a radio commentator is to establish a precedent fraught with the gravest dangers dangers gravest the with fraught precedent a establish to is commentator radio a
the radio broadcasters of America are wise, they will form a solid front in sup- sup- in front solid a form will they wise, are America of broadcasters radio the
the government, whether Congressional or executive. If the newspapermen and and newspapermen the If executive. or Congressional whether government, the
many and diverse circumstances to punish and pillory critics of any agency of of agency any of critics pillory and punish to circumstances diverse and many
which Winchell broadcasts, and of the Jergens Co., which sponsors those broad- those sponsors which Co., Jergens the of and broadcasts, Winchell which
Dies Committee announced that it would subpena Walter Winchell's radio scripts scripts radio Winchell's Walter subpena would it that announced Committee Dies
and recordings, and summon for questioning officers of the Blue Network, over over Network, Blue the of officers questioning for summon and recordings, and to free speech in America. It is to establish a weapon which can be used under under used be can which weapon a establish to is It America. in speech free to
casts. casts.
with freedom of the press, as an attempt to bully and terrorize anti-New Deal Deal anti-New terrorize and bully to attempt an as press, the of freedom with cedure of this kind would be attacked, and properly attacked, as an interference interference an as attacked, properly and attacked, be would kind this of cedure
publishers and their columnists. columnists. their and publishers
or Lawrence or Sullivan, to summon their publishers for questioning and to to and questioning for publishers their summon to Sullivan, or Lawrence or Deal. Deal.
investigate the whole affair as a plot to subvert public confidence in the New New the in confidence public subvert to plot a as affair whole the investigate
or untrue. And let us suppose that it decided to subpena the writings of Krock Krock of writings the subpena to decided it that suppose us let And untrue. or
the SEC or the FEPC or some other New Deal agency. agency. Deal New other some or FEPC the or SEC the
he had been severely criticizing not a committee of Congress Congress of committee a not criticizing severely been had he
Arthur Krock or David LawrenCe or Mark Sullivan. And e e And Sullivan. Mark or LawrenCe David or Krock Arthur
A THING THING A
OR TWO TWO OR
To permit a committee of Congress to subpena the records and sponsors of of sponsors and records the subpena to Congress of committee a permit To
I suggest that we have here an exact analogy to what happened when the the when happened what to analogy exact an here have we that suggest I
It is not difficult to imagine the uproar in the press and in Congress. Pro- Congress. in and press the in uproar the imagine to difficult not is It
Let us suppo e that the col mmst involved was not not was involved mmst col the that e suppo us Let Let us suppose that this New Deal agency felt that the criticism was unfair unfair was criticism the that felt agency Deal New this that suppose us Let
The The
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Challenge to Free Speech Speech Free to Challenge
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OPINION OPINION
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effectively to beat down critics of the government, whether of the Right or Left. Left. or Right the of whether government, the of critics down beat to effectively
or any other agency of government for their opinions. To hold otherwise woulL woulL otherwise hold To opinions. their for government of agency other any or
anxious to do. do. to anxious
libel, or any other law. But they need not account to any committee of Congres. Congres. of committee any to account not need they But law. other any or libel,
subpena and I think his network and his sponsors should do likewise. Their Their likewise. do should sponsors his and network his think I and subpena
appearance would establish a precedent that could be used in the the in used be could that precedent a establish would appearance
be be
to to
goes goes
as cowardly and dirty as the Dies Committee is bound by no Marquis of Queens- of Marquis no by bound is Committee Dies the as dirty and cowardly as
"as is provided in the Constitution." Unfortunately there is no such provision in in provision such no is there Unfortunately Constitution." the in provided is "as ankle while somebody else kicks him in the gut during the clinches. clinches. the during gut the in him kicks else somebody while ankle
berry rules. If Winchell enters that ring, he'll find the referee biting him in the the in him biting referee the find he'll ring, that enters Winchell If rules. berry They must answer the questions asked them, however unfair, and a committee committee a and unfair, however them, asked questions the answer must They
him, to confront him with hostile witnesses, and to let him cross-examine them, them, cross-examine him let to and witnesses, hostile with him confront to him,
Congressional committee have no right either of counsel or of cross-examination, cross-examination, of or counsel of either right no have committee Congressional
intellectuals. He's a scrapper and has challenged the Dies Committee to subpena subpena to Committee Dies the challenged has and scrapper a He's intellectuals.
with a common danger. danger. common a with port of Winchell, irrespective of political differences. For they are confronted confronted are they For differences. political of irrespective Winchell, of port
has probably aroused more people to the menace of fascism than several dozen dozen several than fascism of menace the to people more aroused probably has
the Constitution. Constitution. the
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engage in such a fracas. But more than Winchell will be black-and-blue if he he if black-and-blue be will Winchell than more But fracas. a such in engage
to make freedom of speech and press precarious. Which Which precarious. press and speech of freedom make to
.14 .14
Newspapermen and radio commentators are not exempt from the law of of law the from exempt not are commentators radio and Newspapermen
Under other circumstances, it would be Winchell's business whether or not not or whether business Winchell's be would it circumstances, other Under
In In
I I
before before
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have a lot of admiration for Walter Winchell. This Broadway columnist columnist Broadway This Winchell. Walter for admiration of lot a have
that challenge Winchell is laying a trap for himself. Witnesses before a a before Witnesses himself. for trap a laying is Winchell challenge that
the committee. I think it his duty to refuse to honor a committee committee a honor to refuse to duty his it think I committee. the
is is
—I. F. F. —I.
what Dies seems seems Dies what
years years
STONE. STONE. ahead ahead