Evening star., 1953-02-25
VeIde Defends Probe
Of Reds in Education
As Hearing Begins
By Cecil HoIIond

Chairman Velde today We
hemently defended an investiga-
tion of communism in education
as the House Committee on Un-
American Activities swung into
the inquiry with its first public
hearing.
With an admitted former Com
muniSt Prof. Robert Gorham
Davis Of Smith College-waiting
to testify as the first witness.
Mr.. Velde took official notice of
widespread criticism of the in
veStigation and declared:
"The committee will follow its
long-established policy of inves-
tigating Communists and Com
muniSt activities wherever it has
substantial evidence of its ex-
istence."
Mr.. Velde was aSsailed yester-
day in a speech by Bishop G.
Bromley Oman of the Meth
odlst Church. Bishop Oman
declared educators are disturbed
because they feel they are to be
subjected to serious attacks bv
men who have sought political
advantages in an hour of hys-
terra by capitalizing on fear and.
In the name of Americanism, by
attacking our institutions, dis
crediting our leaders and dividing
our people,"
Lawmaker ASsailS OMAN.
Similar criticism was voiced
last Sunday by Dean Francis B.
Sayre, jr., of Washington Ca
thedral and the Rev. A. Powell
Davies, pastor of All Souls Uni
tartan Church.
Mr.. Velde mentioned none of
his critics by name.
However, the criticism led
Representative Clardy, Republi-
can. of Michigan, a new member
OF the committee, to take the
House floor in a one-minute
speech to charge that Bishop
Oman had INDUCED in a smear
TRADE" against the committee.
He added that the bishop was
Ignorant of the facts"
Representative Short, Repub-
llcan, of Missouri INTERRUPTED
Mr.. Clardy'S comments to say he
hoped the members of the COM
mittee and the House know that
Bishop Oman "doeS not speak
Tor the entire Methodist
Church"
Movie Investigation Cited.
Mr.. Velde cited the commit
tees investigation of Communist
activities in labor unions and it's
Hollywood inquiry, as well, as in
the professions and Government
as the type of investigation the
committee proposes to make in
the education.
In no instance" the commit
tee chairman said, "has the work
OF the committee taken on the
character of an Investigation
OF entertainment organizations.
newspapers, labor unions, the
professions or the Government,
as such, and it is not now the
purpose of this committee to in
veStigate education or educa-
tional institutions as SUCH"
Mr.. Velde said "alarmists and
partisans" had attacked the COM
mittee's Investigations of Com
muniSm in the labor field as an
effort ito destroy labor unions"
and added:
Similar and equally unfound-
ed charges have been made with
regard to this hearing"
Earlier Success Emphasized.
He emphasized that in the in
vestigation of labor unions the
committee carefully avoided TAX
ing part in any labor disputes
and contended that the COM
mittee's work met with such Sue
cess that many labor unions are
actively engaged now in elimi-
mating from positions of inf1u-
ence union officials known to be
members of the Communist
Party. Mr.. Velde said the Holly
wood hearings developed evi-
dence that thought control
was practiced by the Communist
Party on it's members.
An objective study of this
testimony" Mr.. Velde said, will
lead to the inescapable con-
cluSion that it is the Communist
Party which is the enemy of
academic freedom.
Mr.. Velde said the committee
is concerned with the opportun-
tiles that the Communist PARTY
has to WELD its influence upon