Evening star., 1953-07-31
McMiehaeI Is Shown
Accuser, but Denies
Seeing Him Before

1fOnCeQ Jne Rev. JACK HlCIldTu
McMichael with one of the two
witnesses who identified him in
previous testimony as a Com
munist during the mid-30s. and
Mr.. McMichael declared he
never knew the man.
The witness. Manning john
son, colored, who appeared to be
in his late 40s or early sos. was
led to the witness stand by a
committee aide after Mr.. Nc
Michael repeated a demand he
made yesterday that the COM
mittee produce Mr.. Johnson.
Mr.. johnson stood approx
mately 4 feet from Mr.. Nc
Michael as the latter declared:
'T don't know him."
Denies Knowing Him.
Mr.. johnson smiled and OBJ
served:
Take a good look then"
Mr.. McMichael then ex-
claimed:
"I don't recognize the name
and I don't recognize this man.
I will say definitely I have no
knowledge of ever having met
him"
His voice rising to a shout,
Mr.. McMichael cried. II de-
mand the right to question this
perjurer who is trying to build
up a case against mel"
Jackson Objects.
When Representative Jackson,
Republican, of California, OBJ
jected that it was improper to
refer to Mr.. Johnson as a per-
jurer, Mr.. McMichael said, "the
committee has put out his per-
jured testimony"
1T will be determined in an
other tribunal who has perjured
himself" Mr.. Jackson retorted.
"All right them" Mr.. Nc
Michael said.
Mr.. johnson was led away and
Committee Counsel Robert Kun
zig resumed questioning Mr..
McMichael on his activities in
the pre-war period.
Mr.. McMichael returned to the
stand under strict orders to stick
to the subject or risk being
elected from the hearing room.
Denies Red Charge.
The 36-year-old Methodist
minister told the committee
under oath yesterday that
he is not now and never
has been a member of the Com
munist Party. And he vehement
ly denied that past chairman
ship of the American Youth
Congress and participation in
various anti-war rallies before
World War II indicated any
radical leaningS.
After yesterdays hearing the
Georgia born preacher told re-
porters:
''The whole procedure was
based on a principle that would
have condemned JeSus-guilt by
association"
"An Exasperating Day."
The mildest rejoinder from
committee members, who had
battled heatedly all day to get
Mr.. McMichael to curtail his
constant Interruptions and ram
bling replies, came from Repre-
sentative Clardy. Republican, of
Michigan. He called it:
"An exaSperating day"
During the course of it, the
voluble witness, now pastor of
the Community Methodist
Church of Upper Lake, Calf,
said two previous witnesses who
branded him a Communist are
liars and perjurers and they
ought to be so charged and
tried"
The two are Mr.. Johnson
and Leonard Patterson, who told
the committee on July 7 and 8
at a closed session in New York
that Mr.. McMichael was a men,
ber of the Young Communist
League in the mid '30s.
Denies Statements.
Mr.. McMichael also denied
statements in an affidavit signed
in January of this year by Mar
tha and John Edmiston, former
FBI undercover agents who
swore the minister was a prime
mover" in a conference of Com
munist-front groups held in Co
lumbuS, Ohio, in 1910.
Mr.. McMichaels name figured
in testimony last week by Meth
odist Bishop G. Bromley Oman
of Washington, who said he had
been advised on "the highest
authority" that Mr.. McMichael
might be subverSive. The younger
clergyman was executive Secre-
tary of the Methodist Fedora
tion for Social Action at the time
and the bishop said he finally re-
signed from the group because
he was unable to bring about
Mr.. McMichaePs removal.