HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY
ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

JAMES 0. EASTLAND, Mississippi, Chairman JOHN L. MCCLELLAN, Arkansas

EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, Ilinois SAM J. ERVIN, JR., North Carolina

ROMAN L. HRUSKA, Nebraska THOMAS J. DODD, Connecticut

HIRAML, FONG, Hawaii PHILIP A. HART, Michigan

HUGH SCOTT, Pennsylvania
EDWARD V. LONG, Missouri

JACOB K. JAVITS, New York
EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts
BIRCH BAYH, Indiana
QUENTIN N. BURDICK, North Dakota
JOSEPH D. TYDINGS, Maryland
GEORGE A.SMATHERS, Florida

SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS

JAMES O. EASTLAND, Mississippi, Chairman

THOMAS J. DODD, Connecticut, Vice Chairman JOHN L, MCCLELLAN, Arkansas

ROMAN L. HRUSKA, Nebraska SAM J. ERVIN, JR., North Carolina

EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, Illinois BIRCH BAYH, Indiana

HUGH SCOTT, Pennsylvania
GEORGE A.SMATHERS, Florida

J. G. SOURWINE, Chief Counsel
BENJAMIN MANDEL, Director of Research

COMMUNIST EXPLOITATION OF RELIGION

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1966

U.S. SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT

AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS,
OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,

Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:20 a.m., in room 318, Old Senate Office Building, Senator Thomas J. Dodd presiding.

Also present: Jay G. Sourwine, chief counsel; Benjamin Mandel, director of research; Frank W. Schroeder, chief investigator; and Robert C. McManus, investigations analyst.

Senator Dodd. I will call this hearing to order. We have as our witness today Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who is a refugee from Rumania. Mr. Sourwine will introduce and read a copy of Dr. Wurmbrand's credentials.

I must say, before you do so, that we are grateful for your appearing here. I am familiar with the nature of your testimony- I think I amto an extent. I feel that you are rendering a real service to the cause of the free world.

Go ahead, Mr. Sourwine. Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Chairman, this letter of credentials, which I shall read pursuant to your instructions, was given to Dr. Wurmbrand by Dr. Hedenquist, who is the mission director of the Svenska Israelsmissionen. The reason is explained in the text. It reads: Pastor Richard Wurmbrand is a refugee from Rumania, a country which he had to leave because of the antireligious persecution. Fleeing from there, he has not the usual credentials, which have been taken from him at his arrestation by the secret police of the Communists.

Our mission, knowing him since 26 years, certify hereby that he is an Evangelical Minister who has had until now the following functions:

From April 1939, to January 1940, he was secretary of the church's mission to the Jews which had to retire from Rumania at the last date because of the

During the whole war he has been pastor of our mission in Rumania.

Since our mission retired from Rumania in 1945, from that year to 1948 he has been a pastor of the Norwegian mission to the Jews.

In the same time he has worked also in the representation of the World Council of Churches for Rumania. He was also a professor of the Old Testament in the Seminary of Bucharest. From 1948 to 1956, he was in prison for religious motives.

Released in 1956, he was no more authorized by the Communist authorities to fulfill his duties. From 1956 to 1959 he preached and exercised his other pastoral functions illegally.

Rearrested for this in 1959, he was again in prison until July 1964, when he was released on the basis of a general amnesty. Since 1964, he was pastor of the Evangelical Church in Orshova, a Ruma

war.