Speech #790156191

It has access to all its books and records at all times. The UnAmerican Committee had no business Investigating an organization over which another Government agency has full control. The fact that the unwarranted and unjust attacks on this relief organization by the UnAmerican Committee has endangered the lives of numerous refugees because of the forced diversion of this committees activities from raising funds for the refugees to defending itself from the attacks of the UnAmerican Committee. I am sure that my colleagues and all thinking people will be shocked and alarmed by the undemocratic and unprincipled procedure followed in the socalled investigation of this relief organization. On December 1. before beginning any investigation. Ernie Adamson. committee counsel. asked the Presidents War Relief Control Board to revoke the license of the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee. The absolute lack of basis of this astounding action is clearly shown by the fact that on December 8. a week later. Adamson sent the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee a letter which said in part: In the interest of saving time. I suggest that you permit one of our investigators to make a preliminary investigation of your organization to determine whether or not .this committee is interested In your organization. Thus. he asked the Control Board to revoke the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committees license before there had been any determination that the House committee was interested in the organization. He followed this action by issuing on December 10 a subpena for all its books and records. The Nation. wellknown liberal magazine. commenting on the sequence of events related before. said. "Thus. after trying to execute a death sentence on the organization whose work for the relief of Francos victims is a matter for public record. the UnAmerican Committee now wishes to launch a fishing expedition in the hope of finding something that looks like evidence to back the verdict it has already reached." Here I want to add that the work of this committee in helping Spanish Republican refugees has been praised by Dr. Juan Negrin. the last Premier of the Spanish Republican Government before its overthrow by the forces of Franco. Hitler. and Mussolini. and by Dr. Josd Giral. present Premier of the Spanish Republican Government in exile. If the actions described above were not enough to show the disregard by the House committee of proper House procedures and proper concern for the rights of citizens. the committees behavior toward MissHelen R. Bryan. executive secretary of the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee. when she appeared before it on January 24 gives the final proof. She had been asked to produce all the books and records of her organization. She came before the committee prepared to answer all questions on the activities of her organization.