The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-01-17

propaganda that the place is anti negro, anti-semitic, and the usual smearing that Communist and other left -wingers utilize to make smell where they cannot prove point. On the other hand, decent Ameri- cans wonder whether the place has not become a left-wing center.
 Paul c. Morris, concerning whom I have made an investigation-is a man of good repute in Westchester County, competent and patriotic. Having witnessed all the Robeson episodes, he wrote a magazine ar ticle. which ! have before me, that gives the entire story in detail and from it, I gained the impression that the whole business was Con- munist set-up from start to fin ish. At any rate, his is an eye-wit- ness account, very detailed.
 I don't know what the rule is about executive secretaries writing articles for magazines, but Morris was ordered to withdraw the manu- script and, in due course, accord ing to his story, this same Lloyd Whitaker asked for his resigna- ton. The reason I telephoned Whitaker was to ask him to con- firm or deny that or to explain it, but MT. Whitaker would not tell me anything.
 The "Peekskill Evening Star" has published all versions of the story. In Morris's statement in this news paper, he said:
 T personally feel that my story This Can Happen To You which was ordered to retrieve from a national publication, would have cushioned much of the damage be- ing done our city at the present time by such reports as the one recently turned in by the so-called Civil Liberties Group.
 up until the time I wrote that article defending Peekskii,, there was no criticism of my work during the year T have spent here
 Now it appears that Paul c. Morris, an eyewitness to the Robe son riots, chose to defend the vet erans, while the Chamber of Com merce directors felt that it would serve their purposes better if the Chamber maintained an aloof and silent attitude. Their reason un- doubtedly was that as Peekskill and its environs attract large summer colony from New York, many of whom could be left-wing- CTS, the local stores preferred not to antagonize their customers on the general assumption that the customer is always right even if he is a Communist.
 The argument against Morris is that, as a paid employee of an or ganization, he could not speak his mind as an American citizen, which may be right on that principle that whoever pays the piper can order the tune. But that is very dan gerous principle to follow in a struggle involving the survival of ones country.
 It is none Of my business whom the Peekskill Chamber of Con- merce employs as it's secretary; it is everybody's business when all American gets fired for speaking up for America. What is happening to this country when an American is fired by an organization of busi- nessmen because he defends Ameri- can war veterans whom he believ- ed were mahgned an smeared by Communists and their supporters?
 In his suppressed magazine story, Morris said:
 '. We do want to pass on to readers the painful fact that Peeks- kill discovered the hard way how a community con be infiltrated, civicly sabotaged and unjustly framed as a picture of horrible American hoodlumism' to be held up to a bewildered nation while lovers of foreogn art loudly clark their nibble tongues and wag representing fingers at us. We only hope other cities will profit by our unfortunate experience"
 Peekskill and it's Chamber of Commerce will not prevail that this subject is beyond discussion be- cause they do not want to quarrel with their summer trade.