Evening star., 1952-05-29
Presbyierians Attack
Some Methods in
Loyalty Inquiries
By Cospor Nonnes
S,or StoH Correspondent

NEW YORK, May 29.-Some
public methods of investigating
persons accused of subversive &C.
tivities were hit. today by com.
missioners to the 164th General
Assembly, Presbyterian Church
in the U. S. A., at the conclud.
ing session in Fifth Avenue Pres
byterian Church.
A hareup over the issue oc-
CURED today, when Carl H. Brown
Of Chicago asked the meeting to
delete two paragraphs from the
social education ana action re-
port.
These paragraphs were:
Freedom of conscience, in
Quiry and expression are being
challenged and curtailed by a
binding fear of subversive forces.
Good regulations are some
times undermined by methods of
public investigation that cast sus-
picion without the protection of
court trial. Men are declared
unfit for positions of public trust
on the basis Of unsubstantiated
charges that they are bad risks
or because they have become
controversial personalities
Loyalty Oaths Hit.
"The concept of guilt by asso-
ciation' is tlagrantly used to
charge disloyalty in the face of
the long established American
doctrine that guilt before the law
is personal and cannot be i'm
puted on the basis of relationship
or association. Loyalty oaths in
many cases have become forms of
thought control and have failed
to recognize the full implications
of false witness in dealing with
vital national issues and with the
loyalties of men and women in
public life. Passports are some
times denied with no reasons given
and no hearing granted"
Mr.. Brown told the gathering
communism is the greatest enemy
of our country and the Christian
church and urged these para
graphs be deleted to help fight
this menace.
The Rev. Robert c. Lamar OF
Stamford. Conn.,, secretary of the
committee. declared, II can think
of no more serious emasculation
than to delete these two para
graphs: The seriousness of the
challenge to open and free de-
bates that is raised by the loyalty
issue is such as to call for a vote
against this amendment.
McCarthy's Activities Cited,
The Rev. John H. HIATT OF
Pleasant Valley. N. Y, said II am
thinking Of the kinds of things
Joe Mccarthy (Senator McCar-
thy, Republican, of Wisconsin,
has done and the Senate by in
nuendo and false accusations in
accusing people of things that are
very hard to disprove" in urging
that the amendment be defeated
No commissioner arose to sup
port Mr.. Browns amendment
and the motion was overwhelm-
ingly defeated by a voice vote.
sA resolution commencing con.
gressional committees and Gov
ernment agencies that are main.
tanning fundamental American
liberties and upholding American
ideals of justice and fair play a!
they protect us and all our cit.
tzens from foreign spies and fifth
columns was passed by the com.
r1issioners. It was introduced by
the Rev. Paul A. Wolfe of New
York. moderator of the Presbytery
Of New York.
Another outburst took place
when a section calling for q
mon segregated church" anc
society" was read.
For II years the Presbyterian
Church has gone on record for {
non-segregated church and so.
ciety. and the gap has been sc
profound as to lead people to be.
lieve the Protestant Church an6
the Presbyterian Church are the
last strongholds of segregation,
the Rev. Howard B. Sissell, o.
Detroit, charged.
I'VE have been called hypo'
critics and 'whited Sepulchres' oi
falsehood," Mr.. Sissell added. I'VE
have to shock laymen and minis
ters into an awareness of thu
urgency of our churches moving
into the vanguard against segre'
CATION"
All Gambling Opposed.
The social education and actor
report approved by the commits
sioners included statements stong'
ly supporting the United Nations
denouncing corruption in govern
ment and urging church mem
bers to fight gambling by refus
ing to take part "in any kind 0
gambling even for charitabl
causes"
- The report also included sec
tions calling on the Government
to take all necessary measures t
stop "inf1ationary trends" ex