Evening star., 1950-04-16

nesses and statements In oppoSi-
ton. Recently 1t caused to be filed
with the House Committee on Un-
Activities statements is
sued by Prof. Zachariah Chatee
and Prof. Mark De w. Howe OF
the Harvard Law School. Of Prof.
William G. Rice Of the University
OF Wisconsin Law School, and Of
Chancellor Robert NJ. Hutchins Of
the University Of Chicago. all at
tacking the Mundt bill. declaring
it unconstitutional and making
light Of the idea that any such
legislation is necessary. Among
the organizations whose repre-
sentatives have appeared against
the bill are the AFL. CIO. Ameri-
can Civil Liberties Union, Ameri-
cans for Democratic Action and
the Civil Rights Congress.
Educators Speak
A few excerpts from the state
ments Of the educators against the
bill follow:
Chancellor Hutchins: THE
Mundt-Nixon bill is foolish, stu
pid and dangerous. ! hope that
Congress will display its intelli-
gence. and its faith in freedom
and democracy by overwhelming
ly defeating the measure"
Prof. Howe: II see no reason
to believe that our national inter-
est will be furthered by the adop-
tion of new statutes to prevent
the people. through fear. from
associated action to reform some
OF the evils of our society"
Prof. Rice: The most funda-
mental objection to the bill is
that the standards it lays down
are SO vague that a partisan board
could use its power to any group
that it disliked. - For the test
contained in the bilD. the ex-
tent to which its views and poll
cieS tof the organization under
scrutiny do not deviate from
those of such foreign government
presumably RUSSIA, can easily
be used by a board containing
two Senator McCarthys to debili-
tate such an organization"
Prof. Chafee: MY main obiec.
ton to this bill Is that I see very
little evidence to support the re-
cital contained in the bilD that
the world Communist movement
presents a clear and present dan
ger to the existence Of free
American institutions - II the
present statutes against spying
are thought to be defective. the
proper remedy lies in amending
those statutes and not in
roaming all over the lot against
thousands OF people, most of
whom would never dream of be.
ing spies"
Ferguson Defends Bill
Senator Ferguson, who submit.
ted the favorable report on the
Mundt-Nixon bill for the Judici-
ary Committee. takes a very dim
view OF these criticisms. He main.
tains. IN the first place, that the
Dill has been carefully drawn so as
not to interfere with the freedom
OF speech or action Of any one in
the United States who is innocent
OF plotting to aid those who would
overthrow this government.
The Michigan senator says that
the Communists have been tre-
mendously clever in using the left
wing. New Deal element In this
country. to pull the wool over the
eyes OF the American people as to
what the Communists are plan
ming and doing here.
Taking as his premise that Ger
tainly the United States has a
right to defend itself against q
foreign power Tin this case Com
munist Russia) Senator Ferguson
believes firmly that the Mundt-
Nixon bill will. through It's regis
tration features knock out front
organization" ns"-whethe Commu-
mist or Fascist-in this country.
The committee sought opinions
regarding the Mundt-Nixon bill
and its constitutionality from the
American Bar Association, John
w. Davis. the Democratic candi-
date for President in 1924 and a
widely-known lawyer. and Donald
r. Richberg, once head Of NRA in
the Roosevelt administration. All
expressed the belief that the pro-
posed law would stand the test of
constitutional in the courts.
Richbere Opinion
Mr.. Richberg. answering some
of the arguments made against
the bill, wrote that "even an
avowed Communist lawyer will
concede that Congress has q con-
stitutional power to restrict the
exercise of these freed IONS
(speech. press or assembly, to a
reasonable extent when there is a
clear and present danger that
they will be used to bring about
the evils that Congress has a right
to prevent"
1T is amazing" Mr.. Richberg
continued. Ito find that today
many otherwise intelligent peopie
regard the fear of communism as
a sort Of hysteria. which they take
pride In avoiding by shutting their
eyes to the facts"
He listed as facts: communism
Is not an economic or political
theory. but is today an inter-
conspiracy to establish O
dictatorship In every nation; that
the United States today lives un-
der the menace of armed attack by
the only nation capable Of max
ing effective war against US
Communist Russia; that the
United States finds every effort Of