“We did not mislead,” Mrs. Brown insists. “We put on the handbill she was here in the youth foreign exchange from the former St. Petersburg.”

“Maybe they thought you meant St. Petersburg, the Republic of Florida. Just across the waters from the Mexican continent, as I recall.”

“Mr. Shepherd, this is not a joking matter.”

“I’m trying to lighten your mood. It’s not the disaster you think.”

The Asheville Trumpet, July 23, 1947

Crowd Takes Stand Against Reds

by Edwina Boudreaux

“Every nation must choose between alternative ways of life,” according to President Truman, and the Woman’s Club Cultural Evening on Monday was no exception. Tickets sold for twenty-five cents each for a Cultural Lecture by Miss Surya Poldava of the U.S.S.R. Mrs. Herb Lutheridge, President, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. The evening was interrupted by audience disagreement and brought to a hasty conclusion. Pastor Case Mabrey of Coxe First Baptist led the closing prayer. Mrs. Lutheridge had no knowledge of the speaker and apologizes to each and every person in attendance. “The Woman’s Club opposes the suppression of personal freedoms and Communistic way of life.”

Superintendent of Schools Ron Stanley called a meeting yesterday to discuss an occurrence that “shocked the school system.” The nature of this assembly was repugnant to all who work with youth in Buncombe County, said Stanley, who did not attend the lecture. “It runs contrary to the philosophy of education we operate under.” The Asheville D.A.R. speaking through Mrs. Talmadge Rich, President-General, not in attendance, also went on record as opposing the lecture.

The Woman’s Club will review its guidelines to prevent the unfortunate occurrence in the future. The program was organized by Mrs. Glen Kohler of Haywood and Mrs. Violet Brown of Tunnel Road. Reached by telephone, Mrs. Kohler gave her occupation as housewife and apologized for the turn of events. Mrs. Brown, a secretary for a private firm, maintained the program was informative. “The world has people of all kinds, and I don’t see the good of wrapping our children’s heads in cotton wool.” Brown, age 47, is a childless widow.

The Woman’s Club will refund the ticket price to all who attended.

August 15, 1947

Harrison W. Shepherd
30 Montford Avenue
Asheville, North Carolina

Dear Mr. Shepherd,

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been charged by the Congress of the United States with the conduct of routine investigations of all persons presently or previously employed by the federal government, in an effort to ascertain complete and unswerving loyalty to the United States. For this purpose we request that you immediately supply in writing the following information: all former places of residence and former employers, schools and colleges attended, organizations, associations and groups in which the employee has been a member.

This investigation is directed by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (formerly known as Dies Committee) and shall include reference to Civil Service Commission files, military and naval intelligence records, Dies Committee hearings of other employees when applicable, and local law-enforcement files. Any derogatory information will result in a full field investigation.

The Civil Service Commission maintains a master index covering all persons who have been subject to loyalty investigations since Sept. 1, 1939. The Loyalty Review Board of North Carolina shall be furnished the name of any individual found to have associated with such persons, or with any organization, movement, or group the Attorney General has designated as totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive, or advocating acts of force or violence or seeking to alter the form of government of the United States by unconstitutional means. The Review Board shall also be furnished with any evidence of sabotage, espionage, treason, sedition, or knowingly associating with spies. The McCormack Registration Act (Statute 631) requires that every person who is an agent of a foreign principal shall register with the Secretary of State. The Voorhis Act (Statute 1201) requires that every organization subject to foreign control which engages in political activity shall be required to register with the Attorney General.

This Bureau expects your full and prompt cooperation in this investigation..

Sincerely,

J. EDGAR HOOVER, DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

September 2

Arthur Gold in person looks like a Dashiell Hammett private eye: white shirt, rolled-up sleeves, steel blue eyes, necktie five years out of date. He’s a regular white-haired Sam Spade, complete with the smoky little office up a narrow flight of stairs in the Woolworth’s building on Henry Street. The ever-burning cigarette, the epic slouch. If Violet Brown is the “do be” gal for posture, Mr. Gold is the “don’t be.” His narrow body describes the shape of an S in his chair, with a meridian running through the head, navel, and shins, with all else slumped to the fore or the aft. It was hard at first to reconcile the slumped posture with the astute voice on the telephone. But within minutes he established himself as the same Mr. Gold, planking out the long sentences that arrive unfailingly at their destination. He could be formidable in court. Except midway between his subject and object, you’d become distracted by the cigarette, wondering when that worm of ash will finally drop on his shirt.

“Congratulations on your distinguished career.” He unwound himself to stand, shake hands. “Please, call me Artie. Finally we meet, sit down, please. It’s a pleasure doing business with a man who has made so much of himself in a relatively short amount of time in this country, and if I may say so, on this earth. How old are you?”

“Thirty-one.”

He squinted, evaluating. “Yeah, okay. You look it.”

He studied the letter for only a few seconds before tossing it on his desk. “To make a long story short? You will have to answer this. If you don’t, they will send you another. It’s a form, they’ve got millions of them. Please, tell me, what is it about this particular request that worries you?”

“I’m not really worried. There’s nothing on that list that applies. Honestly, treason and sedition, violent overthrow. I’m all right until they add smoking in bed.”

Artie laughed, bobbing his head from the shoulders.

“I’m just wondering what’s behind it, before I answer. I make mistakes sometimes. I seem to be naive about certain things.”