Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/71

Rh persons had intelligence enough to decide what they wanted to read and so the secret police came and smashed poor Melvins fonr-color press and end up by hanging Melvin to the tree.

Now, there is a messaye down at the bottom and it ends np by say- ing, "So the next time some joker gets up at a PTA meeting, or starts jabbering about 'the naughty comic books' at your local candy store, eiye him the once-over. We ure not saying he isa Communist! He may be imnocent of the whole thing! He may be a dupe! He may nol even read the 'Daily Worker'! It is just that he's swallowed the Red baithook, line, and sinker!"

So at the other extreme same peopse would make out anyone who aised any question whatsoever about the comics was also giving out Red-inspired propaganda,

Senator. Insofar as you have been able to determine and evaluate this whole enterprise, or indnstry, the proht motive is the factor, is 1 not?

Mr. . Yes, sir; that is my own opmion.

Senator. You do not suggest that there is any conspira- tovial attempt te corrupt the minds of young people nor to influence their behavior or their conduct, ner to warp, or otherwise do some- thing detrimental io their lives, futures; it is the business of making inoney oul of this?

Mr. . That is right. I hope I made it perfectly clear that our investigation revealed no planned effort.

Senator. I think you did, and I wanted to emphasize in addition to your having made it clear, Mr. Clendenen, that it ts the business of making: money and they do not seem to care what they do or what they purvey or what they dish out te these youngsters as long as it sells and brings in the money.

This seems to be an effort, this "Are you a Red dupe?" business, to forestall or bring such pressure to bear as can be against any attempt to even look into or to examine this to see what it may be doing.

Mr. . I would interpret it as such.

Senator. By throwing the suggestion out that anybody who questions whether or not these things are beneficial must be Communist because of our friend who had the press smashed over in Soviet Russia?

Mr. . Right.

Mr. . Where did you get this that has not as yet come out?

Mr. . This was provided to us by a publisher, Mr. Willian Gaines.

Senator. While you were investigating him

Mr. . Yes, sir.

Mr. . Was that supposed to stop you from investigating when he showed you this?

Mr. . No; I think not. He thought we would be interested in the item and he gave it to us.

Mr. . It is about to be published by him?

Mr. . The information that we had was that this would appear in a future issue of this publication.

The. But it has not been published yet?

Mr. . We have not seen it on the newsstand, Senator,

The. Senator Kefauver?