Speech #790173703

Dr. Barsky sent a letter to certain refuge groups asking for aid in his campaign to become a member of the National War Fund. After this letter was circulated. the Presidents War Relief Board certified the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee to the National War Fund. In September of 1945. it became clearly apparent that the offer of the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee to comply with the law was not given in good faith. On September 24. 1945. the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee openly sponsored a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. which had as its slogan. "Break off relations with Franco." William Z. Foster. Communist leader in America. had this to say of the rally: . This rally will develop a tremendous movement that will convince our Government that the American people want action (in Spain). On September 22. 1945. the official organ of the Communist Party. known as the Daily Worker. carried this ad: Join Garden rally (sponsored by Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee) against Franco. On September 21. 1945. the Communist Party itself endorsed the rally with a piece in the Daily Worker which stated: Break relations with Franco. These are only a few of the ads which appeared ir the official Communist publications sponsoring the rally being held by the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee on September 24. 1945. at Madison Square Garden. As an attraction. the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee arranged. through the American Broadcasting Co.. to have Harold Laski address the rally. Mr. Laski took this opportunity to denounce Christianity and the American form of government. and later called for a change in our constitutional government along the line of the Soviet Republic. The exact number of persons of Communist affiliation who have been brought into the Western Hemisphere by the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee is not known. There have been groups of 50. 20. 90. and so forth. most of whom have found their way into Mexico. Caracas. and the Central Republics of South America. The majority of these emigres are known in the Communist movement as "steeled workers"-people whc have been under fire in behalf of the Communist Party and found to be dependable. The principal nucleus of this group is found in Mexico City today. In the spring of 1945. the Portuguese international police became alarmed by the aid being given to Spanish refugees in Portugal by various relief societies. including the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee. Investigation by this police force revealed that the refugees examined. were found. without exception. to be Communists. Some of the wellknown Communists sponsored directly or indirectly by the Joint AntiFascist Refugee Committee. include: Dr. Leo Zuckerman. Dr.