JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000200150002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 15, 1999
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: OPEN

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
Approved For Release 2000/04/13 CIA-I70-000
,'r JOHN BM011 socm' 7[
Mr. YOUNG of Ohio. Mr. President,
for. More than 10 yesrs.oertain congres-
sional committees have vigorously con-
centrated their fire on Internal com-
munism. 'Ignored In. recent years has
been the development of fascism in
America In the worm of a secretive or-
ganizatlon known .as. the John Birch
Society. This fascist group numbers in
its ranks former officials of the-National
Association of Manufacturers, retired
military leaders and a wide assortment
of out-and-out crackpots. Its leader, a
former candy manufacturer from Mas-
sachusetts, has written his equivalent to
Hitler's "Mein Kampf," .in which he
ridicules democracy. He charges that
former President Eisenhower. is a Com-
munist sympathizer, and he maligns
many other highly respected American
leaders.
Its every aetigoc and policy is con-
trary to the traditions of our Republic.
Prom promoter Welch right dawn the
line into every tell, the rightwing active
members-termed by the St. Louis Post
Dispatch "Birchoape"--not only pass out
disturbing comments and, false charges
against neighbors;' apgainst leaders in
parent-teacher assordation-groups, and'
against loyal, electcf
ernment, State
the principles th
would turn back,
'
would repeal and
tury.
11
appointed 1,
accounting
year
d the 20th cen-
art Welch, seif-ap-
members there are
He will not dis-
his members. He will
Disc of the number of
" refuses to give any
money he receives in
in dues.
Intake at $24 per
~,beoome members.
who disagree
g Communist
We in America face an apps
threat of Communist aggpesalou but that
Society cWm to gee Communists
who is a self -appo vigilante, 44.
'
log Clod with other ple'a petriotl~y
declaims he is an -Communist. 'go
alleges that there are 7400 mini tsjr$
of the Gospel in the United States Who
are Communists or Communist sympa-.
thizera. He could not name 70 nor even
7. He Is guilty of uttering demagogic;
untruthful, and wildly fantastic charges.
Mr. President, Dictator Franco of
Spain. is also anti-Communist.. Hitler
and Mussolini were anti-Communists up
to the time they met violent deaths.
Does anticommunism alone quality a
man as a loyal American?. What can
serious-minded Americans really think
of this man Welch who made money as
a lawyer and as a candy manufacturer
and now Is making much more money as
a promoter and denunciatgr? This felt
low has termed fornier?Presidents Risen-
hower and Truman as "Communist
sympathizers." He 'denounced the late
John Foster Dulles and his brother.
Allen Dulles, who is presently Director
of our Central Intelligence Agency lie
Pro-Communist and Communist. He Is
urging the impeachment of the Chief
Justice of the United States, Earl War-
ren, who is a thoroughly great and loyya'
American and who was vice presidential
candidate . of the' Republican Party.
What Can Americans think of a fellow
such as this, ottiar than that he has a
wicked tongue al is. a grackpot or.'~q}
unscrupulous, nuroenary dbmagc In
slick promoter?
Mr. President, the facts are that we
who are rank and file Americans can
well consider Welch and those active In
his John Birch 5oclety as being sub-
versive of tZie worst kind. While ppq,s
tending to be loyal Americans, they are
in reality fomenting suspicion agglnst
their neighbors. In the clutches: orbs in
the universities.'
When Robert Welch states the Im-
peachment of Chief Justice Earl Warren
is "Just one of our specific objectives,"
he is seeking to. undermine the confi-
dence of people} In a loyal and dedicated
American leader while at the some time
pretending that he himself As a loyal
American.
Attorney' General Robert F. Kenne4
Birch Society' "ls ridiculous" and. that Its
me nibers' "make no contribution to the
fight against communism here In the
United States, and in fact,--if AnYQdM
they are a hindrgnoe." The California
State Senate factlnding committee-o i
Un-Ambrialen a tivities has announced
that it has 'started an Inquiry into the
John Birch Society. Personally my view
is that as not one of the members of this
society, nor its leader. Welch. has earn.
mitted any overt act of force and.vio-
lence against constituted authority' In
this count;,;, I led there is no occasion
for any congressional or legislative In-
ver;tiaatlon of this secret society. Welch
has the same right all Amen 40.0A-
L- _- ___ the . oc-
Soviet Union with a population of g -' red candi 'es
ta'ofilce and their candidate for. Presi-
ISrd Fillmore, received many thoweahda~
of 'votes They claimed that the Pope
was coming to America, to establish the
Vatican somewhere alone the Miaais-
.atppl River. They'denounced immigra-
tioss..laws and members of the Catholic
Cuuroh; they termed themselves a native
American party. Like a Wave of hys-
teria, the movement spread through
many States from the 1840'a to 1856.
Then after 1856, the "know nothing"
movement died and nothing further was
heard of it. Knout-nothingism of 100
years, ago died the same death that-the
John Birch Society will die of--unwept, '
unhonored, and unsung. headers of the
John Birch Society are busy denouncing
the whole foreign-aid program of Presi-
dent . Eisenhower and the foreign-aid
jpwognun being ~ carried forward by this
Misguided citizens who become mem-
bers of the John Birch Society, even
briefly, are making the battle against
communism more difficult for govern-
mental agencies such as the FBI. J. Ed-
gar Hoover, Director of the FBI, has
denounced activities of the sort prac-?
tired by the John Birch Society. Many
'persons who have become members are
really men and women of good will and
their motives are of the but They have
been duped by a slick promoter of a
secret society whose methods are unoon-
saionable and whose statements are
fantastically false.
W. President, like the "know noth-
Ings" of more than 100 years ago and the
g every Friday" movement of recent
years, this will come and go. However,
the strength and power of our Republic
sad the American 'Way of life pill' grow
and crow. f,