Evening star., 1949-08-02
Maryland Awaits Test
In Court Before Aetna
On 0ber Law Vio|ators
By the Associated Press

BALTIMORE, Aug. 2.-No &C
ton will be taken against public
employees who fail to sign loyalty
oaths until a court decision on the
constitutionality of Maryland s
anti-subversive laws is handed
down.
That became clear yesterday
the deadline for signing the oaths
required by the so-called Ober law
Attorney General Hall Ham,
mond advised officials of the State
and its subdivisions to withhold
action until Judge Joseph Sherbow
OF the Supreme bench of Balti-
more hands down his decision in
two suits attacking the new law
Ends Vacation August 8.
Mr.. Hammond said the decision
should be forthcoming soon after
August 8. when Judge Sherbow re-
turns from his vacation.
State Employment Commission.
er Russell S. Davis and Mayor
Thomas D'Alesandro of Baltimore
Immediately agreed to abide by the
Attorney Generals opinion.
Mr.. Hammond made his opinion
public at the HomeWood Friends
meeting, one of two Quaker groups
in Baltimore. condemned the law
as IAN attempt to abridge freedom
of thought and conscience" and
three Quakers formally refused to
sign the loyalty oaths.
Discharge Provided.
The law, enacted at the l94s
General Assembly session. specifies
that all non-elective employees OF
the State and it's subdivisions, in
cluding teachers, who fail to sign
the loyalty oaths shall be imme-
diately discharged" Yesterday was
set as the deadline.
1t also provides long prison
terms or heavy fines for those who
actively advocate overthrow of the
JOVCIlLkIlclIb Wy lOICC.
The three me mbers of the So
ciety of Friends who refused to
sign the oathS are DR.. Miriam E
Bradley, director of the Bureau OF
tuberculosis of the Baltimore
City Health Department; Miss
Doris Shamleffer. personnel exam
liner in the State Employment and
Registration Department, and Miss
Elizabeth Haas. a member Of the
staff of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt
Free Library.
Oppose Use of Force.
The Homewood Meeting state
ment denouncing the Ober law
said that the Society of Friends
has perceived that the use
of force to obtain results in the
realm of religion. morals or intel
lect is futile as well as un-Chris-
tian.
1T is recognized that there may
be persons in our land whose
motives and actions are inimical
to the Government, but law
that attempts to specify what q
person may or may not say. OF
what groups he may join. appears
to coerce opinion and to be con-
trary to democratic as we'll as
Christian principles"
Each of the three who refused tc
sign the oath said in letters tc
their immediate superiors that she
is loyal citizen. They said they
were taking their stands on re.
ligious grounds and that if they
we're to sign it might be inter
preted as an Endorsement Of
the law.
They we're the only three who
formally refused to sign the
pledges, so far as 1t could be as
certained.
However. Edwin Harlan, deputy
city solicitor of Baltimore, said at
least $50 city employees have not
signed. 88 of them members of the
Education Department.
The cases against the Ober Act
were brought by two officials OF
the Communist Party of Mary.
land by a group of Baltimore busi-
ness and professional men anc
women.