Lily White Reds!

Chronicle (Levin), 24 March 1949, Page 5

Lily White Reds!

: * ti Reecived Wednesday, 5.15 p.m. j NEW YORK, March 22. The defence couneei, narry Saciier, Said at the triai of the eieveh Uommanisc leaders today that tlie prosecittiOn had raiged the iSsue of iVLarxlSm aird Leninism as a "bogeyman." Uefendants are charged with cbnspiring to teach and advocate tne vioient overchroW of the United States U-Ov-ernment. Mr. Sacher said the ddfendants, wliO arfe meinbers of thd Oommitmso party National Board, haa dbiie aothing more than exercise their consti-' tiitiOiial rights of ifeedoni of Speech, press and assembly. He said the liimcmlencs against defendattts chargeti oniy that they "talke'd, pitbiished uooks" and held meetings," thus exercisiffg the rights guaranteed by" the urst constiiutional amenclment. Mr. Sacher said the chief aim of ths pl'atform adopted by defendants lii reconsfcituting the Oommuriist Barty in 19-15 had been infltieiiciiig the American people to oppose war. Mr. A. J. Isserman, another deien'ce counsel, said there was not a line in the Oommunist Party's 1945 conventioxi resolations about force or violence. ne ciaimed that aeiendants were indicted because they beiieved in new ideas- in politics. The charge that they sought to overthrdw the Government by force was "unthmkable, untrue, had never happenod anct could not have happened." He con-

tended that the trial issue was not the right cf defendants to teach Marxisfc and Leninist principles. ,Lt was the right of the American people to hear them.