Evening star., 1955-02-28
Un-American Probe
Committee 10 Study
Matusow Testimony
By |. Edeor Primo

By l. Edgar Primo
The House Committee on Un-
American Activities has sched-
uled new hearings growing out
of 1852 testimony which former
Communist Harvey M. Matusow
now says was false.
Chairman Walter disclosed this
yesterday during a discussion
with Assistant Attorney General
William F. Tompkins on the CHS
radio program. THE Leading
Question.
The Pennsylvania Democrat,
who has pledged that his group
would not duplicate the work
of either Of two Senate commit
tees operating in the same. gen.
eral field. asserted that the in
quiry was not " for the purpose
of corroborating Matusow's tes-
timony."
The Senate Internal Security
subcommittee is In the middle of
an exhaustive investigation Of
the 28-year-old New Workers.
turnabout testimony. The House
group has been supporting this
inquiry on the staff level.
The Senate group will hear
Matusow in open session today.
Witnesses Subpoenaed.
Mr.. Walter explained that a
number of persons named by
Matusow had been subpoenaed
in an effort to establish by
other means the fact that these
youth organizations against
which he testified are. in fact.
Communist organizations"
It might be noted, however.
that two of the groups about
which Matusow testified had
been cited prior to 1852 by both
the House committee and the At
torney General as subversive and
Communist. These were the
Young Communist League and
the American Youth for Democ-
racy.
The Labor Youth League. the
third organization discussed by
the turnabout witness, was cited
as Communist-dominated by the
Subversive Activities Control
Board earlier this month after
hearings on a request from the
Justice Department.
Sees Fifth Amendment Used.
Declaring that he was "sure"
a large number of the individuals
subpoenaed for the new inquiry
would take refuge in the Fifth
Amendment, Mr.. Walter said 1t
was important to remember that
witnesses who have refused to
testify on grounds Of possible
Standardization before his
committee "are people that we
know are Communists"
Mr.. Tompkins, who is Justices
internal security chief, stoutly
d e + ended ex-Communists as
Government witnesses. He singled
out Paul Crouch in this connec-
ton. He said that some of those
who seek to undermine the Gov
ernment's program" have at
tackled Crouch for his testimony
in the Philadelphia Smith Act
case last summer.
"They said it was at variance
with the testimony he gave in the
Harry Bridges case when he
was asked did he know SO differ
ent names, in rapid succession"
Mr.. Tompkins asserted.
Nov, let me say this: The
Government could have corrob-
GRATED Mr.. Crouch's testimony
in Philadelphia with another
witness, but for reasons of
security that witness was not
used"
Cites 81 Convictions.
Mr.. Walter chimed in to say
1t wasn't necessary to use the
other witness because one Of the
defendants admitted he was a
Communist.
Nov they are going to try
to impeach Crouch's testimony
because he testified against a
man who admitted he was
guilty." he added.
Mr.. Tompkins gave q large
share of credit to ex-Commu-
nists for the fact the Govern
ment has been able to obtain
conspiracy convictions of-81 out
of "a persons tried in Smith
Act cases.