Evening star., 1952-07-15
Britain Must Tolerate
Red Dean,' Churchill
Replies 10 Protests
BY the Assoeioied Press

BY the Assoeiaisd Press
LONDON. July 15.-Prime Min
lister Churchill told the House of
Commons today that the Red
Dean" of Canterbury had to be
tolerated as part of the price of
free speech.
Free speech carries with it the
evil of all the foolish, unpleasant.
venomous things that are said,
but on the whole we would rather
lump them than do away with
them," Mr.. Churchill said. 1,
To lump it" is British slang
for suffering" it..
Opposes Investigation.
Mr.. Churchill was replying to
demands for the establishment Of
a tribunal to investigate DR.. Hew-
lett Johnson, the 78-year-old dean
whose Communist sympathies
have been getting him into con-
tinual hot water in Britain.
THE establishment of such a
tribunal" Mr.. Churchill replied,
would in the opinion of the gov
ernment invest the activities of
the Dean of Canterbury with an
Importance they do not deserve. :"
The biggest uproar was raised
by the dean last week when he
returned from a visit to Red China
and supported Communist charges
that United States and the United
Nations forces are using germ
warfare in the Far East.
U. S. Clergymen Protest.
A group of American Protestant
clergymen arrived in England to-
day and announced they had sent
a message to Queen Elizabeth urg-
ing that something be done about
the dean.
DR.. Carl McIntire of New York.
president of the international
Council of Christian Churches,
said he sent a telegram to the
Queen telling her that the pro-
Communist propaganda Of DR..
johnson is hurting the cause OF
Christianity and freedom"
The McIntire telegram said:
Churches affiliated with the
International Council of Christian
Churches throughout the world be-
lieve that those who question the
verities of the faith and promote
the cause of communism have no
place or cover within the church,
bearing witness to the word OF
God.
THE concern of Christians in
other lands supports this message
to you."
The American clergymen are
en- route to the British Isles con-
ference of the International Coun-
Gil of Christian Churches in Edin-
burgh next week.
Dean Silent on Charges.
The dean himself declined to
comment this morning on a pub
lished report that he met secretly
with American Communists to
plan a propaganda drive among
Church of England clergymen.
The New York Herald Tribune
said in a copyright story written
by Herbert Philbrick, former
FBI undercover agent, that the
meeting took place in Boston in
1948. Mr.. Philbrick wrote that
he attended the meeting himself.
The dean long has been an
open supporter Of many Commu-
mist causes, even serving on the
editorial board of the Daily
Worker, London Communist news
paper. Last year he was awarded
a Stain peace prize in Moscow.
Can't Try Him for Treason.
Attorney General Sir Lionel
Heald told the House of Commons
yesterday that he could find no
evidence to support a member OF
Parliament's suggestion that DR..
johnson be tried for treason.
The British government has in
sisted several times that it can do
nothing about silencing-or oust-
ing-the dean even though it re-
pudiates his charges.
The deans appointment from
the crown gives him a lifetime post
as administrator of Britain's pre-.
mier cathedral in Canterbury.