mation is needed in troop information and intelligence orientation of military personnel on active duty. An even greater restriction in distribution of classified information exists in Reserve and National Guard units, where information of the type contained in the Department of Defense letter, is of utmost importance. It is the civil-military community which is the target, and much damage is done by propaganda activities, such as conducted by General Hester. It will be noted that the 1st U.S. Army cold war seminars were specifically designed to outline pro-Communist propaganda activities for Reserve, National Guard, and ROTC personnel so that they could effectively identify pro-Communist propaganda fronts and the current subtle worldwide Communist effort to stigmatize America with the label of "Fascist," "Extremist," and "Militantly Aggressive.” Ample testimony has been provided to the subcommittee by experts in the field of Communist propaganda such as Dr. Beerstecher, Lieutenant Colonel Burns, Dr. Sala, Lieutenant Colonel Tarwater, Captain Cunha, Commander Wadsworth and others. These witnesses have warned us of the inroads made by anti-U.S. propaganda, and more specifically, anti-U.S. military propaganda, emanating from Communist sources. These hearings were designed to point up areas of U.S. military vulnerabilities in the education of the military on the cold war conflict with communism. In my opinion, ample documentation has been obtained to show numerous vulnerabilities and weaknesses in our training efforts dealing with education in the conflict between democracy and communism. Ample evidence has been obtained during these hearings that the military lack hard-hitting, thoroughly documented unclassified intelligence information dealing with communism, which would make troop information and intelligence training dynamic and purposeful. The inference that a security violation was committed and that classified information was released during the hearings of May 11, 1962, as indicated on page 4550 of the transcripts of the hearing, is of more than passing concern to me. It again demonstrates the manner in which intelligence information is throttled and restricted. Thus, through overclassification, we fail to reach the average serviceman in the ranks who needs to know the cold war enemy, and who needs to know the exact manner in which pro-Communist propaganda activities are mounted and maintained against the American military, security, and defense objectives. To demonstrate this point, I have had my staff prepare a listing which shows on each page on top of the page-the information received from the Department of Defense concerning General Hester in their secret letter addressed to Mr. James Kendall, Chief Counsel of the Preparedness Subcommittee. In cases where classified Department of Defense information could not be repeated in this unclassified listing, only a brief reference is made to the general content. The lower half of each page shows the information available from unclassified sources on each of the specific items reported in the secret Department of Defense letter. It will be readily apparent, even by cursory review, that ample unclassified information exists concerning the anti-U.S. military propaganda activities of General Hester. Department of Defense's classification of this information negates its value from the standpoint of educating serv ice personnel on specific techniques of subversion and propaganda directed aginst the U.S. military. In my questioning of Major Bailey, I referred to several appearances of Gen. Hugh B. Hester and to a book which he authored. It was suggested that certain of his public appearances or his book were classified. General Hester's appearances are all well advertised in the press as the collection of clippings I have here proves—and his book "On the Brink" can be obtained from any well-stocked bookstore or library. I was and am astonished at any allegation that these public incidents and press reports are classified. The shocking facts contained in this study show that there is growing organization and effort put forth by possibly well-meaning American pacifists, who have been snared into Communist propaganda fronts. To what extent General Hester is aware of the role he plays as a spokesman for Communist propaganda is not for me to judge; but I do see that his activities are doing tremendous harm in confusing American public opinion at a time in the cold war conflict when clear recognition of the Communist enemy is of vital importance. The staff study is based on original unclassified materials. I have these materials here-newspaper clippings, magazine articles, circulars, and books. In the interest of saving printing space, these materials are merely summarized in the study. This study proves that General Hester, a retired officer, is, wittingly or unwittingly, conducting a spearhead drive of revolutionary antimilitarism against the U.S. military forces. We all understand and uphold our laws and rules which give General Hester freedom to so conduct himself and prevent any legal action being taken against him or his retirement pay. In fairness to the American people, however, and certainly for the benefit of members of the military services, the pattern of this man's conduct should be exposed to military personnel and the public, so that Hester's masquerade as a pro-American retired officer will be rendered ineffective. Department of Defense directives have repeatedly cautioned against overclassification. A rule of thumb for the person classifying information is "when in doubt-underclassify.' Yet, when it comes to information dealing with the exposure of pro-Communist propaganda activities, there is a tendency, as is the case here, to provide the "sanctuary" of classification to people and organizations about which the American serviceman and the public must have knowledge to counter the Communists in the cold war. Now, I ask that this staff study which documents beyond doubt the overuse of classification to our own severe detriment be put in the record of the hearings at this point. If there is no objection, that will be done. (The study referred to is as follows:) COMPILATION OF MATERIAL ON ACTIVITIES OF HUGH B. HESTER, BRIGADIER GENERAL, U.S. ARMY RETIRED INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 1. In 1951, General Hester was active in support of the Reverend William Howard Melish, who was ousted from his pulpit at the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn, N.Y., for his pro-Communist activities. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM The activities and conduct of William Howard Melish have been documented extensively by both the House Un-American Activities Committee and by the Subversive Activities Control Board. No information is available to the office of Senator Thurmond, which verifies a connection between Hester and Melish. It may be significant, however, that in 1951 General Hester was still on active duty in the Army and it was prior to that time when the most publicized activities of William Howard Melish occurred. The above unclassified item in the Army's report was mentioned by Senator Thurmond in the questioning of Major Bailey, since it is the earliest unclassified report of activity by General Hester indicating his affinity for pro-Communist activities. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 2. In the January 11, 1957, edition of the Washington Post, General Hester, in a letter to the editor, called for recognition of Communist China, and for admission of that country into the United Nations. This letter was reprinted in the August 18, 1957, edition of the Communist newspaper the Worker. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND Copy of the letter to the editor of the Washington Post (Jan. 11, 1957) entitled "China and the U.N." by Brigadier General Hester appeals for admission of Red China to the U.N. It states "the U.N. is not a club for the morally or socially acceptable, but a world organization designed for the promotion of peace." Also, Hester claims "ordinary diplomacy has an unbroken record of failure for the past half century, especially where the issue of peace and war among the great powers has been involved." Copy of this letter was reprinted in the August 18, 1957, edition of the Communist newspaper the Worker. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 3. In the January 21, 1957, edition of the Washington Evening Star, General Hester in a letter to the editor, called for summit meetings as an effective measure for insuring peace. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM UNCLASSIFIED SOURCES The letter to the editor of the Washington Evening Star, dated January 21, 1957, by Gen. H. B. Hester entitled "Cooperative Peace" deplores the U.S. involvement in the cold war. It is an antimilitary appeal calling for disarmament of U.S. military forces, cooperation and negotiations for peace and for summit meetings as an effective means to obtain lasting peace. This information was not used in Senator Thurmond's questions during testimony on May 11, 1962 (Major Bailey). INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 4. Confidential reference to General Hester's contact with the National Lawyers Guild. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM The National Lawyers Guild convention, spring 1957, included an address by Brig. Gen. Hugh B. Hester. His topic was "Peace Can Be Had." The National Lawyers Guild (The Lawyers Guild Review, 40 Exchange Place, New York City) is a cited organization. General Hester's speech was printed in the Lawyers Guild Review. The article was reprinted in the spring issue, 1957, of the Virginia Quarterly Review. In a 40-minute speech General Hester appealed for the admission of Red China to the U.N., disarmament and places the blame for the cold war fever on the United States. He states "Ask anyone who really makes up 60 percent of the Federal budget of the Government of the United States: i.e., that which pertains to armaments and taxes, to pay for the arma ments produced, given away and destroyed, pensions to veterans, etc. Forty some odd billion dollars of the budget of some $70 billion isn't made in Washington at all. It is made in Moscow. And if we examine the budget of the Soviet Union, we will find that their budget isn't made in Moscow at all. That budget is made in Washington. So where does this talk about maintaining our sovereignty lead us?" General Hester promotes the idea that defense against communism is impossible. He suggests that we accommodate the Russians (he means the Communists) by giving them free movement in the United States and says "every time that the Russians or anybody else restricts the movement of our people in their country, let us extend the movement of their people in ours." The program included a convention panel on the subject "Problems facing the young lawyer in commencing the practice of law" with the following participants: William Rossmoore, Thomas R. Jones, and Mildred Roth. Article in New York Times February 24, 1957 (p. 62) reported National Lawyers Guild reception at which General Hester "discussed a program for peace." Unclassified information drawn from Senator Thurmond's files was used in his question of Major Bailey. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 5. Confidential reference to the Worker article on General Hester. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM On August 18, 1957, the Worker reported and included a letter from Gen. H. B. Hester on what he called "A Working Agreement" between the Soviet Union and the United States. He submitted this letter following his trip to the Soviet Union to the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal. He appealed for summit meetings. In a key paragraph he stated the following: "Enlarge the Crusade for Freedom, expand Radio Free Europe and Asia, appropriate more money for the Voice of America, tighten up the economic boycott, increase the already unlimited arms race and this godless creation communism, they assert, will surely disappear. "And somehow, perhaps autonomously, for again they (United States) do not disclose the source of their information, poverty, ignorance, and bigotry will disappear from this earth. Just why this did not happen before the first Communist state appeared in 1917, is, also, not explained." INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 6. General Hester, in a news conference in late 1957 recommended coexistence with the Communists and advocated: (1) immediate admission of Communist China into the United Nations; (2) reduced armaments; and (3) unification of a neutralized Germany. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN A SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 7. Confidential reference to General Hester's contact with the Katherine Van Orden Fund for Freedom. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM UNCLASSIFIED SOURCES 7. While the disarmament and coexistence objectives of the Katherine Van Orden Fund for Freedom is well established, this reference was not included in Senator Thurmond's questions because of lack of documentation. The fact that the Katherine Van Orden Fund for Freedom is an active peace and coexistence fund is established in unclassified verbal reports. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 8. On September 30, 1958, General Hester spoke to the Washington Area Forum, on the topic "The Crisis at Quemoy and the Far East," and disagreed with the current U.S. policy, stating that the only solution to the problems in that area is through negotiations, not military force. He also advocated the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces. 80752-62-pt. 6-11 INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM UNCLASSIFIED SOURCES 8. On September 30, 1958, General Hester spoke on the subject: "Quemoy and the Far East" at the time of the Singers, 3930 Morrison Street NW. The sponsor, Washington Area Forum, Box 3085, Washington, D.C., advertised this program on handbills headlined "Meet the General Who Speak for Peace." Approximately 35 people attended. He promoted the Communist view of the "hopelessness" of the Chinese Nationalist situation. He claimed that during his assignment as military attaché in Australia (prior to his discharge from the service) he had been exposed to a study of the Chinese revolutionary situation. Also, that in a postgraduate course he took at the University of Pennsylvania he was exposed to deep study of the Far Eastern situation. His analysis of U.S. foreign policy followed the line of defeatism and apology for Communist aggression in the Far East. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 9. Confidential reference to General Hester's contact with the Society for the Abolition of Nuclear Explosions. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND FROM UNCLASSIFIED SOURCES 9. Comments concerning the program held at Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y., sponsored by Society for the Abolition of Nuclear Explosions were included in the New World Review and the Nation magazine. American Friends scheduled an international relations conference (19th Annual Institute of International Relations) February 13-15, 1959. General Hester spoke under sponsorship of the New York State Peace Council of the American Friends Service Committee. Other speakers were Prof. Derk Bobbe, University of Pennsylvania, who spoke on China; Caryl Kline and Rev. A. J. Muste, secretary of the Fellowship for Reconciliation. Reservations were made through Lena Bray, 841 University Building, Syracuse, N.Y. Report on this program was made in the National Guardian, January 26, 1959. This information was used by Senator Thurmond in questions posed to Major Bailey on May 11, 1962. INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DOD IN SECRET LETTER TO MR. JAMES KENDALL 10. In 1959, General Hester and Jerome Davis coauthored a book, "On the Brink," which was critical of everything American in regards to obtaining peace. In their attack, the authors contrasted our actions with the teachings of Jesus. The readers were urged to join peace organizations and support peace movements in their own community and in Congress. INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF SENATOR THURMOND 10. The book entitled "On the Brink" by Jesse Gordon and Brig. Gen. H. B. Hester (New World Review) was advertised under reprints, nonfiction, May 6, 1961. The book contains a foreword by Edwin F. Dagwood, pastor of the Delmar Baptist Church, St. Louis, Mo., in which he states "Jerome Davis and General Hester in this volume expose the myths of war in national defense. In this process of demythologizing let us forever make clear that the character of war has so changed that it is no longer a thing of nobility, but a thing of shame. It has outlived whatever survival in value it may have had in the past. Nor does it have freedom value. It devastates. It cannot liberate. We have all our values in reverse. "We have built our national defense around the fallacious idea that we must have freedom if truth is to prevail. On the contrary, we must have truth if freedom is to prevail." The foreword reflects the tenor of this book, which is an attempt to confuse basic issues and create the idea that rapprochement with communism is our only solution. The bibliography contained in this book included references to a wide variety of apologists for communism, including C. Wright Mills, W. A. Williams, Linus Pauling, as well as organizations who promote antimilitary |