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acta edi Ale ea The serial indicated below is an undated, unider ified printed handbill entitled “In Defense of the Bi: Rights!" Thereafter follows.a statement in the-natur a protest against alleged curtaiiment of the civil right of certain minority groups fincladinge the Communist” Party A number of Instances are set forth wherein such curtailment has occurred. wes Te The handbill states: "We point out sharply that this coneerted campaign ta lay the basis for outright cop suppression of the Communist Party is reminiscent of the post war hysteria which culminated in the now universally - condemned Palmer Raids. We are not Commmnists, and we... are not concerned at this moment with the merits or demerits _ of the doctrines advocated by the Communista. We are in ested only in the indisputable merits of orr American |. ~ tradition of free speech and in the consequences to the. * non-Communist majority of the suppression ef the Commish: minority. This statement purportedly was signed by a grou of selentists and aducaters including Professor Robert 8; Lynd of Columbia University. . The following appears on page 3 of this handh "(On December 14, 1939, the day before the Tith anniversary of the Blil of Rights, this statement of 65 prominent oltize in defense of the Bill of Rights was sent to the press,.: the purpose of helping bring this statement to the at of all citizens, the Communist Party reprints this impor documant.)* . (GAS sah aeaQela aise lace a ak a The back page of this leaflet announces tha Clarence Hathaway, Editor-in-chief of the "Dally Worker discuss "fhe American People Look. to 1940 and Finland'® at a meeting on St the National Press Auditorium