davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1952-02-17
Czech Reds Plan 10 Tn
165CathoIic Priests,
S|ovak Group Says

1ne communist government OF
CzechoSlovakia is preparing a
mass trial for some 165 Roman
Catholic priests, including high
dignitaries of the church, for high
treason and activities against the
State, DR.. v. Stefan Krajcovic,
chairman Of the National Com
mittee for Liberation of Slovakia,
said yesterday.
DR.. Krajcovic said the informa-
tion came through underground
sources. His committee, which has
headquarters in the National Press
Building, is the listening post here
for Slovakian underground
movement.
DR.. Krajcovic said the planned
trials are another step in the
liquidation of the Catholic Church
in CZechoslovakia.
He listed among the high Cath
olic off1cials who will be tried,
Msgr. Josef Tomanocy, former
vicar general Of the bishopric in
Slovakia; Msgr. Karol Jerabek,
director Of the bishops Office at
Trnava; and Msgr. Augustin
Raska. also of Trnava.
4 Top Reds Accused.
DR.. Krajcovic also said the
Czech government had finally re-
vealed its charges against four
top Communist leaders purged
several months ago.
DR.. Stefan Rails, minister for
Justice in Prague, announced re-
Gently that the four were at the
head of q conspiracy which
planned to kill Klemet Gottwald,
Red president Of Czechoslovakia,
according to DR.. Krajcovic.
The four Communist leaders i'm
prisoned in the purge war were DR..
Vlado Clements. former minister
OF foreign affairs: Rudolf Slansky.
former secretary general of the
Communist Party Of Czechoslo-
vakia: DR.. Gustav Husak, former
top Communist in charge of the
Slovakian sector Of the country,
and Otto Sling. secretary Of the
Communist Party at Brno, Mora
via.
The quaret were leaders In the
political coup back in 1948 that put
the Communists in control of
Czechoslovakia. Since they have
fallen out with the faction Of the
Communist Party headed by Presi-
dent Gottwald.
Charges Unrest Exists.
DR.. Krajcovic said reports reach
ing him also indicate widespread
discomfort and unrest in the work.
ers Of Slovakia where the five
year plan" of President Gottwald
has fallen down badly. He said
the population Of Slovakia is OPEN
ly defiant of the Red government
and that army units have been
sent into the mountainous areas
to try to clean out The UNDER
ground movement.
He listed the following produc-
ton at mines in Slovakia to show
how the five-year plan is failing:
the mines at Rudnany reached
only 74.5 per cent Of the goal;
, those at Markusovce, AS per cent;
Mlynky, 64.5 per cent; Slovinky,
SIS per cent.
Because of these low production
rates, DR.. Krajcovic said, the Com
munist government has adopted
completely the labor pattern OF
Russia. The Communist Party
now determines who works and
where each worker has to work.
THE result Is that absenteeism
in the factories is increasing" DR..
Krajcpvic declared. Workers are
deserting and fleeing to the forests
to join the underground move
ment."
Evening star., 1952-02-17
Two to Hold Debote
On g. O. P. Candidates

Two Republican Representatives
will debate the merits Of two can
didates for the Presidential nomi-
nation at 8 pm. tomorrow in the
Wardman Park Hotel.
The Young Republican Club of
Washington will hear Represen-
tative Widnall. of New Jersey,
speak for Gen. Eisenhower and
Representative AyreS, Of Ohio,
talk on behalf of Senator Taft.
Evening star., 1952-02-17
Porotroopers to Brush Up

SINGAPORE (P.-Paratroopers
OF Britain's Far East forces soon
Will get a chance to brush up on
their jumping. The army has an
nounced opportunities for addi-
tional training will be given quail
ified paratroopers ito insure they
keep fit for their normal role in
war"
Evening star., 1952-02-17

NEW MERCHANDISE all specially priced and from our regular
manufacturers VALUES shsppsd and VERIFIED by Comparison
Shopping Bureau.
Evening star., 1952-06-22
Dirty Books Investigation Being Snothered With Kindness

$4,000 for his probe, and telling
them not to give him dime.
"Of course, I couldn't do that, you
understand" he amended hastily.
If you take stand against this,
your constituents think you're in
favor of vice. I certainly don't want
to see schoolkids exposed to porno-
graphic literature, but this isn't the
way to go about it. The States take
care of this, and the courts decide.
Congress-" he went on, cant
serve as clearing house for books
and magazines. We wouldn't have
time for anything else if we did. Any
law we might bring out would surely
be declared unconstitutional. Possibly
there is laxity in enforcing State laws
against this kind of thing. The best
we can do is to bring out report"
Ho-Hum Dept.
Even report seems a lot to expect,
If the first meeting Of the committee
is any indication of future produc-
tivity. Mr.. Gathings, his neat stack
of books and magazines bristling
with paper clips, may have hoped
for considerable activity in the
raised-eyebrows department. What
he got was lot of ho-hums.
Nobody who attended the meeting
came right out and said that the
chairman met with any resistance
from his brilliant group or that he
would meet with any in the future.
Lets just say" said one member
blandly, that we are teaching him
a few of the facts of life"
When the committee members had
Evening star., 1952-06-22
By Mary McGrory

kootchie for news photographers.
That is the high spot Of his career
to date.
After a long hard look, Capitol
observers decided they discerned
here the clear outlines of one of
history's finest examples of the tail
wagging the dog. Whatever it was,
did the Speaker really expect these
ladies and gentlemen to spend these
hot summer days in hot pursuit of
the paper clips with which Mr.. Gath
ings has marked naughty passages in
his stacks of spicy reading?
A little quizzing Of the members,
none of whom would be quoted
directly. of course, revealed slightly
different objective. The fact is that
this high-powered committee grew
out of Speaker Rayburn's canny con-
Germ for the good name of Congress.
Its members are in there to keep
the hearing on the track.
Keeping the hearing on the track
brings up the question of what the
track is, and where. The resolution
calls for an investigation to deter
mine the adequacy of existing laws to
prevent the publication of Immoral,
obscene and otherwise offensive
material"
One member called this resolution
"as broad as a barn door,"
THAT is the understatement Of
the year." said another. He admitted
he had toyed with the idea of going
before the House Administration
Committee, which gave MIR. Gathings
Evening star., 1952-06-22

he is called, as the worldly wise type.
But If Mr.. Rayburn's taste seemed
good as regards these gentlemen, 1t
seemed flawless when it came to
naming the women members. From
Post Office and Civil Service, he took
Representative st. George, Repub-
lican Of New York. Mrs. st. George
is an elegant lady with a poodle
cut and an aristocratic manner who
represents Tuxedo Park, an area
which has always prided itself on its
debonair equanimity.
The other was Representative Bo-
some. Democrat. Of Utah. Mrs. Bo-
some served three terms as Salt
Lake City judge. She was named to
the Utah Hall of Fame for her work
in the rehabilitation of adults, al
coholics and juvenile delinquents.
Such long f1rst-hand observation of
the seamy side of life certainly should
spare her any bushes, red-head
though she is, when confronted with
Mr.. Gathings' exhibits.
This roster Of talent was rounded
out with Representatives Miller,
Democrat, of California, Rees, Re-
publican. of Kansas. and Kearns, Re-
publican, Of Pennsylvania.
Gothinss in choree
Now to crack the whip over this
glittering collection of legal eagles
and sophisticated ladies. Mr.. Ray
burn named as chairman Mr.. Gath
ings. Mr.. Gathings comes from
Arkansas. At the height of his TV
hearings. he did the hootchie-
Evening star., 1952-06-22
ANA Blackjack
SocioIized Medicine Howl Stuns Congress;
Aid Increase for Disabled Aged Impered
By james (. Roper

a political bill to drag in socializa-
ton by the back door.
Representative Kean, Republican.
of New Jersey argued back that the
Government naturally had to have
authority to check the physical con-
dition of persons claiming benefits.
He said the Veterans Administration
does this. He declared that a fam
lily physician could not always be
trusted to certify a patients true
state of health because doctors are
human" AS for the provision for
Government rehabilitation, Mr.. Kean
said. "An individual should not be re-
ceiving benefits if he is not willing to
try to help himself"
The label of "Socialized medicine"
however, had the Representatives
running for shelter. Under special
floor rules, the bill had to be ac-
cepted or rejected without change.
The House, in effect. sent the bill
back to committee to die.
Aged Speak Out
That was on May 10. The next
day, Congress started getting an
guished protests from the aged. They
threatened to vote against every man
who helped kill the bill-which to
them meant higher benefit payments.
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee quietly reconsidered the meas
ure. 1t eliminated the suggestions
for Government examination of the
disabled. 1t approved a bill stating
simply that the Government could
require proof of disability. The pro-
posal went back to the House floor.
ANA screamed that this was the
same old bill. giving Mr.. Ewing au-
thority to order Government exam
nations. But Chairman Doughton Of
the Ways and Means Committee
argued that. there is no more social
lied medicine here than there is
frost on the SUM-"
Landslide Reversal
Representatives didn't want any
more of that pressure from the old
folks at home. This time, they passed
the bill, $50 to %.
1t went to the Senate Finance
Committee tagged as must" legis-
lation for this session of Congress.
On Friday the committee killed the
provision for special help to the dis
abled. The rest of the bill is expected
to sail through the Senate and be
accepted by the House.
If the Senate bill stands, the dis
abled won't get their hoped-for high.
er payments. But neither will Con.
gress have to wrangle over "socialized
medicine" Once again AAA's cry
Of "socialized medicine" has black
jacked controversial legislation.
Evening star., 1952-06-22

Having held a wet finger to the
winds Of congressional sentiment.
The Star said in this space last Sum
day that the Gathings resolution to
investigate spicy literature was get
ting a cool reception in Congress.
The resolution seemed at that time
to be headed for quiet death on
Speaker Sam Rayburn's desk.
"Mr. SAM" it was widely whispered
on Capitol Hill as recently as 10 days
ago, felt that the TV probe, another
of Mr.. Gathings' projects had pro-
duced quite enough hot-weather en-
tertainment at the expense of the
House. Fancy the embarrassment,
then, on Monday, when the selection
of the committee was announced.
Embarrassment, however. gave way
to open-jawed wonder after close
look at the names Of the committee
members.
Blue Ribbon Committee
Mr.. Rayburn had selected one of
the most select committees that
Congress has seen in many a year.
It was a group you might have ex-
pected would be put, say, to tinkering
with the charter Of the United NJ
tions, instead of studying dirty books.
The first and biggest surprise was
the name of Representative Celler,
Democrat, Of New York. Mr.. Celler,
q lawyer, is not only chairman Of the
House Judiciary Committee; he Is
author Of a copyright law that is said
to be one of the most enlightened
contributions ever made in that field.
New York publishers regard him
fondly as their best friend in Con-
gress. The thought Of Mr.. Celler bird
dogging through comic books was a
little hard to take.
Equally battling was the presence
on the committee of Representative
Walter, Democrat of Pennsylvania.
second ranking man on the judiciary
Committee. He also is a lawyer. and
a brilliant one. He sponsored the
immigration bill which recently
passed the House. It was difficult
to imagine him taking fire from MIR.
GathingS' resolution.
The third choice from the Judi
ciary Committee was the second
ranking Republican member, Rep
reSentative Graham of PENNSYLVANIA,
another lawyer who has served as
district attorney several terms in his
home state. His colleagues have al
ways looked upon Judge Graham. a
Evening star., 1952-06-22
Democrats Method

the statute-has become a fighting
set of initials to its enemies in the
South.
Adjustment of the poll tax and a.
Federal law aimed at lynching once
were highly contentious points in
the overall program, but time and
reforms have diminished their i'm
portance. The remainder of the
presidential plan, which Congress
largely has ignored. lacks explosive
potentialities.
Progress Mode
Mr.. Truman admits there have
been gains all along the line in the
campaign to end the civic disabilities
that go along with segregation and
other forms of discrimination. He
gives the courts and the local COM
munities due credit.
But he attributes these gains to
the fact that his program centered
attention on the whole matter. And
he continues to insist that the teeth
of Federal law are needed to insure
100 per cent reform, and to prevent
backsliGing.
Big city Democrats from the North
and East can be expected to follow
the Presidents lead when platform
writing time comes around. It is pos
sible that there still will be certain
amount of give-and-take on civil
rights when the Democrats meet in
Chicago despite the all-or-none stand
of such groups as the CIO and
Americans for Democratic Action.
Once the FEPC issue gets into the
debate, however, anything can hap
pen-as has been demonstrated.
How does this issue affect the
G. o. p? Republican platform
Evening star., 1952-06-22
By Joseph A. Fox

drafters will have to do their work
week ahead of the Democrats. Their
problem will be to figure out some
thing pleasing to the electorate, even
if the Democrats come out with
strong civil rights plank again.
Gen. Eisenhower already has de-
clared against Federal legislation to
handle the employment problem. The
other top G. o. P. candidate, Senator
Taft of Ohio. will go for an FEPC-
without compulsion.
Only two Democrats, Mutual Sc
curity Director Averell Hartman and
Senator Mcmahon of Connecticut,
are behind the Truman program
hook, line and sinker. Others have
varying views on the touchy issue.
Senator Russell of Georgia is against
the FEPC, of course. But he has
emphasized that he will not quit his
party if this plank gets in the plat
form, as it did in a convention floor
fight four years ago.
History
The fair employment practices is
sue has been knocking around the
Government for II years. It was
in June, 1941, a year after the re-
armament program started, that
President Roosevelt set up a COM
mission-without enforcement pow
ers-to keep an eye out for discrimi-
nation in Government work or
defense industries. Often under fire
in Congress, this commission. lasted
about five years. About $4,000 cases
were handled, mostly involving re-
ported discrimination against Negro
workers-and usually in the North.
In 1914 and 1945. when fears began
Evening star., 1952-06-22

to be voiced that the end of the war
would see minority groups losing the
economic gains they had made, labor
and church groups started agitatiol.
for a permanent FEPC.
RoodbIocks
Bills were introduced Immediately,
however, they ran into roadblocks
from a hostile Congress. President
Truman's first trouble with his for
mer associates on Capitol Hill came
in June, 1945, when he tried to get
an FEPC bill pried loose by the House
Rules Committee.
The Republicans adopted an FEPC
plank at their 1914 convention but
nothing happened. In 1916, the war;
time FEPC died.
In 1948, the G. o. P. back-pedalled
on the issue. The Republicans
adopted a carefully worded plank
calling for the encouragement of
social discrimination in employment.
The Democrats were preparing to
follow suit.
Humphrey Drive
Then came the drive engineered
by Senator Humphrey, Democrat, of
Minnesota, and the convention, by
a vote of 6511a to 58212, indorsed
the Truman program. based on the
report of a civil rights committee
headed by Charles E. Wilson, then
president of General Electric.
The Wilson committee had recon-
mended "the elimination of segre-
CATION based on race, color, creed or
national origin, from American life"
The resolution adopted by the con
vention said:
'The Democratic Party commits
itself to continuing its efforts to
Evening star., 1952-06-22

solemnly taken their places, Mr..
Gathings eagerly thrust a copy of a
physical culture magazine into the
hands of one of the ladies' The cover
showed another lady, who hadn't
bothered to dress for the picture. The
Congressional studied it. "My," she
cooed, hasn't she lovely figure?"
Mr.. Gathings tried another tack.
From his collection, he picked up one
paper-bound, paper-clipped volume.
He gave it to the other lady on the
committee. Read this!" he COM
manded.
She did, while the other members
looked on intently. She closed the
book, handed it back. Its not half
as bad as Balzac," she said pleas
antly.
Hieh-Powered Counsel
The question of a committee coun-
sci came up. Mr.. Gathings' choice
was kindly brushed aside, and the
members decided to request the guild
ance of such luninaries as Chief
Justice Vinson of the Supreme Court
and Chief Justice Laws of the Dis
trict Court. These and several other
judges, in addition to the Ameri-
can Bar Association, had best be
consulted before any decision was
reached, it was decided. The pro-
cedure may be time consuming. but.
as one member put it. I'VE must have
the best"
An attempt to introduce a note Of
judicial precedent was made. A men,
ber mentioned the celebrated case of
James Joyce's ulysses" which was
cleared of obscenity charges by the
courts in 1888. Mr.. Gathings had
never heard of ulysses" however,
SO the discussion dwindled away.
That's how it went that first day.
And so it is likely to go in days to
come.
Capitol Hill thus is enjoying
laughter of a new kind, not the side
splitting variety that greeted the
floundering TV probe. with its men
tion of bloody murder and plunging
necklines. This is the quieter enjoy
ment that comes Of seeing a delicate
operation carried out with subtle
finesse. It is Sam Rayburn at top
form as coach of his unruly 435-man
team.
do you wonder so many Of us
think he should be President?" asked
one member, In summarizing his ad-
miration Of the Speakers master
stroke.
Evening star., 1952-06-22

on the Central Committee. Failure
to comply with these rules would in
validate that part of the ballot.
In the preferential poll between
Senator Kefauver and w. Averell
Hartman for the presidential nomi-
nation, Mr.. Hartman won the Dis
trict's six delegates by a surprising
landslide.
In addition, the Democratic voters
were requested to vote Eyes" or mo"
on the question of home rule for
the District and on four rules which
would govern the party organization.
The ballot-counting job staggered
the inexperienced officials. They are
still tabulating votes. Nevertheless,
home rule appears to have won
handily.
NeeEy-Duff Bill
The Neely-Duf bill before the Sen
ate would provide simple and uni
form procedure for primary elec-
Evening star., 1952-06-22

An American Medical Association
cry of "socialized medicine" can hit
Congress like blackjack. This was
shown again last week when ANA
used the weapon to slug, probably
fatally, part of a bill to liberalize
social security laws. Some Congress-
men felt they. too, had been hit.
The first ANA blow fell unex-
pectedly a month ago. The House
had up for debate bill to raise
social security payments now going
to 3.5 million persons over IS.
The increase would average about
Sc monthly. These aged also would be
allowed to earn more money without
losing their Government payments.
Other parts of the bill would give a
better break to members of the armed
forces and the permanently disabled.
The bill would cost $500 million an
nually. But it looked like a good vote
getter. It was about to pass.
ANA Joker
Then ANA found what it thought
was joker. It's Washington Office
frantically telegraphed congressman
to look closely at the section on dis
abled persons. Under present law. the
size of benefit payments at IS is
based on the workers average con-
tribution to social security. A person
who pays social security taxes for
many years. then is disabled and pays
nothing for time before he is IS
finds that his average contribution is
low. Thus he does not get top pay
ments. The new bill would have ex-
empted disabled persons idle years
from the average"
The measure said the social Sc
curity administrator would decide
whether man was disabled. That
made ANA howl.
Under the bill, the administrator
could hire special doctors to examine
persons claiming disability. He could
pay travel expenses for disabled per-
sons to go to central points for ex-
animation. And he could cut off dis
ability benefits if the person refused
to take Government-provided re-
habilitation treatments.
'SocioIized Medicine
This is socialized medicine" cried
ANA in kilograms to Representatives.
Some agreed. Representative Jen-
kins, Republican, Of Ohio pointed
with alarm to the fact that the social
security administrator is Oscar
Ewing. long a favorite target for
foes of socialized medicine. Repre-
sentative Reed, Republican. Of New
York said. ''it is the entering wedge"
Of sccialized medicine. other Re-
publicans called the whole measure
Evening star., 1952-06-22
Truman Civil Rights Pitch Troubles G. O. P. P|otf

President Truman's renewed adj
vocacy of an all-out civil rights pro-
gram has raised the possibility Of
another fight within the Democratic
Party-but the situation is fraught
with perils for the Republicans. too.
Some Democratic leaders have
been hoping all along that it might
be possible to write civil rights
plank into their platform which
would satisfy the North and placate
the South. Thus the bitterness Of
1948, which cost the party 80 elec-
toral votes, might be avoided. These
hopes were considerably dimmed by
the uncompromising attitude toward
race discrimination taken by Mr..
Truman in his Howard University
speech the other day.
The speech showed clearly that the
President, at least, is not looking for
an easy out. You can't cure a
moral problem, or a social problem,
by ignoring it," he summed up terse-
ly, after asserting that "the full force
and power of the Federal Govern
ment" must be invoked to insure
equal treatment for minority groups.
Mr.. Truman went on to emphasize
that he intends to work for just
that, whether in or out of Office.
Actually, the multi-itemed civil
rights program which went to Con-
gress five years ago has just about
narrowed down to one important
issue in the running fight between
Capitol Hill and White House.
The issue is whether the Nation is
to operate under fair employment
practices law that will penalize dis
elimination in hiring and firing
based on race or religion.
FEPC-the Fair Employment Prac-
tices Commission that would enforce