U.S. Servicemen Join May Day Demonstration

Grey River Argus, 6 May 1947, Page 5

U.S. Servicemen Join May Day Demonstration

WASHINGTON, May 4. Mr Parnell Thomas (Republican), chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, sent a letter to the Secretary of War, Mr R. P. Patterson, stating that a number of army officers and men participated in a “treasonable demonstration” by marching in the May Day parade in New York. He asked Mr Patterson to take the steps necessary to court-martial “those who marched in this Communist demonstration under the banner of the Communist Party”. Mr Thomas said that agents of the Committee on UnAmerican Activities had taken moving and still pictures of the parade from a close enough range to identify the marchers. The agents reported one platoon of approximately 80 officers from various branches of the services, and about 1500 men in the uniform of the enlisted soldier. Mr Patterson replied that an investigation was under way, but there was no evidence yet of participation in the parade by regular or reserve army members.