Evening star., 1953-12-05
VeIde Probe Expects
Additional FIareups
By Hostile Witnesses
BY the Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. S.
The House n-Ameriean Activi-
ties Committee completes its
turbulent West Coast hearings
today.
The committee, headed by
Representative Velde, Republi-
can. OF Illinois, adjourned last
night with one of Harry Bridges
longShore union officials angrily
pounding CongreSsman's desk.
And new f1areups were eX-
pected today with large num-
Der of witnesses-some hostile to
the committee, according to
aldes-Scheduled to appear.
Charles Child Duarte of Oak
land, Swarthy president of Lo-
cal 6 of the International Long
shoremen's and WarehouSemen's
Union, set off the uproariouS CHI
max to yesterdays hearing.
Branded as Communist.
Mr.. Duarte was dismissed as a
witness before his planned effort
to try to show that an earlier
witness who called him a Com
muniSt has jail record.
He stalked angrily to the desk
OF Representative Doyle, Demo-
Crat, of California.
Pounding on the desk and ges-
turing violently, Mr.. Duarte
claimed that the committee had
damaged him in the eyes of his
community.
He said Mr.. Doyle, as a candi-
date supported by labor, should
be ashamed of the groups con-
duct. The Congressman remind
ed Mr.. Duarte that Mr.. Velde
had adjourned the hearing after
the union leader had refused to
tell whether he was a Com
muniSt.
Police kept back the crowd,
which had Surged to the front of
the hearing room.
Mr.. Duarte later issued a
statement saying that he is not
and never has been Communist,
but that the committee had no
right to smear" him.
Wants Truman to Testify.
In other actions yesterday:
l. Mr.. Velde renewed his de-
mand that Harry S. Truman re-
spond to a committee subpoena
in the Harry Dexter White case.
Mr.. Velde said the former Presi-
dents administration could have
destroyed Red conspiracy in the
United States years ago and Mr..
Truman owes it to the public to
testify on whether there still are
spies. So far he has refused.
2. Donald Ames, 80, Gig Har-
Dor, Wash, named SO persons
he said he knew as Reds while
he and his wife Peggy were
Communist informers for the
FBI in Oakland from 1946 to
1850. Mr.. Ames is now a metal
smith at McChord Air Force
Base, Wash.
3. James w. Benet, 80, San
Francisco newspaperman and
son of the late Pulitzer prize
poet, William Rose Benet, testi-
fled that he is not now Com
munist. However, he refused on
ground of possible self-incrimi-
nation to say whether he ever
had been one OF to comment
on testimony from one of the
committees earlier hearings
naming him as a Leader of the
Patrick Henry Communist Club
in New York.
FavOrs Use of Wiretap.
Asked to suggest legislation
to check Subversion, Mr.. Benet
said:
L suggest legislation to cur
tall the activity OF this commit
tee would be legislation against
subversion of the Constitution.
4. Mr.. Velde told the Com
monwealth Club in a speech that
he will press for legislation to
authorize use of evidence from
secret devices such as hidden
microphoneS and wiretaps in
treason and espionage cases, to
prohibit any one from holding
a Government Job who refuses
to tell the truth to congressional
committees and to guarantee
immunity from prosecution to
witnesses willing to testify about
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