Evening star., 1961-04-01
BIRCH
WeIch Explains His Viewpoint
On Eisenhower Being a Red
Continued From First. Page

Continued From First Page
publican Of California. former
chairman of the California
G. o. P. Central Committee,
said the society and similar Or
ganizations increase the diff
Guilty of advancing conservative
thought and resisting commu-
niSm.
5. Bryton Barron of Spring.
field. Va, who is active in John
Birch affairs in the Washing
ton area, said that lone of the
items on the current agenda of
the society is the Impeachment
of (Chief JuStice) Warren"
The society has been reported
to be the source of a mail cam
paign urging members of Con-
gresS to sponsor Impeachment
proceeding" ainst the Chief
Justice
r .le National Association
manufacturers disclosed that
it adopted a resolution last Sep
tember which indirectly re-
buked the society. Several
NAM. leaders have been re-
: ported to be members of the
society.
Representative RousSelot told
The Star in a telephone inter-
view from San Marino, that
he is a member of a chapter
in the Los Angeles society.
His membership was revealed
by Representative Hiestand,
another California Republican,
in a news conference yesterday.
Mr.. HieStand, also a member,
defended the society and denied
charges that it was fascist.
That's true" Mr.. RouSSelot
said. Il am member. I joined
last fall" !
No Cloak of Secrecy
He said he joined the society
because chapters he addressed
in California were fine study
groups" They were made up,
he said, of very reasonable
people" and were mot wearing
any cloak of dark secrecy"
Mr.. Rousselot said he had
no intention of giving up his
membership because the society
has become the center of
controversy.
Both Mr.. Hiestand and Mr..
HouSSelot said they did not
share the founders views about
Mr.. Eisenhower.
Mr.. Rousselot. serving his
first term in Congress, said a
good friend" asked him to
join after he spoke to several
of the chapters. He said his
chapter included just small 1
people-a taxi driver and a
hotel doorman were among /
them. he added-who were
concerned about Communist
infiltration.
Mr.. RouSSelot, said he could
not speak for all but that /.
members of the society he
knows have been "responsibly
and thoughtfully" studying the
Communist menace. He added
that he had found their work
well documented.
II Favors Investigation
He said he favored an in
.vestigation Of the society. IT
think it is important since this
has been publicized that it
should be aired out" he added.
Lets find out about it"
:. Mr.. RouSSelot said he had
received two anonymous tele-
phone calls after his arrival
home, Thursday night, asking if
he was member of the society.
When he acknowledged he was,
the Representative said, the
callers told him they would
never support him again and
the society would be made an
issue In the next campaign.
/ Mr.. Rousselot said he
thought there should be no
opportunity for an organiza-
ition to exist that used in
correct" methods. But he said
he had checked and was unable
to find any supporting evidence
on charges that the society T.
has been harassing people"
Recalled by Andrews
Mr.. Andrews, commenting to
the Associated Press in Rich
mond. said of Mr.. Welch's at
tack on Mr.. Eisenhower:
Il don't remember that exact
passage. but I do remember a
part Of the book about the
effects Of some of the Eisen-
hover actions. WEIGH said
treason was the only word
for them.
II told Bob CWelch) didn't
submit to that view and 1
think the other organizers
probably agreed with me-"
The primary aim of the soci-
ETY., Mr.. Andrews said, is to
fight communism on an "intel-
lectual basis" I'VE don't advo-
cate violence and nobody is
required to do anything that
SImacks of VigilanteS. he added