Evening star., 1950-09-23

the application of the registration
requirements to so-called Com
munist-front organizations can be
the greatest danger to freedom OF
speech, press and assembly, since
the Alien and Sedition Laws OF
1893. This danger arises out of the
criteria or standards to be applied
in determining whether an organ
ization Is a Communist-front or
ganization.
There would be no serious problem
| if the bill required proof that an
organization was controlled and
financed by the Communist Party
before it could be classified as a
Communist-front organization. How
ever, recognizing the difficulty OF
proving those matters, the bill would
permit such a determination to be
based solely upon "the extent to
which the positions taken or ad-
vanced by it from time to time on
matters of policy do not deviate
from those" of the Communist
movement.
Pandora'S Box.
This provision could easily be used
to classify as a Communist-front
organization any organization which
is advocating a single policy or OBJ
jective which is also being urged by
the Communist Party or by a Com
munist foreign government. In fact
this may be intended to result, Since
the bill defines Organization" to in
clude "a group Of persons A.. per-
manently or temporarily associated
together for joint action on any
subject or subjects" Thus, an or
ganization which advocates low-cost
housing for sincere humanitarian
reasons might be classified as q
Communist-front organization be-
cause the Communists regularly ex-
1ploint Slum conditions as one oi
their fifth column techniques.
1t is not enough to say that this
probably would not be done. The
mere fact that it could be done
shows clearly how the bill would
open a Pandora's box of opportu-
mites for official condemnation o1
organizations and individuals fol
prefectly honest opinions which
happen to be stated by Communists
The basic error of these sections
is that they move in the direction
Of suppressing opinion and belief
This would be a very dangerous
course to take, not because we have
any sympathy for Communist opin-
ions, but because any governmental
sitting of the free expression OF
opinion is a long step toward to-
talitarianism.
Fundamental Axiom.
There is no more fundamental
axiom of American freedom than
the familiar statement: In q free
country, we punish men for the
crimes they commit, but never fol
the opinions they have. And the
reason this is so fundamental to
freedom is not, as many suppose
that it protects the few unorthodoS
from suppression by the majority
To permit freedom of expression is
primarily for the benefit of the ma
jority, because it protects criticism
and criticism leads to progress.
We can and we will prevent es-
pionage, sabotage, or other actions
endangering our national security
But we would betray our finest ira
ditions If we attempted, as this bill
would attempt, to curb the simple
expression Of opinion. This We
should never do, no matter how dis
tasteful the opinion may be to the
vast majority of our people. The
course proposed by this bill woulc
delight the Communists, for it woulc
make mockery of the Bill of Rights
and our claims to stand for freedom
in the world.
And what kind OF effect would
these provisions have on the nor
NAL expression of political views? +?
Obviously, If this law were on the
statute books, the part of prudence
would be to avoid saying anything
that might be construed by some
one as not deviating sufficiently
from the current Communist propa-
ganda line. And since no one could
be sure in advance what views were
safe to express, the inevitable ten
dency would be to express no views
on controversial subjects.
Suppression of Ideas.
| The result could only be to reduce
the vigor and strength of our politi-
cal life-an outcome that the Com
munists would happily welcome, but
that free men should abhor.
We need not fear the expression
Of ideas-we do need to fear their
suppression.
Our position in the vanguard of
freedom rests largely on our demon
stration that the free expression OF
opinion, coupled with government
by popular consent, leads to ma
tional strength and human ad-
vancement. Let us not, in covering
and foolish fear, throw away the
ideals which are the fundamental
basis of our free society.
! Not only are the registration pro-
visions of this bill unavoidable and
dangerous, they are also grossly
misleading in that all but one of the
objectives which are claimed for
them are already being accom-
plished by other and superior meth
odS-and the one objective which Is
not now being accomplished would
not, in fact, be accomplished under
this bill, either.
1t Is claimed that the bill would
provide information about the Com
munist Party and its members. The
fact is the FBI already possesses
very complete sources of informa-
tion concerning the Communist
movement in this country. If the
FBI must disclose its sources of in
formation in public hearings to re-
quire registration under this bill
its present sources of information
and its ability to acquire new in
formation, will be largely destroyed
Exemptions Already Denied.
1t is claimed that this bill would
deny income tax exemptions to
Communist organizations. The fact
is that the Bureau of Internal
Revenue already denies income tax
exemptions to such organizations.