Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-19
House Approval
Of Subversives
Bill Predicted
BY l. Edgar Primo

mise bill to outlaw the Commu-
mist Party was assured today
when both the majority and mi
nority leaders backed it.
Senate Republican Leader
Knowland and Senate Minority
Leader johnson said the COM
promise was an effective anti
Communist weapon which the
American people will approve.
Earlier, House Republican
Leader Halleck predicted speedy
passage in the House. Senator
Knowland has said President
Eisenhower would sign whatever
bill Congress passes.
Membership Not Crime.
Under terms of the new agree
ment, membership in the Com
munist Party would not be ruled
a crime. Instead, a person who
knowingly and willfully" be-
comes or remains a member of
the party shall be subject to
all the provisions and penalties
of the Internal Security Act of
1850 as a member of a COMMIT
mist action organization"
The measure would outlaw the
Communist Parry as legal en-
tity, however.
A vote was expected momen-
tarily on the bill, which also
would crack down on Red domi-
nation of certain labor unions.
Senator Humphrey. Demo-
crat, of Minnesota, indicated
that there would be little oppo-
sition to the compromise, al
though it rubbed out his crimi-
nal provision on individual Com
munists. He announced he
would vote for the conference
report.
Senator Humphrey asserted
he was bowling to the superior
knowledge of the Justice Depart
n1erlt," which has held. that
his amendment would do harm
to the Internal Security Act and
the Smith Act, the principal
anti-subversives statutes.
The Senator said he did not
want ito jeopardize the prosecu-
ton of cases" against Commu-
mist leaders now in the courts
and those pending. He added
that the compromise strengthens
existing laws and said:
We've closed all the doors.
These rats are not going to get
out of this trap"
Bars Government Jobs.
The Internal Security Act bars
members of Communists action
groups" from seeking Federal
Office, holding Government jobs,
working in defense plants or Sc
curing passports. The new law
would make this apply automati-
cally to party members.
The new compromise would
require all party members to
register with the Government.
Failure to do so carries maxi
mum penalty of five years in
prison and a $4,000 fine.
Senator Kefauver, Democrat,
of Tennessee, said that FBI Of
ficials told him the registration
requirement is expected to be
the most important anti
Communist weapon.
under the compromise, it
will not be a crime per sc to be
a Communist" he asserted. 1.-The
violation will be for not register
ing-it will not be for holding
certain views but for refusing to
admit those views are held"
Pending in Courts.
The Communist Party has not
legally been declared a Commu-
nist-action organization as yet.
The determination undoubtedly
will have to be made by the
United States Supreme Court.
Although the Subversive Activi-
ties Control Board has found
the party to be such an organi-
cation and the Federal District
Court has upheld the finding,
the matter is now being heard in
the Circuit Court of Appeals. In
the compromise, Congress spe-
officially labels the party a Com
munist-action group.
Senator McCarran, Democrat,
of Nevada, a member of the con-
ference committee, said the COM
promise bill makes certain that
all of the provisions and pen
alties of the Internal Security
Act shall prevail"