Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-08
.BroWneII
Describes
Red Plight

FOLLOWING is the tert OF
memorandum to the President
| from Attorney General BroD-
nell on administration actions
against the Communist menace
in the United States:
Two recent public pronounce
mentS by Communist leaders in
this country appear to carry UNI
usual significance. These pro-
nouncements are not in the usual
category of Communist Party
propaganda statements because
they are admissions against their
own interest. In other words,
4 it is not likely that these Com
munists have painted the picture
of their present plight worse
than it is.
They now publicly declare that
the Communist Party in the
United States has suffered such
heavy organizational losses and
its influence has declined to such
low point that the party is
confronted with a critical situa-
ton. This they attribute to two
factors: the prosperity which the
country has been enjoying in the
past few years and the highly
descriptive effect on the Com
munist movement of the Federal
Governments unrelenting pro-
gram of law enforcement.
The titular head of the party
in this country. William z. Fos-
ter, in an article written for the
leading Communist newspaper,
The Worker Sa1d: The rela-
lively easy economic conditions
of American workers during re-
cent years-more steady work,
more two jobs : in one family
setupS. the increase of real wages
in many instances" has un-
doubtedly done more to restrict
the growth Of the Communists
in this country than any other
factor. This admission by Fos-
ter, who only the other day was
eulogized by the Soviet press, APP
peared in The Worker of August
&c, 1856.
OF equal significance is a So
called official declaration which
the top officers of the Commu-
mist Party issued on September
%. They have termed it a
draft resolution" for considera-
ton at a Communist Party con-
vention to be held next Febru-
airy. Their recognition in this
declaration of the disruptive eff
feet on the Communist move
ment of our program of law en-
forcement and the resulting
policy changes which they feel
forced to make are of historic
import.
Factors Cited by Leaders
The critical situation in which
the Communist Party now finds
itself is attributed by their
leaders to the following factors:
/. The prosecutions for viola
tons of the Smith Act (con-
Spiracy to overthrow our Govern
ment by force and violence.
/ 2. The prosecutions for false
statements made by Communists
who had infiltrated into positions
of power in the labor movement.
3. The public disclosure of
Communist-front activities made
lin proceedings before the Sub
.versive Activities Control Board.
/ 4. The decentralization and
deportation of Subversives.
S. The elimination of security
risks from the ranks of Federal
Government employees.
Prosecutions under the Smith
Act have resulted in convictions
iby American juries of 108 top
LEADERS of the Communist Party
in 18 separate trials. Fourteen of
these 18 successful trials have
either been initiated or carried to
completion since January, 1858.
At the present time % additional
Communist functionaries are
awaiting trial under this statute.
In this program of enforce
ment of the Smith Act we have
focused on those areas where the
party's numerical concentration
is we'll organized and disciplined.
Particular emphasis is placed
upon striking at the Communist
conspiracy in those heavy in
dustrial and port areas where
Communist influence is poten-