Evening star., 1949-07-18
Marcantonio CHARGES
Trial Of II Reds Is
Vote-Getting' Plan
BY the Associated Press


NEW YORK. July 18.-Vitt
Marcantonio, American Labor
Party, told Bill of Rights" con.
ference yesterday that the indict'
ment of the II top Communis
leaders now on trial here was 6
vote getting proposition" to helr
elect President Truman.
The left-wing House member
from New York City devoted much
of his speech to an attack or
President Truman, who had called
the sponsors of the conference
that gang
The sponsors included Henry A
Wallace, Progressive Party presi-
dental nominee last year. ano
Paul Robson, the Negro singer.
The 1900 conference delegates
from SO States were invited to
Join a National picketline' out
side the Federal building today to
demand the release of three OF
the IL Communist leaders who
are being kept in jail between
court sessions.
Jailed for Contempt.
The three-Gilbert Green, Gus
Hall and Henry Winston - lost
their freedom on bail for con-
temptuous conduct in court.
The IL Reds are on trial on
charges of conspiracy to advocate
overthrow of the Government oy
force and violence.
The picketing would be trultless
today, however, since the trial was
recessed again because OF the Ill
ness of a juror.
Representative Marcantonio told
Yesterdays conference that the
presidential campaign last year
was a "Red-baiting race ana
added:
The Republicans were ahead IN
the d-baiting, and Harry Iru-
man was behind-but not too lar
behind. He had to catch up. So
a group of unscrupulous politi-
clans thought that an indictment
of the Communist Party would be
a good vote-getting proposition.
He declared:
II charge, without congressional
immunity, that the trial is
the ill-begotten child of unscru-
pulous politicians who are playing
q most dangerous fascist game"
Hits Current Congress.
Saying the current congress has
not passed "a single piece of
civil rights legislation" Represen-
tative Marcantonio declared: And
this from Harry Truman and his
party-I withdraw the word
Harry Truman and his gang"
Representative Marcantonio said
the President speaks "glibly' of
civil rights. while deep down in
his heart he echoes the feelings of
the men who seek to negate not
only the first 10 amendments Ito
the Constitution but also the
18th, 14th and 18th.
Robeson told the conference
that I'VE Negro people, we pro-
gressives, we Communists, we
little people" will be in the fore
front of the struggle of the
American people-the people who
are losing their rights"
The Negro people, he said, have
been the core of the defense of
American democracy"
Robson told the conference
that the present era is about the
last stage of American imperial
ism, the last stage of world
fascism."
Will Reach Out for Land
He said we're going to reach
out for some of this great land
that belongs in the hands of the
American people. We have found
a weapon with which to fight"
The weapon, he said, "originated
with a man named Marx the
Communist.
Robson urged the delegates to
look behind the activities of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the House Committee on Un-
American Activities and the courts
to "the agents of American i'm
perialism, the owners of company
towns, plantations and factories"
He said "there is one thing they
have to do-protect their profits.
The conference adopted a reso-
luton demanding the removal of
Attorney General Clark and FBI
Chief J. Edgar Hoover.
Also demanded by resolution
were: Repeal of the Smith Act.
under which the II Communist
leaders are on trial; revocation
of National and State loyalty Or
ders; restriction of the FBI to
investigation of criminal activi-
ties, abolition of the House Un-
American Activities Committee,
an end to deportation for political
beliefs, elimination of discrimina-
ton in the armed forces and in
public housing, repeal of the Taft
Hartley Act, restoration of the
Wagner Act and enforcement of
the Norris-La Guardia Anti-1n-
junction Act.
Clark Foreman, executive direc-
tor of the conference, announced
1T had received a report saying