rg. As early as April 1947, in an address to a Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, he compared E. O. 9835 to Hitlers Laws of 1933. He highlighted that civil servants in Germany suffered similar fate under Hitler. According to Hitlers Laws, "no man is allowed to hold employment in Germany who proves by his conduct that he is not willing to serve loyally the German people and the Reich." He said that Hitler first attacked the communists but later moved on to the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats. Pomerantz concluded that the Executive Order "was the most ominous and most terrifying law or edict in the entire history of the USA and I dont except the Alien and Sedition Act."
President Truman and his staff must have been aware that the Executive Orders were in violation of the Constitution of the United States. But yet, they knowingly continued in the implementation of their unconstitutional policies and established a framework that permitted the FBI and the Congressional Committees to mercilessly persecute citizens and undermine the best traditions of American democratic culture.
The McCarthy era is better known for its Congressional Investigating Committees. They were the most important vehicles for extending the anti-communist crusade throughout the USA. Their activities took their focus beyond the small Communist Party to almost all the corners of America. Everyone was affected. The committees paralleled those of the Executive Branch. Congressional hearings were immune from due process requirements; so the Committees used the hearings to denounce, accuse and play to the "crowd" and the media. Two of the most powerful Committees were those of Senator McCarthys Permanent Investigating Subcommittee of the Government Operations Committee and Pat McCarrans Senate Internal Security Subcommittee (SISS). Both conducted similar investigations to HUAC. In over one dozen States and some cities, Committees were established along HUAC LINES. The FBI and the anti-communist network gave technical assistance and provided witnesses for the Committees at all levels.
One of the most disturbing features of the investigations was that witnesses were not only asked whether they were members of the Communist Party, but were also called upon to "finger" other people who were members or associated with members. It was frightening, and violated the First Amendment. One witness, playwright, Lillian Hellman told HUAC: "I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit the years fashion", and added that she refused to "crawl through the mud to be an informer". A major constitutional issue was raised when Ten Hollywood entertainment personalities were brought before the HUAC and they invoked the First Amendment. In doing so, they risked being cited, indicted and tried for contempt of Congress. One month later, the full House of Representatives cited them for contempt. The Hollywood Ten were members of the Communist Party, but they felt that the Supreme Court would defend their rights and overturn the ruling of Congress. That did not happen.
One of the major weapons the Committees used was economic. All those who were brought before the Committees, unless they cooperated, lost their jobs regardless if it was the private sector or other NGOs. The private sector cooperated and supported the Committees in imposing economic sanctions.
The Hollywood Ten were blacklisted and refused employment in the film industry. Hundreds lost their jobs in the broadcasting industry, journalists, teachers, 1,500 sailors and longshoremen, trade unionists, workers with government contractors, industrial workers, postal workers, and even lawyers. It was very difficult to even obtain a lawyer to defend an accused since they were afraid that they would lose their other clients. In some work places, if it was discovered that a person was accused or went before a Committee, a Run Out was organized to chase the worker out of his or her job. Academia also suffered as professors were dismissed. Many sought refuge in Black Colleges in the South where those institutions were de