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Mystery. How did it happen that the belligerent Dies Committee that ranted, raved, hurled such wild charges, spread so much alarm, could produce such a measured document? New Dealers last week had a ready answer: It was because the New Dealers on the Dies Committee took the report away from die-hard Martin Dies.
Under extremely inadequate cover, fighting has gone on in the Dies Committee for a long time; at many a hearing observers were more struck by threshings and heavings under the blankets than by the testimony. Opposed to Chairman Dies were California's Voorhis, New Mexico's Dempsey, Massachusetts Casey. Basically the fight was theoretical—to Martin Dies U. S. liberals were akin to Communists and Fascists in so far as they believed in Marxism and tried to create a "bureaucratic capitalism" that would be for the U. S. what Communism is in Russia, Fascism is in Italy.
To Dies, all who tried to undermine confidence in the existing social system, promoted the idea that it is a governmental duty to support the people, advocated regimentation of industry, agriculture, labor, were equally subjects of inquiry along with Communists. Nobody confused this argument quite so badly as excitable, suspicious Martin Dies. To New Dealers this was just part of a "smear Roosevelt" campaign, dangerous in campaigns like the one in Michigan, where the Dies inquiry into sit-down strikes helped defeat Governor Murphy for reelection.
Last week Chairman Dies, ill in Orange, Texas, turned in an initial report that one New Dealer called as vicious a document as he had ever seen. Hurriedly New Dealers Voorhis, et al. rushed into action, supplanted their own toned-down version.
Story was that, unless Chairman Dies agreed, a minority report would be issued that would make more difficult another appropriation from Congress to continue the Committee's work. Chairman Dies's secretary signed for him. Popular was the final version; general was the belief that the money would be forthcoming. But it was no triumph for Chairman Dies* (although Father Coughlin's Social Justice mentioned him for President), no triumph for Mr. Voorhis. If Chairman Dies could write no such report, neither could idealistic Mr. Voorhis battle through such an investigation. Triumph was for democratic government that synthesized opposing contributions, and looked particularly bright on the anniversary of the Palmer Raids.