Dimes & Millions

Last week the Dies Committee on Un-American Activities which has constantly astounded itself, astounded even its critics by turning up some useful information about the U. S. Communist Party. Congressman Martin Dies and his investigators achieved this feat by aping G-Man Edgar Hoover and Treasury tax sleuths, going to bank records for telltale facts.

From the books of communist units and affiliates, and from two Party almoners (including Earl Browder's suave, little-known brother William), the committee adduced that $10,164,730.91 passed through 43 Party organization accounts between 1935 and mid-1939. Brother William as treasurer of the New York State Party took in $1,302,177.13, disbursed $1,296,997.80 in 1937-38. National headquarters in Manhattan, which gets a fraction of total revenues from local and State units, banked $258,316 in 1937; $191,732 in 1938, and $113,146 in the first half of 1939.

If Red-chasing Mr. Dies expected the huge over-all total to betray payments from Moscow, he was disappointed. Communist Party units and affiliates are continually making up each other's deficit, have many unsegregated personal and Party deposits. Evidence that the bulk of these Party funds came from dues and contributions in the U. S. was so convincing that the committee lost interest. Yet the Party did not care to have its members know just how much it grosses. In discussing this committee hearing, its Daily Worker in Manhattan printed none of the totals, continued to beg readers to turn in "a dime a day for 100 days" to meet one of the Party's perennial emergencies.

Two financial "angels" were identified by bug-eyed, mustachioed Alexander Trachtenberg, a naturalized Russian who manages Communist publishing and propaganda outfits in Manhattan. One was Miss Anna Rochester, a worker for the Labor Research Association in Manhattan, whom Witness Trachtenberg respectfully described as "a very wealthy woman." The other was a retired New Jersey manufacturer (of compressed oxygen), named Abraham A. Heller, who got into the news 20 years ago as "the millionaire Bolshevist," still contributes liberally to Communist ventures. "He is a very wealthy man," said admiring Mr. Trachtenberg. "And a member of the Communist Party?" ejaculated scornful Mr. Dies.

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