WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 97

in order to further the objectives of the World Communist
movement; and

WHEREAS, other subversive groups have had similar ob-
jectives and it is essential to the preservation of the State,
as well as for the protection of citizens from unfounded ac-
cusations, that criminal acts of a seditious nature be clearly
and expressly defined; and

WHEREAS, the sovereign people of Maryland have adopted
a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting any person who is
a member of an organization which advocates the overthrow
of the Government of the United States or of the State of
Maryland through force or violence from holding any position
of profit or trust in the Government of the State of Mary-
land or in the government of any political sub-division of the
State; and ^

WHEREAS, the methods adopted by subversive persons and
organizations render it imperative that the loyalty of persons
entering the public employment of the State of Maryland or
any of its political sub-divisions be definitely established, not
only for protection of governmental processes but in order
to shield employees from unfounded accusations of dis-
loyalty; and

WHEREAS, the Communist movement plainly presents a
clear and present danger to the United States Government
and to the State of Maryland, and the General Assembly
of Maryland has therefore caused a study to be made of the
laws of the United States and of other States and a program
to be formulated by a Commission appointed pursuant to its-
direction in the Special Session of 1948, and as a result of
such study this Statute has been proposed; therefore

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That a new Article be and it is hereby added to the
Annotated Code of Maryland, said new Article to be known
as Article 85A, to be under the title "Sedition and Subversive
Activities", to follow immediately after Article 85 of said
Code, and to read as follows:

1. For the purposes of this Article

"Organization" means an organization, corporation, com-
pany, partnership, association, trust, foundation, fund, club,
society, committee, association, political party, or any group
of persons, whether or not incorporated, permanently or
temporarily associated together for joint action or advance-
ment of views on any subject or subjects.

4