Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-03-27
|Whut Is q Communist?

/ LII lCJUCl 4lOll OH Olu 1llCllu
of Miss Bailey. which arrived too
late for presentation to the review
board, this comment appears:
In all the years ! have known
Dorothy I have never heard her
say an unkind word about any in
dividual or agree to such remarks
made by others. sometimes much
to my annoyance I can we'll I'M
derstand how some people might
misinterpret this fine quality, at
tributing to her silence an impli-
cation Of acquiescence in the
political views or motives Of 9TH
ers."
Whether or not this is a correct
diagnosis OF Miss Bailey's trouble.
1T is clear that she aroused
the suspicious Of her judges
through her unwillingness to de-
nounce elements in her union as
Communist and to speak more
positively on the evils of the Com
munist doctrine.
i. At Miss Bailey's frst hearing.
the following colloquy occurred:
Mr.. Examiner: You state that
you have always been loyal to the
Government of the United States.
Do you consider the principles of
Communism to be inimical to the
best interests of the United
States?
Miss Bailey: I don't know too
much about the principles of Com
munism. I am not sympathetic
with the principles of Commu-
nism. I am not sympathetic with
the Communist Party.
Mr.. Examiner: Do you believe
that a person could be member
Of the Communist Party and still
be loyal to the Government Of the
United States?
Miss Bailey: I don't know
enough about the Communist
Party. I can say that am not
a member of the Communist Party
and I can speak for myself that I
am loyal to the Government"
| Pressed on Earlier Testimony.
These questions and her an
swers returned to plague Miss
Bailey at the review hearing. as
the transcript shows:
Mr.. SeaSongood: I have read
the transcript (of the hearing
before the regional board. The
one thing I must say which saw
in the opinion of the board which
struck me rather the same way
was when you were asked about
Communism and. in substance,
said you were not familiar with
the principles of the Communist
Party. Do you say that now?
Miss Bailey: I have been
thinking over a lot of the things
in the hearing. as you do. would
say I cannot get engaged in a
theoretical discussion of the de-
tailed principles of Communism
and the Communist Party. How
ever, I read the newspapers; we
all do. - can say without
reservation that I am completely
opposed to Communism, and from
all see Of it in the Russian form
of government I do think that
| it is a police state. I don't think
they have the freedom which We
have in this country. I can talk
about some specific things like
that in terms Of the evidence
which we have here.
Mr.. Seasongood: Do you be-
lieve that a person could be q
member Of the Communist Party
and still be loyal to the Govern
ment Of the United States?
Miss Bailey: From what I
know Of the Communist Party !
would say no.
Mr.. Seasongood: Why did you
say in answer there, Il don't
know enough about the Com
munist Party?
Miss Bailey: said I had been
doing some thinking about that
since the hearing. I prefer to
make statements based on facts
and rather complete knowledge.
I have never read the constitu-
ton of the Communist Party. -
I am perhaps too precise q wit
ness, not one to make sweeping
statements unless I have all Of
the facts. - AS far as I know
people who are members of the
Communist Party are not loyal
to the United States.
Asked for Definition.
Mr.. Seasongood: Well. are you
telling US that you don't know
substantially what Communist
lis?
Miss Bailey: would say it is
very difncult to identify Com
munist, and I think any one on
these boards would certainly agree
with that. I know I DO not
agree with their program.
mfr. seasongood: What IL their
program which you don't agree
WITH