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Sarna: Teg PRN 2 . . weet naa CEE * “AMERICAN. CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION,.170 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 10: NUY ROGER N. BALDWIN ERNEST ANGELL ARTHUR GARFIELD HAYS’ PATRICK MURPHY MAL Chmn., Nat'l Comm. Chmn., B'd of Directors MORRIS L. ERNST a . Executive Dir: . . . : Counsel -~ 208 e, Ut: OResta ity Bulletin 1585 | . cee . _ Alan Rotts Aotatgant hip pe - vA STATE DEP/RTMENT BAN ON "CONTROVERSIAL" WRITERS SCORED BY ACLU | J +.) ACLU has asked Secretary of State John Foster Dulles to reconsider his Tee directive calling for removal of books by "controversial" writers from overseas’. «, libraries of the U.S. Information Service. The directive which ACLU protested, wa issued after Senator Joseph R. McCarthy began his current inquiry of the Voice ¢ America program, ; woe A ny: - : In a letter to Dulles, ACLU said that the order not only is "contrary to.the ‘spirit of civil liberties" but "on the practical level unwise as a measure to.combat Communist propaganda, . ou ta ” Det * . nd oo . toy te wet oe 2h "In our judgment, U.S. government Sponsorship or approval of publications-for_ Yibrary use abroad should be based solely on the nature and the value of the books themselves and not upon those who wrote them", the letter said.’ It was signed - by:5 Patrick Nurphy Malin, ACLU's executive director, and Elmer Rice, chairman of the, Union's National Council on Freedom from Censorship. ne i. "Furthermore", the letter continued, ‘may we urge that you review the direc-. tive noted above with a view to its revision, because it forecloses use of possiblo;,« heloful material to counter Soviet propaganda. In the propaganda field the U. Sx"! ““~ government should be unfcttered as possible so that all necessary avenues of app to peoples abroad both in front of and behind the iron curtain countrics may be be utilized, Anti-Soviet propaganda, which can be delved out of the works of American’. Communists or fellow travelers may well be a useful tactic if properly utilized ‘in exposing the lies and deception of Communist propaganda," . — Senator McCarthy's subcommittee hearings "ti11 now do not justify a categorigg discrimination against use of certain publications merely because of the political: or moral character of their authors", the two ACLU officials observed, - ; a "We do not, of course, expect, nor would we want, the U. S. government to: sponsor idcas to which it is opposed or which by their very nature are inconsist with, or in opposition to, the political and moral principles on which our country. . is based," their letter said, "Consistont with this position, we bolieve that*®! a litcrature and other forms of art must be judged by their content and quite apart from the alleged political or other views of their authors." Ae CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CLEARS FOUNDATIONS OF SUBVERSIVE TAINT..,. In clearing the tax-free foundations of the taint of subversion, a Congres sional Committee not only gave these organizations a clean bill of health but laud their accomplishments, 2 Te Lo: wal Bet ' The gist of the report turned in by a special House committce’ investigatings t “he foundations is that while the Communists made determined efforts to gain a-foote. “old in these groups, they succeeded barely at all. “The committce was formed origi<# ually by the late Rep. E. E. Cox of Georgia. oe , sk ; . "It has been established", seid the report, "thet some’ foundation funds ‘Hi: sone to the support of the Communist line or to proved Communists. or Communist, sym pathizers, but where this occurreed it is our belicf that it occurred inadvertently: ®. or through tho’ stealth and deccit of Communist ‘infiltrees!."" '.. Toe sae Beyond this, however, the committee found that the foundations! "dominant and: most significant function has been displayed in supplying the risk or venture capital: expended in advancing the frontiers of knowledge... 2°. GS / Fp a “ ‘ t fone FO : ‘Fe gly RAR Lee ; "In entering these fields", the committee found, "they ond casm and therefore assume the’ calculated risks as justified sentbe that may evolve for mankind.,,!! oe e ay) BWEEKLY SERVICE. FURTHER INFORMATION FURNISHED ON REQUEST i sen a