Huac Attacks Peace
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Roc**n STUDENT PEACE UNION FEB 1963 STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN .„ 816 STATE S^rET MADISON, WISCONSIN 53706 HUAC ATTACKS PEACE On December 11, 12 and 13 the House Committee on Un- seek to impose conformity of thought on our country are American activities held an investigation into the activ not the champions of freedom. Instead, they are foster ities of the American peace movement. According toRep. ing in this country those very conditions which they so Clyde Doyle (D. Calif.) who chaired the hearings in the bitterly oppose. noticeable absence of Rep. Walters, the purpose of these hearings was to "determine whether the Internal Securities The Women Respond Act of 1950 was in need of amendment". Doyle continued The Women's Strike for Peace responded to HUAC's the rationale for the hearings by stating that the Committee subpoenas by calling upon its members to. oppose the in would not sit in "judgment" upon those who testified before vestigation of their organization by 1) protesting the hear them, but was merely interested in the relevant "facts". ings through letters and telegrams to Chairman Walters These hearings were a direct attack on the entire peace (who did not dare to show his face at any of the hearings) movement as well as upon the Women's Strike for Peace, 2) showing support for those who had been subpoenaed the Greenwich Village Peace Center, and the Fire Island continued on next page Peace Center which were singled out to be smeared before % the public. The Committee sought to prove that peace was subversive in and of itself and that all who were involved in peace activities were selling out the national interest. The tone for the hearings was set by Doyle's opening re marks: "Excessive concern with peace on the part of any nation impedes or prevents adequate prepartion, hinders effective diplomacy in the national interest, undermines the will to resist and saps the national strength." It is obvious that any dissension from the policies of our gov ernment is dangerous to the national security and must be suppressed, whether that dissension arises from "inter national plots" like the Communist Party or not. The peace movement, under attack, responded quickly, recognizing thatnot only did the suppression ofthe rights of free speech of any group infringed upon their rights, but that the dem ocratic process, in order to survive, must insure the right of any individual to speak no matter how unpopular his opin ions might be. HUAC and other committees like it are not, in fact, con Foster and Dean being patient cerned with Communism for they know that there is no basic danger to the internal security of this country from the Communist Party and its front organizations. The Test Talks Begin & End real target of this committee is the democratic left, which at this point is concentrating its effort in peace and civil The Soviet Union ended its second series of tests on rights activities. They have attempted, by directing their December 31, 1962. At that time she made no announce attack against the Communists, to create the illusion that ment to stop for a definite time period or that she was pre virtually all who work for basic changes in our society are paring another series. On November 5, 1963, the U. S. Communists. They have invariably called before them stopped atmospheric tests, but continued underground those who either were involved in the Communist move tests stating, "We have no intention of again accepting an ment like some ofthe WSP members, or those, who, be indefinite moratorium on testing, and if it is clear we can cause of past associations, like John Darr, wouldbe vul not achieve agreement we will act accordingly." On Jan nerable to such investigation and could be labeled as Com uary 31, 1963, negotiations broke down when the Soviet munists. It is worth noting that the real leaders of the Union walked out over the old question of the number of struggle for change in this country have not been the tar on-site inspections. On February 1, the U.S. resumed get of HUAC. The appearance of Norman Thomas, A.J. underground testing. Muste, Martin Luther King, and others would do the Com In November when the U.S. had stopped atmospheric mittee more harm than good, for their appearance would tests and when it appeared the Soviet Union would shortly be proof that the struggle for decency and justice is led stop, a high Soviet official commented that when the tests by men, in fact, who are opposed to Communism. end "the atmosphere will be different". Buttherecent The peace movement must challenge the theory that the exchange of proposals and the Soviet walk-out show the State, through any Committee like HUAC or through any negotiation table is still laden with a heavy atmosphere. other means, is, or should be, the guardian of the moral It seems the air has not cleared here or elsewhere. and intellectual life of the nation. Those very men who continued on page 3 Vol. IV, No. 3 February, 1963 HUAC cont. SPU BULLETIN and 3) by volunteering to testify before the Committee to show that they had "nothing to hide". WSP throughout the Editor David Komatsu country reaffirmed the statement passed by their national convention in Ann Arbor last summer welcoming into their Editorial Board Peter Allen ranks any person who wanted to work for peace. "Differ David Kelly ences of politics, economics or social beliefs disappear Gail Paradise when we recognize man's common peril." They went on The SPU Bulletin is published monthly by the to state: "We are not an organization, and we do not ask of any woman her race, religion or politics. We do not (88) STUDENT PEACE UNION 6029 UNIVERSITY AVE. CHICAGO 37, ILL ask an oath of loyalty to any set beliefs. Instead we ask All articles signed by individuals fall in the scope of loyalty to the race of man." Women around the country the Student Peace Union, but are the views of the individual sent in telegrams volunteering to testify. Many came to and not necessarily the views of the Student Peace Union. Washington from places as far as Boston and Chicago. News Notes, a regular feature of each issue, carries Their purpose was to show the support that they had for news of student peace activity on campuses throughout the their fellow WSPs who were under direct attack. They country. SPU members and groups wishing to inform stu presented each woman who testified with roses, kisses dents in other areas of their activities are urged to sub and applauded vehemently each time the Committee was mit articles and photographs. Space limitations do not defied. permit the publication of all such reports, but an effort The Women's Strike for Peace took no unified position will be made to include all reports of major local campus as to how to confront the Committee. Since WSP, accord activity. ing to them, had no organization, each individual decided The Bulletin welcomes letters to the editor, and in the for herself whether she should cooperate fully with the future will attempt to publish a representative sampling Committee, take the Fifth Amendment, the First Amend of such letters in each issue. Writers are urged to limit ment, or refuse to even use the privileges of the Consti letters to 150 words. No letters above 250 words will be tution. Some took the Fifth Amendment as did two women considered for public at ion. from New York City, thereby leaving themselves open to charges of being "Fifth Amendment Communists". They Dear Sir: refused to answer the questions of HUAC consul Alfred David Kellyis grossly in error on the Kashmir ques Nittle and chairman of the hearings Clyde Doyle beyond tion. He states ("China India Conflict Rages, Nov. 1962): their names and addresses. The attitude of total non- "It is obvious that America's actions (with regard to India) cooperation through refusal to even invoke Constitutional are motivated by a desire for cold war advantage... If she Amendments was taken only by one of the women who tes were really interested in supporting democracy she would tified from the Westport WSP who questioned the right of also condemn India for her colonial ambitions in Kashmir. the Committee to inquire into her personal beliefs. She, Instead the U. S. has inflamed this conflict by declaring as did other women, contended that it is not she who should the complete righteousness ofthe Indian cause." be investigated, but "those who, withthe cool logic of mad The U.S. is not supporting India on this question. The ness, attempt to reconcile us to complete destruction." Indian position has been that Kashmir is a part of India and This met with vigorous cheers from the women in the room. the question is not negotiable. Yet the U.S. has con Dagmar Wilson, the "leader" of the Women's Strike for sistently favored negotiation of this dispute between India Peace, was the last witness to appear before the Com and Pakistan. A Security Council resolution calling for mittee. Before Nittle began his questioning, Doyle read a resumption of negotiations was supported by the U. S. and a lengthy statement which explained that the Committee opposed by India (June 22, 1962). Within the past few knew that she was not "guilty" of being a Communist and weeks, Averill Harrimanand British Commonwealth Re that she was there only to provide them with information lations Secretary Duncan Sandys have succeeded in per about the organization of the Women's Strike for Peace.