yesterday
by the Rev. DR.. Halford E. Luc-
cock of the Yale. Divinity School.
the Right. Rev. Arthur w. Moul-
ton. retired Protestant Episcopal
bishop of Utah, and the Right
Rev. S. Harrington Littell, retired
Protestant Episcopal bishop of
Honolulu.
Called "Important" Step.
Their statement said the con-
ference will be Ian important step
in the re-establishment Of cul-
tural relations between the United
States, the u. S. S. R. ana other
countries"
LAS SUCH" they said. ''it should
be encouraged and approved by
our officials"
Dr.. Donovan j. McCune, profess
sor of pediatricS at the College
of Physicians and Surgeons, Co.
lumbia University, announced yes
terday that he had withdrawn as
one of the sponsors of the con-
ference.
DR.. McCune said the meeting
might "be used as a vehicle for
condemning the foreign policy of
our Government, rather than as
a positive measure for promoting
understanding among nations. 7
Recalls Wroclaw Farley. y
The State Department said last
week that the conference is closely
related to the World Congress Of
Intellectuals held last year at
Wroclaw, Poland. That confer
ence, which was predominantly
pro- o-Communist charged Amer
ican-BritiSh imperialism
Officials of the New York con-
ference deny any connection be-
tween it and the conference in
Poland.
The three clergymen said yes
terday that I'VE are dismayed at
the State Departments action in
pre- judging the conference
- which has been called in
the best American tradition Of
free exchange of ideas on the most
vital question which faces all peo-
Piles and nations
The conference will include %
delegates from countries behind
the Iron Curtain
Shostakovitch and six other
Russians left Moscow yesterday
for the conference, the Soviet Of
fetal newsagency Tass reported.
There was no immediate indica-
ton when they would arrive in
kIau Xnrk