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The Need for an Un-American Activities Committee in Congress, 1953
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The Need for an Un-American Activities Committee in Congress, 1953
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The original documents are located in Box D14, folder "The Need for an Un-American
Activities Committee in Congress, 1953" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary
and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D14 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
1953
THE NEED FOR AN UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE IN CONGRESS
One of the most controversial subjects in Congress is the Un-American
Activities Committee. I am pleased to have this opportunity of giving you my views
on why we need such a committee in the Legislative Branch of our government.
As a member of the House of Representatives, my remarks will deal for the
most part with the activities and organization of the Committee on Un-American
Activities on the House side. The arguments I propose, however, do apply, to my
way of thinking, to the comparable organizational committee on the Senate side
called the Internal Security Sub-committee of the Judiciary Committee. The Senate
Committee is headed by Senator William E. Jenner of Indiana. On the House side
the Chairman of the Un-American Activit es Committee is Congressman Harold Velde
of Illinois. These two committees are specifically designated by Congress with
the responsibility of ferreting out any Un-American and subversive group in the
United States.
I am sure many of you are now inquiring, "What about Senator Joe McCarthy?"
Senator McCarthy is the Chairman of the Committee on Government operations and
Chairman of the Sub-committee entitled, Senate Sub-committee on Investigations. The
distinction here seems to be that Senator McCarthy's activities are restricted to
the functions of the Executive Branch of our government.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
-2-
This, then, is the general outline of the legislative committees' dealing
with Un-American activities. The question is asked, "Do we have any need for a
committee or committees in Congress to investigate and expose subversive activities
by persons in the U.S.?" Without hesitation I answer the question in the affir-
mative. Here are the reasons for my answer and they shall be restricted to the
functions of the House Committee on Un-American Activities with which I am familiar
as a member of the House of Representatiges.
The powers and duties of the committee are specifically outlined in
Public Law 601, 79th Congress, passed in 1946. I quote:
"The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommittee,
is authorized to make from time to time investigations of (10 the extent, character,
and objects of Un-American propaganda activities in the United States. (2) the
diffusion within the United States of subversive and Un-American propaganda that
is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks the prin-
ciple of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution, and (3) all
other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in any necessary re-
medial legislation."
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
You may ask, and rightly so, why is there a need for the committee as
long as we have the FBI? I have asked this question of the present chairman of
-3-
the House Committee, Mr. Velde. As a former FBI agent, Mr. Velde is in a good
position to give us an answer. He states that the FBI is a fact-finding organi-
sation. For the most part the investigations of the FBI are never made public.
The only exception is in the case of prosecution by the Justice Department. In
other words, from the important standpoint of keeping the American people informed
of the dangers of Communist and subversive activities, the only forum available
is the Committee on Un-American activities. Certainly no one will argue with the
proposition that safeguarding our rights and liberties depends to the greatest
extent on a well-informed citizenry.
The history of the House Committee is interesting and affords the best
evidence for the need of such an organization. I am sure you all recall the hectic
decade in our history from 1930 to 1940. It was during this period that the Congress
began to take notice of activities by persons completely foreign to our republican
form of government. The great depression afforded 6ommunism and Fascism fertile
fields for growth. Although there were some special committees which dealt with
specific problems before 1938, this was the year in which Congressman Martin Dies
activities
of Texas was named Chairman of the first Un-American/Committee.
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
The Dies Committee as it has been referred to, was active as a temporary
committee from 1938 through 1944. In the 79th Congress, 1945, action was taken
+
giving the committee permanent standing. It has remained a permanent committee
until the present time.
The fundamental or basic question involved in this problem is whether our
country could afford to be without a Committee on Un-American Activities. Both
from the standpoint of past history and present activities of various persons and
groups I cannot see how this would be possible. It is an undeniable fact that
Communists teach and advocate the overthrow and destruction of the United States.
The problem is a complex one. Legislation is difficult to formulate to solve
all our problems, without endangering many of our constitutional freedoms. Indeed,
the question is asked, "What legislation has resulted from hearings by the committee?"
Frankly, very little legislation has resulted with the possible exception of the
passage of the Internal Security Act of 1950.
Can we say that the singular test of the need for a Committee on Un-
American activities is the amount of legislation which results from their activities?
I think not. If I were asked to enumerate the primary tasks of a legislative body
they would be as follows:
1. Law-making
2. Fact finding
3. Supervising all three branches of the government
4. Keeping the citizens informed.
GERALO FORD LIBRARY
-5-
As a practical matter most of our congressional committees hear and eva-
luate a great many subjects that never result in any positive legislation. This
does not mean that the committees are not doing a competent job but rather that
the facts deduced do not warrant legislative action.
A hurried glance at the record of the 1st session of the 83rd Congress
will help us understand this important principle. The facts show that a total of
10,695 measures were introduced in the House and Senate. Out of this total only
505 of the measures became law. A total of 835 reports have been filed in the
Senate and 1,094 filed in the House. In many cases these reports merely stated the
evidence as presented. The fact that legislation did not result from many of
the hearings does not in the least mitigate against the importance of the committee
hearings. No wise and intelligent legislation can ever result unless the members
of Congress are adequately informed of all the facts on a given situation.
In defense of the committee and my position that we need such a forum, it
strikes me that the ultimate good far outweighs the evil. In this respect I
should like to quote the opinion rendered by Professor Robert D. Carr in his book
entitled, "The House Committee on Un-American Activities," published by Cornell
University Press, Ithaca, New York in 1952:
GERALD FORD FIBRARY
-6-
"Among the committee's achievements attention must first be called to
the undeniable contribution it has made to the American people's understanding
of the charac er and purpose of international Communism. As one rereads today
the record of the Browder-Foster hearings in 1945, the Budenz testimony of 1946 and
later years, and the committee reports on the Communist Party published in 1947
and 1948, it must be acknowledged that the committee was shedding light upon the
revolutionary aims of international communism at a time when many Americans were
inclined to believe that the Communists were content to confine their experiment
to the Soviet Union and that Communism and democracy could live together peacefully
in the same world.--"
"Secondly, the committee has helped to educate the American people con-
cerning the purposes and methods of our own domestic Communist movement. Through
the years the committee hearings and reports have regealed much factual information
concerning the tactics used by Communists in establishing cells in the government
service, in obtaining important business posts such as in the motion picture in-
dustry, in infiltrating and controlling labor unions, in establishing Communist
front organizations, or in capturing other organizations originally non-Communist
in character.--"
FORD & LIBRARI GERAL
-7-
"Thirdly, the committee has undoubtedly played a part in the exposure of
the espionage activities of Communist agents in the United States. It is seemingly
true that neither Alger Hiss nor William Remington would ever have been prosecuted
had it not been for the investigations of the committee, although it should be
noted that in each instance the prosecution was for perjury rather than espionage;"
In conclusion we must all remember that our republican form of government
is the greatest safeguard against any abuse of power by the Committee on Un-American
Activities. The responsibility of all citizens to censtantly evaluate and scru-
tinize their government officials is a serious obligation. If we all perform our
duties in this regard, I am sure we will have no need to fear a Committee on
Un-American Activities.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD