American Communists

* Ronald Radosh wrote a lengthy article on “the real nature of American Communists” during “the era of McCarthyism” (Commentary, Nov. 9). He wrote, “Most Americans who spied for the Soviets, we now know, were members of the American Communist Party.” (They) “infiltrated the highest levels of the American government, from the State and Treasury departments to the Manhattan Project.”

During my association with American Communists, the only spies I met were the paid agents who were sent into the Communist Party by the FBI. They later surfaced at various congressional hearings, reporting on their associations.

The local Communists knew their organization was being infiltrated, but couldn’t identify the infiltrators. To dispel any paranoia they said, “As long as these agents pay their party dues, and function as pro-peace activists, pro-working-class supporters and fight against racial discrimination, they are welcome.”

And I must say, at times, these infiltrators’ robust activities in defense of civil liberties, union organization and other worker issues were a real bonus. If they also spied for the Soviet Union, they never told anybody. But I wouldn’t put it past J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI.

LEO BAEFSKY

Los Angeles