◆ SpookStack

ge hopes “ae “£3 ° (> J OFFICE OF CIVILIAN DEFENSE Washington, vb. C. My dearlfr. Attorney OCenerdal : , ~ I wrder if it would be possible for you to run down for me . through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colonel Donovan's Naval Inspectors, and the Dies Committee, what they really have on Joe Lash. He tumed in to the Navy the absolute truth on all his former connections -— that he had never signed a Communist Party card, that he had, however, been very close to the Party, and he told them ali that he - had made a break with them at the time of the Nazi-~Russi an Pact, and a a ate ee a or a —T es a en | Since that Ue B i, = had aever aone ary thin jf put Wik for those wi upheld the interests of this country. I know this to be so, both in his public and | private situation. I think to hound someone who has lived upto his. convictions is really umvise procedure. He was not accepted by the Kavy, but was never told why. I feel quite sure it was because he was s > honest in telling of his former connections. Om Fe ol - His investi,ator told eomeone that the people who Imew hin, live Ur. William Allen Neilsen, ex-President of GQnith, and Dr. Alvin Johnson, were hirh in their praise of him, but that others smoke af his former connections. It has a very bad effect upon youth in general when they think sSonethiny unjust is being done, where people have honestly lived up to their convictions. I am seriously worried, not about what will be done to Joe, for practically the thole board of International Student Service is back of him, because he has done such very good work for them as their General Secrdtary, but I am worried for the effect it will have on the groups with which he has been ‘working. Today, I got a message from our Youth Activities representative, Kiss Jan Seavery, which reads as follows: @Y @¢havocht that tures sy] “* VINE Vian FV ee d wan E. Stripling, who is Jpecial Inves stigator for the Dies Committee, phoned to find out if Joc Lash were employed by uge I said no. He went on to ask if he were serving in any capacity at all with our division. I told him that Joe was serving in an advisory capacity on our Executive | -Committee along with the others (mentioning the names). 2 He wanted to know if he were receiving remmeration. I told him he was getting expenses. JI don't know what all 4 this means, but T hone it doesn't mean trenble for Joa.* Sa FO wie ws mow that Mr. Robert ta _ we 3 fr a ro" fi" +. _ 7 -grrsy DESTLOYED-———— 9,