▁to ▁M uss ol ini ▁and ▁fasc ism . ▁He ▁protest ed ▁to ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁H ull ▁against ▁a ▁U . S .- Russ ian ▁trade ▁agreement ▁and ▁called ▁on ▁the ▁F CC ▁to ▁ban ▁broadcast s ▁by ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁candidates ▁for ▁President ▁and ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁president ial ▁campaign . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Stevens on ▁head ed ▁a ▁small ▁organization ▁called ▁the ▁International ▁Committee ▁to ▁Com bat ▁the ▁World ▁Men ace ▁of ▁Commun ism . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁de cade ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁public ▁relations ▁coun sel ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Econom ic ▁Council , ▁a ▁pro - bus iness ▁and ▁anti - tra de ▁union ▁organization . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Stevens on ▁returned ▁to ▁an ▁issue ▁from ▁his ▁days ▁with ▁the ▁L usk ▁Committee ▁and ▁def ended ▁requiring ▁teachers ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁loyal ty ▁o ath . ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁such ▁o ath s ▁were ▁meant ▁" to ▁raise ▁teaching ▁to ▁the ▁dign ity ▁of ▁a ▁recognized ▁profession " ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁o ath s ▁taken ▁by ▁public ▁officials ▁and ▁the ▁Hi pp ocr atic ▁O ath . ▁ ▁Stevens on ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁C ana an , ▁Connecticut , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁local ▁politics . ▁He ▁head ed ▁the ▁town ' s ▁Board ▁of ▁Fin ance ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁to ▁