Senators, Communists, Criminals
The various measures for the outlawing of Communism and/or Communists in the United States, and the various political interests concerned, have recently been moving around with all the speed and unexpectedness of a French farce. Some sense may be made 'of them however by holding fast to the fundamental points. First, the Administration has, for a long time past, been dealing effectively with Communism through the agency of its Subversive Activities Control Board, operat- ing under the Internal Security Act of 1950. By contesting the ruling of this body that it must register with the Attorney General as the agent .of a foreign, power, the US Communist Party is in a fair way to commit suicide by due process of la The Administration wants this quiet and effective process continue undisturbed. Secondly, Democrats in Congress N% to steal as much as they can of the Republican anti-Commun clothing, for wear in the November elections. Thirdly, requires great political coolness for a Washington legislator vote again any anti-Communist move, and it is not easy keep cool in Washington in August. The difficulty of gig a vote that might conceivably be represented as soft Communism' is exacerbated when, at this season of been.. irresponsibility, representatives feel that, after all, the AWn istration will see to it that nothing really bad happens. Shoot'. began on August 12 when the Senate voted unanimously favour of a Bill introduced by Senator Humphrey (a De crat and leader of the Liberal Americans for Democratic Actia to make it a crime to belong to the Communist Party. T move, carried out with great suddenness, was not only a bold simple clothes theft; it was especially embarrassing to t Administration because it might be held to violate that theo, of the American constitution whereby a crime must consist! doing, and not in merely being, something. The Administratto replied by pushing through the House another Bill design to make the Communist Party illegal; it was not aimed individual members, as the Senate Bill was. Then, when t House Bill came before the Senate, Senator Humphrey moy‘ an amendment which, once again, vkuld make membership. the Communist Party a crime. The amendment was camh by a narrow majority. The House and the Senate have st to reconcile their differences and everything is back where —regrettably--began.
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