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ie block. There, behind heavily barred doors, in the company of suspected drug addicts and prostitutes, they were photo- praphed, imperprintedt ed eearehed: fc ‘weapons, Then Dr. Du Bois was brought from the cell block; and on the wrists of the elderly genius there were manacles . . Later, outside the courthouse, near a statue of Abraham Lincoln, newsmen interviewed Dr. Du Buis. Ye a Tunous ng, Dr. Du Bois told the reporters, “that today I am called upon to defend myself against criminal charges for openly advocating the one thing all People want—peace.” Tr was early in April 1950 that a group of writers, church. men, small businessmen and trade unionists had come together in New York City and fuunded the Peace Informa- tion Center."* Only five short years had elapsed since the agany and havoc of the Scoond World War; and yet, incredibly enough, the dark clouds of a new and even more fearsome conflict now Drooded ominously over every land. The secure fully projected at Yalta and Pots like an hy*iewhered dream of the past. Fierce intcrnational tensjons, prodigious ammament pro- ® Originally eet for April 2. date of the Peace Information Center trie) wes sulecquenty postponed to May 14 and then October Z #0 Thine acsembled at the meting con-tituted themscle: as Advisory | - Council to the Peace Information Center. Dr. Do Boils wan elected Chair- man, and Mrs. Etzabeth .Moge..dpes..appuipied Excevtive Director. ae advocacy of peace. Together with four former associates in A res 7 y hicks hh 720 been (aakr- Justice on the charge of failure to register as a foreign aigent.** 4 The proceedings in the Federe] Court House were beld the (Criming : . DD bis and ob associates were the ber, s number of accused Criminals appeared befare the presiding magistrate, Judge Dickinson Letts, to have dates scheduled for their trials. As une of the journalists present, I noted down the crimes Ww ese individuals were charged: “Manslaughter —assault to commit robbery—violation of lottery laws—theft —forgery.” Such was the category in which the Peace In- formation Centet case bad been placed... After setting the date for the Peace Information Center © Poet and university profemsor - eo-founder of the Nations] Assocte- fdon for the Advancement of Colored People and editor of The Crista for msore than twenty peers: TU. & winlster Plenipotentiary to Liberia and apecial consuitant to the United Nations; founder of the Pan-African Congresses and author of such brilliant works ma Fhe Souls of the Black Folk, Dark Water, Dusk ef Dewn and Black Reornstrurtion—theae were bene of the tn) je att of the amazingly versatile and prolific °¢ Indicted with Dr. Da Bols were Mrs. Elisabeth Mow. well-known _ -@tucator, the first executive director of the Pemee loformation Center; Abbott Simon, subsequent executive Girector, a World War Il veteran who bad played = leading role In Peace organizations aince the end of the war ; Kyrie Etkin, a public-epirited businessman who had been the Center's break 7 and Sylvia Solof, @ young woman indicted merely because abe had been employed at the Center as a clerical worker. ..