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* Wilkins, in his column, "The Watch Tower," in the "New York Amsterdam News," ;-~ . made the following statements after condemning the "New York World Telegram" n the election: ~~ ~ on a es we or based on hatred, whereas the Governorship battle was the cae slimiest waged here in many a decade....As our system of on ae . government is so weak that two Comraunists out of a council | of 17 members constitute danger, then we had better be looking into our foundations....As a matter of fact, the presence of two declared Communists in our council probably . _ will benefit everyone. Communists stimulate activity. They — stimulate progressive measures more often than they voice the aspirations of the plain people, even though these plain - people would not go so far as to espouse Communism itself.... As for Ben Davis himself. ..it is to be doubted whether there is a single Council member of any higher caliber. Davis is a graduate of Amherst and the Harvard Law School... Needless to say, with this background and with the graduate course he has received in the Communist Party, Davis is far from being a greenhorn..."* (100-149163-A) ee wos ,,,. Moreover, the Communist appeals were not vicious AE ME At the 39th Annual Conference of the NAACP held in Kansas City in Jur.2, 1948, Wilkins, as the keynote speaker, stated, "Anyone who speaks up for his rights or who does not follow the beaten path is likely to be called a communist .' Es urged the delegates not to be intimidated by the cry of communism. He pointed cut that Negroes do not want a totalitarian state either of the right or of the left and further stated that they want democracy and that they would speak and work for it with every weapon at their command. . Indications of Anticommunist Attitude: BO . wre ce the early 1940's, as indicated revious} Wilkins’ attitude has been strongly anticommunist. In 1949 ‘ini t! the Party was greatly concerned about. the election of Roy Wilkins to fill the vacanc Walter White of the NAATP during a year's leave of absence. According ‘ae L cece ee had been openly opposed to the tactics of the CP and had been one iw ‘ leaders in the NAACP responsible for the f the communists in their efi “to take over the organization on a national core stated that 1 24 CF was and had been attempting to infiltrate the local branches of the NAACP and wi Pe tf wae election of # Roy Wilkins they expected 8 a great deal of ope 1 a