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VERBAL QUESTION OF THE DAY |
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By 1950, however, denouncing communism and supporting America's cold war diplomacy were not enough. The communist take-over of China and Russia's development of an atomic bomb caused many in the United States to fear that communism was in the ascent. The exposure of Alger Hiss as a Russian spy and the investigations by the House Un-American Activities Committee of communist influence in the entertainment industry led to a rising fear of subversion at home. In February 1950, Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy instantly became both famous and powerful with his claim of vast communist infiltration of the US government. Five months later America was at war to prevent a communist takeover of South Korea. Despite his clear anti-communist credentials, Williams had to address the issue of communism within the nation.
As in nearly every other state, there was a strong move in Michigan to outlaw the Communist Party, even though it had less than a thousand members. Williams acknowledged the dangers of communism, but argued that Americans had the legal right to belong to any political organization they chose. "Ideas cannot be suppressed by force or killing with a club," he argued. When Republicans demanded that he ban the Communist Party, Williams suggested that the state create a committee of experts to "explore the whole question of legal curbs on Communist activity" and requested fifteen thousand dollars to fund the group. The legislature saw the committee as a way for the governor to avoid the issue and refused to allocate the money, but Williams formed a "blue chip" advisory group by persuading members to serve without pay. The legislature responded by creating the Senate Loyalty Commission, headed by Collin Smith of Grand Rapids, to investigate communist subversion in Michigan. The governor denounced the move as a "secret police system" and a Michigan "Gestapo," but the plan passed by a margin of twenty-seven to nothing in the Senate and seventy-three to four in the House."
[Noer, Thomas J. Soapy: A Biography of G. Mennen Williams. Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan Press. 2005 p. 101]
5. Williams compared the Senate Loyalty Commission to the Gestapo:
a. To discredit the actions of Collin Smith.
b. To embarrass the Legislature into funding the "blue chip" commission.
c. To contrast the Commission's purpose to the rights of Americans.
d. As an expression of his frustration with the Republican Senators.
e. To mobilize Communist Party sympathizers in the state.
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| Student: 12/16/2009 5:12:02 PM |
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C |
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| Student: 12/16/2009 5:12:26 PM |
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No, b |
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 Answer |
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