United States Reds Want Assurance

Chronicle (Levin), 19 October 1949, Page 5

United States Reds Want Assurance

Received Tupari av. 7 p.rtl. NFW YORK. Oct. 1 7. A group, including the singer Paul Robeson, anttonneed today a programme '/l of aid to the. 11 Communist Partv lead- . ers who liavp been convicted of plotting against the TJnitecl States Governmeut. r, The urogramme includes a protest to the TTnited Nations Commission on human rights, and an attempt to get an assurance from the Federal AttorneyGeneral. Mr. «T. Howard McGrath, that no political party will be driven undertground. T-he group ^."knowu aStho national nrm-partisnn c^mmittee td defend the riehts of the 12 Communist leaders. William Foster, indicated with the others but not yet tried, is the .twelfth party leader. The Snpreme Court today refused toreview the eontempt fmding issued by . .Tudge TTarold Medina against three Communists dnring their trial in New York. Since their conviction for eontempt the three men have been convicted with their eight co-defendants, of advocating the violent overthrow of the TTnited States Government. They are Gus Hall, Ohio State Communist Party ehairman; ITenry Winston, organisational seeretarv; Gilbert Green, Tllinois State chairman_ .Tudge Medina ordered them imprisoned last summer for the duration of the trial. The Supreme Court today voted seven to one against hearing appeals. The Court gave no reasons for the decision. The men argued in their appeal to the Supreme Court. that -Tudge Medina 's action was designed to ' ' pressure petitioners, on pain of continued imprisonment, to hurry their defence to a close. " Veterans of foreign wars bestowed today the citizensliip award, its highest honour, on .Tudge Medina for his conduct on the Oommunist conspiracy trial in New York. The organisation said .Tudge Medina "leaned over backwards in allowing the democratic process of trial by jurv to function. "