F.B.I. Agent Says Student's Spouse Preached Revolt

Herbert A. Philbrick of the F.B.I., a bombshell government witness in New York's Communist conspiracy trial, today accused the wife of a Harvard graduate student of preaching civil war in the United States if this country became embroiled in war with Russia.

Philbrick said that Martha Fletcher, wife of Harold A. Fletcher 3G, gave such instructions to a five-member Communist party unit which met in her home at 15 Grove Street, Boston. Using "The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union" as a text, Mrs. Fletcher defined an unjust war as one occurring between the United States and Russia, Philbrick said.

"Duty to Fight"

"She pointed out," he testified, "that in such an incident it would be the duty of the Communist Party to fight against such an unjust war, and that in such a case the imperialist war should be converted into a civil war." Mrs. Fletcher also quoted sections from her text calling for the defeat "of one's own government in an imperialist war," Philbrick said.

Harold A. Fletcher, the husband of the alleged Communist, served as a lieutenant in the Marines during the war and is studying at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences under the G.I. Bill.