U.S. Communist Leaders On Trial

Chronicle (Levin), 23 March 1949, Page 5

U.S. Communist Leaders On Trial

Received Tuesday, 7 p.ra. NEW YORK, March 21. The United States Attomey (Mr. John McGohey) claimed today in the Eederal Court that the eleven United States Coninumist leaders set the Russian revolution of Octoher, 1917, as their model. The leaders are charged with conspiring in 1945 to dissolve the Communist Political Association and set up the present Communist Party of the United States to teach and advocate the violent overthrow of the Government. Mr. McGohey was outlining ihe Government, ea.se to the jurv. He said the Government would show t|iat defendants conspired lo teach and advocate that their purposes could be accom plished onlv by tlie violent and forcefu! sei/.ure of power bv the proletariat under the Ieadership of the Communist Partv. He said the Conununist L'arty as reorganised "teaches students who are being trained as proi'essional rcvolutionaries that Marxism is the guide to action. The Russian Revoiution is studied in ue.tail as the blueprint foi revolution in every other country. At the proper timo oi' nalional crisis, unrest and disorder brought about by a severe depressiou or wir, party members will be in positions of influene-e in key trades and in basic industries When the n utuwai boanl of Coinmun ists decides that a revolutionary situa tion is at hand the party will lead the proletariat in a violent revolution." Eugene Dennis, general seeretary of the Communist Party, made the open ing statement for the defeuee. Dennis dismissed his counsel last week and aunounced that he would act as his own counsel. He said: "The defence will expose the sinister political purposes behind this heresv trial. Not oue para graph in the indicurent charges that the U.K. Comminiist leaders at any time coiuinitted a s'ngle overt act against the United St.ates Govern ment. ' ' * Hennis claimed that the Communists had tauglit the "duty of uphokling the United States Government in lighting the Axis, " had supported President Roosevelt and had backed the Uintecl Nations. Ile said the defence would show that 15,000 Communists fought for the United States in wartime. Hennis said the only thing the Com nmnists were guilty of was exercising their rights under the Constitution of freedom of speecli, press and association. "We Communists are second to none in our devotion to our country and our people. We keep and advocate a programme of peace, equalitv, eco nomic security and social progress. " Defence counsel George Crockett denied that the Communist Party advocated the overthrow of the Government either by forceful means or peaceful nieans. He claimed that the alleged illegal acts in the indictments were matters of public record for more than fhree years and during that time no (iovernmental ageiicy ever complained about them.