Hart Denies ‘front’ Link; Charges of Dies Laxity on Fascists to Be Pressed

The controversy over charges that the Dies Committee had failed adequately to investigate Fascist organizations continued today with these developments:

(1) Merwin K. Hart, chairman of the New York State Economic Council, denied before an executive session of the House committee that he had any connections with the Christian Front, as charged by Rep. Frank E. Hook (Dem. Mich.).

(2) Gardner Jackson, attorney for Labor’s Non-Partisan League, who had provided Rep. Hook with a purported letter alleging Committee Chairman Martin Dies had connections with William Dudley Pelley and the Christian Front, charged that his testimony before the committee yesterday had been distorted and voiced his intention of pressing accusations that there had been “no real investigation of Fascist organizations.”

(3) Rep. Hook, whose charges against the Dies Committee precipitated the fight, this afternoon announced abruptly that he would withdraw his charges from the Congressional Record “at the proper time.”

These developments came after the committee announced that the purported letter signed by Pelley’s and speaking favorably of Dies was an admitted forgery concocted by David Mayne, Pelley’s Washington associate, and sold to Jackson, who then turned it over to Rep. Hook.

Committee aides said the veil of secrecy over the examination of witnesses in connection with the charges would be lifted tomorrow when the full transcript of the executive sessions would be made public.

Hart’s testimony before the committee was not made public, but committee members said he had made a blanket denial of alleged connections with the Christian Front. Hook had accused him of being a “fellow traveler” of the Front.

Jackson, in his statement, said he had admitted an intention of discrediting the Dies Committee “by every fair means” and that Acting Chairman Joe Starnes (Dem., Ala.) had agreed he was well within his rights in doing so.

“Neither he nor any other member of the committee had a word to say in defense of the charges I made of Congressman Dies’ participation in affairs organized, sponsored and encouraged by the Christian Front,” Jackson said. “No member of the committee, as the record will show, had any defense to the charge that there had been no real investigation of the Silver Shirts or any other Fascist organization.”

Declaring that he sought evidence of Dies’ sympathy with Pelley and the Front only because he was convinced that the Texan’s committee had engaged in a “palpable whitewash” of Fascist groups, Jackson indicated he may charge that the affair is a “frame up” on the part of the committee.

“There is evidence now being developed which may well prove that Mr. Maynes and certain of the committee staff were not unaware of Maynes activity with Mr. (Harold) Weisberg,” he said. Weisberg carried on negotiations with Maynes for the purchase of the alleged Pelley letters. Jackson also declared that he was not entirely convinced that the letters were not forgeries.

In making the announcement that the transcript of the executive sessions would be made public, a committee spokesman declared that the evidence would show that Dies had been a victim of a widespread “conspiracy” to discredit him and the committee and to prevent its continuation.