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REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN 

ACTIVITIES  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  HOUSE  OF 

REPRESENTATIVES,  EIGHTIETH  CONGRESS 


INVESTIGATION  OF 
UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  IN  THE 

UNITED  STATES  / 



COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 
,  c  *  __  HOUSE  Of  REPRESENTATIVES 

EIGHTIETH  CONGRESS 

SECOND  SESSION 

Public  Law  601 

(Section  121,  Subsection  Q  (2) ) 


DECEMBER  31,  1948 


UNITED  STATES 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
83400  WASHINGTON    :  1949 


COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

J.  PARNELL  THOMAS,  New  Jersey,  Chairman 

KARL  E.  MUNDT,  South  Dakota  JOHN  S.  WOOD,  Georgia 

JOHN  MCDOWELL,  Pennsylvania  JOHN  E.  RANKIN,  Mississippi 

RICHARD  M.  NIXON,  California  J.  HARDIN  PETERSON,  Florida 

RICHARD  B.  VAIL,  Illinois  F.  EDWARD  HEBERT,  Louisiana 

Robert  E.  Stripling,  Chief  Investigator 
Benjamin  Mandel,  Director  of  Research 

II 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN 
ACTIVITIES  TO  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTA- 
TIVES, EIGHTIETH  CONGRESS 

The  end  of  1948  marks  the  close  of  the  most  active  and  productive 
period  in  the  history  of  the  House  Committee  on  Un-American 
Activities.  By  virtue  of  the  authority  conferred  upon  it  by  Public 
Law  601  (sec.  121,  subsec.  Q,  (2) ),  giving  the  committee  certain  special 
functions  not  applicable  to  any  other  agency  of  the  Government,  the 
committee  is  in  a  position  to  report  the  following  highlights  of  its 
record.f  or  the  past  2  years : 

1.  For  the  first  time  in  the  30-year  history  of  the  Communist 
Party  of  the  United  States,  the  committee  made  a  full  exposure  of  the 
activities  of  a  representative  of  the  Communist  International,  operat- 
ing illegally  in  this  country  for  more  than  a  decade,  namely  Gerhart 
Eisler,  alias  Hans  Berger,  Edwards,  Gerhard,  Samuel  Liptzen,  etc., 
and  now  a  subject  of  prosecution  by  the  Justice  Department. 

2.  Extensive  hearings  dealt  with  Communist  penetration  of  the 
motion-picture  industry. 

3.  The  operations  of  the  International  Music  Bureau  with  head- 
quarters in  Moscow  and  reaching  into  Hollywood  through  Hanns 
Eisler,  were  the  subject  of  public  hearings. 

4.  Leon  Josephson,  for  many  years  an  international  operative  for 
the  world  Communist  movement  and  official  procurer  of  false  pass- 
ports, was  brought  into  the  public  spotlight  for  the  first  time  and 
brought  before  the  bar  of  justice. 

5.  The  proceedings  in  connection  with  Gerhart  Eisler,  Leon  Joseph- 
son,  Hanns  Eisler,  and  others,  demonstrated  the  operations  of  a  vast 
Communist  passport  ring. 

6.  Continuing  its  efforts  to  demonstrate  the  aims  and  methods  of 
Communist  penetration  of  labor  unions,  the  committee  conducted 
hearings  dealing  with  such  activities  in  the  United  Automobile  Work- 
ers Union,  CIO,  the  United  Electrical,  Kadio  and  Machine  Workers 
of  America,  CIO,  and  the  Food,  Tobacco  and  Agricultural  Workers, 
CIO. 

7.  Eugene  Dennis,  general  secretary  of  the  Communist  Party  of  the 
United  States,  was  brought  before  the  committee.  His  full  record 
and  many  aliases  were  noted.  He  has  been  cited  and  convicted  for 
contempt  of  Congress. 

8.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Soviet- American  relations, 
the  House  of  Representatives  was  apprised  through  our  committee  of 
the  practice  of  "legal"  espionage  by  the  Amtorg  Trading  Corp.,  an 
official  Soviet  commercial  agency. 

9.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Congress,  the  committee 
inaugurated  a  series  of  public  hearings  on  bills  to  curb  or  outlaw 
the  Communist  Party  of  the  United  States.     The  Attorney  General 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

and  outstanding  members  of  the  legal  profession,  as  well  as  leading 
public  men,  participated.  As  a  result,  an  authoritative  body  of  data 
was  collected  on  this  hitherto  neglected  subject  and  the  committee 
introduced  H.  R.  5852,  known  as  the  Mundt-Nixon  bill,  which  was 
adopted  by  an  overwhelming  vote  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

10.  The  committee  initiated  an  exhaustive  investigation  into  espio- 
nage in  the  field  of  atomic  energy  and  its  findings  were  embodied  into 
a  report  entitled  ''Report  on  Soviet  Espionage  Activities  in  Connec- 
tion With  the  Atom  Bomb." 

11.  The  operations  and  activities  of  Communists  in  the  United 
States  were  the  subject  of  testimony  by  J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Director 
of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation,  and  such  witnesses  as  Louis 
F.  Budenz,  former  managing  editor  of  the  Daily  Worker,  and  Victor 
A.  Kravchenko,  former  Soviet  representative. 

12.  In  a  series  of  hearings  the  operations  of  a  Communist  espionage 
ring  operating  through  top-flight  Government  officials  during  the 
past  10  years  were  revealed  through  the  testimony  of  Elizabeth  T. 
Bentley  and  Whittaker  Chambers,  former  members  of  the  ring. 

13.  The  committee  has  published  a  series  of  reports  on  various 
phases  of  the  Communist  problem  in  the  interest  of  public  enlighten- 
ment in  this  field,  notably : 

The  Communist  Party  of  the  United  States  as  an  Agent  of  a  Foreign  Power  (26,000 

copies ) . 
The  Communist  Party  of  the  United  States  as  an  Advocate  of  Overthrow  of  Gov- 
ernment by  Force  and  Violence  ( 8,000  copies. ) 
The  American  Youth  for  Democracy  (6,000  copies.) 
The  Southern  Conference  for  Human  Welfare  (3,000  copies.) 
Report  on  the  Civil  Rights  Congress  as  a  Communist  Front  (3,000  copies.) 
100  Things  You  Should  Know  About  Communism  in  the  USA  (507,000  copies.) 
100  Things  You  Should  Know  About  Communism  and  Religion  (17,000  copies.) 
100  Things  You  Should  Know  About  Communism  and  Education  (23,000  copies.) 
100  Things  You  Should  Know  About  Communism  and  Labor  (22,000  copies.) 
100  Things  You  Should  Know  About  Communism  and  Government  (20,000  copies.) 
Citations  by  Official  Government  Agencies  of  Organizations  and  Publications 
Found  to  be  Communist  or  Communist  Fronts  (2,300  copies.) 

The  intense  interest  of  the  country  in  these  publications  is  demon- 
strated by  the  fact  that  our  supply  of  these  publications  is  almost 
exhausted  at  this  time.  In  a  number  of  instances  committee  reports 
were  reprinted  in  full  or  in  major  part  by  newspapers  throughout  the 
country. 

Eight-Point  Program 

Early  in  1947  the  committee  adopted  the  following  eight-point  pro- 
gram which  outlined  the  scope  of  its  activities.  This  program  furnishes 
an  appropriate  standard  by  which  the  work  of  the  committee  should 
be  judged. 

1.  To  expose  and  ferret  out  the  Communists  and  Communist  sym- 
pathizers in  the  Federal  Government. 

2.  To  spotlight  the  spectacle  of  having  outright  Communists  con- 
trolling and  dominating  some  of  the  most  vital  unions  in  American 
labor. 

3.  To  institute  a  countereducational  program  against  the  subversive 
propaganda  which  has  been  hurled  at  the  American  people. 

4.  Investigation  of  those  groups  and  movements  which  are  trying 
to  dissipate  our  atomic  bomb  knowledge  for  the  benefit  of  a  foreign 
power. 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 


5.  Investigation  of  Communist  influences  in  Hollywood. 

6.  Investigation  of  Communist  influences  in  education. 

7.  Organization  of  the  research  staff  so  as  to  furnish  reference 
service  to  Members  of  Congress  and  to  keep  them  currently  informed 
on  all  subjects  relating  to  subversive  and  un- American  activities  in 
the  United  States. 

8.  Continued  accumulation  of  files  and  records  to  be  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  investigative  units  of  the  Government  and  armed 
services. 

Opposition  to  the  Committee 

In  a  sense  the  storm  of  opposition  to  the  activities  of  the  committee 
is  a  tribute  to  its  achievements  in  the  field  of  exposure  of  those  who 
threaten  our  national  security.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  great  mass 
of  the  American  people  that  they  have  not  been  blinded  to  the  major 
issues  involved  and  the  solid  and  far-reaching  importance  of  the  com- 
mittee's work  by  the  raising  of  minor  procedural  issues  or  attempts  to 
belittle  the  work  of  the  committee  through  pett}7  ridicule.  In  the  main 
such  opposition  has  come  from  the  following  sources : 

1.  The  Communists  and  their  close  fellow  travelers  who  fear 
exposure. 

2.  Those  who  have  been  duped  or  compromised  by  the  Communists 
and  who  seek  to  cover  up  their  own  gullibility. 

3.  Those  who  are  too  naive  to  believe  that  there  is  a  serious  Com- 
munist menace  to  our  way  of  life. 

Never  in  the  history  of  this  committee  has  it  encountered  so  extensive 
and  highly  coordinated  an  effort  to  challenge  its  authority,  by  organiza- 
tions and  individuals  of  a  subversive  character  seeking  to  shelter  their 
activities  behind  legal  safeguards.  They  outline  the  nature  of  Com- 
munist legal  strategy  before  investigative  and  judicial  bodies.  These 
challenges  have  fallen  within  the  following  categories,  which  in  some 
cases  have  been  the  subject  of  court  review  and  decision : 

1.  Refusal  to  produce  official  records  on  grounds  that  such  a  request 
is  outside  the  scope  of  the  committee. 

2.  Charge  that  the  committee  is  illegal  and  unconstitutional,  both  in 
the  manner  in  which  the  authority  given  to  it  by  the  Congress  has  been 
executed,  and  by  the  terms  of  that  authority  itself. 

3.  Refusal  to  answer  questions  regarding  political  or  other  affilia- 
tions on  the  grounds  that  they  do  not  fall  within  the  purview  of  the 
committee's  authority,  and  that  such  questions  violate  the  provisions 
of  the  first  amendment. 

4.  Denial  of  the  right  of  the  committee  to  compel  a  witness  to  testify. 

5.  Charge  that  the  committee's  investigations  are  an  intrusion  upon 
the  judicial  function  which  is  invested  in  the  judiciary  according  to 
article  III  of  the  Constitution. 

6.  Charge  that  the  committee  is  illegally  constituted  by  reason  of 
the  violation  of  the  fourteenth  amendment  in  the  election  of  one  of 
its  members. 

7.  Refusal  to  answer  questions  under  the  privilege  extended  by  the 
fifth  amendment  of  the  Constitution  against  self-incrimination. 

The  authority  of  the  committee  has  been  upheld  by  a  number  of 
recent  decisions  of  the  courts,  in  test  cases  of  precedent-making  im- 
portance. 


4  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

Authority  Upheld  by  the  Courts 

leon  josephson 

The  case  of  Leon  Josephson  before  the  United  States  Circuit  Court 
of  Appeals  for  the  Second  Circuit  on  December  9,  1947,  provided  an 
early  test  of  the  committee's  power.  Josephson  had  refused  to  be 
sworn  or  to  testify  at  a  hearing  held  on  March  5,  1947.  The  court 
found  that  the  committee  had  been  established  under  Public  Law  601, 
Seventy-ninth  Congress,  and  House  Resolution  No.  5  of  the  Eightieth 
Congress,  and  that  Josephson  had  been  indicted  under  Title  2,  United 
States  Code,  section  192.  The  latter  statute  provides  insofar  as  pres- 
ently pertinent  that — 

Every  person  who  having  been  summoned  as  a  witness  by  the  authority  of 
either  House  of  Congress  to  give  testimony  or  to  produce  papers  upon  any  matter 
under  inquiry  before  either  House  *  *  *  or  any  committee  of  either  House 
of  Congress,  willfully  makes  default,  or  who,  having  appeared,  refuses  to  answer 
any  question  pertinent  to  the  question  under  inquiry,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a 
misdemeanor  *  *  *  (Rev.  Stat.  sec.  102,  as  amended,  52  Stat.  942,  2  U.  S.  C.  A. 
sec.  192) 

The  court  further  recognized  that — 

The  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  has  been  duly  authorized  under 
the  Legislative  Reorganization  Act  of  1946  to  conduct  investigations. 

in  line  with  the  provisions  of  Public  Law  601. 
The  court  ruled  that — 

At  the  very  least,  the  language  of  the  authorizing  statute  permits  investigating 
the  advocacy  of  the  idea  that  the  Government  or  the  Constitutional  system  of  the 
United  States  should  be  overthrown  by  force  rather  than  by  the  peaceful  process 
of  amendment  of  the  Constitution  set  forth  in  Article  V     *     *     * 

Surely,  matters  which  potentially  affect  the  very  survival  of  our  Government 
are  by  no  means  the  purely  personal  concern  of  anyone.  And  investigations  into 
such  matters  are  inquiries  relating  to  the  personal  affairs  of  private  idividuals 
only  to  the  extent  that  those  individuals  are  a  part  of  the  Government  as  a 
whole.  ( U.  S.  v.  Josephson. ) 

The  court  fully  agreed  with  the  opinion  of  Judge  Holtzoff  in 
United  States  v.  Btyan  (D.  D.  C.  72  F.  Supp.  58,  62)  : 

That  the  subject  of  un-American  and  subversive  activities  is  within  the  inves- 
tigating power  of  the  Congress  is  obvious.  Conceivably,  information  in  this  field 
may  aid  the  Congress  in  legislating  concerning  any  one  of  many  matters,  such  as 
correspondence  with  foreign  governments  (U.  S.  C.  A.  title  18,  sec.  5)  ;  seditious 
conspiracy  (Id.  sec.  9)  ;  prohibition  of  undermining  the  morale  of  the  armed 
forces  (Id.  sec.  9)  ;  suppression  of  advocacy  of  overthrow  of  the  Government 
(Id.  sec.  10)  ;  the  registration  of  organizations  carrying  on  certain  types  of  propa- 
ganda (Id.  sees.  14  and  15)  ;  qualifications  for  entering  and  remaining  in  Gov- 
ernment service;  the  authorization  of  governmental  radio  broadcasts  to  other 
countries;  and  other  innumerable  topics.  (U.  S.  v.  Josephson.) 

Answering  the  appellant's  argument  seeking  recourse  in  the  first 
amendment  of  the  Constitution  to  the  effect  that  the  committee's  power 
to  investigate  is  limited  by  Congress'  power  to  legislate,  that  Congress 
is  prohibited  from  legislating  upon  matters  of  thought,  speech,  or 
opinion  and  hence  a  statute  empowering  a  congressional  committee 
to  investigate  such  matters  is  unconstitutional,  the  court  held : 

But  clearly  Congress  can  and  should  legislate  to  curtail  this  freedom  at  least 
where  there  is  a  "clear  and  present  danger"  that  its  exercise  would,  as  by  armed 
rebellion  or  external  attack,  imperil  the  country  and  its  constitutional  system, 
including,  until  amended,  the  peaceful  process  of  amendment.  (Sehcnck  v.  United 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  5 

States,  249  U.  S.  47,  52.)     Such  legislation  might  ultimately  be  the  only  means  for 
the  preservation  of  this  freedom     *     *     * 

The  appellant's  argument  runs  counter  to  the  very  purpose  of  the  first  amend- 
ment. The  power  of  Congress  to  gather  facts  of  the  most  intense  public  concern, 
such  as  these,  is  not  diminished  by  the  unchallenged  right  of  individuals  to  speak 
their  minds  within  lawful  limits.  When  speech,  or  propaganda,  or  whatever  it 
may  at  the  moment  be  called,  clearly  presents  an  immediate  danger  to  national 
security,  the  protection  of  the  first  amendment  ceases. 

In  common  with  other  witnesses  appearing  before  our  committee, 
the  appellant  demanded  protection  under  the  "equal  protection  of  the 
laws"  clause  of  the  fourteenth  amendment  and  the  denial  of  due  proc- 
cess  clause  of  the  fifth  amendment  to  the  Constitution.  The  court  ruled 
as  follows  on  this  point : 

Certainly,  if  the  question  were  one  of  Congress'  legislating,  it  could  validly 
legislate  regarding  one  type  of  propaganda  and  not  another,  at  least  if  there 
were  a  clear  and  present  danger  from  the  former  and  not  the  latter  *  *  * 
Clearly  the  congressional  power  to  investigate  is  as  flexible  as  its  power  to  legis- 
late, once  the  latter  power  is  established.  That  it  is  established,  at  least  for 
purposes  of  this  case,  seems  abundantly  clear. 

On  December  20,  1948,  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  refused  to 
review  the  case  of  Leon  Josephson. 

EDWARD   K.   BARSKY,  ET  AL. 

The  case  of  Edward  K.  Barsky,  et  dl.,  Appellants  v.  United  States  of 
America,  Appellee,  was  decided  by  the  United  States  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, District  of  Columbia,  on  March  18,  1948.  Involved  in  this  case 
was  the  failure  of  Dr.  Edward  K.  Barsky  and  his  fellow  officials  of 
the  Joint  Anti-Fascist  Refugee  Committee,  to  produce  the  records 
of  their  association.    The  court  held : 

We  are  unable  to  visualize  the  particular  in  which  civil  rights  are  violated  by 
a  requirement  that  persons  who  collect  funds  from  the  public  in  this  country  for 
relief  purposes  abroad  account  for  the  collection  and  distribution  of  such  funds. 

The  appellants  further  contended  that  the  congressional  committee 
was  unconstitutional  because  it  authorized  inquiry  into  political  opin- 
ion and  expression,  in  violation  of  the  first  amendment.  The  Court's 
decision  on  this  question  bears  directly  upon  other  cases  before  this 
Committee  in  which  similar  objection  was  raised.    The  court  rules : 

We  hold  that  in  view  of  the  representations  to  the  Congress  as  to  the  nature, 
purposes  and  programs  of  Communism  and  the  Communist  Party,  and  in  view 
of  the  legislation  proposed,  pending  and  possible  in  respect  to  or  premised  upon 
that  subject,  and  in  view  of  the  involvement  of  that  subject  in  the  foreign  policy 
of  the  Government,  Congress  has  power  t<i  make  inquiry  of  an  individual  which 
may  elicit  the  answer  that  the  witness  is  a  believer  in  communism  or  a  member  of 
the  Communist  Party.  And  we  further  hold  that  the  provision  we  have  quoted 
from  House  Resolution  No.  5  is  sufficiently  clear,  definite  and  authoritative  to 
permit  this  particular  committee  to  make  that  particular  inquiry. 

GERHART  EISLER 

On  February  6, 1947,  Gerhart  Eisler  appeared  before  the  Committee 
on  Un-American  Activities  and  refused  to  be  sworn  in.  He  demanded 
instead,  the  right  to  submit  a  lengthy  typewritten  statement.  Testi- 
mony before  the  committee  established  that  Gerhart  Eisler,  alias  Hans 
Berger,  Gerhard,  Edwards,  Brown,  Julius  Eisman,  and  Samuel 
Liptzin,  although  denying  before  the  Immigration  and  Naturaliza- 


6  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

tion  Service  on  June  14, 1941,  that  he  was  or  had  ever  been  a  member 
of  the  Communist  Party  or  any  Communist  organization,  was  in  fact 
"an  important  international  Communist  and  responsible  representa- 
tive of  the  Communist  International." 

Under  the  name  of  Edwards'  he  had  served  in  this  capacity  from 
1933  until  1938  "by  virtue  of  which  position,"  according  to  J.  Edgar 
Hoover,  "he  was  responsible  for  and  instrumental  in  the  determina- 
tion of  American  Communist  policy  and  the  control  and  direction  of 
American  Communist  operations,"  and  "actually  the  liaison  between 
the  Comintern  and  the  authorities  in  Moscow  and  the  Communist 
Party,  U.  S.  A."  He  had  sworn  before  the  immigration  authorities 
that  he  had  never  previously  been  in  the  United  States. 

It  was  further  established  that  Gerhart  Eisler  had  traveled  on  a 
false  passport  in  1934  under  the  name  of  Samuel  Liptzin,  the  passport 
application  being  made  out  by  Leon  Josephson.  Liptzin  is  a  promi- 
nent Communist  Party  official  on  the  staff  of  one  of  its  organs,  Morn- 
ing Freiheit. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  William  Odell  Nowell,  a  student  at  the 
Lenin  School  in  Moscow,  who  testified  to  meeting  Eisler  in  both  Moscow 
and  Detroit,  also  mentioned  among  those  he  met  in  Moscow  the  fol- 
lowing :  Beatrice  Siskind,  now  held  for  deportation  as  a  member  of  an 
organization  advocating  the  overthrow  of  government  by  force  and 
violence;  Steve  Nelson,  shown  by  recent  testimony  before  our  com- 
mittee to  have  been  involved  in  espionage  concerning  information  on 
atomic  energ}T ;  Jack  Stachel,  later  mentioned  as  a  leader  of  the  inner 
circle  of  Communist  leaders  in  liaison  with  the  underground  appa- 
ratus; Earl  Browcler,  former  general  secretary  of  the  Communist 
Party,  U.  S.  A.  and  Morris  Chilcls  (Chilofsky),  former  editor  of  the 
Daily  Worker.  In  other  words  we  have  here  an  impressive  picture  of 
American  Communist  officials  operating  at  headquarters  in  Moscow. 

Further  testimony  disclosed  that  Eisler  had  been  active  in  the  Ger- 
man, Chinese,  and  Austrian  Communist  Parties  and  that  he  was  a 
notorious,  international  terrorist,  and  operative  for  the  GPU,  the 
Soviet  secret  terrorist  organization. 

Louis  F.  Budenz,  former  managing  editor  of  the  Daily  Worker, 
testified  that  on  a  number  of  occasions,  Eisler  had  been  in  contact  with 
Samuel  Carr,  alias  Kogan,  organizing  secretary  of  the  Communist 
Party  of  Canada,  who  was  involved  in  the  Communist  spy  ring  in 
Canada  according  to  the  report  of  the  Canadian  Royal  Commission. 

Though  an  illegal  alien,  Gerhart  Eisler  had  not  hesitated  in  his 
articles  to  attack  Secretary  of  State  Byrnes,  General  Wedemeyer,  and 
Governor  Dewey.  He  was  even  sufficiently  powerful  to  discipline 
William  Z.  Foster,  chairman  of  the  Communist  Party,  U.  S.  A.,  and 
Clarence  Hathaway,  the  editor-in-chief  of  the  Daily  Worker.  Among 
other  international  Communist  agents,  with  whom  he  had  been  in 
contact,  Budenz  mentioned  Brown,  alias  Alpi,  alias  Mariano;  J.  V. 
Peters,  alias  Roberts,  alias  Stevens. 

Listed  as  references  on  Eisler's  application  to  depart  dated  Septem- 
ber 5,  1945,  are  Dr.  Edward  K.  Barsky  and  Helen  Bryan  of  the  Joint 
Anti-Fascist  Refugee  Committee,  who  have  been  cited  and  convicted 
for  contempt  of  Congress.  This  organization  furnished  Eisler  with 
funds  during  his  stay  in  the  United  States. 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  7 

The  committee's  action  in  the  case  of  Gerhart  Eisler  lias  been  fully 
upheld  by  the  courts  as  the  following  record  will  show  : 

Contempt  of  Congress. — February  IS,  1947,  cited  for  contempt  of  Congress  by 
House  of  Representatives.  February  28,  1947.  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury 
in  District  of  Columbia.  June  10.  1947,  convicted  of  contempt  of  Congress.  June 
27,  1947,  sentenced  for  contempt  of  Congress  to  1  year  in  jail  and  $1,090  fine  by 
Judge  Alexander  Holtzoff  of  District  Court  in  District  of  Columbia  ;  freed  pending 
appeal. 

Court  of  Appeals. — April  5,  1948,  argued  before  Justices  Clark,  Prettynian,  and 
Proctor.  June  14,  1948,  opinion  affirmed.  June  17,  1948,  order  denying  petition 
for  rehearing.  August  10,  1948,  order  staying  mandate  to  September  1,  1948. 
September  3,  1948,  order  granting  motion  to  authorize  clerk  to  transmit  original 
transcript  of  record  to  Supreme  Court. 

Supreme  Court. —  (Case  No.  255)  August  31,  1948,  petition  for  certiorari  filed. 

Passport  Fraud  Case. — April  14,  1947,  indicted  on  three  counts  of  passport 
fraud  by  Federal  grand  jury  in  District  of  Columbia.  August  15,  1947,  convicted 
of  passport  fraud  in  District  Court  of  United  States  in  District  of  Columbia. 
Justice  James  W.  Morris  presiding ;  freed  under  $20,000  bond  and  deferred  sen- 
tence while  defense  tiled  motions.  February  2,  1948,  motion  for  new  trial,  here- 
tofore argued,  was  denied.  March  24,  1948,  sentenced  on  charge  of  passport  fraud 
to  serve  1  to  3  years  in  jail  consecutively  following  the  1  year  sentence  imposed 
for  contempt  of  Congress.  Allowed  to  remain  at  large  on  $20,000  bond  pending 
appeal. 

Court  of  Appeals. — July  28, 1948,  record  filed.  August  10,  1948,  order  extending 
time  to  September  30,  1948,  to  file  appellant's  brief. 

The  committee  deplores  the  fact,  however,  that  this  international 
criminal  has  been  permitted  to  remain  at  large  for  nearly  2  years  to 
continue  to  carry  on  his  nefarious  activities,  a  case  showing  up  glar- 
ingly the  inadequacy  of  our  present  laws  and  prosecution  machinery. 

HANNS    EISLER 

On  September  24,  25,  and  26, 1947,  the  committee  held  hearings  deal- 
ing with  the  case  of  Hanns  Eisler,  brother  of  Gerhart  Eisler.  Hands 
Eisler  had  been  acclaimed  by  the  Communists  as  "a  revolutionary 
musician,"  composer  of  officially  sponsored  and  approved  Communist 
compositions  as  Comintern,  Red  Front,  Red  Wedding.  He  was  listed 
in  the  Great  Soviet  Encyclopedia  of  1933  as  a  Communist. 

Hanns  Eisler  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  International  Music 
Bureau  in  Moscow  in  November  1932,  the  aims  of  which  have  been 
published  in  the  magazine,  Soviet  Music,  for  March-x\.pril  1933 : 

We  should  not  verge  one  single  iota  from  a  program  of  progressive  class  strug- 
gle. We  can  be  successful  in  our  efforts  only  if  we  know  how  to  transplant 
our  political  slogans  to  the  sphere  of  music.  *  *  *  We  should  prove  that 
the  only  right  road  for  artistic  creations,  which  include  also  that  of  musicians, 
is  in  the  service  to  the  objectives  of  proletarian  revolution. 

Mr.  Eisler  has  frankly  avowed  that  "Communist  music  becomes  the 
heavy  artillery  of  the  battle  for  communism." 

The  voluminous  record  of  Hanns  Eisler's  Communist  activities  and 
his  avowed  revolutionary  aims,  demonstrate  his  real  purpose  in  com- 
ing to  this  country  and  the  far-reaching  objectives  of  Communist 
propaganda  even  in  the  field  of  music.  Despite  this  record  and  these 
objectives,  he  had  free  access  to  the  United  States  and  was  allowed  to 
come  and  go,  almost  at  will  in  violation  of  the  immigration  laws 
against  the  admission  of  Communists.  He  falsely  denied  any  sym- 
pathy or  affiliations  with  the  Communist  movement  before  the  im- 
migration authorities.     He  entered  as  a  visitor  in  February  1935, 

83400 — 49 2 


8  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

reentered  on  October  4,  1935,  again  on  January  21,  1938,  and  Septem- 
ber 11,  1939.  On  July  17,  1940,  the  Department  of  Labor  issued  a 
warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Hanns  Eisler  and  his  wife,  on  the  ground 
that  they  had  remained  in  the  United  States  for  a  period  longer  than 
permitted,  but  these  warrants  were  never  served.  On  October  22, 
1940,  they  were  admitted  into  the  United  States  on  a  nonquota  visa  and 
on  October  30  of  the  same  year,  the  warrant  was  canceled.  Again  he 
reentered  from  Mexico  on  January  6, 1941. 

The  evidence  before  the  committee  disclosed  that  Hanns  Eisler's 
admission  to  this  country  in  violation  of  our  immigration  laws  was 
advanced  by  certain  individuals  in  the  highest  circles  of  the 
Government. 

At  the  end  of  February  1948,  the  immigration  authorities  agreed 
to  halt  deportation  proceedings  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanns  Eisler  were 
permitted  to  depart  by  plane  for  Czechoslovakia.  The  fact  that  he 
had  sworn  falsely  as  to  his  Communist  record  was  ignored. 

EUGENE   DENNIS 

During  the  past  2  years,  the  committee  has  sought  to  reach  the  very 
roots  of  the  Communist  movement  in  the  United  States.  In  line  with 
this  policy,  Eugene  Dennis,  general  secretary  of  the  Communist  Party, 
USA,  was  summoned  before  the  committee  on  April  9, 1947. 

It  was  revealed  that  Dennis  had  employed  various  aliases  during 
his  career,  such  as  Francis  Eugene  Waldron  Dennis,  Gene  Dennis, 
Paul  Eugene  Walsh,  Francis  Xavier  Waldron,  Jr.,  Milton,  and  so 
forth.  He  has  a  long  criminal  record.  He  had  falsely  registered  his 
birth  before  his  Selective  Service  draft  board  as  of  August  10,  1904, 
instead  of  August  10,  1905,  under  the  name  of  Francis  Eugene 
Waldron. 

On  December  11,  1930,  Eugene  Dennis,  under  the  alias  of  Paul 
Walsh,  made  application  for  an  American  passport  to  visit  Germany, 
France,  Italy,  and  England.  On  December  13, 1932,  this  passport  was 
renewed  at  Johannesburg,  South  Africa.  In  1934,  an  operative 
known  as  Paul  Walsh  was  active  in  Shanghai,  China,  assisting  Arthur 
Ernst  Ewert,  alias  Harry  Berger,  a  representative  of  the  Communist 
International.  Walsh  or  Dennis  was  specifically  engaged  in  disin- 
tegration work  among  the  British  armed  forces  at  Shanghai.  He 
remained  in  the  Soviet  Union  during  1934  and  1935,  his  passport  being 
renewed  in  Moscow  in  the  latter  year. 

Mr.  Dennis  refused  to  appear  before  the  committee  on  April  9  and 
subsequent  action  was  as  follows : 

Contempt  of  Congress:  April  22,  1947,  Eugene  Dennis,  also  known 
as  Francis  Waldron,  cited  for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of 
Representatives.  April  30, 1947,  Dennis  was  indicted  on  the  contempt 
charge  by  District  of  Columbia  grand  jury.  June  26,  1947,  convicted 
of  the  charge  in  District  Court  in  District  of  Columbia.  July  8,  1947, 
sentenced  by  Associate  Justice  David  Pine  of  District  Court  to  1  year 
in  jail  and  a  $1,000  fine;  released  on  $10,000  bond  pending  appeal  to 
the  United  States  Court  of  Appeals.  September  16,  1947,  recognition 
on  appeal  delivered  to  court  of  appeals. 

Court  of  appeals:  November  10%  1947,  defendant's  brief  filed  in  court 
of  Appeals.     December  24,  1947,  Government's  brief  filed.    May  7, 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   OX  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  9 

1948,  argued  before  Justices  Clark,  Prettyman,  and  Proctor.  On 
motion  of  Mr.  David  Rein,  Messrs.  Louis  F.  McCabe  of  the  bar  of 
the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Earl  B.  Dickerson  of  the 
bar  of  the  State  of  Illinois  were  permitted  to  argue  for  appellant 
pro  hac  vici  by  special  leave  of  court.  October  12,  1948,  decision 
upholding  conviction  handed  down  by  court  of  appeals.  Indicted 
by  Federal  grand  jury,  July  20,  1948. 

Motion-Picture  Industry 

In  conformity  with  point  5  of  its  eight-point  program,  the  com- 
mittee devoted  the  final  week  of  October  1947  to  an  investigation  of 
Communist  influence  in  the  motion-picture  industry.  At  the  outset 
the  chairman  outlined  the  purpose  of  the  inquiry  as  follows : 

We  all  recognize,  certainly,  the  tremendous  effect  which  moving  pictures  have 
on  their  mass  audiences,  far  removed  from  the  Hollywood  sets.  We  all  recog- 
nize that  what  the  citizen  sees  and  hears  in  his  neighborhood  movie  house  carries 
a  powerful  impact  on  his  thoughts  and  behavior. 

With  such  vast  influence  over  the  lives  of  American  citizens  as  the  motion- 
picture  industry  exerts,  it  is  not  unnatural — in  fact,  it  is  veiy  logical — that  sub- 
versive and  undemocratic  forces  should  attempt  to  use  this  medium  for  un- 
American  purposes. 

These  factors  assume  special  importance  in  the  present  period  in 
which  the  international  Communist  propaganda  machine  is  engaged 
in  a  cold  war  of  slander  against  the  United  States. 

The  chairman  expressed  "every  confidence  that  the  vast  majority 
of  movie  workers  are  patriotic  and  loyal  Americans."  Any  desire  on 
the  part  of  the  committee  to  establish  a  censorship  over  the  industry 
was  categorically  denied. 

The  committee  heard  the  testimony  of  leading  producers,  script 
writers,  actors,  and  labor  leaders  in  the  industry. 

While  the  committee  could  not  within  the  limits  of  its  time  and 
resources  examine  every  single  phase  of  Communist  activity  in  the 
industry,  the  outlines  and  the  pattern  of  such  activity  was  clearly  dis- 
closed. 

Certain  individuals  were  named  as  responsible  for  the  activity  de- 
scribed :  John  Howard  Lawson,  Dalton  Trumbo,  Albert  Maltz,  Alvah 
Bessie,  Samuel  Ornitz,  Herbert  Joseph  Biberman,  Edward  Dmtryk, 
Adrian  Scott,  Ring  Lardner.  Jr.,  and  Lester  Cole.  In  each  case  the 
witnesses  were  accompanied  by  counsel.  Each  of  these  witnesses  re- 
fused to  affirm  or  deny  membership  in  the  Communist  Party,  claiming 
that  the  committee  had  no  right  to  inquire  into  his  political  beliefs  or 
affiliations.  In  each  case  the  committee  presented  voluminous  evidence 
to  show  affiliations  with  Communist  organizations  and  a  copy  of  the 
witness'  Communist  Party  registration  card.  Contempt  proceedings 
in  these  cases  have  since  been  presented  to  the  courts  with  the  following 
disposition : 

ALBERT  MALTZ 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24,  1947,  Albert  Maltz  cited  for 
contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  December 
5, 1947,  Maltz  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  in  District  of  Columbia 
for  aforesaid  contempt,  January  5,  1948,  trial  set  for  January  9, 
1948,  before  United  States  District  Judge  David  A.  Pine.     January 


10  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15  days  asked  in  which 
to  file  motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for 
change  of  venue  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  16,  1948.  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  motion  for  change  of  venue 
denied.  April  30,  1948,  defendant's  motion  for  a  continuance  because 
of  unavailability  of  material  witness  heard  and  denied.  Defendant's 
motion  to  take  deposition  of  Hon.  J.  Parnell  Thomas  heard  and 
granted.  May  3,  1948,  House  Resolution  570  in  response  to  a  subpena 
duces  tecum  to  John  Andrews,  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
filed.  May  10,  1948,  House  Resolution  583  in  response  to  a  subpena 
duces  tecum  to  John  Andrews,  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
filed.  May  11,  1948,  defendant's  proposed  stipulation  for  disposition 
of  this  case  approved  by  Judge  Pine.  Case  continued  for  disposition 
pursuant  to  this  stipulation.  May  18, 1948,  waived  jury  trial.  Agreed 
to  submit  written  presentation  of  case  to  court  for  a  decision. 

DALTON   TRUMBO 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24,  1947,  Dalton  Trumbo  cited 
for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  December 
5,  1947,  Trumbo  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  in  the  District  of 
Columbia  for  aforesaid  contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and 
January  5, 1948,  appeals  for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied 
by  United  States  District  Judge  David  A.  Pine ;  trial  set  for  January 
9,  1948.  January  9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea  of  not  guilty,  entered;  15 
days  asked  in  which  to  file  motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion 
to  dismiss  and  for  change  of  venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to 
February  16,  1948.  February  16,  1948,  hearing  of  motion  resumed. 
Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion  for  change  of  venue  denied.  April  19, 
1948,  date  set  for  trial.  April  27,  1948,  defendant's  motion  for  trans- 
fer from  District  of  Columbia  heard  and  denied.  April  29,  1948, 
jury  sworn.  House  Resolution  561  in  response  to  a  subpena  duces 
tecum  to  Representative  John  McDowell  filed ;  House  Resolution  562 
in  response  to  a  subpena  duces  tecum  to  Representative  Richard  B. 
Vail  filed ;  House  Resolution  560  in  response  to  a  subpena  duces  tecum 
to  Representative  Adolph  Sabath  filed.  May  3,  1948,  House  Reso- 
lution 569  in  response  to  a  subpena  duces  tecum  to  John  Andrews, 
Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  filed.  Deposition  of  Hon.  J. 
Parnell  Thomas  filed.  Report  on  hearings  before  the  Committee  on 
Un-American  Activities,  House  of  Representatives,  October  20,  21, 
23,  24,  27,  28,  29,  and  30,  1947,  filed.  Offer  of  proof  regarding  testi- 
mony of  members  of  the  House  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities 
filed.  May  4,  1948,  trial  resumed,  same  jury.  Defendant's  prayers 
(78)  filed,  May  5,  1948,  trial  resumed,  same  jury.  Verdict,  guilty  as 
indicted.  Case  referred.  Defendant  permitted  to  remain  on  bond 
pending  sentence.  May  10,  1948,  motion  for  new  trial  and  points  and 
authorities  in  support  thereof  filed.  May  21,  1948,  sentenced  to  1 
year  in  jail  and  fined  $1,000.  Permitted  to  remain  on  bond  pending 
appeal. 

Court  of  appeals:  Record  filed  July* 28,  1948.     August  21,  1948, 
order  extending  time  to  September  30,  1948,  to  file  appellant's  brief. 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  11 

SAMUEL  ORNITZ 

Coribi  m pt  of  Congress:  Xovember  24,  1947,  Samuel  Ornitz  cited  for 
contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  December 
5,  1947,  Ornitz  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  in  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia for  aforesaid  contempt  charge.  December  15,  1917,  and  Janu- 
ary 5,  1948,  appeals  for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied 
by  United  States  District  Judge  David  A.  Pine ;  trial  set  for  January 
9,  1948.  January  9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15 
days  asked  in  which  to  file  motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to 
dismiss  and  for  change  of  venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February 
16,  1948.  February  10,  1948,  hearing  of  motion  resumed.  Motion  to 
dismiss  and  motion  for  change  of  venue  denied.  May  11,  1948,  de- 
fendant's proposed  stipulation  for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  ap- 
proved by  Judge  Pine.  Case  continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to 
this  stipulation.  May  18,  1948,  waived  jury  trial.  Agreed  to  sub- 
mit written  presentation  of  case  in  court  for  a  decision. 

ROBERT  ADRIAN  SCOTT 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24,  1947,  Robert  Adrian  Scott 
cited  for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  De- 
cember 5,  1947,  Scott  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  in  the  District 
of  Columbia  for  aforesaid  contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and 
January  5, 1948,  appeals  for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied 
by  United  States  District  Judge  David  A.  Pine;  trial  set  for  January 
9,  1948.  January  9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15 
days  asked  in  which  to  file  motions,  etc.  Motions  to  be  heard  Febru- 
ary 13, 1948.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for  change  of 
venue  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  1(3,  1948.  February  16, 
1948.  hearing  of  motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion 
for  change  of  venue  denied.  May  11,  1948,  defendant's  proposed 
stipulation  for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  approved  by  Judge  Pine. 
Case  continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipulation. 

JOHX    HOWARD    LAWSON 

Contempt  of  Congress:  Xovember  24,  1947,  John  Howard  Lawson, 
cited  for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  De- 
cember 5.  1947,  Lawson  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  aforesaid 
contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and  January  5,  1948,  appeals 
for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States  District 
Judge  David  A.  Pine ;  trial  set  for  January  9,  1948.  January  9,  1948, 
arraigned's  plea  of  not  guilty,  entered;  15*  days  asked  in  which  to  file 
motions,  etc.  Motions  to  be'heard  February*13,  1948.  February  13, 
1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for  change  of  venue  heard  in  part;  con- 
tinued to  February  16, 1948.  February  16, 1948,  hearing  of  motion  re- 
sumed. Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion  for  change  of  venue  denied. 
April  12,  1948,  affidavit  of  bias  and  prejudice  of  defendants  and  at- 
torney Martin  Popper  argued  and  denied.  Defendant's  challenge  to 
and  motion  to  dismiss  jury  panel,  points  and  authorities  in  support  of 


12  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

motion  and  affidavit  of  counsel  Ben  Margolis  filed,  argued  and  denied. 
Defendant's  motions  for  transfer  from  District  of  Columbia,  affidavit 
and  points  and  authorities  in  support  of  motion  argued  and  denied. 
April  14, 1948,  jury  sworn  and  trial  begun.  April  15, 1948,  defendant's 
oral  motion  for  judgment  of  acquittal  submitted  and  denied.  Govern- 
ment's oral  motion  to  quash  subpenas  submitted.  April  16,  1948,  trial 
resumed,  same  jury.  Defendant's  oral  motion  for  judgment  of  acquit- 
tal denied  by  court.  April  19, 1948,  trial  resumed,  same  jury.  Verdict 
of  guilty  as  indicted.  Defendant  to  remain  on  bond.  April  23,  1948, 
motion  for  new  trial  filed.  Motion  in  arrest  of  judgment  filed.  Memo 
of  points  and  authorities  in  support  of  motion  for  new  trial  and  in 
support  of  motion  in  arrest  of  judgment  filed.  May  3,  1948,  House 
Resolutions  524,  528,  538,  541,  542  filed  as  of  April  19, 1948.  May  21, 
1948,  motion  for  new  trial  heard  and  denied.  Sentenced  to  1  year 
in  jail  and  fined  $1,000.     Allowed  to  remain  on  bond  pending  appeal. 

Court  of  Appeals :  July  28, 1948,  record  filed.  August  21, 1948,  order 
extending  time  to  September  30,  1948,  to  file  apellant's  brief  and  joint 
appendix  and  to  October  30, 1948,  to  file  appellee's  brief. 

Supreme  Court:  October  2,  1948,  case  filed.  October  4,  1948,  peti- 
tion filed.     November  8,  1948,  petition  denied. 

EDWARD  DMTTRTK 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24, 1947,  Edward  Dmytryk  cited 
for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  Decem- 
ber 5,  1947,  Dmytryk  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  aforesaid 
contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and  January  5,  1948,  appeals 
for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States  Dis- 
trict Judge  David  A.  Pine;  trial  set  for  January  9,  1948.  January 
9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15  days  asked  in  which 
to  file  motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for 
change  of  venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  16,  1948. 
February  16,  1948,  hearing  on  motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss 
and  motion  for  change  of  venue  denied.  May  11,  1948,  defendant's 
proposed  stipulation  for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  approved  by 
Judge  Pine.  Case  continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipu- 
lation. May  18,  1948,  waived  jury  trial.  Agreed  to  submit  written 
presentation  of  case  to  court  for  decision. 

LESTER  COLE 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24, 1947,  Lester  Cole  cited  for  con- 
tempt of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  December  5, 1947, 
Cole  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  aforesaid  contempt  charge. 
December  15,  1947,  and  January  5,  1948,  appeals  for  stay  until  start 
of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States  District  Judge  David  A. 
Pine ;  trial  set  for  January  9, 1948.  January  9, 1948,  arraigned's  plea, 
not  guilty,  entered ;  15  days  asked  in  which  to  file  motions,  etc.  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for  change  of  venue  heard  in 
part;  continued  to  February  16,  1948.  February  16,  1948,  hearing  of 
motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion  for  change  of  venue 
denied.    May  11,  1948,  defendant's  proposed  stipulation  for  disposi- 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  13 

tion  of  case  filed  and  approved  by  Judge  Pine.  Case  continued  for 
disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipulation. 

ALVAII  BESSIE 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24,  1947,  Alvah  Bessie  cited  for 
contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.    December  15, 

1947,  Bessie  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  aforesaid  contempt 
charge.  December  15.  1947,  and  January  5,  1948,  appeals  for  stay 
until  start  of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States  District  Judge 
David  A.  Pine;  trial  set  for  January  9,  1948.  January  9,  1948,  ar- 
raigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15  days  asked  in  which  to  file 
motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for  change 
of  venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  16,  1948.  February 
16,  1948,  hearing  of  motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion 
for  change  in  venue  denied.  May  11, 1948,  defendant's  proposed  stipu- 
lation for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  approved  by  Judge  Pine.  Case 
continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipulation.  May  18,  1948, 
waived  jury  trial  (agreed  to  submit  written  presentation  of  case  to 
court  for  a  decision ) . 

HERBERT  BIBERMAN 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24, 1947,  Herbert  Biberman,  cited 
for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  Decem- 
ber 5,  1947,  Biberman  indicted  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  aforesaid 
contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and  January  5,  1948,  appeals 
for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States  District 
Judge  David  A.  Pine ;  trial  set  for  January  9,  1948.  January  9,  1948, 
arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15  days  asked  in  which  to  file 
motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for  change  of 
venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  16,  1948.     February  16, 

1948,  hearing  of  motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss  and  motion  for 
change  in  venue  denied.  May  11,  1948,  defendant's  proposed  stipula- 
tion for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  approved  by  Judge  Pine.  Case 
continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipulation.  May  18,  1948, 
waived  jury  trial.  Agreed  to  submit  written  presentation  of  case  to 
the  court  for  a  decision. 

RING  LARDNER,  JR. 

Contempt  of  Congress:  November  24, 1947,  Ring  Lardner,  Jr.,  cited 
for  contempt  of  Congress  by  the  House  of  Representatives.  Decem- 
ber 5,  1947,  Lardner,  Jr.,  indicated  by  Federal  grand  jury  for  afore- 
said contempt  charge.  December  15,  1947,  and  January  5,  1948, 
appeals  for  stay  until  start  of  individual  trial  denied  by  United  States 
District  Judge  David  A.  Pine ;  trial  set  for  January  9,  1948.  January 
9,  1948,  arraigned's  plea,  not  guilty,  entered;  15  days  asked  in  which 
to  file  motions,  etc.  February  13,  1948,  motion  to  dismiss  and  for 
change  of  venue,  heard  in  part;  continued  to  February  16, 1948.  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1948,  hearing  of  motion  resumed.  Motion  to  dismiss  and 
motion  for  change  of  venue  denied.  May  11,  1948,  defendant's  pro- 
posed stipulation  for  disposition  of  case  filed  and  approved  by  Judge 
Pine.     Case  continued  for  disposition  pursuant  to  this  stipulation. 


14         report  of  committee  on  un-american  activities 

Labor  Unions 

In  line  with  point  6  of  its  eight-point  program,  the  committee  held 
a  number  of  hearings  in  February  and  July  1947,  dealing  with  Com- 
munist penetration  of  labor  unions.  These  hearings  furnished  a  wel- 
come tribunal  for  loyal,  American  trade-unionists  who,  heretofore, 
had  no  other  recourse  for  the  presentation  of  their  grievances  against 
their  self-constituted  Communist  labor  czars.  The  committee  is  grati- 
fied to  note  that  these  revelations  were  followed  by  an  extensive  house 
cleaning  of  Communists  in  many  sections  of  the  labor  movements. 
The  testimony  dealing  chiefly  with  the  Allis-Chalmers  local  of  the 
United  Automobile  Workers  of  America;  the  United  Electrical,  Radio 
and  Machine  Workers  of  America ;  and  the  Food,  Tobacco  and  Agri- 
cultural Workers,  all  of  the  CIO,  brought  out  the  following  significant 
points  regarding  Communist  activity  in  these  organizations,  and  thus 
outlined  for  the  benefit  of  American  labor,  the  pattern  of  their  activity 
in  all  labor  unions  : 

1.  That  Communist  strike  strategy  fluctuates  in  complete  accord- 
ance with  the  current  Communist  Party  line,  being  prostrike  during 
the  Stalin-Hitler  pact  (1939-41),  antistrike  while  Russia  was  an  ally 
(1941-45),  prostrike  during  the  period  following  World  War  II 
(1945  to  date). 

2.  That  Communist  unions  infiltrated  into  atomic-energy  plants 
and  plants  manufacturing  strategic  defense  material. 

3.  That  Communist  union  officials  used  their  posts  for  Communist 
activity  including  distribution  of  Communist  literature,  promotion 
and  support  of  Communist-front  organizations,  and  dissemination  of 
Communist  propaganda. 

4.  That  fraud,  coercion,  and  violence  are  employed  by  the  Com- 
munists to  control  elections,  strike  votes,  and  votes  on  matters  of  union 
policy  in  general. 

5.  That  workers  who  oppose  Communist  policy  are  victimized 
through  job  discrimination  and  in  many  other  ways  open  to  powerful 
union  officials. 

6.  That  Communist  union  meetings  are  used  as  a  pressure  instru- 
ment in  behalf  of  pro-Communist  and  anti-American  resolutions 
especially  in  the  field  of  foreign  policy. 

7.  That  Communist  unions  are  endeavoring  to  block  our  recovery 
program. 

8.  That  Communist  control  of  unions  does  not  reflect  the  attitude  of 
the  vast  majority  of  the  union  membership  which  is  overwhelmingly 
patriotic,  but  is  the  result  of  the  machinations  of  a  small,  tightly  knit, 
self-constituted  minority. 

"Legal"  Espionage 

On  January  29,  1947,  Hon.  Karl  E.  Mundt  informed  the  House  of 
Representatives  concerning  an  investigation  made  by  the  Committee 
on  Un-American  Activities  into  the  extent  of  "legal"  espionage  by 
representatives  of  the  Amtorg  Trading  Corp.,  official  Soviet  commer- 
cial organization.  Disclosing  that  there  were  3,696  Russian  agents 
in  the  United  States  at  the  time,  inspecting  our  defenses  and  assem- 
bling information  about  American  railroads,  dams,  power  plants,  and 
airplane  and  automobile  factories,  he  presented  a  volume  published  by 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   OX  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  15 

the  Amtorg  described  by  military  intelligence  officers  as  a  veritable 
""manual  for  bombing  America." 

Mr.  Mundt  described  the  contents  of  this  publication  as  follows : 

In  this  volume  are  airplane  views,  which  may  be  blown  up  to  any  size  for 
military  purposes,  of  the  Pratt-Whitney  plant  at  West  Concord,  Conn.,  the 
Kaiser  shipping  plant  in  California,  the  Ford  plants  at  River  Rouge  and  Willow 
Run,  and  the  Hamilton-Standard  Propellor  Co.  plant  at  Hartford,  Conn. 

Every  big  bridge  in  the  United  States,  including  the  Golden  Gate  and  San 
Francisco-Oakland  Bridges,  and  the  George  Washington  Bridge  of  New  York 
City,  has  been  photographed  from  every  angle  together  with  complete  informa- 
tion concerning  its  structure. 

Huge  maps  of  the  Tennessee  Valley  power  plant  are  presented  and  members 
will  not  need  to  be  reminded  that  our  atom-bomb  plant  at  Oak  Ridge,  Tenn., 
is  not  far  distant  from  the  TVA. 

Soviet  Espionage  Within  the  United  States  Government 

» 

The  most  startling  disclosures  ever  confronted  by  the  committee, 
disclosures  which  should  rock  our  national  complacence  to  its  founda- 
tions, have  been  those  developed  in  connection  with  the  testimony  of 
Elizabeth  Terrill  Bentley  and  Whittaker  Chambers,  both  confessed 
former  members  of  Communist  espionage  rings,  operating  within 
the  Government  of  the  United  States.  Here  is  revealed  for  the  first 
time  the  pattern  of  this  espionage  apparatus  operating  through  small, 
conspirative  groups  of  about  five  individuals,  and  consisting  of  Gov- 
ernment employees  stationed  in  top-flight  posts.  These  groups  some- 
times do  not  know  of  each  other's  existence.  Their  contact  with  the 
Soviet  military  intelligence  is  maintained  through  a  single  individual 
known  only  by  an  alias.  They  have  no  visible  Communist  Party  ties 
and  disclaim  membership  or  affiliation  of  any  kind.  According  to  the 
testimony  presented,  these  agents  maintain  a  steady  flow  of  secret 
and  confidential  Government  documents  to  special  couriers,  which 
are  quickly  microfilmed  for  transmission  to  Soviet  intelligence  officers, 
after  which  the  originals  are  returned  to  Government  files.  These 
conspirators  also  seek  to  and  indeed  have  influenced  major  decisions 
of  Government  policy. 

These  activities  are  described  more  fully  in  the  interim  report  on 
hearings  regarding  Communist  espionage  in  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment dated  August  28,  1948,  hearings  regarding  Communist  es- 
pionage in  the  United  States  Government  dated  July  21  through  Sep- 
tember 9, 1948,  and  the  committee  report  on  Soviet  espionage  within  the 
United  States  Government,  dated  December  31,  1948.  It  is  not  our 
purpose  to  recapitulate  these  reports  here  which  go  to  the  very  roots 
of  the  Communist  conspiracy,  but  we  would  like  to  call  attention  to 
the  startling  way  in  which  the  links  in  the  network  are  closed  by  cor- 
roborative testimony  from  one  witness  after  another,  over  a  long 
period  of  investigation  relentlessly  pursued  by  our  committee. 

Miss  Bentley  named  the  participating  members  of  the  two  espion- 
age groups  with  which  she  had  contact,  namely,  the  Silvermaster 
group  and  the  Perlo  group.  Members  of  these  groups  were  examined 
by  the  committee  and  some  refused  to  answer  all  questions  as  to  their 
participation  and  association  with  the  Communist  Party  on  the 
grounds  of  self-incrimination. 

Miss  Bentley  further  testified  that  there  were  certain  individuals 
employed  in  the  Government  who  cooperated  in  obtaining  information 


16  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

from  the  files  of  the  Government  for  the  use  of  Russian  agents  but 
who  were  not  actually  attached  to  either  the  Silvermaster  or  Perlo 
groups. 

On  August  3,  the  committee  heard  the  testimony  of  Whittaker 
Chambers.  He  testified  regarding  an  underground  apparatus  which 
was  set  up  by  the  Communist  Party  in  the  early  thirties  for  the  purpose 
of  infiltrating  the  Federal  Government.  The  members  of  this  group, 
according  to  Mr.  Chambers,  were  known  as  the  Ware- Abt- Witt  group. 

The  inadequacy  of  our  present  legislative  and  prosecuting  ma- 
chinery is  alarmingly  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  not  one  of 
these  individuals  has  been  prosecuted  to  date  on  these  grave  charges, 
with  the  single  notable  exception  of  Alger  Hiss,  indicted  for  perjury 
on  two  counts  by  a  New  York  Federal  grand  jury  on  December  15, 
1948. 

J.  V.  PETERS,  ALSO  KNOWN  AS  J.  PETERS,  ALEXANDER  GOLDBERGER,  ISADOR 
BOORSTEIN,  STEVE  LAPIN,  ROBERTS,  PETE  STEVENS,  STEVE  MILLER,  ALEX- 
ANDER STEVENS 

On  August  3,  1948,  Whittaker  Chambers  described  J.  Peters  as  "the 
head  of  the  whole  underground  United  States  Communist  Party,"  a 
former  member  of  the  Soviet  Government  of  Hungary. 

In  1940,  the  Special  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  re- 
printed in  its  appendix  I,  a  considerable  part  of  the  pamphlet,  The 
Communist  Party — A  Manual  on  Organization,  by  J.  Peters,  published 
in  1935,  in  which  Jack  Stachel,  whose  role  in  the  network  will  be 
described  later,  describes  the  author  as  one  who  "is  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  fundamental  principles  of  Leninist  organization" 
with  "a  wide  and  varied  experience  in  organizational  work--over  a 
period  of  many  years." 

The  files  of  the  committee  show  that  J.  Peters  was  a  frequent  con- 
tributor to  a  secret,  internal  organ  of  the  Communist  Party,  U.  S.  A., 
known  as  the  Party  Organizer,  in  June  1931,  September  1933,  July 
1934,  and  February  1937.  Our  files  further  show  that  on  March  7 
and  17,  1932,  J.  Peters  filled  out  credentials  in  Moscow  in  behalf  of 
Andrew  Smith,  in  which  Peters  signed  himself  as  "Acting  Representa- 
tive CPUS  A  (Communist  Party,  U.  S.  A.) ,  "E.  C.  C.  I."  (Executive 
Committee  of  the  Communist  International). 

He  was  an  instructor  at  Krumbein  Training  School  for  Communist 
leaders  in  1936. 

Testimony  further  showed  that  on  May  3,  1942,  Alexander  Stevens, 
alias  J.  Peters,  visited  Los  Angeles  where  he  met  with  Herbert  Biber- 
man,  John  Howard  Lawson,  and  Lester  Cole,  who  are  all  cited  as  Com- 
munists operating  in  the  motion-picture  industry.  He  was  in  contact 
and  received  funds  from  Louise  Bransten,  mentioned  in  the  hearings 
on  atomic  espionage. 

On  November  22,  1946,  Louis  F.  Budenz,  former  managing  editor 
of  the  Daily  Worker,  testified  before  the  Committee  on  Un-American 
Activities  that  J.  V.  Peters,  alias  Jack  Roberts  "introduced  me  to  the 
idea  of  the  conspiratorial  apparatus  of  the  Communist  Party,"  com- 
paring the  party  to  a  submerged  submarine  with  its  main  apparatus 
beneath  the  surface. 

Alexander  Stevens  was  summoned  to  appear  before  the  committee 
on  August  30,  1948,  at  which  time  he  refused  to  answer  any  questions 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  17 

regarding  the  foregoing  on  the  ground  that  his  answer  might  tend  to 
incriminate  or  degrade  him.  He  is  now  the  subject  of  deportation 
charges  by  the  Immigration  and  Naturalization  Service. 

JACOB  N.  GOLOS,  ALSO  KNOWN  AS  JACOB  RAISIN 

On  July  31,  1948,  Elizabeth  T.  Bentley  testified  that  Jacob  Golos 
had  asked  her  to  take  charge  of  contacting  members  of  the  Communist 
espionage  apparatus  within  the  United  States  Government. 

On  July  17, 1935,  Jacob  Golos  and  the  manager  of  World  Tourists, 
Inc.,  a  Soviet  travel  agency,  wrote  to  Intourist,  Inc.,  Paris,  France, 
urging  the  best  accommodations  and  the  best  attention  for  Samuel 
Liptzin,  the  name  under  which  Gerhart  Eisler  traveled  at  the  time. 

Ou  February  6,  1947,  Louis  F.  Budenz  testified  before  our  com- 
mittee that  "the  late  Jacob  Golos  introduced  me  to  the  Soviet  police, 
with  whom  I  worked  for  3  years." 

Legislation 

Confronted  as  we  are  with  a  problem  entirely  new  in  our  history,  it 
is  fully  understandable  that  little  attention  has  been  paid  in  the  past 
to  the  difficult  task  of  drafting  legislation  to  curb  the  activities  of  the 
Communist  fifth  column.  How  to  check  the  machinations  of  a  con- 
spiracy inspired  and  directed  by  a  foreign  power  and  involving  many 
thousands  of  individuals  including  some  native-born  Americans,  with- 
out at  the  same  time  infringing  upon  the  rights  guaranteed  by  the 
Constitution,  is  a  task  which  our  forefathers  could  scarcely  have  en- 
visaged over  150  years  ago.  It  is  a  task  which  will  tax  the  genius  of 
our  most  brilliant  legal  minds  in  the  years  ahead.  Upon  its  successful 
solution  may  well  depend  our  preservation  as  a  democratic  nation. 

The  committee  has  done  pioneer  service  in  breaking  the  ground  in 
this  field.  Endeavoring  to  approach  the  problem  from  the  broadest 
possible  angle,  the  committee  in  March  1947  heard  the  views  of  such 
distinguished  public  figures  as  Col.  John  Thomas  Taylor,  director, 
national  legislative  committee  of  the  American  Legion;  James  F. 
O'Neil,  vice  chairman  of  the  national  Americanism  commission  of  the 
American  Legion ;  William  Green,  president  of  the  American  Federa- 
tion of  Labor;  Allen  P.  Solada,  national  executive  director  of  the 
AMVETS ;  Dr.  Emerson  P.  Schmidt,  representing  the  United  States 
Chamber  of  Commerce;  Hon.  Jack  B.  Tenney,  chairman  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Joint  Fact  Finding  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities; 
Mrs.  Julius  Y.  Talmadge,  president  general  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution;  Louis  E.  Starr,  commander  in  chief,  Veterans 
of  Foreign  Wars ;  Eric  Johnston,  president,  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America;  Hon.  Kim  Sigler,  former  Governor  of  Michigan; 
Hon.  George  Earle,  former  Governor  of  Pennsylvania ;  Hon.  Gordon 
L,  McDonough,  Member  of  Congress  from  California ;  Hon.  William 
C.  Bullitt,  former  American  Ambassador  to  the  Soviet  Union  and 
France ;  J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Director  of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investi- 
gation ;  and  Walter  S.  Steele,  representing  84  patriotic  organizations. 
The  committee  also  heard  the  views  of  the  Communist  Party,  U.  S.  A., 
through  its  official  representatives,  Eugene  Dennis,  general  secretary, 
and  Norman  Schrank,  secretary  of  the  Communist  Party  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  Approximately  400  pages  of  testimony  was  presented.  In 
general  the  opinion  of  these  spokesmen  with  few  exceptions  was,  at 


18  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

that  time,  against  legislation  to  outlavi  the  Communist  Party  of  the 
United  States,  at  the  same  time  recommending  decisive  measures  to 
curb  its  activities.  These  views  were  perhaps  best  summarized  by- 
Mr.  Hoover  when  he  declared : 

I  have  always  felt  that  the  greatest  contribution  this  committee  can  make  is 
the  public  disclosure  of  the  forces  that  menace  America — Communist  and  Fascist. 
That  is  why  the  venom  of  the  American  Communist  and  the  now  defunct 
German-American  Bund  has  been  directed  at  this  committee  as  it  has  also  been 
directed  at  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation.  This  committee  renders  a  dis- 
tinct service  when  it  publicly  reveals  the  diabolic  machinations  of  sinister  figures 
engaged  in  un-American  activities. 

He  added — 

I  do  favor  unrelenting  prosecution  wherever  they  are  found  to  be  violating  our 
country's  laws. 

Pursuing  the  inquiry  still  further,  the  committee  in  February  1948 
heard  the  views  of  Hon.  Tom  C.  Clark,  Attorney  General  of  the  United 
States,  and  such  outstanding  representatives  of  the  American  bar  as 
Robert  R.  Milam  and  Walter  M.  Bastian  of  the  American  Bar  Associa- 
tion; Donald  R.  Richberg;  Louis  Waldman;  Samuel  N.  Birnbaum,  de- 
partment judge  advocate  of  the  American  Legion,  Department  of  New 
York;  Kenneth  D.  Parkinson,  Edmond  D.  Campbell,  Dr.  Charles  S. 
Collier,  and  George  E.  McNeill  of  the  District  of  Columbia  Bar  Associ- 
ation ;  Arthur  Garfield  Hays  of  the  American  Civil  Liberties  Union ; 
Selma  Borchardt  of  the  Women's  Bar  Association  of  the  District  of 
Columbia;  Adolf  A.  Berle,  Jr.,  former  Assistant  Secretary  of  State; 
Morris  L.  Ernst;  Dr.  Robert  A.  Maurer,  professor,  Georgetown  Uni- 
versity Law  School;  Dr.  William  Y.  Elliott,  professor  of  government, 
Harvard  University;  John  Foster  Dulles,  American  delegate  to  the 
United  Nations;  Thomas  Reed  Powell,  professor,  Harvard  University 
Law  School;  Robert  B.  Gaston;  Robert  Emmet  HeiTernan  of  George- 
town University;  and  Felix  B.  Cohen  of  the  Institute  of  Living  Law, 

Heard  also  were  such  eminent  public  figures  as  Hon.  Gordon  L. 
McDonough,  Member  of  Congress,  California ;  Hon.  Karl  E.  Mundt, 
Member  of  Congress.  South  Dakota ;  Hon.  George  A.  Dondero;  Mem- 
ber of  Congress,  Michigan;  Hon.  E.  Wallace  Chadwick,  Member  of 
Congress,  Pennsylvania;  James  Truslow  Adams,  historian;  Ferenc 
Nagy,  former  Premier  of  Hungary;  Charles  S.  Sullivan,  chairman, 
committee  on  un-American  activities  of  the  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars; 
Edgar  C.  Corry,  national  commander,  AMVETS;  Raymond  Moley, 
editor,  Newsweek;  George  M.  Dimitrov,  former  Agrarian  Party  leader 
of  the  Bulgarian  Parliament;  James  Burnham,  philosopher  and 
writer;  and  Eugene  Lyons,  author.  It  also  received  a  presentation  of 
the  official  views  of  the  Communist  Party,  U.  S.  A.,  from  Benjamin  J. 
Davis,  a  member  of  its  national  executive  board. 

The  500  pages  of  testimony  taken  during  these  hearings  on  legisla- 
tion to  define  communism  and  to  make  the  practice  of  communism  a 
treasonable  act  in  the  United  States  contain  matter  of  priceless  ex- 
plorative value,  which  has  never  been  previously  compiled  in  one 
volume,  for  the  guidance  of  those  engaged  in  the  field  of  legislation 
against  subversive  activity. 

On  May  2,  1948,  the  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  unani- 
mously approved  H.  R.  5852,  incorporating  the  views  arrived  at  after 
more  than  a  year  of  exhaustive  hearings,  investigation,  and  study. 
This  bill  is  aimed  primarily  at  cutting  the  connection  of  the  Ameri- 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  19 

can  Communist  Party  with  the  Soviet  Union  and  bringing  the  party's 
activities  out  into  the  open.  The  bill  provides  heavy  penalties  for 
anyone  attempting  to  establish  in  this  country  a  totalitarian  dictator- 
ship dominated  by  a  foreign  government ;  it  requires  Communists  and 
Communist-front  organizations  to  register  with  the  Attorney  General 
and  to  label  their  propaganda  for  what  it  is;  it  forbids  employ- 
ment in  the  Federal  Government  and  the  granting  of  passports  to 
Communists. 

On  May  19, 1948,  the  House  passed  H.  R.  5852  by  a  roll-call  vote  of 
319  to  58. 

The  'Senate  Judiciary  Committee  held  extended  hearings  on  the 
measure  and  has  formulated  certain  amendments.  It  is  our  firm  con- 
viction that  the  incoming  Congress  will  place  high  on  its  order  of  busi- 
ness the  adoption  of  legislation  along  the  lines  we  have  worked  out. 

Atomic  Energy 

It  will  be  recalled  that  point  4  of  our  eight-point  program  dealt  with 
the  field  of  atomic  energy.  Pursuing  this  line  of  investigation,  the 
committee  took  up  the  case  of  Edward  U.  Condon,  Director  of  the 
Bureau  of  Standards  and  scientific  adviser  to  the  Special  Committee 
on  Atomic  Energy.  Dr.  Condon's  case  was  the  subject  of  .an  investi- 
gation by  the  Special  Subcommittee  on  National  Security  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Un-American  Activities,  based  largely  upon  a  confidential 
letter  from  J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Director  of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  In- 
vestigation, to  W.  Averill  Harriman,  Secretary  of  Commerce,  and 
dated  May  15, 1947.  On  April  22, 1948,  the  House  of  Representatives 
by  a  vote  of  301  to  29  on  House  Resolution  522  directed  Mr.  Harriman 
to  transmit  forthwith  the  full  text  of  this  letter.  Compliance  with 
this  request  was  prevented,  however,  by  an  Executive  order.  The 
entire  case  was  made  the  subject  of  a  report  to  the  full  Committee  on 
Un-American  Activities  by  the  Special  Subcommittee  on  National 
Security.  No  final  disposition  of  the  case  was  made  by  the  full  com- 
mittee. 

On  September  9,  1948,  the  committee  heard  Clarence  F.  Hiskey,  a 
chemist,  formerly  engaged  in  highly  secret  research  work  on  atomic 
energy  at  the  SAM  Laboratory  at  Columbia  University,  and  at  the 
metallurgical  laboratory  of  the  University  of  Chicago.  An  official 
military  intelligence  report  dated  June  5,  1945,  contained  a  long 
record  of  Communist  affiliations  and  statements  on  the  part  of  both 
Hiskey  and  his  wife.  Our  investigations  disclosed  that  Hiskey  had 
contacted  and  given  information  to  Arthur  Adams,  a  man  with  a  long 
record  as  a  Soviet  espionage  agent.  In  1944  Government  agents 
searched  Adams'  room  and  found  highly  secret  information  regarding 
the  atomic  bomb  plant  at  Oak  Ridge  as  well  as  other  vital  information 
regarding  the  development  of  atomic  energy.  On  a  number  of  occa- 
sions he  was  in  contact  with  representatives  of  the  Soviet  consulate 
in  New  York. 

It  was  further  disclosed  that  Mr.  Adams'  activities  had  been  aided 
and  abetted  by  Samuel  Novick,  president  of  the  Electronics  Corp.  of 
America,  a  firm  engaged  in  manufacturing  highly  secret  military 
equipment  during  the  last  war  and  a  supporter  of  a  number  of  Com- 
munist ventures;  Samuel  J.  Wegman  of  Hollywood,  now  deceased; 
Julius  Heiman,  a  New  York  businessman  who  has  rendered  conspira- 


20  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

tive  aid  to  the  Communist  movement  for  many  years ;  Victoria  Stone, 
associated  with  Heiman ;  Eric  Bernay,  a  manufacturer  of  phonograph 
records  and  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  Communist  Party ;  and  Dr. 
Louis  Miller,  Heiman's  physician. 

Hiskey  refused  to  answer  questions  on  any  of  the  above  matters  on 
the  ground  that  his  answers  might  tend  to  incriminate  or  degrade  him. 

It  was  further  established  that  Hiskey  had  utilized  the  services  of 
John  Hitchcock  Chapin,  a  chemist,  also  connected  with  the  SAM 
Laboratories  in  New  York  and  the  metallurgical  laboratory  in  Chicago, 
for  the  purpose  of  communicating  with  Arthur  Adams.  Chapin  was 
a  fully  cooperative  witness. 

Steve  Nemarosh,  alias  Louis  Evans,  alias  Steve  Nelson,  former  com- 
missar in  the  Communist  inspired  Abraham  Lincoln  Brigade  in  Spain ; 
a  section  organized  for  the  Communist  Party  in  Luzerne,  Pa. ;  in  1936, 
its  candidate  for  the  Pennsylvania  State  Legislature;  and  a  member 
of  its  national  committee  in  1939,  1942,  and  1944,  was  also  involved. 
He  was  stationed  in  Moscow  in  1934. 

Nelson  had  received  a  complicated,  scientific  formula  from  a  scientist 
whom  we  must  refer  to  as  Scientist  X,  engaged  in  work  connected  with 
the  atomic  bomb  at  the  University  of  California  radiation  laboratories. 
He  had  thereupon  contacted  Peter  Ivanov,  Soviet  vice  consul  at  San 
Francisco  and  also  Vassili  Zubilin  of  the  Soviet  Embassy  from  whom 
he  received  10  bills  of  unknown  denomination.  When  Nelson  testified 
on  September  14,  1948,  he  refused  to  answer  all  pertinent  questions  on 
the  ground  that  his  answers  might  tend  to  incriminate  him.  The  com- 
mittee recommended  his  immediate  prosecution  under  section  2  of  the 
Espionage  Act  of  1917,  as  well  as  for  contempt  of  Congress.  In  view 
of  a  conflict  in  testimony,  further  investigation  in  the  case  of  Scientist 
X  was  recommended  to  the  office  of  the  Attorney  General. 

Martin  David  Kamen,  staff  chemist  for  the  radiation  laboratories 
at  the  University  of  California,  assigned  in  1944  to  an  important 
project  at  the  Manhattan  engineering  district's  atomic  bomb  project, 
met  Gregory  Kheifets,  Soviet  vice  consul  in  San  Francisco,  and  his 
successor,  Gregory  Kasperov,  on  July  1,  1944,  which  meeting  took 
place  in  a  San  Francisco  restaurant  and  was  observed  by  various  in- 
telligence officers.  It  was  alleged  by  the  intelligence  officers  that 
Kamen  had  divulged  classified  information  to  the  Soviet  officials  dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  meeting.  As  a  result  of  the  information  supplied 
by  the  intelligence  officers  to  officials  of  the  Manhattan  project,  Kamen 
was  dismissed  from  employment  on  the  atomic-bomb  project.  Based 
upon  the  evidence  presented  to  the  committee,  the  committee  is  in- 
clined to  believe  that  Kamen  committed  a  serious  act  of  indiscretion 
rather  than  an  act  of  espionage.  The  Kamen  matter  is  being  included 
in  this  report  because  of  the  involvement  of  a  Soviet  official,  Gregory 
Kheifets,  with  persons  known  to  be  engaged  in  espionage  on  behalf 
of  the  Soviet  Government. 

It  should  also  be  recalled  that  in  October  1947  testimony  before  the 
Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  disclosed  that  Peter  Ivanov 
was  in  contact  with  George  Charles  Eltenton,  who  in  turn  persuaded 
Haakon  Chevalier  of  the  University  of  Chicago  to  approach  J.  Robert 
Oppenheimer,  director  of  the  atomic-bomb  project,  for  information 
to  be  furnished  to  our  Russian  ally.  Professor  Oppenheimer  refused 
to  accede,  considering  such  an  act  as  treasonable.     Louise  Bransten, 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  21 

mentioned  above  in  connection  with  J'.  Peters,  was  in  turn  in  close 
association  with  Steve  Nelson,  concerning  which  she  refused  to  answer 
on  the  ground  that  it  might  incriminate  her.  She  was  also  in  touch 
with  Peter  Ivanov,  Haakon  Chevalier,  George  Charles  Eltenton,  and 
Gregory  Kheifets,  showing  the  close  interrelation  of  this  Communist 
clique. 

In  its  report  on  espionage  activities  in  connection  with  the  atom 
bomb,  dated  September  28,  1948,  the  committee  urged  the  abolition 
of  the  Presidential  directive  closing  executive  files  to  Congress  in  order 
that  the  full  story  of  the  Soviet  espionage  in  this  field  might  be  told. 
Here  it  must  be  pointed  out  again  that  not  a  single  member  of  this  con- 
spiratorial group  has  been  the  subject  of  prosecution. 

Files  of  the  Committee 

The  files  of  the  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  constitute  a 
vast  and  unexcelled  storehouse  of  information  concerning  subversive 
individuals  and  organizations  in  the  United  States.  The  committee's 
collection  of  information  covers  10  years  of  diligent  investigation 
and  inquiry  into  subversive  activities. 

Numerous  witnesses  have  testified  in  public  and  executive  hearings 
before  the  committee  and  submitted  evidence  in  support  of  that  testi- 
mony. In  the  course  of  its  widespread  investigations,  the  committee 
has  amassed  records  of  individuals,  histories  of  organizations,  reports, 
pamphlets,  periodicals,  photostats,  photographs,  documents,  and 
books.  Its  files  include  information  and  documentary  material  ob- 
tained from  regional  offices  which  were  maintained  in  Chicago,  Los 
Angeles,  and  New  York,  records  turned  over  to  the  committee  by  other 
agencies,  and  information  compiled  by  law-enforcement  agencies  in 
many  States. 

The  volume  of  this  valuable  collection  of  basic  informational 
material  covering  un-American  activities  can  be  measured  by  the 
fact  that  it  would  fill  200  file  cabinets.  It  is  one  of  the  most  voluminous 
collections  of  its  kind  in  existence. 

During  the  10-year  life  of  the  committee,  more  than  1,000  witnesses 
have  testified  in  public  and  executive  hearings  before  its  members. 
The  testimony  of  individuals  in  public  hearings  and  evidence  sub- 
mitted by  them  fill  29  large  volumes  with  a  total  of  25,000  pages.  The 
committee  has  issued  60  reports  and  pamphlets  since  it  began  its  in- 
quiries in  1938  with  an  investigation  of  the  German-American  Bund. 
Its  investigations  have  covered  Nazi  and  Fascist  leaders,  activities 
and  organizations  in  the  United  States,  subversive  activities  of  Japa- 
nese individuals  and  groups,  Communist  leaders  and  movements,  the 
nature  and  aims  of  the  Communist  Party,  and  Communist  and  Com- 
munist-front activities  in  all  phases  of  American  life.  During  its  ex- 
haustive studies  and  investigations,  the  committee  has  acquired 
thousands  of  irreplaceable  documents  and  records  which  have  been 
carefully  cataloged  and  filed. 

About  one-fourth  of  the  testimony  of  witnesses  before  the  committee 
and  a  corresponding  amount  of  file  material  concern  the  subversive 
activities  of  Nazis,  Fascists,  and  Japanese  in  this  country.  The  study 
of  communism,  begun  in  1938,  has  led  to  an  unequaled  collection  of 
material  covering  Communist  Party  organization  here  and  abroad, 


22  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE   ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

its  finances,  publications,  educational  activities,  its  work  among  mi- 
nority groups  and  organizations. 

The  vast  reference  collection  of  the  committee  is  in  constant  use 
by  committee  members  and  staff  employees.  Information  is  also  made 
available  to  individual  Members  of  Congress,  other  congressional 
committees,  and  various  agencies  in  the  executive  branch  of  the  Fed- 
eral Government.  From  June  20,  1946,  to  December  22,  1948,  reports 
on  25,591  individuals  and  1,786  organizations  were  compiled  by  staff 
members  at  the  request  of  Members  of  Congress.  These  written  re- 
ports cover  all  information  found  in  files,  records,  and  publications 
of  the  committee  concerning  the  individual  or  organization. 

The  files  of  the  committee  have  been  open  to  accredited  agents  of 
the  executive  departments  and  have  been  widely  used  in  security 
checks.  In  Presidential  Executive  Order  9835,  dated  March  21,  1947, 
which  prescribes  procedures  for  administration  of  the  loyalty  pro- 
gram for  Federal  employees,  the  files  of  the  Committee  on  Un-Ameri- 
can Activities  are  listed  as  one  of  the  pertinent  sources  of  information 
to  be  checked  in  determining  the  loyalty  of  employees  and  applicants 
for  employment.     They  have  been  widely  used  for  this  purpose. 

Indexes  to  public  hearings  and  committee  publications  contain 
48,221  references  to  individuals  and  8,593  references  to  organizations. 
These  indexes  and  the  committee's  card  files  are  consulted  daily  by 
authorized  personnel  from  numerous  Government  agencies  in  con- 
nection with  loyalty  or  security  investigations.  During  the  period 
January  22,  1947,  to  December  21,  1948,  accredited  representatives  of 
Government  agencies  made  5,975  visits  to  the  committee  file  room  to 
secure  information.  The  length  of  such  visits  varied  from  20  or  30 
minutes  to  an  entire  day,  during  which  time  files  were  checked  for 
available  information  concerning  3  to  200  or  more  individuals. 

Visitors  during  this  period  were  representatives  of  the  following 
agencies :  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation.  Civil  Service  Commission, 
State  Department,  Treasury  Department,  United  States  Coast  Guard, 
United  States  Secret  Service,  War  Department,  United  States  Air 
Force,  Central  Intelligence  Agency,  Navy  Department,  Labor  De- 
partment, Federal  Communications  Commission,  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission,  Commerce  Department,  Agriculture  Depart- 
ment, Economic  Cooperation  Administration,  National  Labor  Rela- 
tions Board,  Federal  Power  Commission,  Civil  Aeronautics  Board, 
War  Assets  Administration,  and  Metropolitan  Police  Department. 

Material  relating  to  individuals  and  organizations  has  been  so  care- 
fully indexed  that  Government  agents  may  make  their  own  checks  of 
committee  publications  and  card  files.  Numerous  questions  arise  as  to 
the  source  of  information  found,  however,  and  staff  members  are  con- 
stantly available  to  furnish  reference  material  and  answer  inquiries. 
On  an  average,  each  person  who  consults  the  files  makes  two  requests 
for  assistance. 

Government  investigators  have  made  constant  use  of  the  consoli- 
dated card  records,  a  collection  of  300,000  card  references  to  activities' 
and  affiliations  of  individuals.  Eight  cabinets  are  devoted  to  these 
references  which  are  an  index  to  source  material  in  committee  files. 

In  addition  to  the  consolidated  card  records,  which  contain  refer- 
ences to  thousands  of  individuals,  files  are  maintained  on  the  activities 
of  some  3,040  persons.     Five  cabinets  are  devoted  to  information  con- 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  23 

cerning  these  individuals,  many  of  whom  are  top  leaders  in  subversive 
groups  or  prominent  fellow  travelers  of  the  Communist  Party.  These 
collections  are  a  valuable  guide  to  the  activities  of  various  subversive 
groups  as  well  as  individuals'. 

The  committee  has  compiled  fists  of  signers  of  Communist  Tarty 
election  petitions  for  various  years  in  20  States,  showing  363,119  signa- 
tures. These  lists'  have  been  obtained  from  original  petitions  or  photo- 
static copies  of  original  petitions.  The  committee  has  published 
printed  lists  of  signers  of  election  petitions  of  the  Communist  Party 
for  1910  in  the  following  States:  Arizona,  California,  Connecticut, 
Illinois,  Indiana,  Kansas,  Kentucky,  Maryland,  Michigan,  New  Hamp- 
shire, New  Jersey,  New  York,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Rhode  Island,  Utah, 
Vermont,  West  Virginia,  and  Wisconsin. 

The  committee  has  also  indexed  the  following  Communist  Party 
election  petitions :  California,  1932,  1934,  1936,  and  1938 ;  1942  peti- 
tions in  Colorado  and  New  York ;  1946  petitions  in  Colorado,  Con- 
necticut, Michigan,  and  Pennsylvania;  New  York  City,  1936,  1939, 
1940,  and  1945  :  Philadelphia,  1941  and  1946. 

Of  the  363,119  signatures,  some  335,660  have  been  indexed  and 
printed  by  the  committee.  The  remaining  signatures  have  been  indexed 
and  filed  in  the  consolidated  card  record  file.  This  large  completely 
indexed  collection  has  been  a  helpful  guide  in  the  study  of  Communist 
activity  in  these  States  and  serves  as  a  valuable  and  readily  accessible 
reference  collection  for  investigators  from  Government  agencies. 

In  1948,  Government  agencies  made  80  requests  for  photostatic  copies 
of  signatures  to  Communist  Party  election  petitions,  and  other  exhibit 
material  in  committee  files,  with  the  number  of  pages  of  photostats 
in  such  requests  ranging  from  1  to  36.  During  the  year,  50  requests 
were  also  made  by  various  agencies  for  the  use  of  material  in  file  on  a 
loan  basis  for  photostating. 

Since  subversive  forces  try  to  infiltrate  other  organizations  while 
working  through  their  own,  the  committee  has  acquired  a  vast  store  of 
information  concerning  thousands  of  organizations  in  the  United 
States.  Its  scope  can  be  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  files  contain 
information  concerning  380  organizations  with  names  beginning  with 
the  letter  "A." 

Organization  material  in  file  is  composed  chiefly  of  material  issued 
by  the  organizations  themselves:  Letterheads,  statements  of  purpose 
and  policy,  reports  on  proceedings,  press  releases  and  literature,  an- 
nouncements of  activities,  news  clippings — material  from  which  the 
nature  of  the  organization  may  be  determined. 

During  the  past  10  years,  the  committee  has  acquired  5,000  pam- 
phlets. Most  of  these  have  been  written  by  leaders  prominent  in 
subversive  movements  or  issued  by  subversive  organizations.  This 
huge  collection  contains  numerous  Fascist  and  Nazi  pamphlets  and 
hundreds  of  publications  of  the  Communist  Party.  The  collection 
ranges  from  subtle  to  open  propaganda,  through  story,  song,  and  verse, 
and  reflects  the  constant  effort  of  subversive  groups  to  incite  hatred, 
capitalize  on  prejudice,  enmesh  the  unsuspecting,  and  divide  the  Amer- 
ican people  on  national  and  international  issues. 

Some  8,553  issues  of  644  periodicals  serve  as  valuable  sources  of 
information.  These  periodicals  reveal  the  motives  and  policies  of 
hundreds  of  subversive  groups  and  the  activities  of  their  leaders.     The 


24  REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES 

collection,  dating  back  to  1923,  contains  irreplaceable  copies  of  publica- 
cations  issued  by  Japanese,  Fascist,  and  Nazi  groups.  It  includes 
publications  of  labor  unions,  religious  and  racial  groups,  anti-Fascist, 
anti-Nazi,  and  anti-Communist  publications. 

Ninety  of  the  periodicals  in  the  collection  are  publications  of  the 
Communist  Party  or  its  front  organizations.  The  comprehensive 
current  file  includes  all  major  Communist  publications.  The  com- 
mittee has  acquired  copies  of  the  Communist  newspaper,  the  Daily 
Worker,  dating  back  to  1924.  Its  file  of  the  Communist  weekly,  New 
Masses  (now  merged  with  Mainstream  into  a  monthly,  Masses  and 
Mainstream),  dates  from  September  1927. 

Through  this  collection  of  daily,  weekly,  monthly,  and  quarterly 
publications  of  the  Communist  Party  covering  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
the  Communist  enterprises  in  the  United  States  and  the  devious  party 
line  may  be  traced. 

The  committee  has  in  file  hundreds  of  reports  compiled  by  staff 
investigators.  These  reports,  dating  from  1939  and  paralleling  com- 
mittee investigations,  cover  a  wide  range  of  subjects  and  contain  refer- 
ences to  thousands  of  subversive  individuals.  The  card  index  shows 
that  reports  of  investigators  contain  references  to  15,825  organiza- 
tions. Many  contain  documentary  evidence  which  is  useful  as  exhibit 
material. 

The  committee  has  collected  numerous  books  dealing  with  subver- 
sive activities  in  the  United  States  for  use  as  reference  material,  copies 
of  hearings  held  by  other  groups  investigating  subversive  activities, 
and  necessary  general  reference  books. 

Each  day  brings  a  huge  amount  of  valuable  new  material  to  com- 
mittee files:  News  clippings  pamphlets,  and  literature  of  subversive 
organizations,  reports  of  Communist  activities  here  and  in  foreign 
countries,  and  material  pertinent  to  the  work  of  the  committee.  This 
material  is  classified,  indexed,  and  added  to  the  growing  specialized 
collection. 

This  ever-expanding  storehouse  of  information  has  been  a  valuable 
tool  in  exposing  enemy  agents,  alien  subversives,  those  who  promote 
un-American  ideologies — those  who  seek  to  destroy  our  Government 
by  force  and  violence.  It  is  a  valuable  tool  in  furnishing  infor- 
mation to  the  American  people  about  such  individuals  and  the  organi- 
zations they  create — information  which  the  American  people  demand 
in  self-defense. 

Conclusion 

In  its  annual  report  of  January  3,  1940,  the  Special  Committee  on 
Un-American  Activities  characterized  the  Communist  Party  of  the 
United  States  not  as  a  true  political  party  but  as  a  conspiracy  in  behalf 
of  the  Soviet  Union.  Our  investigations  and  hearings  during  the  past 
2  years  have  borne  out  this  conclusion  in  the  most  startling  fashion. 
The  evidence  now  before  us  establishes  beyond  a  doubt  that  espionage 
and  treasonable  activity  against  these  United  States  is,  in  fact,  the 
primary  purpose  of  the  organization.  We  are  convinced  that  all  other 
outward  activity  and  propaganda  of  the  Communist  Party,  its  front 
organizations  and  controlled  unions,  serve  merely  to — 

1.  Enlist  new  recruits  for  the  primary,  underground,  espionage 
apparatus. 


REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES  25 

2.  Lend  an  idealistic  camouflage  to  this  sinister,  conspiratorial 
apparatus. 

3.  Act  as  its  protective  defense  mechanism. 

4.  Provide  it  with  funds  and  other  resources. 

The  enacting  of  legislation  adequate  to  cope  with  this  problem  is  a 
task  confronting  the  incoming  Congress. 

We  recommend  the  early  passage  of  legislation  modeled  substan- 
tially after  the  so-called  Mundt-Nixon  bill,  which  passed  the  House 
last  year  by  a  roll-call  vote  of  319  to  56. 

In  addition,  we  recommend  that  the  espionage  laws  of  the  United 
States  be  substantially  strengthened  by  early  laws  of  the  new  Con- 
gress, with  special  attention  to  means  for  returning  aliens  to  other 
countries  upon  conviction  for  crimes  against  the  United  States.  We 
also  recommend  that  the  penalties  for  those  properly  cited  for  con- 
tempt of  Congress  be  increased  to  a  minimum  of  5  years  in  prison  and 
a  $5,000  fine. 

We  further  suggest  that  our  immigration  laws  and  passport-visa 
regulations  be  carefully  studied  to  determine  what  changes  are  neces- 
sary to  prevent  disloyal  elements  from  entering  this  country  and  re- 
maining here. 

Finally,  we  recommend  that  the  new  Congress  appropriate  adequate 
funds  for  expanding  the  staff  for  the  House  Committee  on  Un-Ameri- 
can Activities  so  it  can  step  up  its  action  in  disclosing  the  identity  and 
functions  of  un-American  elements  both  in  and  out  of  public  office  in 
this  country. 

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