Welch Backs Down on lke Red Charge By NORMAND POIRIER Robert Welch, founder of the secret, extremist right- wing John Birch Society, was in retreat Saturday from his original charges that President Eisenhower was a Communist agent and top members of the society shied away from the issue. But those same members See editorial on Magazine confirmed that the controversial Page 8 and William V. Shan- group was pushing one of four non's article on Magazine main projects for the impeach- Page 5. ment of Chief Justice Warren because he "voted 92 per cent tired State Dept. historian who of the time in favor of Com- lives in Springfield, Va., and dc- munists and subversives." scribes himself as a field worker While the controversy boiled, for the society, confirmed the some Congressmen called for impeachment drive against investigation of the organiza- Warren. tion by the House Committee The three other main proj- on Un-American Activities, the ects of the society, he said, Senate Internal Security sub- are: committee, and the Senate Gov- campaign against the ernment Operations Committee. purchase of goods made be- But the chairmen of all three hind the Iron Curtain. bodies indicated they had no g A Constitutional amend- plans to move against the ment repealing the federal group. And two Congressmen income tax. on the West Coast admitted g Support for the work of they were members, defended the House Committee on Un- the society's aims, and said American Activities. other members of Congress be- Barron, along with Rep. Hie- longed to the organization. stand (R-Cal.) and Rep. Rous- A spokesman for the Justice selot (R-Cal.), who defended Dept. in Washington, headed by their membership in the society, Attorney General Robert F. dissociated themselves from the Kennedy, said the society's activ- accusation against Eisenhower. ities had become "a matter of T. Coleman Andrews, former concern to the Justice Dept." U. S. Commissioner of Internal Welch denied Friday that he Revenue, confirmed that he was had ever called President Eisen- a member and that he approved hower a ard-carrying Com- of the impeachment campaign munist." He told a press con- against Warren, but he also ference he "never had that dissociated themselves from the opinion. I never thought it then Welch charges against Eisen- hower. with firmness enough to pub- ish it or to say in public and I don't today. Brooklyn Gas Co. Asked for Comment His answer came when he was asked to comment on an excerpt Hit by Walkout from a'small book he had pub fished privately which said: The Brooklyn Union Gas Co., "But my firm belief that serving 1,150,000 customers, was Dwight Eisenhower is a dedi- struck at 12:01 a.m. Saturday cated, conscious agent of the by Local 101, Transport Workers Communist conspiracy is based Union, representing 2,800 em- on an accumulation of detailed ployes. evidence so extensive and so pal. The company said it expected pable that it seems to me to put to maintain service, using 1,000 this conviction beyond any rea- supervisory personnel. sonable doubt. Negotiations for a new con- The book describes Presidents tract were broken off Friday. Roosevelt and Truman and John There had been no bargaining Foster Dulles as tools of com- session since Wednesday when, munism. both sides met with the city, Meanwhile, Bryton Barron, re- Labor: Dept. Assign 10 Unit