◆ SpookStack

ADDENDA Concerning one of the Communist meetings cited hereinbefore, Colin Sell declared in FRIENDS JOURNAL, January 9$rh, that it represented "the cesire of a specially intercsted group to delve more intensely into a par- ticular problem One of the ministers to whom an invitation to attend this mecting was sent is not a member of any "specially interested group". He is not lacking in understanding of the Communists. This man received his in- vitation to the small mecting, at which only the Communist speaker was pre- seated, through the mails -~ indicating that invitations were not confined toa small, interested group. FRIENDS JOURNAL, January Sgh, contained a letter of protest from Howard E, Kershner against the practice of the Service Commitice in employing Russian Communist speakers for mectings arranged in the New York area. In his reply inthe same issue of FRIENDS JOURNAL, Colin W. Bell, Executive Seererar: Secretary of APSC, acknowledged that Communist speakers had been employed and, more surprisingly stated: “It is to be expected that occasionally in the future, Russians may be included in AFSC programs when such a course is con- sidercd helpful," Many Friends will be surprised and grieved to learn of the frank intentions of the Service Committee, as expressed by its Executive Secretary, to continue using Russian Communist speakers to propogate communism in our country. The question arises: "Do Friends approve of their much~beloved re- lief organization becoming an agency for the promotion of communism?" It is our belief that few Friends will approve such action, A former Friend, who spoke at a number of the Service Committee Institutes about 12 years ago writes: “Ihad the feeling that Iwas thrown among ‘the intellectual, moral and social slums of communism and socialism and that I would like to take a bath, get into clcan clothes, and get back into the world of decent, intelligent people who accomplish worthwhile purposes," The same witer continued: : “One 6 the speakers at a Service Committee meeting arranged in Whittier, California testifies that a young woman stood up ana said, "We Communists have a spiritual affiliation with Quakers!" Communists usually disguise themsclvcs but in at least two American Friends Service Committce meetings at which I spoke, the Communists came out in the open. At one meeting in Whittier, Iwas the only speaker among six who was not a communist or a socialist, Icame back East decply disturbed and went to Phila- delphia to get the facts and make a protest. In the Service Committee office, Iwas given the brushoff and the things I re- . ‘ ported were received with no sympathy atall, At the same time, Alger Hiss was being used as a Service Committce speakers."