Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-20

meeting OF the Southern Con-
ference for Human Welfare;
and while he doubted that she
had been a Communist. he
thought she had been under
party discipline.
2. He had seen Durr, Mont
gomery. Ala. at meetings of
national Communist leaders from
1888 to 1941."
8, He had talked about Com
muhist activities on three oc-
casions with Aubrey Williams,
Southern Conference Educa-
tional Fund president and for
mer New Deal Government Of
fetal.
DUR Denies Charges.
| DUR himself took the witness
| stand yesterday after hearing
Crouch's accusation against him
and called the testimony that
he had been seen at the Com
munist meetings "a complete and
absolute falsehood."
Crouch accused DUR. who was
Williams attorney. after Senator
Eastland. Democrat. Of Missis-
Sippi permitted the lawyer to
crosS-examine the ex-Commu-
mist. Senator Eastland said he
was allowing the procedure
because "Mr. Williams has been
so cooperative in answering
questions" He said it was the
first time to his knowledge a
witness had been so cross
examined before a congressional
committee.
Committee Counsel Richard
Arens asked Crouch if Durr was
a Communist during the cross
examination.
Crouch replied: II don't know
if he still is"
After Crouch testified to hav-
ing seen Durr at the meetings,
Durr asked him to be more spe-
cific. Crouch said he could not
give a date or a place because
II attended scores and scores of
meetings" The former Com
munist leader stuck to his story.
however. that Durr had been
there.
DUR then asked to be sworn
in and called the charge "a COM
plete and absolute falsehood."
Questioned on Lawyers Guild.
Then Mr.. Arens questioned
DUR about his term as president
Of the National Lawyers Guild.
which the committee counsel
said had been cited as Com
munist front, and his attendance
at world peace conference at
Warsaw. Poland. in 1913.
Earlier, Williams had answered
questions at great length on his
activities as New Deal official
in the Works Progress Admins
tration under Harry Hopkins
and as administrator of the Ma
tional Youth Administration.
He also answered every ques-
ton asked about his activities
in the Southern Conference for
Human Welfare. the Southern
Conference Educational Fund
and other organizations. Will
liams. however. refused to name
any contributors to the SCEF.
Mrs. DUR Mentioned.
Concerning Mrs. DUR, Crouch
had testified that a woman who
signed herself as Mrs. Virginia
Foster Durr of Alexandria, Va,
had subscribed to Communist
publications and contributed to
the party. He said he mad heard
at party meetings about "activi-
ties Of Mrs. Durr in connection
with the Communist Party"
Crouch added that Mrs. DUR
had been active in persuading
Justice Black to speak at the
organizational meeting of the
SCHW, which he said was or.
ganized by the Communist Party
to attract Southern intellectuals
and professional men. He said
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt also
spoke at the meeting.
Crouch admitted that his con-
tact with Mrs. Durr had been
mostly by mail. in connection
with her subscription to party
publications and what Crouch
described as contributions to
the Communist press"
Mrs. Durr answered only two
questions during her stay on the
stand. She said mo" twice
when asked If she was a Com
munist or under party discipline.
To other queries she said, II
stand mute"
Objections Barred.
Senator Eastland refused to
allow her attorney, John P.
Kohn Of Montgomery, to read
into the record Mrs. Durr's le-
gal objections to the proceed
ingS."
MIR. Kohn also asked that the
record show that Crouch 'is an
ex-convict." Crouch testified
that he had been convicted of
Communist activities by an
Army court-martial in 1925 and
sentenced to four years in a mil
itary disciplinary barracks.
Another former Communist
John Butler of Dallas. Tex, who
said he was a party member
from l941 to 1913. told of meet
ing Mrs. Durr at the home of
Alton Lawrence, described as an |
Alabama Communist organizer.
Butler did not identity Mrs. DUR |
as Communist.
Philippines Program Set
MANILA Nor On Inn