Evening star., 1950-07-22
Harrison F|ays
McGrath Stand
On Red Question
Cites es'Non-CommittoI'
Reply to Inquiry
About Lawyers Guild
BY the Assoeioisd Press

ROANOKE, va, July ZZ.-
Representative Harrison, Demo-
crat, of Virginia complained today
that he had received a non-com-
initial reply after asking Attorney
General McGrath why he has not
cited the National Lawyers Guild
as "a Communist front"
Mr.. Harrison said he also asked
Mr.. McGrath whether members
Of the Lawyers Guild are working
for the Government, psl tiealsrly
in the Justice Departmsg
So far, the Winche law
maker said in a speech irepared
for the annual conven' n of the
Virginia Press Associaf AJi be has
had only this reply from Mr..
McGrath:
I shall be glad } to Give the
points you raise careful considera-
ton and communists further
with you at the earliest practica.
BILE date"
Mr., Harrison said he wrote Mr..
McGrath June IL and received
the brief reply June le.
Files Support Hoover.
He added that files Of the
II ouse Un-American Activities
Committee support "a statement by
FB1 Director j. Eds ar Hoover be-
fore Senate conn lttee that the
Lawyers Guild has followed the
Communist party line since 1910.
"Mr. McGrath's prolong sl con-
sideration of a very SIMPLE ses Of
questions about Communist front
organizations Is just one more
example Of the defense
which officials Of the executive
branch have raised tap against
efforts to expose not only known
Communists - but the UNKNOWN
Communists who may be working
for Uncle SAM" Mr.. Harrison said.
When the very existence of
the United States is under assault,
it is senseleSS and tragic that such
cases as these must be brought to
light in spite of-rather than with
the whole-hearted cooperation Of
the law enforcement agency Of
the government"
Mr.. Harrison, a member of the
Un-American Activities Commit
tee, said "only high officials Of
the executive branch Of the Fed
eral Government seem uncon-
cerned" about the extent of the
Communist menace.
Charges Propaganda Drive.
THE Communists have set up
their internal propaganda cam
paign since the start of the Ko-
rean shooting" he said.
Mr.. Harrison said that while the
Un-American Activities Commit
tee was opening its inquiry in
Honolulu on the progress of Com
munists in Hawaii at the request
Of Mr.. McGrath's department, the
Attorney General was not CO.
operating.
The Virginia Representative
said that Mr.. McGrath was maxi
ing an address in Maryland
which he asked that Congress
stick to legislating and stop wor-
rying about subversives in the
Government"
Mr.. McGrath declared that the
executive branch was responsible
for ferreting out subversives on
the Federal payroll, Mr.. Harri-
son continued. and had added
that 'up to this time I do not
feel that we in the administration
have failed"
Mr.. Harrison said the Attorney
General made that statement in
the face of such revelations as
the case of Alger Hiss" Calling
such an attitude increasingly
frightening to me-" Mr.. Harrison
pointed out that Mr.. McGrath's
predecessor, Tom Clark, declared
there was no reason to worry
about Communists in Government
"at the very time Judith Coplon
was stealing confidential informa-
tion in his own department"
Referring to Presidents Tru-
mans two talks, one to Congress.
the other to the Nation as whole,
last Wednesday, Mr.. Harrison
said Gin general, they were states
manlike appraisals of the needs Of
the hour. But-even in these re-
marks by the Chief Executive
there was evidence of the bewilder-
ing, incomprehensible lack of the
total realism our peril demands"
Mr.. Harrison said the President
did not take notice of the internal
threat Of the Communists.
The Virginia Representative
concluded his address with the
warning "if we continue to trust
the assurances of adequate pre-
paredness measures and the re-
fusal to recognize the threats Of
sabotage and espionage. we will be
living in FOOLS paradise"