James Glaser
Encyclopedia
James Glaser was a copy editor at the New York Post
and also spent time working at the New York Times. During his tenure at the Times he was an active member of the Communist Party
. Glaser was called before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee in Jan. 1956 during their investigation into communism in the media.
. When he arrived one of his first acts was to write a brief about his move from the Times to the Worker. The next day, when he picked up the Worker, he was shocked to find a completely different brief saying he would be writing a series about graft and corruption at the Times. Glaser flipped out. He rushed from party leader's office to party leader's office trying to figure out who changed the managing editor's copy. Finally he met "Mr. Edwards," the representative from Moscow. "Mr. Edwards explained that the series was necessary to make sure Glaser was "tried and true," and that he didn't carry with him the taint of a capitalist paper, the Times. Glaser never gave into the pressure to write the series.
"Mr. Edwards turned out to be Gerhart Eisler
, who later became the propaganda chief for the East German government. It turned out that much of the paper's policy was controlled by Eisler, including its editorial policy.
Glaser, used to a five-day work week at the Times saw employees of the Worker laboring six days a week. Naturally, he tried to change that by ordering a five-day work week. Eisler immediately vetoed his order saying that "we couldn't delay the revolution for a day." Eisler was the true force in command, from work week length to editorial policy; he was the one really managing the Daily Worker.
Harry Cannes, the foreign editor, once turned in a story about imminent communist revolution in France. Glaser, being a watchful journalist, had heard nothing of the sort so he inquired into the story further with Cannes. When he approached Cannes about the story, Cannes said, "Comrade, this is the line." Glaser was flabbergasted, "Do you mean that you just sat down and dreamed this up on the typewriter?" Cannes' only reply was that he shouldn't talk that way to a comrade. Glaser killed the story anyway. When he did Eisler dressed him down, telling him that he "had insufficient political development and still had bourgeois traits."
Glaser dealt with journalistic dishonesty and inefficiency at every turn. Once, when he asked a copyboy for a cut of William Green
, the late AFL
leader, it was found filed under "P" for "prominent labor fakers."
in June 1955.
Glaser cooperated fully with the subcommittee, especially when compared with some of the other newspaper employees who pleaded the First and Fifth Amendments. Glaser told the subcommittee how he was a communist during his time as a copy editor at the New York Times, a post he quit in 1934 to become managing editor of the Daily Worker. The job at the Worker cost Glaser 35% of his salary. He told the subcommittee that two years after joining the Daily Worker he worked up "the strength" to leave both the party and the paper; the strength to stop being such a "lunkhead," "chump" and "poor, miserable, tragic fool." Though he cooperated fully, Glaser opined, "(the hearing was) to make a sort of public spectacle of me, because of the dreadful, terrible mistake I made more than 21 years ago."
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and also spent time working at the New York Times. During his tenure at the Times he was an active member of the Communist Party
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
. Glaser was called before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee in Jan. 1956 during their investigation into communism in the media.
Editing the Daily Worker
In 1934 Glaser left his copy editing job at the New York Times to take the managing editor position at the Communist-leaning Daily WorkerDaily Worker
The Daily Worker was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a formerly Comintern-affiliated organization. Publication began in 1924. While it generally reflected the prevailing views of the party, some attempts were made to make it appear that the paper reflected a...
. When he arrived one of his first acts was to write a brief about his move from the Times to the Worker. The next day, when he picked up the Worker, he was shocked to find a completely different brief saying he would be writing a series about graft and corruption at the Times. Glaser flipped out. He rushed from party leader's office to party leader's office trying to figure out who changed the managing editor's copy. Finally he met "Mr. Edwards," the representative from Moscow. "Mr. Edwards explained that the series was necessary to make sure Glaser was "tried and true," and that he didn't carry with him the taint of a capitalist paper, the Times. Glaser never gave into the pressure to write the series.
"Mr. Edwards turned out to be Gerhart Eisler
Gerhart Eisler
Gerhart Eisler was a German politician. Along with his sister Ruth Fischer, he was a very early member of the Austrian German Communist Party and then a prominent member of the Communist Party of Germany during the Weimar Republic...
, who later became the propaganda chief for the East German government. It turned out that much of the paper's policy was controlled by Eisler, including its editorial policy.
Glaser, used to a five-day work week at the Times saw employees of the Worker laboring six days a week. Naturally, he tried to change that by ordering a five-day work week. Eisler immediately vetoed his order saying that "we couldn't delay the revolution for a day." Eisler was the true force in command, from work week length to editorial policy; he was the one really managing the Daily Worker.
Harry Cannes, the foreign editor, once turned in a story about imminent communist revolution in France. Glaser, being a watchful journalist, had heard nothing of the sort so he inquired into the story further with Cannes. When he approached Cannes about the story, Cannes said, "Comrade, this is the line." Glaser was flabbergasted, "Do you mean that you just sat down and dreamed this up on the typewriter?" Cannes' only reply was that he shouldn't talk that way to a comrade. Glaser killed the story anyway. When he did Eisler dressed him down, telling him that he "had insufficient political development and still had bourgeois traits."
Glaser dealt with journalistic dishonesty and inefficiency at every turn. Once, when he asked a copyboy for a cut of William Green
William Green (labor leader)
William Green was an American trade union leader. Green is best remembered for serving as the President of the American Federation of Labor from 1924 to 1952.-Early years:...
, the late AFL
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
leader, it was found filed under "P" for "prominent labor fakers."
The hearing
Glaser was subpoenaed by the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee in November 1955. He was one of 26 current and former New York Times employees to be subpoenaed, along with 8 others from different newspapers and a brother to one of the other witnesses. Glaser was implicated during the testimony of journalist Winston BurdettWinston Burdett
Winston Burdett was an American broadcast journalist and correspondent for the CBS Radio Network during World War II and later for CBS television news. He was born in Buffalo, New York. From 1937-1942 he was involved with the Communist Party...
in June 1955.
Glaser cooperated fully with the subcommittee, especially when compared with some of the other newspaper employees who pleaded the First and Fifth Amendments. Glaser told the subcommittee how he was a communist during his time as a copy editor at the New York Times, a post he quit in 1934 to become managing editor of the Daily Worker. The job at the Worker cost Glaser 35% of his salary. He told the subcommittee that two years after joining the Daily Worker he worked up "the strength" to leave both the party and the paper; the strength to stop being such a "lunkhead," "chump" and "poor, miserable, tragic fool." Though he cooperated fully, Glaser opined, "(the hearing was) to make a sort of public spectacle of me, because of the dreadful, terrible mistake I made more than 21 years ago."