Testimony of Walter S. Steele Regarding Communist Activities In
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iP|}piPMWi:!^lii5i;i^^^ rE^ ^ cMol!iALkfca •^ U.S.SUP1. i^ OCUxMENTS t 3^ .o ... r- /' / wTESTIMONY OF WALTER S. l.llil. RE^AP^^^€ com:"!Unist activities in the united states HEARINGS - BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTIETH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 1884 and H. R. 2122 BILLS TO CURB OR OUTLAW THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN THE UNITED STATES Public Law 601 (Section 121, Subsection Q (2)) JULY 21, 1947 Printed for the use of the Committee on Un-American Activities UNITED STATES \^ GOVERNMiiNT PRINTING OFFICE 65176 WASHINGTON : 1947 ^f,^:.^iU/\;.-n'Oi ^: i' 07 DOCUMENTS OUl ? 1947 COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES J. PARNELL THOMAS, New Jersey, Chairman KARL E. MUNDT, South Dakota JOHN S. WOOD, Georgia JOHN MCDOWELL, Pennsylvania JOHN E. RANKIN, Mississippi RICHARD M. NIXON, California J. HARDIN PETERSON, Florida RICHARD B. VAIL, Illinois HERBERT C. BONNER, North Carolina Robert B. Stripling, Chief Investigator Benjamin Mandel^ Director of Research II TESTIMONY OF WALTER S. STEELE REGAEDING COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN THE UNITED STATES MONDAY, JULY 21, 1947 i House of Kepresentatives, COMMITfEE ON Un-AmERICAN ACTIVITIES, Washington^ D. C. The committee met at 10: 30 a. m., Hon. J. Paniell Thomas (chair- man) presiding. The Chairman. The meeting will^jome to order. The record will show that a subcommittee is sitting, a subcommittee consisting of Mr. Nixon, Mr. Vail, and Mr. Thomas, The subcommittee will suspend for a few minutes. • (Pause.) The Chairman. I want to say for the benefit of those who are in the room that tlie committee will sit either as a subcommittee or a full committee throughout this week. We have a heavy schedule, and due to the fact that Congress is in session and it will be necessary for vari- ous members of this committee to be on the floor of the House, we have made ari-angements within the committee so that there will al- ways be one member of the committee here to act as chairman. Now. the committee will conduct the hearings during the entire week. We will hear 14 witnesses, all of whom will testify concerning Communist activities. The first witness this morning will be Mr. Walter S. Steele, who is appearing before the committee in the capacity of chairman of the national security committee of the American Coalition of Patriotic, Civic, and Fraternal Societies. ]Mr. Steele is also ap])earing as the managing editor of the National Republic magazine. Last Marcli the committee held rather extensive hearings on two bills, H. E. 2122 and H. R. 1884. which bills seek to curb or outlaw the Communist Party. At that time Mr. Steele and his organization requested to be heard. However, Mr. Steele became ill and was unable to appear. Since these two bills are still pending before the committee, we are affording Mr. Steele an opportunity to present the views of his organ'zations on these two.bills and also to hear his testimony of the various ramifications of the Communist Party of the United States, a subject upon which he is well qualified to testify. Mr. Steele, will you take the stand and raise your right hand and be sworn, please ? Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. Steele. I do. The Chairman. Mr. Stripling. 1 2 TESTIMONY OF WALTER S. STEELE TESTIMONY OF WALTER S. STEELE, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN COALITION OF PATRIOTIC, CIVIC, AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES Mr, Stripling. Mr. Steele, will you state your full name and present address ? Mr. Steele. Walter S. Steele. My home address is 2916 Twenty- ninth Street NW., Washington, D, C. My business address is 511 ' Eleventh Street NW., Washington, D. C. Mr. Stripling. When and where were you born? Mr. Steele. Louisville, Ky., June 2, 1890. Mr. Stripling. What is your occupation? Mr. Steele. I am managing editor of the National Republic magazine. Mr. Stripling. Are you appearing before the committee as a rep- resentative of any other organization ? Mr. Steele. I am. Mr. Stripling. What organization ? Mr. Steele. American Coalition of Patriotic, Civic, and Fraternal Societies, with offices in the Southern Building, Washington, D. C. Mr. Stripling. Will you explain to the committee just what the American Coalition is ? Mr. Steele. Tlie American Coalition is a coalition of 84 patriotic, civic, and fraternal societies, to which these societies delegate two delegates, two official delegates, one of which is the high officer of the society, the other is a delegate selected from the body. The coali- tion meets once each year in Washington to consider matters per- • taining to patriotism. It does not appear on legislation that affects industry or labor and such matters that have any commercial slant to them. Mr. Stripling. Who are some of the present prominent officers of the organization ? Mr. Steele. Mr. John B. Trevor, of New York, former special dep- uty attorney general of the State of New York, chief counsel of the New York Joint Legislative Committee Investigating Subversive Activities, associate counsel for the subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate (1920), and an officer in the Military Intelligence Division of the United States Army during the First World War, is president. First vice president is Mrs. Grace L. H. Brosseau • Tlie Chairman. Pardon me. Did you give the name of the president ? Mr. Steele. Yes. John B. Trevor. The Chairman. All right. Mr. Steele. Mrs. Grace L. H. Brosseau is first vice president. She is a past president general of the DAR, an officer of several of the societies on the list I wish to submit as an exhibit—the list of organi- zations, Mr. Stripling. Mr. Stripling. Yes. We would like to have it. Thank you. Mr. Steele. And second vice president is Messmore Kendall, past president general of the Sons of the American Revolution. The third vice president is Mrs. Frederic G. Bauer, past national president of the DAR, and associated with many of the societies listed. TESTIMONY OF WALTER S. STEELE 3 — The— treasurer is Frank B. Steele who, by the way, is no relation to me secretary general of the Sons of the American Revolution, and member of other societies listed. The secretary is Mrs. Flpra A. Walker, a member of a number of the societies on the list. The executive board, of which I am a member, is composed of the following: Col. Edward S. Bettleheim, Miss Alice D. Butterfield, Vic- tor E. Devereaux, Charles H. Hall, Mrs. Mary J. Love, Hon. Smith L. Multer, Mrs. Frank L. Nason, Mr. C. H. Paul, Mr. Perry F. Ramey, W. W. Stearns, Hon. Maurice H. Thatcher, former Members of Con- gress from Kentucky, Mr. Edson L. Whitney, and Roscoe C. Walker, all members an.d/or officers of one or more of the societies mentioned. The board of directors is made up of 1 executive officer and 1 member of each of the 84 societies. Mr. Stripling. Mr. Chairman, is that sufficient identification of the organization ? The Chairman. I think that you ought to place in the record at this point the list of organizations that are either affiliated or cooperating with the American Coalition. Mr. Stripling. That is the list of 84 organizations which you mentioned. Mr. Steele. Mr. Steele. Yes, sir. Mr. Stripling. They will be made a part of the record. list is (The referred to as follows :) ^ Exhibit I v Societies Cooperating With the American Coatjtion Americanism Defense League. American League for Good Government, Inc. American Vigilant Intelligence Federation. American War Mothers. American Women's Legion. Associated cliapters, Order of DeMolay of Pennsylvania. Associated Farmers of California, Inc. California Society, Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. Colonial Order of the Acorn, New York Chapter. Congres.s of States Societies. Connecticut Daughters of the American Colonists. Dames of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Daughters of America, National Council. Daughters of America, District of Columbia Council. District of Columbia Commandery, Naval and Military Order of the Spanish- American War. District of Columbia Society, Order Founders and Patriots of America. Eugenics Society of Northern California. First Motor Corps Unit No. 12, Massachusetts State Guard Veterans. Fraternal Patriotic Americas, State of Pennsylvania, Inc. General Court, Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. General Pershing Chapter, American War Mothers. General Society of the War of 1812. Illinois Society of War of 1812. Junior Order tFnited American Mechanics, New Jersey. Junior Order United American Mechanics, New York, Inc. Junior Order United American Mechanics, Pennsylvania. Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. Massachusetts Society, Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery in Chief. ^ See appendix at end of hearing for list of all exhibits given in this testimony. 4 TESTIMONY OF WALTER S. STEELE Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States Comraandery of the District of Columbia. Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of New York. Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of I'ennsylvania. Military Order of the World Wars. National Camp, Patriotic Order Sons of America. National Commandery, Naval and Military Order of the Spanish-American War. National Constitution Day Committee. National Council, Sons and Daughters of Liberty. National Society, Daughters of the Revolution. National Society, Daughters of the Union, 1S61-18G5. National Society for Constitutional Security. National Society for Constitutional Security, Chapter I. National Society of New England Women.