Evening star., 1952-01-22
By Herbert A. PhiIbriek

When / came of the subway a
the Old State House in downtown
Boston the wind of the bay wa.
raw. I headed straight for Pos
Once Square. moving fast through
the cold. but inwardly my step.
dragged. Just how the Fedora
Bureau Of Investigation could helI
me. even II they would. I did moi
know. But I needed advice. and
thought that at least the FBl
could tell me II I was on the right
track, or just being foolish.
We walked through a series oi
turning corridors and past a Ions
line of small offices. stepped into
one Of them. and my escort closet
the door quietly. It was a tiny
room, one window. a plain. bare
table, two chairs facing each othel
across it. My glance swept oyel
the unadorned walls. half expect.
ing to spot a camera lens. Ths
agent motioned me into one o1
the chairs. He didn't Introduce
himself.
Describes Youth Work.
I launched a detailed account o1
how I had become interested in
the Cambridge Youth Council, de.
scribed my work to start it, and
the efforts Of the others. Under
his prompting I left nothing out
I recounted how I began to feel
like a useless figurehead in the
group, how public expressions
were made in my name without
my approval and contrary to my
true beliefs and those of the mem
bership. I ended by telling him
of my near-break with Stan
Beecher and Art and Sid Solomon
"You suspect that your organi-
zation has been taken over by
Communists. is that it? Have you
any proof?"
"No, I have no documentary
proof. I thought perhaps others
may have been involved in similar
circumstances"
"Offhand." he said, keeping full
control Of the conversation, "I'm
afraid there isn't much we can &c
on, Mr.. Philbrick. We appreciate
it when citizens like you are aware
of this kind of thing. But until
there is something more positive,
I'm afraid it Is beyond our reach.
Don't mistake me. We always
have time to listen. You are al
ways welcome here, and We want
to help you. But we are an arm
of the law only, and we can act
only on the basis of the law"
An Unexpected Caller.
Soon I had an unexpected caller
at my Office. I went to the re-
ception room to find a genial,
good looking man I had never
seen before.
MY name Is Harold Leary,"
he said, and covertly he tipped
open a leather envelope to show
me an FBI card with his photo
graph on it. Suppose I pick you
Up tomorrow morning near your
house. We can talk then"
I reached the appointed spot
ten minutes early just on the
chance that Leary would be ahead
1f time. It was quarter of q
minute before eight when a car
itself from the stream
Sf traffic and pulled up to the
:urb. I ducked into the car. Leary
switched off the motor.
II saw a memorandum on your
visit to the office. Done anything
about 1t yet?" ~
"No. I've been, too busy. Besides
I don't know just what to do"
do you know they are Com
Leary asked. .
mo I couldn't prove it. and they
haven't said So"
IF you're interested in finding
out" Leary suggested, "couldn't t
you stay with this crowd-what
is it?"
THE Cambridge Youth Coun-
Gil"
eyes. And get close enough to
them to learn what they're up top
"I1l be in touch with you again,
he said. So Leary wasn't going
to let it drop, even now. "I must
ask you not to mention that you've
talked to us. It couldn't do any
good, and might be harmful. Any
pertinent information that you
think we ought to have, send II
along to U.S."
Frenzy of Activity.
In the Youth Council, I gave
Beecher and the Solomon boys
freer rein in the days that fol.
lowed. and they prodded the
organization into a frenzy of be.
hind the scenes activity.
My primary motive was tc
establish all the proof I could as
to which members of the Council
were also Communists. In only
one important respect. therefore
did I alter by position. I did not
once openly assert myself as anti
Communist. The result was thai
Beecher and the two Solomons
drew perceptibly closer to me. We
disagreed on issues. I could not
permit my disguise to change toe
suddenly. They took great pains
to educate" me; and passed guam
titles of literature, Communist anc
Communist-front pamphlets, into
my hands. I studied them all care.
fully. Eva was angry and scorn.
full when I brought the materia.
into the house. She refused ever
to look at it.
On a bitter cold Sunday. a gir
I knew only as JOY, whom I hat
encountered at various youth
functions in Cambridge and Bos.
ton, trudged through the ice-cov'
cred streets to my door. She had {
bundle of newspapers under he
arm.
II was hoping you might tax
a subscription to the Worker