Walter Winchell
The Sentinel/April 3, 1944
The following remarks (in part) by Representative Adolph J. Sabath (Ill.) are from the Congressional Record of March 27, 1944:
Mr. Sabath: “Mr Speaker, it is with reluctance that I feel obliged to call attention and to earnestly urge that the gentlemen who have taken so much of the time of the House in discussing Mr. Walter Winchell should desist in doing so in the future. Just a few minutes ago the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoffman) apprised the House that he would introduce resolutions directing the Department of Justice to furnish information concerning two employees of Mr. Winchell’s sponsor, the Jergens Co. It would appear to me that instead of Winchell being criticized, he should be commended by reason of calling the attention of the employer to the questionable activities of the employees in question. Please understand, and I repeat what I stated several weeks ago, I hold no brief for Mr. Winchell, but on the occasion of the times that I have listened to his broadcasts I have not fully agreed to some of his statements, but I must admit that in nearly all instances he has sought to direct attention to those advocating un-American and subversive activities.
“Mr Speaker, l am aware from statements made on this floor by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoffman), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Dies), and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Rankin) that Mr. Winchell has frequently criticized the Congress. However, with one exception, I have never heard him to attack the Congress collectively, but on occasions he has replied to individual members of Congress who have attacked or assailed him on the floor of the House.
“Mr. Speaker, just yesterday I listened to the broadcast of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Dies) and only a few minutes ago he asked permission to insert that broadcast, in which he assailed and attacked Mr. Winchell, in the Congressional Record. Among other things, the gentleman from Texas stated that Mr. Winchell is speaking for and representing an un-American group. On the basis of that statement by the gentleman from Texas, I feel that such charge by him should be investigated and as chairman of the Committee to Investigate un-American and Subversive Activities it is within his province to have such investigation made and to ascertain who, if anyone, is financing Mr. Winchell. Personally, I feel that there is nothing to that charge. Nevertheless, let us find out.
“The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Dies) also stated that Mr. Winchell is destroying the prestige of Congress. That to me, saying the least, is a farfetched Statement. Congress has, is, and will be judged by its deliberations, whether it is legislating in the best interest of our country or whether it has failed to function and it will not be judged by a single commentator’s statement or statements.
‘“Personally I know of only one statement made by Mr. Winchell to which I called his attention as unfair and unfortunate That was when he referred to Congress as The ‘House of Reprehensibles’ and when I learned of it I immediately wrote him taking exception to it.
“Mr. Speaker, it must be conceded by us that Mr. Winchell has been frequently assailed and attacked on this floor and he has been subject to vile and vicious name-calling. Naturally, therefore, he feels that he has a right, not having the privilege of the floor to answer and retaliate against those who assail and attack him.
“This is my thirty-eighth year of service in Congress and I regret that I am obliged to say that in no prior Congress in my period of service has so much time been taken in discussing any person as given to Mr. Winchell. It behooves me that it would not only be in the interest of the Congress but in the interest of the members whom Mr. Winchell has answered that both sides would cease in this diatribe. I feel that Mr. Winchell if left alone will in turn desist in replying to the attacks levelled against him, but if the vile and vicious name-calling continues on the floor he will in justice defend himself, and by the resulting publicity you will make him the most advertised man in the United States.
“Personally, though, Mr. Winchell may have gone far afield in his criticism, nevertheless, he has rendered actual, valuable service to the country. He has directed attention to many men who have been charged with sedition, some of whom have been convicted, some of whom have been indicted, and others who have not yet been reached by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In that connection, I doubt the statement to the effect that he obtained information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation bearing on seditious and subversive activities as anyone family with the practice and procedure of that organization knows that it is not within the province of that organization to divulge any information with respect to any of its investigations. It is quite possible that Mr. Winchell obtained information from some of the Dies’ Committee reports — evidence which Mr. Dies, himself, states has been in possession of his committee since 1939. An abundance of this evidence concerned Nazi and bund activities and the leaders of these organizations, but somehow or other was not given publicity and was the so-called communistic activities or, perhaps, was not reported to the Department of Justice. I know that Winchell has been charged with being connected with Communistic activities but this has not been borne out by facts, as he on divers occasions has strongly assailed the Communists.
“It has been stated frequently by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoffman), the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Rankin), and I believe by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Dies) that the navy has forced Mr. Winchell from the active list of that service. Viewing his picture from one of the newspapers, I would judge him to be at least 45 and, surely, a man of that age cannot render real active or combat service. As to officers, God knows we have enough of them, and I feel that the navy will manage to get along without Winchell.
“Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, if Mr. Winchell is left alone I presume he will have nothing to talk about. Therefore I hope in the future that we will devote our time to legislation and to seeing how we can be helpful in aiding the Administration in its war effort and to bringing about an early conclusion of the war so that we may begin legislating on the many, many matters that are pressing us so far as postwar activities are concerned.
“As I stated, it is with reluctance that I have asked for these five minutes, but I feel that in the interest of the House and in the best interest of the country these things should be eliminated henceforth and that we should not have io listen continuously to these personal attacks.”
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