Evening star., 1953-07-03
Clergy
Continued From First Page.)

(COnLlnueQ from FlrSC Page.y
has received from the Protestant
clergymen concerning his article
run 10 to l in approval of the
article, including one from Dan
iel Polling, who is the editor of
the leading Protestant publica-
ton in the United States"
Prior to Taking Job.
Mr.. Matthews said the Mercury
article was written. and in print
before he accepted about 10
days ago the position as staff
. director of the subcommittee.
"I don't write articles when I
work for a congressional COM
mittee," Mr.. Matthews added.
He disclosed that he has an
other article appearing in the
August issue of the American
Mercury entitled Communism
and the New Deal" The article.
Mr.. Matthews said, relates some
of the dramatic instances of
Communist infiltration of the
New Deal agencies during the
early part of President Roose-
velt's administration.
He also disclosed that in it
he takes a swipe at Mrs. Agnes
E. Meyer, wife of the chairman
of the board of the Washington
Post. He explained that this was
in connection with Mrs. Meyers
recent exchange with Chairman
Velde of the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee over
Mr.. Velde's charge, later &C
knowledged to have been a case
of mistaken identity, that Mrs.
Meyer had been praised by
Pravda.
Sees Pravda Oversight"
Without explaining just what
connection it had in the article,
Mr.. Matthews said he wrote that
IF Pravda did not praise her.
1t was an oversight and typical
piece of Soviet ingratitude."
Mr.. Matthews was staff di-
rector of the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee when it
was under the Craftsmanship of
Representative Dies, Democrat,
of Texas. For several years he
has served as a consultant for
the Hearst newspapers.
Senator Mccarthy named him
staff director about 10 days ago.
In line with Senate practice, the
subcommittee members were not
asked to approve the appoint
ment.
Senator Mccarthy, in his
statement defending Mr.. Mat
thewS, made no mention of the
demand for an executive meet
ing to consider action against
staff director.
Senator Mundt of South Da-
kota, one of the four Republican
members of the subcommittee,
said, however, the matter seems
to justify the attention of the
full subcommittee to find out
what it's all about"
Subcommittee Limited.
Senator Mundt added:
Certainly there is no DISPOSE
ton on the part of our commit
tee to investigate the American
clergy. Nor does it come within
the purview of our Subcommit-
tee to get into investigations of
the Communist movement except
as they touch on or relate to the
expenditure of Government funds
or the shaping of Government
policy. In the Senate the gen.
eral investigation of Communists
is properly handled by the Sem
ate Internal Security subcom-
mittee."
Earlier this year, a stormy
controversy was touched of
when Representative Velde said
the House Un-American Activ-
tiles Committee might conduct
investigation in the church field.
Subsequently, Mr.. Velde said his
remarks had been miSinterpreted
and that he never intended any
investigation Of the churches.
He said. however, that it was
possible his committee might
investigate individual clergymen.
Mr.. Matthews, in his article en-
titled Reds and Our Churches. u
referred to that controversy. He