Red Scare in Court: New York Versus the International Workers Order [Hardcover]

Arthur J. Sabin (Author), Howard Fast (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

A meticulously detailed historical account of one of the casualties of the Cold War politics of the 1950s. Arthur J. Sabin has had unprecedented access to the files of both sides, thus providing a rare "behind the scenes" portrait of the case.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This study examines a little-known miscarriage of justice during the McCarthy era. From court transcripts and legal files, Sabin, a professor at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, describes the four-month, non-jury civil trial in 1951 in which the New York State Department of Insurance dissolved the International Workers Order insurance company because of its politics. The immigrant-based IWO, which had egalitarian practices and low overhead, was in fine financial shape, but the federal government listed it as a subversive organization, and New York State charged that it was an agency of the Communist Party and might transfer its assets to Russia. While the IWO maintained that only its financial health was at issue, the judge "uncritically" accepted the state's arguments; since then, no other insurance company has been liquidated for its politics. IWO leaders, Sabin contends, ought to have toned down the organization's history of Communist ties, as most policyholders were not Party members. Although his occasionally didactic narrative may be too detailed for the general reader, the book is a worthy reminder of Cold War hysteria. Illustrations.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Sabin (law, John Marshall Sch. of Law) skillfully recounts a little-known tale from the period known as the "red scare" in U.S. history: the 1951-53 liquidation trials of the International Workers Order by the New York Department of Insurance. Founded in 1930, the order was a fraternal organization providing low-cost life and medical insurance to workers, blacks, and other groups not covered by commercial insurance companies. However, its ties to the Communist Party led New York State to investigate it. The ensuing trial is important as the order was the only American insurance company disbanded for political reasons rather than financial mismanagement. Sabin effectively weaves the trial's record with references to the turbulent events of the period, placing it in the context of the Korean War, the rise of Joseph McCarthy, and the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs. This is a powerful, well-written book deserving wide readership among scholars, students, and the general public and is strongly recommended for all libraries.
- Stephen L. Hupp, Capital Univ. Lib., Columbus, Ohio
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Pennsylvania Pr; First Edition edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812231899
• ISBN-13: 978-0812231892
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,487,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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