Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-11
Legion Report
Calls UNESC0
Non-Corllnnunist
BY tn. Associated Press


UNESCO, the United Nations
affiliate under attack from time
to time as q Communistic dan
ger to American sovereignty, has
won q mot guilty" verdict from
q special American Legion COM
mittee.
The special committee, in q
40,000-word report which be-
came available yesterday. re-
ported these main findings:
81. That UNESCO Is not IA
vorable toward world govern
ment; that the programs and
functions Of UNESCo are not
such as to tend toward world
government; that the United
States commission TO UNESCO)
individually and a. q group are
strongly opposed to world gov
eminent:
20. That UNEsCo is not athe-
istic, and
IS. That UNESCo Is In no
sense or no degree communist
ic."
Rejected Representation
UNESCO Is the United Ma
tons Educational. Scientific and
Cultural Organization. It's
stated purpose is to work for
peace through educational. sci-
entiflc and cultural channels.
Scores Of American organiza-
tons. outside Of government.
have nominated representatives
to the United States Commits
sion to UNESCO.
However, the American Lei
gion's national executive COM
mittee voted. 5l-6. last year not
to send . representative to the
commission. The Legion's Amer
icanism Commission has said it
found evidence there are O num-
Der of Communist sympathizers
Ia UNESCO.
The special committee which
cleared UNESCO on key criti-
cisIns was made up Of Chairman
Ray Murphy, former national
commander from Iowa who now
lives in New York, Jacob Ark of
New York, Paul M. Herbert Of
Ohio. the Rev. Gordon l.. Kidd
Of New York. William g. McKin-
ley of New Jersey and Mrs. Har-
old 8. Burdett Of New York, for
mer head Of the Legion Auxil-
larry.
Convention to Act
The report will go before the
American Legion convention in |
Miami October 1918. and there |
may be a sharp contest there
whether to accept or reject it.
The special committee said |
It found bitter criticisms Of |
UNESCO and said the investi- |
cation 1t conducted was under |
pressures which ARE without |
precedent In the long and hon.
orable history Of the American |
Legion"
I'VE have been deeply dis
turbed by an intolerance and
implacability Of attitude that we |
have found all too prevalent |
and which can serve no one
we'll" it reported.
The report went to the Legion's
executive committee last May,
after IL months Of work by the
special group. Printed copies
have now been made for use by
Legion convention delegates and
others.
Hiss and white Cited
Among other things, the report
discussed allegations that AlgerI
Hiss and the late Harry Dexter
White were active in promoting |
UNESCO. Mr.. Hiss is the former
State Department official who
went to prison on charges that
he lied when he denied hel
slipped secret documents to al
Communist spy ring: Mr.. White
was a former Treasury Depart
ment Official described by At
: torney General Brownell as al
Russian espionage agent.
OF Mr.. Hiss, 1t said: There is
no record Of any activity by Mr..
Hiss in connection with the
formation Of UNESCO. He did
not serve on any Of the delega-
tons or planning bodies which
are a matter Of record"
OF Mr.. White: Basic docu-
ments with their background
information reveal no informa-
ton that Harry Dexter White
had even the remotest connec-
ton with UNESCO."