Changes

On July 4, 1936, the AYC issued a ''Declaration of the Rights of American Youth'', which addressed several issues, mainly inalienable rights issues that affected youth, and the economic issues. The AYC came under the patronage of [[Eleanor Roosevelt]]; however most people dismissed it as being part of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA), and was largely regarded as one of the [[Comintern]]'s most successful [[Glossary_of_espionage_terms#Fronts_and_cutouts|front organization]]s.  

On July 4, 1936, the AYC issued a ''Declaration of the Rights of American Youth'', which addressed several issues, mainly inalienable rights issues that affected youth, and the economic issues. The AYC came under the patronage of [[Eleanor Roosevelt]]; however most people dismissed it as being part of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA), and was largely regarded as one of the [[Comintern]]'s most successful [[Glossary_of_espionage_terms#Fronts_and_cutouts|front organization]]s.  

By 1939 the movement claimed 4,697,915 members in 513 affiliated organizations nationwide.  The same year the [[HUAC|Dies Committee]] subpoenaed leaders of the AYC, consisting of a core from the [[Young Communist League]]. Eleanor Roosevelt was in attendance at the hearings and afterwards invited the subpoenaed witnesses to board at the White House during their stay in Washington D.C.  The First Lady went so far as to lobby the Committee to not brand the AYC as a Communist front organization. <ref>House Committee on Un-American Activities, 1940-41.</ref>

By 1939 the movement claimed 4,697,915 members in 513 affiliated organizations nationwide.  The same year the [[HUAC|Dies Committee]] subpoenaed leaders of the AYC, consisting of a core from the [[Young Communist League]]. Eleanor Roosevelt was in attendance at the hearings and afterwards invited the subpoenaed witnesses to board at the White House during their stay in Washington D.C.  The First Lady went so far as to lobby the Committee to not brand the AYC as a Communist front organization. <ref>House Committee on Un-American Activities, 1940-41.</ref>

Socialist Party in the Communist weekly, ''[[New Masses]]'', was one of the boarders at the White House during the hearings.  Another officer, Abbott Simon, staff member of the [[CPUSA]] publication, ''Champion'', slept for two weeks in Lincoln's bed during the hearings.

Socialist Party in the Communist weekly, ''[[New Masses]]'', was one of the boarders at the White House during the hearings.  Another officer, Abbott Simon, staff member of the [[CPUSA]] publication, ''Champion'', slept for two weeks in Lincoln's bed during the hearings.

In the spring of 1941, the youth members of the congress, as guests of Mrs. Roosevelt, attended a picnic on the White House lawn where they were addressed by the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] from the South Portico. The President admonished them to condemn not merely the Nazi regime but all dictatorships - he was booed by the group. Soon afterwards, many of the same youth picketed the White House as representatives of the [[American Peace Mobilization]]. Among them was [[Joseph Cadden]], one of the overnight guests.  

 

{{Cquote|In the early days of Communism, I recognized that many leaders in Russia were bringing education and better health and, above all, better opportunity to millions ... I disliked the regimentation ...I abhorred the indiscriminate killings of thousands of innocent victims ....

I heartily deprecated the banishment of religion - though I knew that some day Russia would return to religion for the simple reason that four or five thousand years of recorded history have proven that mankind has always believed in God in spite of many abortive attempts to exile God.

 

The Soviet Union, as everybody who has the courage to face the fact knows, is run by a [[dictatorship]] as absolute as any other dictatorship in the world. It has allied itself with another dictatorship, and it has invaded a neighbor so infinitesimally small that it could

do no conceivable possible harm to the Soviet Union, a neighbor which seeks only to live at peace as a democracy, and a liberal, forwardlooking  democracy at that....

 

As Americans you have a legal and contitutional right to call yourselves Communists...and openly to advocate certain ideals of theoretical Communism; but as Americans you have not only a right but a sacred duty to confine your advocacy of changes in law to the methods prescribed by the Constitution of the United States - and you have no American right, by act or deed o any kind, to [[subversion (political)|subvert]] the Government and the Constitution of this Nation. <ref>''Roosevelt and Hopkins : An Intimate History'', Robert E. Sherwood, New York Harper and Brothers, 1948, [http://americandeception.com/index.php?action=downloadpdf&photo=/PDFsml_AD/Roosevelt_and_Hopkins-An_Intimate_History-Robert_E_Sherwood-1948-1034pgs-GOV-POL.sml.pdf&id=252&PHPSESSID=03d3557b41f249f71349e6d730cc8498 pgs. 156 - 157] pdf.</ref>}}

 

It was one of the few occasions in his life when Roosevelt was booed and hissed to his face by an audience of Americans. Soon afterwards, many of the same youth picketed the White House as representatives of the [[American Peace Mobilization]]. Among them was [[Joseph Cadden]], one of the overnight guests.  

In 1940, despite Eleanor Roosevelt's publication of reasons called ''Why I still believe in the Youth Congress,'' the American Youth Congress was disbanded.  Mrs. Roosevelt sponsored a new organization called the [[International Students Service]]. Joe Lash returned under her sponsorship as the secretary of that organization at $4200 a year.  

In 1940, despite Eleanor Roosevelt's publication of reasons called ''Why I still believe in the Youth Congress,'' the American Youth Congress was disbanded.  Mrs. Roosevelt sponsored a new organization called the [[International Students Service]]. Joe Lash returned under her sponsorship as the secretary of that organization at $4200 a year.