Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-26
Two Authors Refuse
Mccarthy Quiz as
Book Probe Goes On
By Cecil HoIIond

By Cecil Holland
Mystery Writer Dashiell Ham
met and Mrs. Helen Goldfrank,
author Of children's stories I'M
der the name of Helen Kay, re-
fused today 20 tell Senate inves-
tigators whether they had any
Communist connections.
Both pleaded the constitu-
tional privilege against self-in-
elimination.
The two writer's appeared be-
fore the Senate investigations
subcommittee headed by Senator
Mccarthy, Republican. of Wis
; consin. The subcommittee is
investigating the use of books by
Communist writer's and Commu-
mist sympathizers in the overseas
libraries operated by the State
Department as a part of its in
ternational information program.
Two other writer's were willing
: witnesses and testified they once
held Communist sympathies but
no longer entertained such views.
They were Langston Hughes,
noted Negro poet, and Edwin
Seaver. author of THE Hammer
and the Anvil" and other books.
Lists 300 Copies.
Subcommittee Counsel Roy
Cohn told the hearing that 300
copies of 18 books by Hammett
are listed as being in 70 State
Department information centers
scattered throughout the world.
He added there were 80 copies
Of Helen Kay'S books, one or
more by Seaver, and 200 copies
of Is books of the collected
works of the poet Hughes in 81
Of the overseas libraries.
During the hearing, Senator
Mccarthy announced:
l. He asked his staff to deter
mine what actual steps have
been taken by the State Depart
ment to remove books by Com
munist authors from the over
seas libraries. The subcommit-
tee has received testimony from
ex-Communist Louis F. BudenZ
that books by IS authors he
knew as Communists are among
those in the overseas libraries.
2. The assistance of r. w.
Scott Mcleod, new State De-
partment security officer, will be
sought to ascertain what in
dividuals were responsible for
selecting such books for the
libraries.
Witness Is Poised.
Mr.. Hammett, the author of
such hits as THE Thin Man."
showed something Of the aplomb
of his principal character in that
book. Nick Charles, as he quietly
but insistently refused to answer
many of the subcommittee
questions.
Among the questions he re-
fused to answer was whether he
is now a member of the Com
munist Party, whether be has
contributed any money RECEIVED
in royalties to the Communist
cause and others regarding his
connection with the bail 7 bond
fund of1the Civil Rights Con-
gresS.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat,
of Arkansas, suggested that in
refusing to answer THE questions
Mr.. Hammett was voluntarily
committing self determination
himself before the bar of pub
lie opinion"
Refers to Jail Term.
II do not think that, sir" Mr..
Hammett replied. Public opin-
ion didn't send me to Jail for
five or six months" He referred
to Jail term imposed on him
by the Federal Court in New
York for contempt in refusing
to answer questions regarding
the bonds for four fugitive party
leaders after their conviction on
conspiracy indictments.
Mrs. Goldfrank, petite blond,
took the witness chair only after
her Washington attorney, Charles
E. Ford, had the subcommittee
order television and other
cameras turned off the writer.
She wasted no time in refusing
to answer the subcommittee
questions.
Mr.. Cohn asked her if she
was the author of children's
books under the name of Helen
Kay, in use in overseas libraries.
In a voice scarcely audible,
Mrs. Goldfrank said she refused
to answer on the grounds of her
constitutional privileges and
added II proudly stand on that