Transcripts For CSPAN3 Operation Correction 20151101

The documented events occurred in San Francisco resulted in student protester arrests and the use of fire hoses. Next, on American History tvs america, a film from 1960 one the challenges the authenticity of the document tree by replacing much of the original films narration with aclu commentary and criticism. He argues that the committee distorted the sequence of events through deceptive editing and ine numerous factual errors the telling of the story. Executive director of the aclu of Northern California. On behalf of that organization, we are going to show you a film you may have already seen. It was called, operation abolition. The film is spliced together from Television Newsreel footage subpoenaed by the House Committee of unamerican activities followed by a visit to San Francisco in may 1960. The final film, produced and sold by washington, d. C. Film company, has been made part of the official record of the committee. This is the committees report. On the date of october 7, 1960, mmunist ledhe co riots against the House Committee of unamerican mayvities in San Francisco, 1214, 1960. The aclu, a large number of eyewitnesses including ministers, educators, attorneys, newspapermen, and broadcasters, disagree with that title. Communistled riots. There were demonstrations against the committee. Some newspaper editorials against the committees tactics. In fact, there was widespread against the committee for many shades in america. No doubt, some communist, both domestic and foreign against the committee. We will prove with their own film that the person to demonstrate against the committee are not thereby communists or communist dupes. If you are to be called a communist every time you stand up for american rights and freedoms, what is likely to happen . Will you be silent . Is this what the House Committee on unamerican activities is really after, a silent submissive on protesting america . Ounp rotesting america . In a moment, youll see the film operation abolition with a corrected description of the events. Is this film. Operate marked as well. Lies not in the pictures, but in the words spoken by the operation abolition narrator. Some of the effect has been achieved by skillful editing and omission of certain newsreel sequences. We are going to play fair. The american way. You answer lies and propaganda with more propaganda. Thehink that if we show you original film with the same sequences in the same positions to tell you in straight, simple facts, on which day each sequence was made, you will see for yourself some of the things that occurred in San Francisco. In brief, what occurred was this a threeday Committee Meeting of the House Committee in sanmerican activities francisco, thursday, friday, saturday, may 1214, 1960. Students protested on all three days. On friday afternoon, the second day, police turned fire hoses on the demonstrators. Thee are the simple facts. Committee would have you believe that everything that occurred was calculated to lead up to that friday afternoon disturbance and tried to prove it by rearranging the scenes to fit the false assertion. One of the dozens of examples of telling you one thing and showing another is this statement in the film by chairman walter. Chairman walter the scenes you will be viewing were taken by photographers in San Francisco california on may 12, 13, and 14 1960. During the next few minutes, you will see revealed the long time classic communist tactic in which a relatively few welltrained hardcore communist agents are able to incite and sympathizersnist to perform the dirty work of the communist party. That, as you will see, is a totally unsupported propaganda statement, which is why the aclu of Northern California has, in the interests of setting the record straight, called its version of the film, operation correction. These films were made outside the San Francisco city hall on thursday, the day before the police hosing. The students are exercising the american right to picket peacefully, guaranteed and recognized by the San Francisco police department. This group engaged in peaceful and orderly picketing from thursday through saturday without incident. Members of the students for Civil Liberties of the university of california joined by students from San Francisco State College and other schools are present. None of the organizers of this known or alleged copyist. The narration states that the students were, activated i trained agitators and propagandist months before the scheduled hearings. A neat trick, considering the hearings were announced 16ceeding days in advance days in advance. Congressman lewis gives in his expedition of why they are being held. Respect to the general operation of the communist conspiracy and where it may lead, it is a mandate that has been on the books for over 20 years. They receive appropriations generalar to maintain surveillance of communist operations with the view of amending, improving, and correcting laws having to do with our internal security. The internal security act of 1950, the smith act, and so on. This allows general studies of the machinations of the communist party. And Committee Hearings have been announced as public meaning anye citizen might go and see what the representatives were doing. One group of students was at this moment inside city hall, waiting to get into the hearing. In order to show you how the committee has falsified the facts by stringing scenes together without regard to the true sequence of events, from time to time, we are going to supply subtitles to indicate when the scenes were actually taken. For now, let us listen to the narration. They had an active part in the San Francisco Abolition Campaign and the protest demonstration. Harry bridges, who you see here being escorted out of city hall by Police Officials moments before the writing broke out. The truth is that bridges was having lunch when the disturbance occurred and did not arrive at city hall until the whole thing was over and order had been restored. J edgar hoover has reported the correct time of bridges arrival. Commerce and walter finally that the commentary is in error, and that bridges was escorted before the writing broke out rioting broke out. Order had been restored when the scene was filled, because this took place the day after the fire hosing. This is archie brown described inplaying a major role inciting the demonstrations. He is doing no inciting here, because one of these scenes took place on friday, and one on saturday, both after the firehose incident. The committee would have you think the students are guilty of associating with him because they were also at city hall. In the present sequence, he is exercising his legal rights in disturbing leaflets. , describedle brodsky as participating in the chanting and singing demonstrations outside the hearing room. He was acting completely on his own. When he tried to get cooperation from the students, he got a flat turned down. The committee falsely claims this man claimed an important part in the student demonstration. Walkner is, douglas was forced to attend as a subpoenaed witness. Just finishing his testimony, but this shot shows him in the hallway with the students waiting admission to the hearings. Remember, the hearings were supposed to be public. A lot of people came to attend as spectators. They queued outside the hearing room waiting to be admitted. They assumed admission would be on a firstcome firstserved basis. The committee was not playing it that way. People bearing passes from the committee to carefully selected groups were admitted by a side door, and the overwhelming majority of the seats were occupied by these past carrying friends passccarrying friends from the committee. 75 general public members attended on the first day. Issued 100te passes. Thatt he does not admit is the passes said good for three, four, five. Ustrationted fr within the students who had waited so long. Here is archie brown. The film casts him in the role of villain, and he gives a good performance. He is reaching for newspaper headlines, like the committee. Is beingequence, he evicted from the hearings on thursday morning. Effect, this has been falsely coupled with these shots of the eviction of a student on friday morning. Also, Merle Brodsky on friday. A glaring example of how the is shownsposes scenes in the reappearance of douglas shownr previously leaving the witness stand. Now he is just appearing and testifying. Remember, he was forced to be present, he was subpoenaed. Unlike archie brown, he did not behave badly, was not tossed out of the hearings. Why does the film spend so much time with him . It is because he is an alleged communist, and a college student. One alleged communist student ,nd then many other students the committee would have you lump them all together and believe all the students were communists. This is known as guilt by association. This is the committees favorite weapon in smearing all kinds of people. Lets listen now to the mildmannered douglas walkner testifying. Through public exposure and condemnation. Your refusing to answer on the basis of the First Amendment . I have rejected the question. It punishes individuals and groups for their political ideas and associations through public condemenation. Ombinatio i have an obligation as a citizen of this country to refer to the constitution. I do not allow this committee to inquire into my beliefs are associations. He is been ordered and directed to answer the question whether he is a communist party member. Here is his response. I am trying tdecline to answer that question and refuse on the principle that i cannot bear witness against myself. These crowd shots were designed to link him to the demonstration students. At noon on thursday, a mass rally was conducted at union square, about a mile away from city hall. A minister and to california as a layman addressed the rally and announced the House Committee of has committee as a threat to Civil Liberties. After the rally, the students marched back to the city hall and began to picket outside of the building. Under the direction of monitors wearing armbands. They carried signs, critical of the committee. Here is Police Inspector dan shelley on duty outside of the door of the hearing room on thursday morning, waiting back to students who are unable to gain admission. At the close of the thursday morning session, and while the committee was recessed, a group of subpoenaed witnesses engaged in a demonstration inside of the hearing room. Doorhanted open the this was followed by the singing of the starspangled banner, and there is of the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and then repeated chanting of open the door. The connection between the witnesses and the students protesting the committee is never made clear. The subpoenaed witnesses, the stars of the show, did not pick it with the students. The students were extremely careful to have nothing to do with the witnesses. Yet, this cutting back and forth these honest and accident on mistakes, to quote chairman walter again, what have you believe that there was a connection. The original film distorted the account of the demonstration in the hearing room entryways, first of all, its concealed the fact that most of this time the committee was not even in session. Second, it hid the immediate reasons for the demonstration. The fact was, some of the subpoenaed witnesses had presented a petition to the Committee Asking them to move to a larger room or else admit people on a firstcome, firstserved basis. The committee refused to consider the petition. Third, students were justifiably angry over the seating policy. The fact that almost all of the seats were filled by people carrying the Committee Cost white cards. Remember, this demonstration occurred at the close of the thursday morning session and mainly while the committee was recessed. The way the film is pieced together, you would think that it happened friday, just before the police postings. It just wasnt that way at all. Now, lets listen to the demonstration. [chanting] open the doors open the doors [chattering] open the doors and get out of town. Hese people here the kind of people you bring before this committee. What are you afraid of . [reciting the pledge] and the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. With the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave through to the night, that the flag was still there. That starspangled banner, yet wave. Land of the free, and the home of the brave. Bear in mind that the committee is not now in session. This demonstration, however noisy, is in no way interfering with the taking of testimony. Doors, open the door open the doors, what are you afraid of . This is americanism. This is americanism action. Finally, after the seventh subpoenaed witnesses were able to put on their disorderly act for the benefit of the tv cameramen and newspapers, they were removed from the hearing room by Police Officers. They could have been removed much sooner, since police were on duty throughout the hearings. That it serves the committees purpose to allow the demonstration to be prolonged. In fact, both the committee and the demonstrators were waiting for headlines. Bidding or headlines. German willis opens thursday afternoon hearing session with a request for order. [indiscernible] we will continue in the next two minutes, you will see a series of mixed up scenes. Because we cannot show you what really happens, we will have to tell you. We are getting out to the heart of this matter. The police posing which the ng. It the police hosi there were two Police Authorities on this particular black friday. There was no apparent liaison between them. On one side was the sheriff, on the other, the inspector of the city police. The sheriff seem to be working in one direction. The expectorant and another. Naturally, there was confusion. Friday morning, the sheriff approached the student saying, in effect, wait in the rotunda, and i will try to arrange for you to be admitted to the hearing rooms. Through no fault of his, the sheriff could not make the necessary arrangements in time for the afternoon session. In the meantime, the responsible Student Leadership made several attempts to cooperate with the police. They were rebuffed. They sensed the danger in a situation and made frantic efforts to contact the mayor or some other responsible city official. No one was available. At noon on friday, the students taught that their efforts were to be successful. That at last they were to be let in on a firstcome, firstserved basis. And again, they were treated to the spectacle of the passholders being admitted ahead of them. They felt cheated. They felt they had been betrayed. The sheriff had led them to expect that the afternoon sessions with the admissions on a more equitable basis. Ironically, the sheriff had done as he had promised. He had gotten the permission that he was after, and he was on his way back to city hall with that information when the hosing began. Under therant inspectors direction, a squad of policemen moved up the city hall stairs. The students quieted down. They expected the police to make some statement. Some request for them to leave the building. But nothing was said. The committees version keeps emphasizing that the students were warned. It is true that the police asked a few individual students to leave. But, there was never a general warning to the students. No hint was given of what was to come. Students, site of the the police began a quelling the fire hoses. The students try to demonstrate their nonviolent intentions by sitting down. Some witnesses heard a policeman shout something to this effect, so, you want some of this do you, will you are going to get it. Then the water was turned on. That is what really happens. But, heres the committees version of what happened. Thaten one officer warned fire hoses will have to be used as the crowd is not disperse, demonstrators become more and more unruly. One student provides the spark that touches off the violence as he reaches over a barricade, grabs a Police Officers nightstick and begins beating the officer over the head. The mod surges forward to storm the doors, a Police Inspector orders that the fire hoses be turned on. Hewell, you surely know that was acquitted in the San Francisco trial. If you saw life magazine of madeley third, 1960, you size photograph of the man standing perfectly dry over against a wall of the rotunda, looking on while the students were being host. Not even the committee will suggest that the communist trick so adroit, that a man could start a riot, be a police officer, fight fire hoses, and get away in a matter of seconds. It cannot be done, and was not done. Even the officer who supposedly was assaulted admitted at the trial that there was no barricade jumping by the man. Another curious fact despite all of the aryans, press, and television men on the spot, all of the footage that was taken no one has come forward with a single frame showing anyone jumping any barricades. Nor, as the committee would have it, quote, any mob surging forward to storm the doors. Do you see a thing of that kind here go . You can bet that if it had occurred, someone would have pictures of it. And you can bet that even longer odds, that is set such pictures existed, the committee would have publicize them far and wide. Look at these scenes of police rothstein students from city hall. Which group is using all out violence . Police . Ents or the and just suppose, for the sake of argument, that a student had leaped the barricade and assaulted an officer. That would certainly be grounds for his arrest. But would that, if it occurred, have justified the police and handling all of the students in this way . The fact is, no one leaped the barricade. No one assaulted an officer. Then why did the police use the hoses . Only the police know that, and they are not saying. There has been a widespread awareness, not only in San Francisco, but nationally, that the evidence points to brutality and violence on the part of the police, rather than on the part of the students. We ask you to draw your own conclusions. Remember, most of the scenes you saw just prior to the hosing, or actually taken the day before, on thursday. But the makers of operation abolition were not satisfied with the truth, it was not dramatic enough. It did not prove their point riot. Byommunistled combining the two demonstrations, the film editors were able to create a distorted, untrue, but persuasive effect. As we said before, representative walter has tried to defend himself by saying that the errors in the film are purely accidental. You know now, they were not accidental. When the Committee Subpoenaed the film from the photographers, all sequences were properly dated and labeled. There was no excuse for error. No excuse for mixing up the truth and the true sequences of events. Record that atof least seven students were injured. Operation abolition did not include the original newsreel film showing students lying unconscious on the floor of city hall or outside on the ground. Such scenes were carefully deleted by the committees producers. , see now what tender concern they have for the police. In the words of the original narrator. All students suffer minor injuries, eight policeman are injured to the point where they require hospitalization. Officers were fiercely hurt, two of them suffered heart attacks, and three are treated for deep cuts. , ageyou can see patrolmen 61, who suffered a stroke when he was knocked down by student agitators. This makes a good story from the committees point of view, but the truth, as shown by the official police report, is that the officer merely collapsed from exhaustion. Other Police Injuries were minor. Why shouldnt they be minor . No one was turning poses on the police. Or dragging them downstairs. Werell eight policeman back at fulltime duty within three days. The Committee Also falsely tied in the students with communism by declaring that just before the hosings, students enthusiastically join in on the refrains to the song abolish the committee, we shall not be moved. Lyrics are lifted from the old communist people songbook. Actually, we shall not be moved is an old religious spiritual, wellknown to people acquainted with folk music, which appears in hymnals and is presently the theme of sick and demonstrators in the south. These are the arrested students being booked. Later, charges against all but one, were dismissed. The man was acquitted by a jury after less than three hours of deliberation. Talk and the committees film about communist dupes, and communist only two of those arrested are even alleged to be communist. These two joined the group only after the hoses or turn on. So, even this flimsy pretext by the committee of communist provocation of police falls flat. Now, the film shows you some more socalled evidence of communist agitating california students into opposing the House Committee on unamerican activities. This includes clippings from the daily californian, and the San Francisco chronicle. The implication is that these news stories on events surrounding the hearings are a result of communist inspiration. Newspaper,age from a obviously, does not prove this claim. Nor do continuing scenes of pickets and crowds taken at various times during the hearing. Again, you will see actions of some of the witnesses under subpoena and the hearing room. In some way, these witnesses were directly responsible for the demonstrations a mile a way at union square. Also, the demonstrators outside of city hall, and also those trying to get into the hearing. Youcommittee narrator tells that it is a communist tactic for witnesses to defy its. If so, why does the Committee Subpoena the same witnesses again and again . Is it because they really think that the witnesses will suddenly break down and make some dramatic disclosure . Or is it because they can count on a stubborn, defiance witness making a good newspaper story . The committee doesnt like statements from unfairly witnesses. Its role say that any statement can be rejected as an attack on the committee. So, any witness who dares disagree, has no way of being heard, either verbally or in writing, without the committees indulgence. Here, we see archie brown attending to read just such a statement. At727 in sane francisco. Im a longshoreman. I want to state, mr. Chairman, i have something to tell i want to tell him]ing over family i direct you to answer that question. Archie that i am. George anderson. Chairman, i want to state that i direct you to answer the question here poenaed and myubpoenaed here family [talking over him] what is the outstanding principal question . As archie brown. Goodley continues his efforts to read a statement, chairman willis threatens him with expulsion from the hearing room. Under the rule of this committee, you may file that statement with our director at this time, if you wish to. Archie i wish to read the statement. I want to read the statement, mr. Chairman. Will not let me . I want to explain my predicament. You may file the statement. You may not read it. Archie i want to read my statement. Archie brown is forcibly removed for the third time. The committee needed and been surprised that this next witness, william mandel, turned out to be hostile. Their narratorescribes him as an identified agent of the communist party. But, what did they expect . They expected an outburst, because this is great publicity. It should be said that the testimony you hear was presented out of context. Do you think that im going to cooperate with this theretive of men who sit in violation of the United States constitution . If you think i will cooperate with you in any way, you are insane. [applause] his answer that he was a lecturer, was left out. Now, we hear only part of his answer to the next question. Whether he was a party member and lectured as such. This question has no purpose other than harassment. When i was asked this question last in 1943, by the late jim mccarthy let me say that im honored when people come up to me on the streets, perhaps i do not deserve his honor, and they say, you are the man who killed joe mccarthy, as i happened to appear on the first day of the book burning hearing, and i did my best to conduct myself in a manner that im conducting myself in today. If there were any such evidence against me under any law, the Proper Authority could move against me. This body is improperly constituted, and it is a kangaroo court, and it does not have my respect, it has my utmost contempt. And i am not going to answer that question. Next, you will see Frank Wilkinson being interviewed by a news man. He is described by congressman gordon as a top communist agents. He is accused of agitating among the student demonstrators. Of course, this accusation is totally unsupported and just as phony as the crowd noises that were dubbed into the film. No, i have just been an observer. I understood that you had said that you are organizing protests against the committee. Thats, one of the things are committee does and that i do for our committee, is to come to each community when the Committee Issues it subpoena, to assist the subpoenaed persons and others in the community who are not familiar with the kind of unconstitutional behavior that this committee carries on, to assist the community and to assist those subpoena needs and their own selfdefense. And the Committee Hearings today, you are called in International Communist agent, are you . That is a very flattering remark. Im frequently called a hardcore communist, local communist by mr. Aaron, but never an International Communist. As far as the basic question is concerned, until the Supreme Court has answered the fundamental constitutional question which is now pending in my case, which is one of the 36 cases of this committee until they have resolved this matter and declared these kinds of questions under compulsion, to be illegal and unconstitutional, i refuse to answer the questions away from the Committee Just as i refuse to answer them directly to the committee when i have been called. Now, you have seen the film known as operation abolition. But, accompanied by a narration of facts, rather than unfounded statements and deliberate distortions. I am sure you now see that what happened in San Francisco was not a communistlight riot or even a group of Young Americans being duped by communist once you recognize this truth, to questions that arise. Why were the students there . And why did the House Committee on unamerican activities make this film . First, the student demonstrations. Increasingly, students have become passionately involved in Civil Liberties issues. These are good, forthright american issues. Going back a long way to the declaration of independence. To the bill of rights. And coming right up to today, with our Serious National Concern for the civil rights of all americans. There is a difference between communist dupes and highminded young men and women, proud of their countrys traditions of freedom. So openly proud of that tradition, that they had the courage and conviction to protest the violations of those freedoms by the walter committee. The students protested by useful picketing. They sought admission to what had been announced as a public hearing and were denied. On flimsy, frustrating, and conflicting grounds. Yes, their reaction to this denial, singing and chanting inside of the public building, may rightfully be criticized but as the record shows, they maintained their selfimposed passive resistance and acted on the whole, with a restrained and courage not always matched by their elders. Now, the second question. Why did the House Committee on unamerican activities twist and distort this whole episode . Why did they play scenes out of sequence . Why did they leave out certain scenes . Why did they make narration statements that were totally unsupported, either by the pictures or by the facts . Why did they give special prominence to the misbehavior inside of the hearing room of a few communists and alleged communists who had been subpoenaed . We believe that the original film and narration were carefully and deliberately designed to create the impression that all who oppose the committee are either communist, or communist dupes. In this matter, the Committee Seeks to discourage further protests against it. Particularly among students. And to inhibit freedom of speech and assembly. Yes, some americans have been duped. But in this case, the duping has been done by the House Committee on unamerican activities. Committee did all of this by indulging in a highly dubious bit of business. Power to seizea private property belonging to television stations and turning it over to a commercial Film Producer who made the distribution and took the profits. Our disclosure of the distortion of this incident and the untruthfulness of operation abolition gives the American People a concrete example of the irresponsible manner in which the House Unamerican Activities Committee operates. The aclu supports the statement of the New York Times when it says that the whole unamerican operation by the Unamerican Activities Committee is evidence not of the need for its continuance, but the need of its abolition. Of course, we have urged before. That is why we have just shown you operation correction. It is a very touching business, being a son or daughter of a dictator. You would not wish this kind of life on most people. Very collect some interesting and sometimes lurid stories, but there are also points about purity, about daughter ship, about loyalty, about nature versus nurture, about politics, even about democracy. Tonight on q a, National Review Senior Editor on his book children of monsters. And looks at the lives of children of 20 dictators including talent, mussolini, mao zedong, and saddam hussein. He talked to knowledgeable people. I cannot talk to any family members. Which was, usually the case. In the preparation for this book. There are only so many around to talk to. And only so many are willing to say what they know, or to diebolds their feelings or experiences at all. I would stick around for any scrappy tidbit i possibly could, because the sons and daughters, most of them, some of them are famous and important, some of them become dictators, but most of them are footnotes and a sides, and you really have to dig to find out about them. Tonight at 8 00 eastern and pacific on cspans q a. Up next, a portion of a symposium focusing on asia and the pacific in august 1945 as world war ii was coming to an end