"Call on Me"

Pennsylvania's 67-year-old Senator Edward Martin was wounded, gassed and decorated (D.S.C.) in World War I and wound up his military career a major general of Pennsylvania's 28th Division of the National Guard. He also acquired a soldierly bluntness, and last week he had an opportunity to use it.

In Washington for a two-day "encampment" were some 450 Communist veterans of World War II. Reinforced by such articulate nonveterans as Singer Paul Robeson and Party Secretary Eugene Dennis, the Red vets denounced Greek-Turkish aid and demanded a federal works program. They also started a program of calling on home-state Congressmen. Most Congressmen refused to see them. But not Martin. In his office he listened to the spokesman for Pennsylvania delegates and then exploded:

"I respect the veteran and all that his uniform stands for. But when you come here representing the Communist Party you have no right to claim the respect and treatment due to veterans. No one can be faithful to American ideals and accept the teachings of Communism.

"Is there any doubt what would happen if men like you convened in Moscow, in Russian uniform, to criticize the Soviet Government? . . . The lucky ones among you would be those who faced a firing squad and died quickly. The others of you would go in chains to the slave camps to toil and starve till you died the slow,, hard way.

"That is Soviet Communism in action. Yet, you have the colossal effrontery to tell the American Congress how you want things run. There is a place for those of you who prefer to live under Communism. I suggest that you go there and stay there. If I can help to speed your departure, call on me."

The Pennsylvania Communists went away, quietly.

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