Evening star., 1954-05-10
Hearings Open
Label Group
As Red Front
U. S. Charges Funds
Collected for Relief
Went to Help Party

- 80 eNSbbSu
Went to Help Party
The Government opened hear
ingS today to label the National
Council of American Sovie t
Friendship, Inc, as a Communist
front, charging it concealed it's
true purpose so well during
World War II that ''it succeeded
in obtaining congratulatory mes
sageS from President Roosevelt,
President Truman and Gen.
Eisenhower"
The Justice Departments
opening statement called the Or
ganization zone of the most in
SidiouS tentacles of the Commu-
mist Party" and "the oldest Com
munist Party front in the United
States"
The Government seeks to force
the council to register as Red
front. Hearings opened in the
Lafayette Building. David G.
Coddaire of the SubverSive Ac-
tivities Control Board is hearing
the case.
Collected S1OO Million.
Troy B. Conner, jr.. Justice
Department trial attorney, said
the council, then using differ
ent name, collected more than
500 million to aid Russian fam
inc victims after the Russian
revolution of 1917.
"The true nature Of this or
ganization is conclusively shown
by our evidence that not one
cent of this 500 million was ever
sent to Russia to aid the famine
victims for whom it was in
tended" the lawyer declared.
Instead, our evidence will show
that the entire sum was used to
finance the Subversive actions Of
the world Communist move
ment." ~
after the recognition of the
Soviet Union by the United
States (the counciD became
more SUBTLE" the Government
statement said.
"It ceased to be a large mass
organization and relied for its
support on the pseudo -intellec-
tual class.
Here the evidence will show
the entry of the skilled propa-
gandistS of this organization,
Theodore Bayer, Jessica Smith,
Phillip Jaffe and Corliss Lamont,
all secret party members" the
statement continued.
Attempt at Dignity Cited.
The organization tried to wrap
itself in dignity "by making such
people as Henry Pratt Fairchild
and DR.. John Kingsbury. the
present chairman of the council,
officers" Mr.. Conner said.
He said evidence would show
shat not only the majority but
virtually all the officers of the
national organization are
members of the Communist
Party"
Mr.. Coddaire interrupted DR..
KingSbury when he attempted to
read a prepared statement.
Mimeographed copies were dis
tributed to the press. DR.. Kings
bury's statement said, I speak
not for any foreign power nor for
any organization that seeks the
overthrow of this Government
by force and violence"
He said that "as a direct de-
scendant of Henry Adams" he
feels dedicated to defend the
principles of the Declaration of
Independence embodied in the
Bill of Rights
''We believe we are brought
here before this board" his
statement read, "only because
the national administration
seeks to suppress all individuals
and groups who have taken
sharp issue with foreign policy
which, in our opinion, is lead
ing us down the road to a war
of nuclear weapons war of
annihilation."
Claim Will DiSregarded.
The statement also said the
United States Government is
disregarding "the peoples will
for peace"
I'VE have been poised on the
brink of complete involvement
in the war in do-China," the
statement continued. This
tragedy need not occur. Most
of the Western world is seeking
to avoid that tragedy. In my
judgment, the Soviet Union and
People's\ China seek to avoid
it."
Today's hearing is authorized
by the Internal Security Act of
1850.
The Communist Party is chal-
1enging the acts constitution
ality. A decision is pending in
the U. S. Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia.
The hearing was recessed un-
til 10 am. tomorrow after one
Government witness testified ON
Embarrassing activities in New
York City.
Hc Had ard Hnalh, Aan