71. An Appeal to the American Jewish Congress Convention

Description:

Translated Summary: A JPFO appeal of its expulsion from the American Jewish Congress that resulted from the IWO/JPFO's placement on Attorney General Tom Clark's "Red List." General Secretary Rubin Saltzman argues that the Congress is becoming less democratic and representative and engaging in red-baiting despite growing anti-Semitism. Items of interest include the following text "In America we find the forces of anti-Semitism and fascism becoming more aggressive in their onslaught on democracy. In Peekskill, in our own New York state, rockthrowing fascists assaulted and insulted Negroes and Jews, and shouted "Kill the Jews.” In New York City, the seat of the AJC convention, a Jew was murdered in a synagogue. Gerald L. K. Smith boasts of the support that his "American Christian Crusade” is getting in the United States Congress. The unspeakable Rankin introduces legislation to outlaw the anti-Defamation League. In defiance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, leaders of a minority party—the Communist party—are jailed for their thoughts...Jewish unity is needed not tomorrow—but today. Congress cannot afford to split off from its ranks the JPFO, an organization of 55,000 Jewish men and women, constructively contributing to Jewish life in communities throughout the country." The text has been marked up with a red pencil as well as a black pencil. The terms "witch-hunt" and "red-baiting" are used.

Date:

1949-11-04

Creator:

Zaltsman, R. (Reʾuven) (Rubin Saltzman, Reuben Zaltzman)

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 53, Folder 1

72. Petition for Leave to File Petition and Petition for Writ of Mandamus

Description:

Petition to the Supreme Court of the United States for the October term, 1952. IWO members who are New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) tenants are petitioning that NYCHA officials be enjoined from using loyalty oaths based on the Gwinn Amendment as a reason to expel them as tenants. The Gwinn Amendment was used by NYCHA due to the IWO being on the "Red List." As defined by the Wex Legal Dictionary, "a (writ of) mandamus is an order from a court to an inferior government official ordering the government official to properly fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of discretion."

Date:

1953-02-09

Creator:

France, Royal W. Jones, Thomas Russell, 1913-2006

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 60, Folder 6

73. United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Brief for Appellant International Workers Order v. James P. McGranery

Description:

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. No. 11,671. Brief for Appellant International Workers Order v. James P. McGranery, Attorney General. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for denial of preliminary injunction entered November 25, 1952. The appeal is based on a ruling concerning whether a fraternal insurance company may maintain an action to review an intermediate step in the government's employee loyalty program on the ground that its constitutional rights were thereby invaded. The appeal is based on the original November 1947 listing by the Attorney General's office (then under Tom Clark) of the International Workers Order as a subversive organization on AGLOSO (Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations) on December 5, 1947. The [Red] List was created due to the Federal Loyalty program (Truman Executive Order 9835) and was formally published in March, 1948.

Date:

1953

Creator:

Allan R. Rosenberg Donner, Frank J. Kinoy, Arthur Perlin, Marshall, 1920-1998

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 60, Folder 6

74. Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss Proceedings Before the New York State Department of Insurance in the Matter of International Workers Order

Description:

Brief filed by Donner and Kinoy in support of motion to dismiss proceedings in the matter of International Workers Order, Inc. The hearing commenced on October 16, 1950: the brief was addressed to hearing officer Manual Lee Robbins, Deputy Superintendent of Insurance. The brief claims violation of due process on the part of the Examiner (Haley) and the inappropriate application of insurance regulations and law. Asks the Superintendent of the New York State Department of Insurance to completely dismiss the Examiner's recommendation to dissolve the International Workers Order on the claimed grounds of the solvent IWO presenting a "hazard to the public."

Date:

1950-10

Creator:

Kinoy, Arthur Donner, Frank J.

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 60, Folder 7

75. State of New York Insurance Department to Superintendent of Insurance Regarding Examination of IWO Finances

Description:

Cover letter and report from James Haley of the State of New York Insurance Department to the Superintendent of Insurance regarding Haley's financial examination of the International Workers Order, Inc. on January 25, 1949. James Haley files his financial report on the IWO's fiscal soundness for New York State Insurance Department’s Mutual and Fraternal Bureau.

Date:

1949-01-25

Creator:

Haley, James, Examiner New York (State). Insurance Department

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 60, Folder 7

76. Sentinal, Vol 1, No 2: Chicago Sentinel Charges AJC Prisoner of N.Y. Palace Guard!

Description:

Nathan M. Padgug is listed on the donation form as the Secretary of the "Committee for a Democratic American Jewish Congress." Its "We Accuse" column protests the expulsion of the JPFO from the American Jewish Congress and advocates for reinstated of expelled group in Detroit, MI. The argument is framed in the name of democracy and civil liberties in protesting "hysterical, un-American attacks." Proof copy with layout marked up.

Date:

1949-09

Creator:

Padgug, Nathan M.

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 66, Folder 9

77. What Constitutes a "Hazard"

Description:

Edited draft of pamphlet. Written in English, presumably with the help of the I.W.O.'s legal team, it is formulated in response to the decision dissolving the I.W.O. in New York State on the grounds that it poses a hazard. This document rehearses the I.W.O.'s arguments as to why New York State, and Judge Greenberg erred in making that determination and discusses the issues of Communist affiliation and whether the I.W.O's leadership was prepared to resign. P. 10 has a handwritten note in Yiddish, as well as contains some language in English criticizing the Workmen's Circle for being anti-Soviet. Notes IWO membership as 162,000.

Date:

1951-07

Creator:

Zaltsman, R. (Reʾuven) (Rubin Saltzman, Reuben Zaltzman)

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 63, Folder 9

78. Fascist Field Day in Chicago (Reprint from the Nation)

Description:

Article reprinted from The Nation written by Gilbert Gordon who is identified as the "regional attorney for the commission on law and social action of the American Jewish Congress in Chicago." The defendants in the January 3, 1944 Washington sedition trials were accused of supporting the Third Reich and being members of the Nazi party; the trial ended up as a mistrial. The defendants then sued the Sentinel, a Chicago Jewish newspaper for libel since the Sentinel printed a press release calling for their retrial. The article details anti-Semitism on view at the trial as seen in the defendents' remarks and publications, and calls for an end to "kid-glove gentility" in dealing with anti-Semitism. Author states "Democrats, New Dealers, Communists, Socialists, and even some Republicans are all part of the 'Jewish Communist conspiracy' to these people."

Date:

1948-01-24

Creator:

Gordon, Gilbert

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 66, Folder 9

79. Joint Memorandum on Recent Decision Dissolving the I.W.O. in New York State

Description:

Joint Memorandum regarding the analysis of the recent decision dissolving I.W.O. in New York State. "On June 25, 1951 Justice Henry Clay Greenberg of the New York Supreme Court ordered the dissolution and liquidation of the International Workers Order on the basis of a petition brought by the State Department of Insurance. In his 49-page decision, Justice Greenberg sustained the view of the State Superintendent of Insurance that the I.W.O. had violated the provisions of its Charter, and was conducting an insurance operation that is 'financially hazardous to its policyholders, to its creditors, and to the public'. The I.W.O., a fraternal benefit society, which writes life, accident and health insurance, is comprised of about 1,600 individual lodges, located throughout the United States, has a membership of about 162,000 and has over $6,000,000 in assets. By December, 1949, it had issued insurance amounting to $110,000,000 and had paid out, up to that time, more than $13,000,000 in benefits. The Court acknowledged it as being in sound financial condition." (1) The memo analyzes the evidence that the I.W.O. was a "communist front." Memo states that the crux of the matter is whether under New York State insurance law Section 511 (e) that the IWO is "hazardous to its policyholders." (2). "The I.W.O. urged that the Court adhere to the legislative, administrative and judicial history oi the law, and refuse to use the word "hazardous" in this wholly unwarranted manner. They urged that no dissolution could be ordered while they were in a solvent and sound financial state." (3) "On the law: Critics point out that the I.W.O. is being dissolved because it is deemed to be a political "hazard" to its policyholders, creditors, and to the general public. Yet, the dissolution is being ordered under a statute which, it is recognized on both sides, was never intended to be used in this manner. ... Justice Greenberg's decision runs counter to all previously decided insurance law... to dissolve it is also to destroy America*s most cherished doctrines of due process of law, for the very essence of law is that it be applied equally to all." (6) Memo highlights the financial impact on particular classes of existing policyholders, most especially those who are unlikely to be reinsured: the aged, the disabled, and Negro members who would now face discriminatory rates.

Date:

1951-07-25

Creator:

Forster, Arnold Lukas, Edwin J. (Edwin Jay), 1902-1973

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 42, Folder 3

80. Opinion and Findings In the Matter of the Hearing on the Report of the IWO

Description:

Opinions and findings by Manuel Lee Robbins, the deputy superintendent, New York State Insurance Department. Various legal arguments are rehearsed as to the State's authority as specified by insurance law and regulations in defining a public "hazard" and as to what from the January 15, 1950 report by Examiner Haley concerning the IWO's fraternal (political) activities is admissable. The argument is made that the Order willfully violated its charter due to its advocacy for the Communist Party. In this administrative hearing report, Robbins moved to liquidate the Order also on the grounds that its significant cash reserves of $2M could, be turned over to the enemy. "In passing, it should be noted that even the financial soundness of the Order may be threatened by its further continuance in business. The already evident decrease in its membership (2) and the possibility that its extremely liquid assets may, in time of crisis, be amenable only to the dictates of the Communist Party, do not argue well for the Respondents future stability." (18)

Date:

1950-12-14

Creator:

Robbins, Manuel Lee

Identifier:

International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 45, Folder 7