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‘NEnglish law was the + source of American civil right, j 4nd England is still the historic kitadel of those rights, Freed- ‘man is Washington correspond: ent forthe Ma A Aan; and this is his interpreta gion jor his English readers df t Monday’s precedent-making Supreme Court decision in the Watkins case, - ce THE RELATION of the Bill of Rights to the actions of con- gressional “committees came before the Teme irt for the first time in clear and un- mistakable form in the dis- turbed pertod after 1945, In Quinn vy. United States, the Court held in 1955 that the rewer to investigate, though broad, is subject to recognized dimitations. After enumerat- ing various restraints, it added that “still further limitations on the power to investigate are found in the specific individual guarantees of the Bill of Rights." - -, At issue In that case wag the use of the Filth Amend. ment, protecting ane against self-Incrimination. The Wat- kins case, just dechied by the Supreme Court, extends this Himitation to the First Amend. ment, whick shelters personal . It ix often tempting, but al Most always misteading, to: changes in the Court’s philos aphy by concentrating of; changes in the. Court's men ‘bership. The dominant fact, obscured by current contro- ‘veray, ts the continuity of the Court's thinking in recent: ears on the enduring themes wot personal freedom. The Wat-) tase, in‘ fact, dees not: quark an abrupt change tn the; Sioaxtension plain iywed in previous decisions. ull Make large déductions about * The central idsue in this ta mcerns the restraint whi f the Supreme Court has plac ‘congressional committe en they touch the protect ; f edoms enshrined in the Bill” Rights. | IT 18 important to realize: that Watkins never tack shel-— ter under the First Amend- ment when he appeared under subpena for the two members of the House Un-American’ Activities Committee. He sim- ply asked for a court decision to determine whether the com- mittee had the yight-to put these questions to him and: to hold him in contempt for: refusing to answer then in the absence of. this Judicial - verdict, ae, Watkins had. already ex-. ‘posed himself. He freely ad- mitted numerous associations , with Communists over a span‘ of years, He refused to answer ’ only when the questions con-- cerned other individuals who,; to his “best knowledge and be let,” had alnce left the Com: munist Party. 9405-00 +7 (G2. 47505: A NOT RECORDED q IBAUL: 1 1982 a> / ——— sul 1957 Wash, Post and £-3 3 Times Herald Wash. News Wash, Star N. Y. Herald Tribune N. Y. Journal-__ American N.Y. Mirror N. Y. Daily News _____. N. Y. Times Daily Worker The Worker New Leader Date —n23 19ST