Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-09
|Ex-Red AssaiIs
Negro Cleric as
Power Seeker

tive committee yesterday that
the Rev. Martin Luther King OF
Montgomery, Ala, is "a megalo-
maniac seeking power"
Manning johnson, the former
Communist. said the Alabama
Negro minister heading an anti
segregation move is "a dastardly
misleader, leading the Negroes
of the South down to destruc-
ton and bloodshed."
Mr.. King is president of the
Southern Leadership Conference
and has been emphasizing nom
violence after leading a bus boy
colt at Montgomery.
johnson. appearing before tel
evision cameras and radio mi
crophones. testified the minis
tiers efforts could lead to COM
munism in the South"
Warns Of Bloodshed
Civil disobedience," the wit
ness said. will lead only to
bloodshed and violence. 1t will
lead to the Negroes losing their
homes and Jobs and create a
psychosis Of hate"
johnson was a star witness
before the Joint Legislative Com
mittee on Segregation, probing
influences behind racial strife.
The group closes its three-day
hearings in the State capitol to-
day with testimony by Police
Sergt. Hubert Badeaux Of New
Orleans, an intelligence agent
who works with the FBI. Com
mittee members said Sergt. Ba-
deaux will tell of Communist
penetration in New Orleans and
Louisiana.
Senator w. M. Rainack, chair
man. called the Louisiana probe
because he said the civil rights
hearings now being held in
Washington were painting only
half the picture"
Accused National Parties
THE true picture OF the Com
munist penetration and utiliza-
ton of Negroes in this country
has been carefully skirted by
investigating COMMITTEES in Con-
gresS." Mr.. Rainach said. THE
two national parties advised
them to do SO because they were
afraid Of the bloc voting in
Northern cities dominated by the
National Association for the
Advancement OF Colored People"
johnson and Leonard Patter-
son Of Jamaica. N. Y, another
Negro who said he was an ex-
Red. testified about what they
described as Communist pene-
ration in the South through
Negro fronts and Negro churches
and party attempts to capture
the NAACP.
THE Rev. Mr.. King is in deep
water and can't swim" johnson
said
He wants President Eisen-
hover to come down and bail
him out. but Ike is not going to
bail him out. He would be a fool
to come down and do it."
Mr.. King had talked of a Negro
mass movement in connection
with the Supreme Court decision
against bus segregation, john
son continued. This explana-
ton is the same as that Of the
Communist Party. wonder who
is giving him the party line?"
Says Negroes Are Harmed
johnson said he is not calling
the Alabama Negro a Commu-
mist. but l am saying he is doing
the negroes harm
johnson said 1.-The Communists
have inf1ltrated and are work.
ing through the NAACP. The
reason is because the NAACP
has become one OF the most in
fiuential, mixed breed organiza-
tions IN the country. It's not a
Negro group. but a sort OF mixed
breed group. organized originally
by whites"
johnson said w. E. B. Dubois
Negro writer and an NAACP
founder. had long time links with
the Communist Party.
Dubois is an evil, frustrated
wicked old man looking to
the devils in the Kremlin for
vindication and salvation" John
son said.
Says He Broke With Party
johnson. opening his testimony
yesterday morning. said he broke
with the party after the Soviet
pact with Nazi Germany.
Il began to think for the first
time then" he said. II was lust
a tool under the Communists to
bring my people under the die
tates of those devils in the
Kremlin."
johnson said Communist cells
had been formed "in churches all.
over the black belt"
He testified that leaders OF
Howard University, in Washing
ton. D. c.. including President
Mordecai johnson, had "espoused
the Communist cause" with the
becoming "a hotbed of
communism.
The witness said the colleges
social science department CO.
operated closely with John Davis.
"a Communist. although not gen.
orally known as one," who helped