"I have no information that Schlesinger is a Communist but if he were he would ridicule religion and advise that Communists be allowed to teach in our schools just as he has," Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis.) told the voters of the nation in a radio broadcast last night.
Speaking from his home town of Appleton, Wisconsin, McCarthy went on to point out "Communists don't wear their Party membership in their sleeves. They work secretly . . . . ."
Following McCarthy's speech Arthur. M. Schlesinger, Jr. '33, associate professor of History, issued the following statement: "Senator McCarthy served up some warmed over lies to his friends in Wisconsin tonight. I have, of course, never ridiculed religion. Indeed, my first book was a selection of the Catholic Book Club. Evidently Senator McCarthy thinks that the Catholic Book Club is a communist front organization.
"Fought Them at Harvard"
"As for Communism and fellow travelers in universities, I fought them at Harvard and elsewhere long before McCarthy did. I would call McCarthy's attention to my article The U.S. Communist Party' in Life Magazine on July 29, 1946. In this article I exposed and indicted the Communist conspiracy in America at a time when McCarthy was accepting Communist help in his effort to defeat that great anti-Communist Bob FaFullette in Wisconsin.
"McCarthy is no more a genuine anti-Communist than the Communists themselves were genuine anti-Fascists."
"In his half hour speech McCarthy repeated his charges, made last week against Schlesinger, Bernard DeVoto '18, and James Wechsler, Editor of the New York Post, Governor Stevenson's three top aides, according to McCarthy.
The junior Senator from Wisconsin, who seeks re-election today, did not dwell on Stevenson. He concentrated mainly on Schlesinger and DeVoto, author and former lecturer at Harvard.
McCarthy repeated his accusation that DeVoto wrote a magazine article in which he urged that "no one give the FBI information on Communists in government."
"I Ask the American People . . ."
The Senator said: "I ask the American people, especially good, loyal Democrats, when you go to the polls remember Stevenson said, 'Judge me by the advisers whom I select' and then selected a too adviser who says, 'If you know about communism, if you know about treason, don't tell the FBI.'
"What will DeVoto's job be if a calamity were to occur tomorrow and Stevenson elected . . . perhaps he will be head of the FBI."
McCarthy concluded by telling the voters of the nation it would be up to them today "either to get rid of Communists and fellow travelers or vote more of them into positions of power."
Schlesinger, in commenting further on McCarthy, declared "The use of McCarthy clearly shows who will control the government if the Republicans win. Eisenhower will be indebted to McCarthy and have to repay him for this support."
DeVoto could not be reached for any comment last night.
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