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AMERICAN. CIVIL. LIBE ROGER N. BALDWIN ERNI Chma., Net'l Comm. MORRIS L. ERNST ~ Counsel . PATRICK MURPHY MALI! Executive Director: Aten Belton Eons Goltignss2 STATE DEP/RTMENT BAN ON “CONTROVERSIAL” WRITERS SCORED BY ACLU | py -. ACU has asked Secretary of State John Foster Dilles to réconsider his Te j directive calling for removal of books by “controversial" writers from overseas‘ libraries of the U.S. Information Service. The directive which ACLU protested issued after Senator Joseph R, McCarthy began his current inquiry of the Voice America program, cre ne ny Ll: In a letter to Dulles, ACLU said that the order not only is "contrary tothe: ‘spirit of civil liberties" but "on the practical level unwise as a measure to.combat Communist propaganda, . oe . eo Tae: "In our judgment, U.S. government sponsorship or approval of vublicati library use abroad should be based solely on the nature and the value of the books themselves and not upon those who wrote them", the letter said.’ It was signed b; Patrick Murphy Malin, ACLU's executive director, and Elmer Rice, chairman of the" Union's National Council on Freedom from Censorship. - i E "Furthermore", the letter continued, "may we urge that you review the direé tive noted above with a view to its revision, because it forecloses use of possibl helpful material to counter Sovict propaganda. In the propaganda field the U. Sy. ““~ government should be unfcttered as possible so that all necessary avenues of appr. to peoples abroad both in front of and behind the iron curtain countries may b< utilized, Anti-Soviet propaganda, which can be delved out of the works of Am Communists or fellow travelors may well be a useful tactic if properly utili: exposing the lies and deception of Communist propaganda," : . Senator McCarthy's subcommittce hearings "till now do not justify a categorig discrimination against use of certain publications mercly because of the political; or moral character of their authors", the two ACLU officials observed, A "We do not, of course, expect, nor would wo want, the U. S. government to’ sponsor ideas to which it is opposed or which by their very nature are inconsistent with, or in opposition to, the political and moral principles on which our country. . is based," their letter said. "Consistent with this position, we believe that'**! ye literature and other forms of art must be judged by their content end quite apart: . from the alloged political or other views of their authors ,!""- ‘ oe _ CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CLEARS FOUNDATT OWS OF SUBVERSIVE TAINT.,.- In cloaring the tax-free foundations of the taint of subversion, 2 Congré: sional Committce not only gave these organizations a clean bill of health but lauded; their accomplishments, ° et The gist of the report turned in by a special House committee investiga! r “he foundations is that while the Communists mado determined efforts to gain a- footer: “eld in these groups, they succeeded barcly at all. The committce was formed origid nally by the late Rep. BE. E. Cox of Goorgia. : é : "It has been established", said the report, "thet some’ foundation funds ‘Have’ sone to the support of the Communist line or to Proved Communists: or Communist, sym-@ pethizers, but where this occurreed it is our belicf that it occurred inadvertently: or through tho stealth and deccit of Communist 'infiltrees', | |. os Boyond this, however, the committee found that the foundations’ "dominant and: most significant function has been displeyed in supplying the risk or venture capital: expended in advancing the frontiers of knowledge: LG /- / J ag “.. “In entering these ficlds", the committee “found, "thoy, ¢ism and therefore assune the calculated risks es justifica that may evolve for mankind...", , . — | ire ee 1, A Aes uraniwpenty SERVICE. FuRTH