▁and ▁minutes ▁of ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁gover ning ▁body ▁were ▁seized ▁for ▁future ▁scr ut iny ▁for ▁potential ▁pro sec ution . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁Stevens on ▁was ▁cat ap ult ed ▁into ▁national ▁prom in ence ▁by ▁an ▁appearance ▁before ▁the ▁so - called ▁Over man ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁con gression al ▁investigation ▁of ▁" al ien ▁propag anda " ▁and ▁B ols he v ism ▁in ▁America . ▁During ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁his ▁testim ony , ▁Stevens on ▁read ▁into ▁the ▁record ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁ 6 2 ▁names ▁of ▁individuals ▁who ▁held , ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁estimation , ▁" d anger ous , ▁destruct ive , ▁and ▁an arch istic ▁sent iments ." ▁In cluded ▁among ▁these ▁were ▁social ▁worker ▁and ▁pac if ist ▁Jane ▁Add ams , ▁President ▁of ▁Stan ford ▁University ▁David ▁St arr ▁Jordan , ▁journalist ▁O sw ald ▁G arrison ▁Vill ard , ▁Soci ology ▁professor ▁Freder ic ▁C . ▁How e , ▁and ▁an ▁array ▁of ▁liberal ▁cler ics ▁and ▁academ ics . ▁ ▁Stevens on ' s ▁testim ony , ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁t actic ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁Red - b ait ing , ▁became ▁national ▁news . ▁With ▁the ▁Wilson ▁administration ▁embar rass ed ▁by ▁the ▁character ization ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁its ▁prominent ▁friends ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁light , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁Newton ▁D . ▁Baker ▁quickly ▁entered