HARVARD COLLEGE
LIBRARY
GIFT OF THE
GOVERNMENT
OF THE UNITED STATES
r
INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE
ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA— PART 1
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
EIGHTY-FOUKTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
JUNE 4, 1956
Printed for the use of the Committee on Un-American Activities
(INDEX IN PART 4 OF THIS SERIES)
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
DEPOSITED BY THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
.OCT 5 1956
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1956
COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
United States House of Representatives
FRANCIS E. WALTER, Pennsylvania, Chairman
MORGAN M. MOULDER, Missouri HAROLD H. VELDE, Illinois
CLYDE DOYLE. California BERNARD W. KEARNEY, New York
JAMES B. FRAZIER. Jr., Tennessee DONALD L. JACKSON, California
EDWIN E. WILLIS, Louisiana GORDON H. SCHERER, Ohio
Richard Arens, Director
II
CONTENTS
Executive Hearings (See Part 3)i
June 2, 1956: Testimony of— Page
Joseph John Schoemehl 4949"
Loval Hammack 4966-
George V. L. Hardy.. 4971
June 4, 1956: Testimony of —
Joseph John Schoemehl (resumed) 4979
Obadiah Jones 4981
Public Hearings
PART 1
June 4, 1956: Testimony of —
William W. Cortor 4724
Afternoon session:
William W. Cortor (resumed) 4758
James H Sage 4761
Elliott Waxman 4784
Leslie S. Davison 4793^
Sol S. Nissen 4794
John William Simpson __. 4798
PART 2
June 5, 1956: Testimony of —
John William Simpson (resumed) 4803
William Henry Holland. _ _ 4808
Harvev John Dav 4818
Thelma Hecht (Mrs. Julius Hecht) 4825
Brockman Schumacher 4829
Thomas A. Younglove 4834
Afternoon session:
Thomas A. Younglove (resumed) 4845
Orville Leach 4864
Zollie C. Carpenter 4869
James Payne 4876
Helen Aukamp Sage (Mrs. James H. Sage) 4883
PART 3
June 6, 1956: Testimony of —
Dr. SolLonde... _ 4889
William Edwin Davis 4895
Ida Holland (Mrs William Henry Holland) 4899
Edwin Leslie Richardson. 4902
Anne (Ann) Yasgur Kling 4912
Afternoon session:
Anne (Ann) Yasgur Kling (resumed) 4920
Gilbert Harold Hall. 4940
Richard L. Stanford - 4944
Romey Hudson 4945
* Released by the committee August 24, 1956, and ordered to be printed.
m
IV CONTENTS
PART 4
June 8, 1956: Testimony of— ^^^
Helen Musiel — 4993
Hershel James Walker 5000
George Kimmel 5004
Hershel James Walker (recalled) 5014
Linus E. Wampler 5017
George Kimmel (recalled) 5026
Afternoon session:
Dr. John F Rutledge 5028
Ella Mae Posey Pappademos 5051
Clara Perkins (Mrs. Haven Perkins; 5058
Haven Perkins 5065
Julius Hecht 5069
Sol Derman 5070
Douglas MacLeod 5072
Index.
1
Public Law 601, 79th Congress
The legislation under which the House Committee on Un-AmericaD
Activities operates is Public Law GOl, 79th Congress (1946), chapter
753, 2d session, which provides:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled, * * *
PART 2— RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rule X
SEC. 121. STANDING COMMITTEES
*******
17. Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine members.
Rule XI
POWERS AND DUTIES OP COMMITTEES
*******
(q) (1) Committee on Un-American Activities.
(A) Un-American Activities.
(2) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommit-
tee, is authorized to make from time to time investigations of (i) the extent,
character, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States,
(ii) the diffusion within the United States of subversive and un-American propa-
ganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks
the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution, and
(iii) all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in any neces-
sary remedial legislation.
The Committee on Un-American Activities shall report to the House (or to the
Clerk of the House if the House is not in session) the results of any such investi-
gation, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable.
For the purpose of any such investigation, the Committee on Un-American
Activities, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit and act at such
times and places within the United States, whether or not the House is sitting,
has recessed, or has adjourned, to hold such hearings, to require the attendance
of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, and
to take such testimony, as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under
the signature of the chairman of the committee or any subcommittee, or by any
member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person
designated by any such chairman or member.
RULES ADOPTED BY THE 84TH CONGRESS
House Resolution 5, January 5, 1955
* :):•:): 4= * * *
Rule X
STANDING COMMITTEES
1. There shall be elected by the House, at the commencement of each Congress;
(q) Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine members.
:|c :!< :ic 4: H< 4= 4=
Rule XI
POWEKS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES
17. Committee on Un-American Activities.
(a) Un-American activities.
(b) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommittee,
is authorized to make, from time to time, investigations of (1) the extent, char-
acter, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States,
(2) the diffusion within the United States of S'ibversive and un-American propa-
ganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and
attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitu-
tion, and (3) all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in
any necessary remedial legislation.
The Committee on Un-American Activities shall report to the House (or to the
Clerk of the House if the House is not in session) the results of any such investi-
gation, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable.
For the purpose of any such investigation, the Committee on Un-American
Activities, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit and act at such times
and places within the United States, whether or not the House is sitting, has
recessed, or has adjourned, to hold such hearings, to require the attendance of
such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, and to
take such testimony, as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under the
signature of the chairman of the committee or any subcommittee, or by any
member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person
designated by any such chairman or member. -,
VI
LWESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE
ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA— PART 1
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1956
United States House of Representatives,
Subcommittee of the
Committee on Un-American Activities,
St. Louis, Mo.
public hearing
A subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities met
at 10 a. m., pursuant to call, in room No. 3, United States Courthouse
and Customs Building, St. Louis, Mo.; Hon. Morgan M. Moulder
(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Committee members present: Representatives Morgan M. Moulder,
of Missouri; James B. Frazier, Jr., of Tennessee; and Gordon H.
Scherer, of Ohio.
Staff members present: Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., counsel; George C.
Williams and Raymond T. Collins, investigators.
Mr. Moulder. The subcommittee will come to order.
Let the record show that the Honorable Francis E. Walter, of
Pennsylvania. Chairman of the Committee on Un-American Activities
of the United States House of Representatives, pursuant to law and
the rules of this committee, has duly appointed a subcommittee for
the purpose of conducting this hearing, composed of Representatives
James B. Frazier, Jr., of Tennessee, who sits on my left, Gordon H.
Scherer, of Ohio, who sits on my right, and myself, Morgan M.
Moulder, of Missouri, as chairman.
The Chair desires to make the following statement which has been
prepared and approved by all of the members of this committee.
This committee has devoted much time to the investigation of the
subject of communism, and has endeavored to keep Congress well
informed regarding the extent, character, and objects of the Com-
munist conspiracy in this country.
This is a continuation of similar investigations held in many of the
most vital industrial cities in our Nation. In the performance of this
work the committee has made reports to Congress prior to the present
84th Congress in which 48 recommendations were made for new legis-
lation or for the strengthening of existing legislation designed to aid
in the fight against subversive communism. All but four of these
recommendations have been enacted, in one form or another, into
law by the Congress of the United States. Among these are the
Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950, the Communist Control
Act of 1954, and the Immunity Act.
4721
4722 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
The purpose of this hearing is to investigate the extent, character,
and objects of un-American propaganda activities which emanate from
foreign countries or of a domestic origin and which attack the princi-
ple of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution, as
well as all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress
in any necessary remedial legislation, with special reference to Com-
munist infiltration in industrial plants, in mass organizations, and in
the professions.
It has been duly established by testimony before congressional
committees and before the courts of our land that the Communist
Party of the United States is a part of an international conspiracy
which is being used as a tool or weapon by a foreign power to promote
its own foreign policy, and which has for its object the overthrow of
the governments of all non-Communist countries, resorting to the use
of force, if necessary.
Communism cannot successfully exist in our country except by the
promulgation and diffusion of subversive and un-American propa-
ganda, and, in the opinion of this committee, every person who
remains a member of the Communist Party is contributing to the
ult'mate accomplishment of the objectives of the Communist Party.
Communism and Communist activities cannot be investigated in
a vacuum. Therefore, it is necessary, if Congress is to legislate in-
telligently on the subject, to call as witnesses those whom the com-
mittee has reason to believe have laiowledge on the subject. This
the committee proposes to do in the discharge of the responsibilities
placed upon us by the Congress of the United States. From such
knowledge acquired it is the hope of the committee that legislative
means may be found to more adequately protect our form of govern-
ment and our country and our American way of life from the threat
of this international Communist conspiracy.
The leaders of the Soviet Union have recently launched a new
tactical maneuver which is dangerous for the United States. They
have adopted new tactics to weaken and discredit anticommunism
within the United States.
The general approach of this new policy is to appear more con-
ciliatory, and to encourage non-Communist countries to make con-
cessions in the name of a false Communist spirit of peace and civil
liberties which we in America hold dear and have always sought and
defended.
They seek to smear this committee. They seek to dismantle anti-
Communist legislation and achieve a false, so-called peaceful coexist-
ence which will not resist future Soviet aggression and Communist
subversion.
The military might of the Soviet Union remains intact, and the
dictatorial leaders of the Communist Soviet Union now control and
direct more than one-third of the entire world.
The new Communist policy is shrewdly designed to lull the American
people into complacenc}^, inertia, and ultimately achieve the ripe
opportunity for world communism under the iron heel of Soviet
totalitarianism.
We the members of this committee, and our hard-working staff of
counsel and investigators, are not deceived by the new Communist
propaganda, and we are not going to be stampeded or discouraged
in the work delegated to us by the Congress of the United States.
COJVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4723
And we will not relax our fight against the spread of communism
because of unjust criticism and because of smokescreen smear attacks
on us as individuals or as a committee by the Communist Party and
their fellow travelers.
The committee wants it understood that in the conduct of this
hearing we are not interested in any dispute between labor and man-
agement or between one union and another union.
Neither are we interested m the internal affairs of any labor union.
We propose to ascertain the facts regarding Communist schemes
and the activities of individuals affiliated with them, whether that be
in the field of labor or in any other field, so that Congress will be
enabled to legislate more ably and comprehensively on the subject.
It is the standing rule of this committee that any person identified
as a member of the Communist Part\^ during the course of the com-
mittee hearings be given an early opportunity to appear before this
committee, if he desires, for the purpose of denying, affirming, or
explaining any testimony adversely aft'ecting him. If this be any
person's desire, he should communicate with a member of the staff.
The committee has observed from the press that 10 days prior to
this hearing the bar association of St. Louis oft'ered its services to
any witness subpenaed to appear before this committee who is unable
to obtain the services of an attorney.
As pointed out by the press, the committee, not being a court, is
without power to appoint counsel for witnesses. However, the com-
mittee for many years has encouraged witnesses to secure counsel,
and, on a number of occasions, has requested local bar associations
to furnish counsel for witnesses. Notable examples of instances in
which local bars have rendered outstanding services to witnesses at
the suggestion of this committee are Seattle, Wash., and Flint, Mich.
We earnestly compliment the bar association of St. Louis for its
action in this matter, expecially in view of the fact that it was with-
out any suggestion on the part of the committee.
May I make it clear that an attorne}^ who appears before this com-
mittee as counsel for a witness, that that fact should not in itself be
taken as any disparagement or reflection whatsoever against the lawyer
for doing so, because he is so representing the witness as a part of his
duty in the conduct of his work in his profession as a lawyer. And
we invite and encourage counsel to be present.
I would remind those present that we are here as Members of
Congi'ess and as authorized and directed by the Congi*ess of the
United States to discharge a duty placed upon us by Public Law 60 L
Spectators are here by permission of the committee, and I trust
that tliroughout the hearings you wiU conduct yourselves as guests
of the committee.
A disturbance of any Idnd or audible comment during the course of
the testimony, whether favorable or unfavorable to any witness or to
the committee, will not be tolerated. For any mfraction of this rule
the offender or offenders will be ejected from the hearing room.
I trust it is only necessary to call this matter to your attention,
and that it will not be necessary to repeat it.
In accordance with the rules of the House of Representatives, there
will be no telecast or radio broadcast of testimony or proceedings had
by this committee in this hearing room.
Still photography is not permitted while a witness is testifying.
81594 — 56 — pt. 1 2
4724 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST, LOUIS, MO., AREA
Please observe the rules of the Federal com*t that there be no
smoking in the room.
Call your first witness, please, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. William W. Cortor.
Will you come forward, please.
Mr. Moulder. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony which
you are about to gwe before the subcommittee will be the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Cortor. I do.
Mr. Tavenner. Please be seated.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM W. CORTOR
Mr. Tavenner. What is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Cortor. It is William W. Cortor, spelled C-o-r-t-o-r.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Cortor, it is the practice of the committee to
advise all witnesses that they are entitled to have counsel present with
them if they so desire, and to confer with counsel at any time during
the course of their testimony. I wanted you to know that you have
that right if you desire to exercise it.
When and where were you born, Mr. Cortor?
Mr. Cortor. I was born in Saint Francis County, Mo., on March 4,
1912.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliere do you now reside?
Mr. Cortor. 1859 Irving Place, Wellston, Mo.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what your
formal educational training has been?
Mr. Cortor. I finished grammar school, and had a little training
in business college. That is the extent of my formal education.
Mr. Tavenner. What is the general nature of your present em-
ployment?
Mr. Cortor. I am employed on the towboats operated on the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers by various private companies.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Cortor, have you had an occasion in the past
to become a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. I have.
Mr. Tavenner. Ai-e you now a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. No.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, the circum-
stances under which you first became a member?
Mr. Cortor. It was back in 1938 while I was on strike at the
Emerson Electric Co. plant here in St. Louis that I first came in con-
tact with the Young Communist League during my strike activities.
And in the following September I joined the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. W^ere you employed at the Emerson Electric Co.
at the time you mentioned?
Mr. Cortor. Yes; I was.
Mr. Tavenner. Did I understand you to say that you first became
a member of the Young Communist League?
Mr. Cortor. That is correct.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4725
Mr. Tavenner. Tell the committee, please, how you became a
member, and the circumstances under which you became a member
of the Young Communist League.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, I was very active in the organization of Emerson
Electric and also in the conduct of the strike when I was approached
by Henry Fiering and asked if I had ever read anything of Communist
literature or anything of that type. And I told him "No."
So he invited me to attend the meeting of the Young Communist
League, which I attended, and joined the Young Communist League
during that meeting.
Mr. Tavenner. At this point, will you tell us a little more about
Henry Fiering. Other than his Communist Party activities, in what
work was he engaged?
Mr. CoRTOR. He was a strike leader at the Century Electric Co.
which was on strike at the same time as Emerson.
Mr. Tavenner. At what plant?
Mr. CoRTOR. The Century Electric Co.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether he was at that time or at
a later time an official in a union?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. What union?
Mr. CoRTOR. The United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall what position he held in the United
Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America?
Mr. Cortor. Well, in 1945 he was international representative
working in the Dayton area, Dayton, Ohio, area, for the UE.
Mr. Scherer. In what year was he working in the Dayton area?
Mr. Cortor. 1945.
Mr. Scherer. When was the Univis strike in Dayton, counsel?
He said this man Fiering was active in the Dayton area in about
1945. Do you recall the date of the Univis strike in Dayton?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir. That was in 1948.
I may say to the subcommittee that Mr. Fiering was called as a
witness before this committee on August 30, 1950, and was asked
various questions relating to alleged Communist Party activities
engaged in by him. But he refused to answer material questions on
the ground that to do so might tend to incriminate him.
Now you say that it was this Mr. Henry Fiering who brought you
into the Young Communist League in 1938?
Mr. Cortor. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. How long after that was it that you became a
member of the Communist Party itself?
Mr. Cortor. It was in September of the same year.
Mr. Tavenner. How did that occur?
Mr. Cortor. Well, I was called in to the party office, which at
that time was at Vandeventer and Olive, and informed that my name
had been submitted as a candidate for a national fulltime training
school to be held somewhere in upstate New York. And I told the
person at that time that I didn't feel that I was eligible for such a
4726 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
school due to the fact that I wasn't a member of the Communist
Party.
At that time they gave me an application, which I filled out for
membership in the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. After filling out your membership requirements,
were you selected for this training school?
Mr. CoRTOR. No. I was rejected by the National office of the
Communist Party due to the fact that I hadn't been a member of the
party long enough.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlio was selected in your place?
Mr. CoRTOR. Antonia Sentner.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, this is the same training school or
school for the training of leadership in the Communist Party about
which the committee has received considerable evidence in the past.
Will you tell the committee, please, if you can recall at this time,
the other persons who entered the Young Communist League at the
same time or approximately the same time that Henry Tiering induced
you to become a member?
Mr. CoRTOR. Mr. Louis Kimmel joined the same night I did, and
his brother George joined sliortly afterward.
Mr. Tavenner. The spelling of the name Kimmel is K-i-m-m-e-1,
is it not?
Mr. CoRTOR. Correct.
Mr. Tavenner. Did they also become members of the Communist
Party with you?
Mr. CoRTOR. Not at the same time. I don't know just when the
two officially joined the Communist Party, but they did join later
on.
Mr. Tavenner. I think I will ask you at this time to give the
committee the names of the leaders of the Comaiunist Party in St.
Louis at the time you became a member or shortly thereafter.
Mr. CoRTOR. Mr. Alfred Wagenknecht was a district organizer.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, the staff has investigated the cor-
rect spelling of that name, and it is W-a-g-e-n-k-n-e-c-h-t.
What position did he hold in the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. He was a district organizer or State chairman of the
Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Very well, sir, if you will proceed.
Mr. CoRTOR. And his wife, Carolyn Drew, was also a leading party
person. Exactly what position she held in the State apparatus I could
not say at this time.
There were William and Antonia Sentner, Henry Tiering, and Clara
Wernick.
Mr. Tavenner. How do you spell Wernick?
Mr. CoRTOR. W-e-r-n-i-c-k.
Mr. Tavenner. I interrupted you. What were you going to tell
the committee regarding her?
Mr. CoRTOR. She was also the State chairman of the Young Com-
munist League at that time.
Mr. Tavenner. Was she the wife of Henry Fiering?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
There was also Ralph Shaw and his wife Sarah. Otto Miller.
Mr. Tavenner. Who was the last?
Mr. CoRTOR. Otto Miller.
COMMTJNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4727
Mr. Tavenner. Otto Miller?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Is that the same individual who was subsequently
deported?
Mr. Cortor. To the best of my knowledge he is.
Mr. Scherer. Wliy was he deported, counsel?
Mr. Tavenner. It was pursuant to the immigration laws in con-
nection with an immigration hearing.
Do you know what position of leadership he had in any union?
Mr. Cortor. Not during that period. He was a full-time func-
tionary for the Communist Party at that time. He later became
head of one of the plants in the Amalgamated Local of the UE here
in St. Louis.
Mr. Tavenner. He was an official of the UE, United Electrical,
Radio, and Machine Workers of America?
Mr. Cortor. He was an official of one of the locals. Whether he
had a title in the district or not I couldn't say.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether he was president of that
local or not?
Mr. Cortor. I believe he was. I could not swear definitely that
he was a president. But he was a high official in the local.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall whether that local was 819?
Mr. Cortor. I believe it was. Either local 819 or 810.
Mr. Tavenner. You are not certain of the number of the local?
Mr. Cortor. The Benjamin Air Rifle plant is where he worked.
Mr. Moulder. May I interrupt, Mr. Tavenner, at this point?
If the witness can, when naming persons and identifying them as
Communist Party members, if possible and wherever possible, it has
been the rule of this committee to ask the witness to give any specific
description or identification of this person as much as possible so that
the name may not be confused with other persons who might not
have been members of the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. With what other leaders of the Communist Party
did you become acquainted in your Communist Party activities whose
names you have not mentioned?
Mr. Cortor. The leaders in that period
Mr. Tavenner. Let me ask you if you were acquainted with
Robert Manewitz.
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. The correct spelling of the name, Mr. Chairman,
according to the committee's investigation, is M-a-n-e-w-i-t-z.
How long did you remain in the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. It was up until the fall of 1947.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you then become a member again at a later
period?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, in the early spring of 1951.
Mr. Tavenner. And then how long did you remain active in the
Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. Until the trial of the Smith Act defendants that was.
held here in St. Louis in this com'troom.
Mr. Tavenner. In 1954?
Mr. Cortor. In 1954, that is right.
4728 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Was your identity as a member of the Communist
Party disclosed at that time?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. Also, including your identity at that time as a
person who had been working in the Communist Party at the request
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. So that your membership in the Communist
Party was from 1938 until 1954 — that is, yom- active membership —
except during the period from 1947 to 1951?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner, I wish you would tell the committee, please, at
this time what the organizational setup of the Communist Party was
when you first became a member of it and as you progressed in it.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, at that time the party apparatus was set up
on the basis of neighborhood branches and also industrial branches
and fractions.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall how many neighborhood branches
or groups of the Communist Party there were in St. Louis?
Mr. CoRTOR. At that period of time it would be hard for me to say
b.^cause I wasn't involved too much in neighborhood work.
• Mr. Tavenner. Can you, from your recollection, identify any of
those groups at the time that you went into it?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, there was one group that met at the Vanguard
Book Shop at 3528 Franklin Avenue, and another group that met at
1383 Goodfellow.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, may I interrupt at this point to
clarify one thing?
Were you an undercover agent for the Federal Bm*eau of Investiga-
tion when you first joined the party in 1947?
Mr, CoRTOR. 1938. No, sir; I wasn't.
Mr. ScHERER. 1938 I mean.
Mr. CoRTOR. But in the last period I was in the party.
Mr. ScHERER. You reentered the Communist Party in 1951 then
at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. You were telling us about the second group, neigh-
borhood group. I did not understand what area you said they were
from.
Mr. CoRTOR. They were from the West Side. It was one of the
West Side groups, and they met at 1383 Goodfellow.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you tell us what people generally made up
that West Side group of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, the good proportion of the membership of that
group were members of the International Workers Order. And the
building, so I understand, that they met in was owned by the Inter-
national Workers Order.
Mr. Tavenner. You spoke of industrial groups. Will you teU the
committee the number of industrial groups, as far as you can recall,
during this early period of your membership; that is, from 1938 to
1947.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, there were four that I know of in the electrical
industry. And during this early part — 1938 through the early
1940's — there were quite a few groups in different steel plants in St.
Louis.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4729
Mr. Tavenner. In your judgment, all in all, how many groups of
the Communist Party were there in industrial plants?
Mr. CoRTOR. It would be hard for me to say the exact number that
there were.
Mr. Tavenner, Will you give us the names of the plants in which
these industrial groups were organized, as far as you can recall at this
time, including the union that organized the particular plant.
Mr. Cortor. There was a group at Emerson Electric which was
organized by the UE.
There was a group in Century Electric, also organized by the UE.
Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment, please.
What local of the UE organized Emerson Electric?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. That was Local 1102. At Century Electric
it was Local 1108 of the UE. And then there was a group in Wagner
Electric, which was Local 1104. And a group in the Amalgamated
local, which was Local 828 at the time, if I remember correctly.
Mr. Tavenner. The Amalgamated local of the UE meant that that
consisted of a local which had organized a number of smaller
independent plants?
Mr. Cortor. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. You have referred to a number of groups at that
time in the steel plants. Can you elaborate on that?
Mr. Cortor. Well, I knew of one group that was at the St. Louis
Car Co. plant, which was organized by the Steel Workers' Organizing
Committee. \^^iat the local number was there I couldn't say. And
the various other steel plants, I couldn't identify the plants by name
at the present time.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlien you refer to these groups of the Communist
Party at Emerson Electric, Century Electric, and so on, are you
referring to groups of the Communist Part}^ which had been organized
among the employees at those plants?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. In the Communist Party did they generally refer
to those groups of the Communist Party by the name of the plant in
which they were working?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. You said there were also fractions, that the organ-
izational setup included fractions. What do you mean by that?
Mr. Cortor. Well, you would have your different groups in the
various plants, and each one of these groups would have 1 or 2 people
selected to meet as a fraction for the industry as a whole.
Mr. Tavenner. So that in industry, for instance, if you had a
fraction meeting you had present representatives from these various
organized groups of the Communist Party meeting in one meeting?
Mr, Cortor. That is right,
Mr. Tavenner. Can you place a reasonably accurate estimate on
the Communist Party membersliip in St. Louis during that early
period between 1938 and 1947?
Mr. Cortor. Well, the first part of 1940 the party made the
announcement that, if I remember the figure correctl}^ they gave it
at 512 for the districtwide membership of the Communist Party at
that time.
The district at that time was composed of Missouri and Arkansas.
4730 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Can you give the committee any fair estimate as
to the proportion of that membership which was located in the
St. Louis area?
Mr. CoRTOR. Oh, I would say 90 percent.
Mr. Tavenner. After 3^ou returned to the Communist Party in
1951 you found that there had been quite a change, did you not, in
the organization of the groups? That for security reasons the groups
consisted of much smaller numbers.
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you ever in a position after 1951 to make
any substantial estimate of the membership, any substantially correct
estimate?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, I wasn't.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Counsel, do you not think you should ask him
to explain in reply to your question in which you asked whether the
groups were much smaller in 1951 because of security reasons? Could
he elaborate on that?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; I think it would be well to explain it at this
point, although I had expected to go into that later.
Mr. Scherer. I will withdraw the request.
Mr. Tavenner. I believe now is the best time to do it since we
have mentioned the matter.
What security provisions did the Communist Party have at the
time you again became a member of it in 1951?
Mr. Cortor. Well, the group memberships were, in the vast
majority of cases, limited to not over 4 in any 1 group. And there
would be only one person in that group wlio would be in contact with
the next higher body, which would be the section. And then the
section leaders, people in the section — tnere would be one person in
that group who would be in contact with the next higher body, and so
on up.
Mr. Scherer. What was the reason for that. Witness?
Mr. Cortor. Well, they were afraid of being exposed.
Mr. Tavenner. The trial of the first Smith Act case was begun in
1949 and the committee has abundant evidence indicating that the
plan which 3'ou say was in effect liere in St. Louis was put into effect
generally over the country in 1950.
Mr. Scherer. For the purpose of preventing exposure.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, and for the purpose of concealing activities.
Going back to the organizational setup of the Communist Party,
what was the next higher level of the Communist Party above that of
neighborhood groups?
Mr. Cortor. The city committee — do you mean in the early period?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
Mr. Cortor. It would be the city committee, and then the State
committee, and then the national body.
Mr. Tavenner. You said there was a chain of organization from
the lowest level of the neighborhood groups straight to the national
body in New York City?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. And at that time also the International body,
the Communist International.
Mr. Tavenner. To the Communist International.
When you first became a member of the Communist Party in 1938
were you assigned to any particular group of the Communist Party?
CO]VIMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4731
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes. I was assigned to the Emerson group. I was
an employee of Emerson at that time, and I was assigned to work and
maintain my party membership in that group.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlio was the chairman or leader of the Emerson
group?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, the group was led by both William Sentner
and Robert Manewitz. William Sentner also met with all the other
groups and with the local head of the union at that period.
Mr. Tavenner. How long did you remain a member of the Emer-
son group?
Mr. CoRTOR. Oh, it was up until the latter part of 1939.
Mr. Tavenner. Where were the meetmgs held?
Mr. CoRTOR. There were several held at the Vanguard Book Shop,
1 or 2 held at the party office at Vandeventer and Olive, and in various
homes would be meetings of the group.
Mr. Tavenner. At that period of time, what was the general
course that the meetings took?
Mr. CoRTOR. Just about 90 percent of the discussion would be
involved around the problems in the local unions, and recruiting of
further members from the local unions.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee what the principal
purpose of the Communist Party was in organizing these various
groups in industry at that time?
Mr. CoRTOR. To either maintain themselves in control or to obtain
control of the local trade-union apparatus, and to further the program
of the Communist Party in those trade unions.
Mr. Tavenner. I think I will ask you at this time a question regard-
ing certain decisions made by the Communist Party which were
made about the time that you left the Communist Party in 1947.
I desire to read into the record at this point, as a basis for f mother
questioning of this witness, "Schoemehl E.xhibit No. 1,"
Mr. Moulder. Has that exhibit been admitted in evidence?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, it was first introduced in the executive
testimony of Mr. Schoemehl.
Mr. Moulder. Proceed.
Mr. Tavenner. This is a copy of a report by Ray Koch, organiza-
tional secretary- of the Communist Party, under date of April 14,
1947, which the staff, in the com-se of its investigation, procured.
This exhibit reads as follows:
Organization Department Report to Clubs, April 14, 1947
Following consultation ^^^th the national organization commission of our party,
the Missouri State board has made a number of important decisions. These
decisions are for the purpose of strengthening our party and its leadership in
order that our party can fulfill its role in organizing and leading the struggles of
our class and our people in Missouri. These decisions on Organization include:
1. That the Missouri district implement immediately and seriously its con-
centration policy in the electrical and machine industry, by establishing a con-
centration section plus the assignment of one fulltime person to head the
concentration work.
2. That Ray Koch be assigned as organization secretary of the district full t inic,
and that Al Murphy be assigned to full-time work as North Side section organizer
and to raise the level of party activity among the Negro masses.
81694— 56— pt. 1-
4732 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
3. That, following the establishment of a concentration section, the remaining
West Side clubs be consolidated with the North Side section, except that the
Haldane (student) Club shall be assigned to the Professional section.
4. Organizational assignments involving the promotion of a number of com-
rades are being made for the following posts: (a) Educational director, (6) litera-
ture director, (c) press director, (d) finance and dues secretaries. The heads of
these departments, together with the organizational secretary shall constitute
the organizational department, to assist the sections and clubs in the proper
organization and execution of their work.
5. A capable comrade is being assigned as trade union director to assist with the
board in the coordination of the trade-union work of the party.
6. Additional commissions l)eing established to assist in the development
and guidance of party work are: (a) Youth commission, (b) Negro commission,
(c) Review commission, (d) Out-State committee.
The above organizational decisions will aid in the development of collective
leadership, division of work, and a greater all-around organizational efficiency.
Ray Koch,
Organization Secretary,
When you returned to the Communist Party m 1951, and up until
1954, was the Communist Party continuing this program of concen-
tration in the electrical and machine industry?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. In the course of your Communist Party activity
did you become acquainted with Al Murphy?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Did he engage in the work indicated that he had
been assigned to by this report?
Mr. Cortor. He had engaged in that work for several years before
then, to my knowledge.
Mr. Tavenner. Reference was made to the Out-State committee.
What is meant by Out-State committee?
Mr. Cortor. Well, I am not famihar with that letter due to the
fact that I was a merchant seaman at that time and was at sea at the
time that letter came out. But, in my judgment, it would be a com-
mittee to coordinate the work of the party jjeople who lived outside of
the St. Louis area.
Ml'. Tavenner. And in the district generally?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. What is meant by review commission?
Mr. Cortor. That would be a commission they would set up to
review the activities of the party, different sections of the party for a
previous period.
Mr. Scherer. Did the review commission have diaciphnary power
over the members of the party?
Mr. CoRTOR. As to that I couldn't say.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you get an answer to the question?
Mr. Scherer. Yes; he said he couldn't answer m}^ question; he
didn't know.
Mr. Tavenner. I may say, Mr. Chairman, that in the executive
testimony of Mr. Joseph John Schoemehl
Mr. Scherer. That was the reason I was asking the question,
because I listened to his testimony, and did he not say that the review
commission did have disciplinary powers?
And wasn't he called before the review commission and tried?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir; that is correct.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4733
In addition to other things, it acted and served as a control or
disciplmary committee.
Mr. ScHERER. And further that a member was not allowed to
invoke the fifth amendment before that commission.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you given any particular assignment in the
Communist Party during the period of time that you were a member
of the Emerson electrical group of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. Well, there was one assignment while I was in that
group outside of my maintaining membership and furthering the work
of the party in the local union. I was assigned to work with the
unemployed due to the fact that for a considerable period of time,
when I met with the electrical fraction, I was unemployed, and ob-
tamed a job on WPA for the purpose of helpmg lead the unemployed
group here m St. Louis.
Mr. Tavenner. Was this group in the unemployed utilized to
increase the membership of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. They used this group as a recruiting basis; yes. I
personally didn't recruit anybody out of the gi'oup.
IMr. Tavenner. Now you have described for us the fraction meet-
ings in the industrial units. Did you attend any fraction meetings
yom'self?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, I have.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you a representative of your electrical group
in tliose fraction meetings?
Mr. Cortor. I could not say that I was oificial representative, but
I would be invited to attend some of the fraction meetings.
Mr. Tavenner. How frequently did you attend these fraction
meetings?
Mr. Cortor. Oh, I would say I attended 4 or 5 of them during the
time I was assigned to the Emerson group.
Mr. Tavenner. And, as you have said, the persons who attended
these fraction meetings represented various organized gi'oups of the
Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. In industry?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. And therefore when you can identify an individual
from a particular company or employment — that meant that there
was a Communist Party group organized withm that plant?
Mr. Cortor. Well, not necessarily. See you take in the Amal-
gamated local — -they may have only one member in a plant, but they
would have a group in the local.
Mr. Tavenner. But, other than the Amalgamated gi'oup, it would
mean the Communist Party organized group?
Mr. Cortor. That is true, yes, su\
Mr. Tavenner. WUl you at this time tell the committee who met
with you in these fraction meetings, and give the committee all the
descriptive information you can regardmg the individual.
Mr. Cortor. Well, there was William Sentner who mahitained his
local membership m Local 1102, the Emerson local.
Mr. Tavenner. Was he one of those convicted in the Smith Act
trial in 1954?
Mr. Cortor. Yes; that is right; and Robert Manewitz also from
Local 1102, who was also a defendant.
4734 COIVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Very well.
Mr. CoRTOR. Henry Fiering, who was at Century Electric at that
time; Otto Maschoff.
Mr. Tavenner. TVliat was that name?
Mr. CoRTOR. Otto Maschoff.
Mr. Tavenner. M-a-s-c-h-o-f-f. Is that the correct spelling?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. From what plant?
Mr. Cortor. Century Electric.
And Helen Musiel, who led the strike at the Superior Electric Co.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you tell the committee at this point anything
more about Helen Musiel?
Mr. Cortor. Yes; later, in a later period, Helen Musiel became a
full-time functionary of the Communist Party here in St. Louis for,
oh, quite a few years. The exact length of time she was a full-time
functionary I couldn't say because I was gone so much of the time.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you proceed, please.
Mr. Cortor. There was Dave Barker from Wagner Electric. Zollie
Carpenter also from Wagner Electric.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you spell the first name.
Mr. Cortor. Z-o-l-l-i-e; and Orville Leach.
Mr. Tavenner. Orville Leach? L-e-a-c-h?
Mr. Cortor. L-e-a-c-h, who was originally out of the Amalgamated
local, and then later on went to work at Wagner.
Lou Kimmel, also from Emerson Electric, also attended some of
these fraction meetings.
Mr. Tavenner. Who?
Mr. Cortor. Lou Kimmel, Louis Kmimel.
Mr. Tavenner. All right. Do you know what position Lou Kim-
mel later acquired in the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers
of America?
Mr. Cortor. He was either a field or an International representa-
tive of the UE.
And Henry Fiering was also in the meetings, if I have not named
him.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you recall the names of others at this time?
Mr. Cortor. Who attended the electrical fraction meetings?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
(There was no response.)
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with John Nordman?
Mr. Cortor. Oh, yes. John Nordman was also from Century
Electric.
Mr. Tavenner. N-o-r-d-m-a-n?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. Did he attend these fraction meetings?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall anyone from Johnston Tinfoil?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, there was a James Payne.
Mr. Tavenner. P-a-y-n-e?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you recall any other person from Emerson?
Mr. Cortor. At the present time, no.
• Mr. Tavenner. Was there a woman in the group from Emerson?
Mr. Cortor. Not at that time, not during this period, no.
COJVIMUlSriST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4735
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with Dorothy Sage?
Mr. CoRTOR. I was acquainted with Dorothy Sage, but she went to
work at Emerson Electric after I had left the electrical union. I knew
her during the earl}' period. She was active iii the Young Communist
League under her maiden name, Dorothy Aukamp, A-u-k-a-m-p.
Mr. Tavenxer. She was not, as far as you can recall, a member of
this fraction?
Mr. CoRTOR. Not at that period.
Mr. Tavenxer. These fraction meetings to which you have referred
were fraction meetings of the Communist Party, were they not?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Tavexxer. Were they open to the pubhc or were only members
of the Communist Party permitted to attend?
Mr. CoRTOR. Only members of the Communist Party were per-
mitted to attend. Other people might be invited in occasionally,
but very seldom.
Mr. Tavexxer. Were all of the persons whose names you have
mentioned as having attended these fraction meetings known to you
to be members of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. They were.
Mr. Tavexxer. Did you attend au}^ schools of the Communist
Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, sir, I attended several of the schools, local
schools conducted by the Communist Party. One specifically was
held at 3528-A Franldin Avenue, which was a night school I attended
after work.
Mr. Tavexxer. Approximate!}^ what year?
Mr. CoRTOR. That was in the fall of 1939, 1 beheve.
Mr. Tavex'X'er. Can you tell us who conducted that school, the
instructors, or the leaders in it?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, there was one individual that was sent out by
the National educational committee of the Communist Party, by
the name of Peter Chaunt; C-h-a-u-n-t I believe is the wa}' he
spelled it.
Mr. Tavexxer. Sent from w'here?
Mr. CoRTOR. From the National educational committee of the
Commmiist Party, in New York.
And Carolyn Drew.
\h'. Tavexxer. Was Carolyn Drew the wife of Wiiham Sentner?
Mr. CoRTOR. No. Of Alfred Wagenknecht.
Mr. Tavexxer. Ai-e there any others you can recall?
Mr. CoRTOR. And Clara Wernick also led one of the sessions. She
was the W'ife of Henry Fiering.
Mr. Tavexxer. What was the general type of teaching conducted
at that school?
Mr. CoRTOR. It was a basic course in Marxism-Leninism for whii-t
they termed "newer people in the part}'." And it went deeply inio
the whole setup in explaining to the people there that the only way
that the working class, which the Communist Party claimed to
represent, could obtain power would be through force and violence,
that the so-called capitalists or the bourgeoisie woidd not let the
working class take power without force and violence.
4736 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. ScHERER. That was actually tauglit at this school?
Mr. CoRTOR. That was actually taught; yes, su-.
Mr. Tavenner. You remained a member of the Communist Party,
you said, from 1938 up until 1947. Was there any time diu-ing that
period when your Communist Party activities were transferred to
any other area of the country?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, yes. For quite a lon^ period of time I was
assigned to the Waterfront section of the Communist Party, and also
for almost a year I worked up in the District 7 area of the UE as a
field representative.
Mr. Tavenner. Of the UE?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Before I question you about that, let me ask you
when were you transferred to the Waterfront section.
Mr. Cortor. It was in the fall of 1939.
Mr. Tavenner. After being transferred to that section, did you
still remain in contact with tlie Emerson group of the Communist
Party?
Mr. Cortor.' Yes. I attended a few of tlieu' meetings after the
transfer to the Waterfront section.
Air. Tavenner. Under what jurisdiction was the Waterfront
section of the Communist Party? W^as it a part of your district here
or how was it organized?
Mr. Cortor. The Waterfront section of the party was set up as a
National section of the party.
Due to the industry and the way the men engaged in the waterfront
industry move around the country, they were actually set up as, well,
what they actually term "as a separate district of the party."
The people that were assigned to the waterfront continued in the
local party, but the}^ actually weren't under the jurisdiction of the
local party leadership.
Mr. Tavenner. Was that because you would first be in one port
and then another?
Mr. Cortor. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. And you could not be tied down to any particular
group?
Mr. Cortor. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. In what areas of the country did you attend
Communist Party meetings?
Mr. Cortor. Well, while I was in the Waterfront section I attended
meetings in St. Louis, in New Orleans, Galveston, Tex., and one
meeting in Houston.
Mr. Tavenner. When you were a member of the Waterfront
section did you go abroad at any time?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you have any contact with Communists in
foreign ports?
Mr. Cortor. In Marseilles, France, and in Genoa, Italy. I
visited the part}^ headquarters in jNIarseilles, and helped them cele-
brate an election victory over there. And I visited the party offices
in Genoa, and one of their branch offices there, and made a tour
through the shipyards there under the leadership of the branch
organizer of the party there.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN" ST. LOUIS, MO,, AREA 4737
IMr. Tavexner. You mean the branch organizer of the Communist
Party took you through tlie shipyard?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Air. Tavenner. Did you learn anything about the strength of the
Communist Party in the shipping industry over there; that is, the
ship3"ards?
Air. CoRTOR. Well, this organizer told me that 70 percent of the
workers at this shipyard were members of the Communist Party.
Air. AIouLDER. Which shipyard was that?
Air. CoRTOR. I don't remember the name of it. It was a repair
yard there in Genoa, Italy. It was a repair yard that did mostly
repau' work and did very little original building.
Air. Tavenner. What was the principal activity of the Waterfront
section of the Communist Party with which you were affiliated?
Air. CoRTOR. Well, mostly operating to control the National Alari-
time Union at that period.
Air. Tavenner. The National Alaritime Union succeeded in get-
ting rid of the Communists at a later date, did they not?
Air. CoRTOR. They did a very good job of doing it.
Air. Tavenner. Did you ever observe an}^ effort on the part of the
United Electrical, Radio, and Alachine Workers to get rid of com-
munism within that organization?
Air. Cortor. Well, some of the locals made ciuite an effort. Local
1102 here in St. Louis, and the Century local made quite an effort.
But, due to the fact that the top leadership of the United Electrical,
Radio, and Alachine Workers were Communist, the local membership
was more or less stymied.
Air. Scherer. In other words, they did not succeed in their efforts
to rid the local union from Communist domination because of the
control of the National organization by Communists?
Air. Cortor. Well, they succeeded in some cases, but, overall, they
were unable to clean house due to the domination of the National
officers of the UE.
Air. Scherer. That condition continued until you left the part}- in
1954, did it? That situation with reference to the UE continued up
until the date when you left the party in 1954?
Air. Cortor. Well, at the time I left the party in 1954 there was
practically no UE left in St. Louis. I mean they had a few. The
Amalgamated local was still hi existence. But the UE was practically
a dead pigeon at that time.
Air. Tavenner. Prior to the time that the National Alaritime
Union was successful in ousting communism from its organization to
what extent would you say the maritime union at St. Louis was under
the control and domination of the Communist element?
Air. Cortor. Well, from the time when I first went into the Water-
front section up imtil 1948 the River section of the National Alaritime
L^nion was under the complete dommation and control of the Com-
munist Party.
Air. Tavenner. How many persons comprised the membership of
the Communist Party in the River section of the maritime union at
that time; at the time they had control?
Air. Cortor. WeU, to the best of my laiowledge, I think their top
strength in any one year was 11.
Air. Tavenner. Eleven.
4738 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Do you mean that 11 persons could exercise and keep control of
that union?
Air. CoRTOR. Well, j^es; through the assistance they received from
the National union.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the membersliip of the union at that
time which you say was dominated here in St. Louis by the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. I would say, over all, on the water approximately
2,000.
Mr. Tavenner. So that 2,000 persons were dominated or at least
led by 11 Communist individuals?
Mr. CoRTOR. Right.
Mr. ScHERER. Were they the officers of the union?
Mr. CoRTOR. In most cases, yes.
Mr. Tavenner. I thmk, Mr. Chairman, it might be well to remind
the subcommittee at this point, because all of you were not in Los
Angeles in AprU, that we had as a witness, Nikolai Khokhlov, who, until
1953, had been a captain in the military intelligence in the Soviet
Union. And he testified that in the Soviet Union at the present time
the Communist Party consists of only 2 per cent of the people, and yet
they were able to control the enthe country.
And also, as pointed out by this witness, the number of people in
concentration camps in the country who were opposed to communism
were 13 million, which was about 6 times as many persons as there
were Communists in tlie country, the whole coimtry.
Mr. Moulder. Yes; I recall his testimony.
Mr. Scherer. Was he not there as late as 1954 rather than 1953,
Mr. Tavenner?
Mr. Tavenner. That is not my recollection, Mr. Scherer.
He had been sent in 1953 on a mission to organize the assassination
of the leader of the anti-Communists.
Mr. Scherer. In Frankfurt.
Mr. Tavenner. The underground in West Germany.
He may not have gotten to this comitry until 1954, but I think that
he left the Soviet Union in 1953, according to my recollection.
Will you tell us, please, the names of those who were the principal
leaders in the Communist Party movement within the maritime union
while you were a member of it?
Mr. CoRTOR. When I first entered the Waterfront section it was
A. E. Phillips who was the local agent at that time. Felix Siren who
was the River's director.
And the national figures were Howard McKenzie and Frederick
Myers, who were both vice presidents. And Ferdinand C. Smith,
who was national secretary.
Mr. Tavenner. Ferdinand C. Smith was deported, was he not?
Mr. CoRTOR. To the best of my knowledge, he was.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, this is the same individual about
whom the committee received evidence from Patrick Walsh, the Cana-
dian seaman, in our hearings in Albany, N. Y. Mr. Walsh testified
that had it not been for the deportation proceedings against Ferdinand
Smith and the action of the National Maritime Union in getting rid of
Ferdinand Smith, that the maritime union on the Eastern Seaboard
would have been successfully brought into the Canadian seamen's
strike at the time that the whole world shipping was blocked by a
Communist strike. That was in 1948 or 1949.
COMMimiST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4739
But for the resistance of the leadership of this maritime miion to
the Communist plan, which Patrick Walsh described in his testimony,
it may well have been a worldwide strike which would have succeeded
in upsetting the Marshall Plan. That was the testimony that was
given, that was what the strike was aimed at.
Do you recall the names of any other persons who were active in
the maritime-union group of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. In a later period there was Mrs. Pearl Bernstein
Starks.
Mr, Tavenner. Is it Stark or Starks?
Mr. CoRTOR. Starks.
Mr. Tavenner. S-t-a-r-k-s?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
She wasn't married to Mr. Starks at the time she was in the NMU
office here. She was the office secretary, and more or less served as
the party contact for us people who would be out of town and wanted
to drop in and find out what was happening in the local party.
And William E. Davis, who was a patrolman in Memphis in this
later period.
Mr. Tavenner. After you returned to the Commmiist Party in
1951 did you have occasion to see William E. Davis again in the St.
Louis area?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Did he continue in Commimist Party activities
during the period between 1951 and 1954?
Mr. CoRTOR. He did.
Mr. Tavenner. Then, as I miderstand it, you were in the maritime
miion from 1939 until 1947. Was there any intervening period in
which you became active in Commimist Party w^ork in some other
area?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes. I served for almost a year in District 7 of the
UE, which is the Ohio area.
Mr. Tavenner. District 7?
Mr. CoRTOR. Of the UE, as a field representative.
Mr. Tavenner. WiU you tell the committee, please, how you
obtained the position of organizer of the UE in Ohio.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, I was on a river boat that had pulled into
Cincmnati for some repairs.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you say Cincinnati?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
We pulled in there and were going to have a few days there. So I
was uptown one evenmg looking over Cincinnati, and I saw the local
sign. I forget the local number, the local of the UE. And I had
heard that Henry Fiering was in Ohio somewhere. So I went into
this local headquarters.
Mr. Scherer. Wliat year was that?
Mr. CoRTOR. 1945.
I met a person by the name of Waldo Stager, who was a local
leader, and I asked him about Henry Fiering, and told him that I
had been a friend of Mr. Fiering's in St. Louis and wondered where
Mr. Fiering was. And he told me that Mr. Fiering would be in that
local office that night, for me to drop back if I wanted to see Mr.
Fiering, which I proceeded to do.
81594—56 — pt. 1 i
4740 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
And Mr. Fiering introduced me to Mr. Stager then as a member of
the party, and a person he considered one of his prize recruits.
And that evening Mr. Fiering asked me if I would be interested in a
job with the UE in Ohio.
Mr. Tavenner. And you took the job?
Mr. CoRTOR. I took the job.
Mr. Tavenner.* How long were you on that job?
Mr. CoRTOR. It was from the latter part of January up through
December of 1945.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you find that the leadership in the United
Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers in District 7 in Ohio was
Communist leadership?
Mr. CoRTOR. 95 percent of them were, the full-time people that
I met.
Mr. Tavenner. In what area of Ohio did you work?
Mr. CoRTOR. I first worked in the Cincinnati area for about 6
weeks under the direction of Mr. Stager; as Mr. Fiering termed it,
to be my break-in period, to observe operations in the local unions and
attend negotiating sessions with the different companies. And then
I was transferred up to the Dayton area.
Mr. Tavenner. To Dayton?
Mr. CoRTOR. The Dayton, Ohio area, to work out of the subdistrict
office up there under the direction of Mr. Fiering.
Mr. Tavenner. During that period of time what were your oppor-
tunities while in Dayton to learn of the Communist Party membership
of leaders in the UE?
Air. CoRTOR, Well, I attended several staft* meetings, and I would
come into Dayton occasionally to run off organizational leaflets for
various plants that I was trjnng to organize. And I would meet
various party people in the UE office at that time. And also I
attended — I couldn't say exactly how man}'' meetings I did attend,
but of the electrical fraction of the Communist Party
Mr. Tavenner. The electrical fraction of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Scherer. Before we leave the Cincinnati area, can you give
us the names of any other individuals you met while in Cincinnati
who were members of the Communist Party other than this man
Stager?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir, I cannot. The fellow's name is Stager,
S-t-a-g-e-r.
Mr. Tavenner. S-t-a-g-e-r?
Air. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Scherer. Where w^as their headquarters at that time?
Air. CoRTOR. I don't know. This was the local union
It was out rather far in Cincinnati. I don't remember just exactly
the address. It was the Ama%amated Local of Alachine Shops.
Air. Scherer. Did you learn where the Communist Party head-
quarters were located in Cincinnati?
Mr. CoRTOR. No. I was never in the part}^ headquarters in
Cincinnati.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give us the names of persons with whom
you attended Communist fraction meetings in Dayton?
Air. CoRTOR. Yes.
It was Hemy Fiermg, Senator Kermit Kirkendall who was a State
senator in Ohio at that time
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4741
Mr. Tavenxer. jMr. Scherer, I believe, you were chairman of the
subcommittee that met in Daj'ton in September in 1954, and, will
recall there was some evidence at that time on that same subject.
Air. Scherer. Yes. The man Kirkendall and the other man to
whom he referred were identified by a number of witnesses at that
time as active members of the Communist Party.
So, in that respect, this witness' testimony is corroborated. They
all participated m that Univis Lens strike, did they not, Mr. Tavenner?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir.
Mr. Scherer. In the Dayton strike, which was completely con-
trolled and dominated by the Communist Party, it was necessary to
call out the National Guard because of the severe violence that devel-
oped in connection therewith.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
All right, if 3'ou will proceed, please, sir.
Mr. CoRTOR. There was a girl named Bebe Ober. And Forrest
PajTie.
Mr. Scherer. I might say I distinctly recollect that Bebe Ober
testified before the committee at that time. She had been identified
as a member of the Communist Party. I think Bebe Ober left the
party, however, did she not, and testified for the Government?
Mr. Tavenner. That is correct. She admitted her former Com-
munist Party membership and was helpful in the testimony she
gave us.
Mr. Scherer. Wasn't she one of those that was recruited mto the
Communist Party while a student at Antioch College, Yellow Springs?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes. She began with it as a member m the
Young Communist League. And Herbert Reed, the Communist
Party organizer in the area, followed those young people up after
leaving Antioch College, and got some of them, including this person
that you have identified, Bebe Ober, to get into active Communist
Party work m the field of labor.
Mr. Scherer. After she graduated from Antioch.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, that is correct.
Are there any others you can now recall?
Mr. CoRTOR. Have I mentioned Forrest Payire?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
Can you give the committee more information relating to Forrest
Payne?
Air. CoRTOR. Forrest I knew and worked with him in the one plant
that was my assignment to try to organize, which was the Robins &
Myers Electric Co. in Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Payne gave me some
assistance on that plant, and one evening drove me down to Yellow
Springs. He said there was some people down there he wanted me to
meet.
And we went to some professor's house, but I haven't been able to
recollect the name of this professor.
Mr. Scherer. I wish you could.
Air. CoRTOR. I do, too.
Air. Tavenner. "V^Tiat year was that?
Air. CoRTOR. That was in 1945.
Air. Scherer. Do you remember at what school he was a professor?
Air. CoRTOR. I don't have the slightest recollection. I was at
Antioch College.
4742 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Tavenner, do you recall the name of one of the
professors who testified about that time? He said he was a mem-
ber of a Communist cell comprised not only of people of the college
but also of townspeople. \M^iat was that professor's name?
Mr. Tavenner. Professor Robert M. Metcalf.
Mr. Scherer. He refused to tell who svas associated with him in
that cell ; did he not?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir.
Mr. Scherer. And was cited for contempt.
Mr. Tavenner. That is correct.
Mr. Scherer. And contempt proceedings are still pending.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you learn of any Communist Party activities
mthin Vernay Laboratories in Yellow Springs?
Mr. CoRTOR No; I did not.
Mr. Scherer. Let me ask a question.
Does the mention of Professor Metcalf refresh yom- recollection?
. Mr. CoRTOR. No; it doesn't.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what influence
the Communist Party had in the conduct of the business of the United
Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers in the Ohio area dming the
period that you were there?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, they had a tremendous influence because 95
per cent of the full-time people in Ohio were members of the Com-
munist Party or very close sympathizers.
Mr. Tavenner. Were the plants organized by United Electrical,
Radio, and IViachine Workers in that area, plants which were engaged
in the manufacture of defense materials for the United States
Government?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, verj^ definitely.
Mr. Tavenner. Was the Communist Party leadership and influence
of sufficient strength to have altered the conduct or operation of those
defense plants?
Mr. CoRTOR. In the Dayton, Ohio, area I would say definitely, yes.
Mr. Scherer. I think his tcstimon}^ has been corroborated again
by the testimony at Dayton in that respect. I refer to the Univis
strike.
Mr. Tavenner. Now were there others? I may have interrupted
you. Were there other persons you can now recall in leadership in
the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workeis of America who
were known to you to be members of the Communist Party in that
area?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, on the districtwide level, yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give us their names, please?
Mr. CoRTOR. Tliere was Victor Decavitch, who was district presi-
dent at that time.
Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment.
Mr. Chairman, Victor Decavitch was one of the first witnesses
that this committee heard in our investigation of communism within
the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers Union. He
testified in the summer or fall of 1949. He told this committee of his
former Communist Party membership and activity, and that he was
no longer a member of the Communist Party. And he cooperated
with this committee and gave it some important information, includ-
ing his statement that, in his opinion, 99 per cent of the organizers in
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4743
the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America were
members of the Communist Party.
Mr. ScHERER. That testimony was confirmed by a number of other
w^itnesses subsequent to that.
Mr. Tavenner. That is those with whom he came in contact.
Mr. CoRTOR. There was Marie Haug.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give us that name again.
Mr. Cortor. Haug.
Mr. Tavenner. H-a-u-g?
Mr. Cortor. I believe that is the way it is spelled.
And her husband, who was in Cleveland at that time.
And Clara Wernick Fiering.
Mr. Tavenner. What was Marie Haug's husband's name?
Mr. Cortor. Fred, I believe.
Mr. Tavenner. Then did you name another person?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. Clara Wernick Fiering, who at that time was
business agent at the UE lamp local in Cleveland. I don't know the
local number. But she identified herself to me in Dayton to that
effect.
Mr. Tavenner. Why did you leave your work as an organizer
of UE?
Mr. Cortor. Well, due to the fact that the Robins & Myers
plant^I was forced to go into an election over my objection.
Mr. Fiering
Mr. Tavenner. What do you mean by an election?
Mr. Cortor. The election in the plant for bargaining rights for
the UE. It was right during the General Motors strike in the fall
and early mnter in 1945, and I was the person most closely connected
to the plant, and 1 knew the sentiment of the people. They were
discouraged due to the length of the General Motors strike. And I
told Mr. Fiering if we went into an election during that period we
would be sure to lose it.
He said, "No, we would win it."
And I said, "Well, if we lose it I quit."
Because I said, "You are going into it over my objection."
And we went into the election and we lost by exactly the number of
votes I told him we would lose by.
Mr. Tavenner. How many votes?
Mr. Cortor. Sixty-four.
Mr. Tavenner. Out of a total number of how many votes?
Mr. Cortor. It was around one -thousand-four-hundred-some-odd
votes cast.
Mr. Tavenner. A fairly close election. As a result of that did you
resign?
Mr. Cortor. I did.
Mr. Tavenner. And you came back — ^ — •
^Ir. Cortor. Back to maritime.
Mr. Tavenner. Back to maritime. And you remained in the mari-
time union then how long?
Mr. Cortor. I stayed in the maritime union until 1950, the fall of
1950. But I severed my connections with the party in 1947.
Mr. Tavenner. Why did you sever your connections with the
Communist Party in 1947?
Mr. Cortor. Well, the thought had been in my mind. I had had
doubts in my mind for several years, including the experience I had
4744 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
in this plant of Robins & Myers in Ohio. And the doubts had been
in my mind for several j^ears until I was elected a delegate to attend
the 1947 national convention, the National Alaritime Union.
In all my previous experience in the party this was the first real
opportunity I had ever had of seeing the real Communist Party
machine in operation with their rule-and-ruin tactics, because at that
time the party was engaged in a ver.y bitter fight with the cm'rent
faction of the National Maritime Union. And the policy they
adopted was it would be rule or ruin, regardless of the effects it might
have on the membership of the union, that the party must stay in
power.
So after the convention I told the party people that I was in contact
with, that I had no further intention of remaining in the Communist
Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Did any specific occurrence take place at that
convention which influenced you in your decision?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, the whole tenor of the whole convention.
But there was one specific instance. I can't remember the name
of the individual, but he was appealing his conviction by a trial
committee.
The way the setup they have in the NMU is: if a person violates
the rules and regulations of the union, like if he is on the crew of a ship
and cuts a felloV with a knife or he is a dope fiend or anything like
that, the crew \^dll bring him up on charges. And he is tried in the
port where they dock.
The membership of that port elects a trial committee, and they try
the person. And they fine him or sentence him to so long a suspension
and so forth. And he can accept the ruling of the trial comrnittee or
can appeal to the national council. If the national council rejects his
appeal he can appeal to the national convention.
Well, this fellow had exhausted all these other steps, and had
appealed to the previous national convention which had rejected him.
And here he was appealing to the 1947 convention.
So we had a copy of the proceedings at the 1945 convention on om-
desk, a book about so thick. So I get to leafing through it and I find
the proceedings of this person's appearance before the trial committee
in the 1945 convention. And they were arguing back and forth. First
there woidd be a Communist get\ip and speak for this guy, and there
would be somebody else get up and speak about it.
So I raised my hand, with the book in my hand. And the president
of the union, Joe Kern, gave me the microphone, and I read from the
1945 proceedings, the position the convention took at that time. And
the final vote was to uphold the action of the previous convention.
I was called up on the carpet by some of the party people there.
Mr. Tavexner. You were?
Mr. CoRTOR. And the man had been convicted in com-t of being a
dope fiend.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you learn whether or not that individual was
a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. I was told he was a good guy. As to whether lie was
actually a member of the Communist Party I couldn't say.
Mr. Tavenner. A good guy?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; we have heard that a number of times.
COjMAIUNIST activities in ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4745
Mr. Chairman, this would be a good place for a break.
oMr. Mouldp:r. The committee will stand in recess for a period of
5 minutes.
(Wliereupon, a short recess was taken, there being present at tlie
time of taking the recess Representatives ^Moulder, Frazier, and
Scherer.)
(The committee was reconvened upon the expiration of the recess,
there being present Representatives ]Moulder, Frazier, and Scherer.)
Mr. Moulder. Proceed, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Cortor, as a result of yom- experience in the
Communist Party, did j'ou take any action to advise yoiu" Govern-
ment of facts within your knowledge about their activities?
Mr. Cortor. I did.
Mr. Tavenner. Tell the committee what you did, please.
Mr. Cortor. Well, after I left the party in 1947, until the first
trial in New York I was more at a loss as to what I could do with what
little information I had.
After the first trial in New York I decided what little information I
knew about the Communist Party might be of value. So I contacted
the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in St. Louis.
Mr. Tavenner. What year was it you contacted the FBI here in
St. Louis?
Mr. Cortor. In 1950.
Mr. Tavenner. As a result of that, what occmTed?
Mr. Cortor. Well, after several conferences with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation they asked me if I would go back into the party,
if I thought I could get back.
I told them I would not go back under mj' own hook, of my own
volition. But if the Communist Party came to me, then I would go
back into activities in the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Did they come to 3'ou?
Mr. Cortor. They did.
Mr. Tavenner. TeU the committee how that occmTed.
Mr. Cortor. I was contacted bj- a woman by the name of Thelma
Hecht, who told me that Robert Manewitz would like to see me.
And I agreed to see Mr. Manewitz.
Mr. Tavenner. You say this was Thelma Hecht?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
]VIr. Tavenner. How do you spell the name? H-e-c-h-t?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Then what occmTed?
Mr. Cortor. I had one meeting with Mr. Manewitz. We went
over the whole problem. I was very frank with him. I gave him
exactly the reasons why I left the party.
And, after some discussion, he still asked me to "reactivize" myself,
as he termed it. And I still refused to do so.
So he asked me to have another meeting with him later, and I
agreed to that. And at that second meetnig with Mr. Manewitz I
did agree to reactivize myself in the Comnumist Party.
Mr. Scherer. How long was it after you had this discussion with
the Federal Bureau of Investigation wherein they asked you to rejoin
the Communist Party that you were contacted })v the paVty?
Mr. Cortor. It was about 6 months.
4746 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. ScHERER. You told the FBI that you would not rejoin the
Communist Party unless you were requested to rejoin?
Mr. CoRTOR. Unless I was contacted by the party itself.
Mr. ScHERER. I don't know how that happened, but I imagine
they had some other undercover agent ask Mane>vitz to get you back
in the party.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, no, sir.
You see the policy of the Communist Party
You never quit the Communist Party. You may drop out, but
you become mactive. They always have an idea that they can even-
tually reactivize you, they call it, which was the procedure I went
under. I was reactivized, as Robert Manewitz termed it.
Mr. ScHERER. You had been out since 1948?
Mr. CoRTOR. 1947.
Mr. ScHERER. And thev did not try to contact vou until 6 months
after the FBI talked to you in 1950?
Mr. CoRTOR. No.
I was contacted several times in that period, but I just told the
people, you know — if I would meet them on the street, wherever I
would meet them — I just wasn't interested.
Mr. Moulder. \Mien you say you are never completely out of 'the
Communist Party, do you mean that is the attitude which the leader-
ship takes toward a former member?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Moulder. But that may not be the attitude of the former
member himself.
Mr. CoRTOR. No. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. To what grouj) of the Communist Party were you
assigned when you reentered in 1951?
Mr. CoRTOR. I was assigned to one of the West Side groups.
Mr. Tavenner. "\Mio was the chahman of that group?
Mr. CoRTOR. Thelma Hecht.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with, the husband of Thelma
Hecht?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. What was his name?
Mr. CoRTOR. Julius.
Mr. Tavenner. Was he a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Thelma so identified him to me. He had been a
member of the party in my previous membership, and Thelma identi-
fied him to me.
Mr. Tavenner. Don't state what someone told you about it. Just
state what you yourself know.
]Mr. CoRTOR. I knew him as a member of the Communist Party
during both periods; in the first period especially.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give us the names of other members^of
that group, the West Side group.
Mr. CoRTOR. All right, sir.
There was John Nordman.
Mr. Tavenner. N-o-r-d-m-a-n?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is correct.
Orville Leach, L-e-a-c-h, Robert Manewitz, and myself.
Mr. Tavenner. So that made five?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4747
Mr. Tavenner. I think you told us that the membership after 1951
was to be about four.
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
The question was brought up in the group whether or not I was a
fifth member of the group, wliich made one too many, and one person
would have to leave the group. And Mr. Manewitz did leave. I
mean what other group he was assigned to I couldn't say, but he
was taken out of this group.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you given any particular assignment in the
Communist Party after reentering it in 1951?
Mr. CoRTOR, Well, in the later period I was —
After the arrest of the Smith Act defendants I was asked to work
with a group that was set up, that was called the St. Louis Emergency
Defense Committee, and to work in a group established here, the
local branch in the National Negro Labor Council.
Mr. Tavenner. What did you learn in the Communist Party
meetings regarding this defense committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, I was informed when it was first set up in our
branch meeting it was a group set up to —
There was a group set up, in the first place, to get the five defendants
out of jail, to raise bail money, conduct their legal defense and get
them out of jail, and also to collect money for their defense when they
came up to trial. And they would also serve as a propaganda ap-
paratus before the public to diffuse the party program and so on and
so forth under the guise of the defense committee.
Mr. Tavenner. And that was a Communist-organized group?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. And in what capacity did you work with the
group?
Mr. CoRTOR. I helped them in operating the mimeograph machine,
getting out mailings, and in furnishing transportation to the chairman
of the group — that is by the use of my auto, and any other way that
I could be fit into the picture.
Mr. Tavenner. The St. Louis Emergency Defense Committee was
the exact name of it, was it not?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is correct, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir.
Mr. Moulder. It was not?
Mr. CoRTOR. It was a Communist Party apparatus, but it was not
set up as a part of the Communist Party. It was a front group for
the Communist Party.
Mr. Moulder. Now I understand you. It was an agency of the
Communist Party actually.
Mr. CoRTOR. Actually, yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, the names of
those active in that group who were known to you to be members of
the Communist Party.
Mr. CoRTOR. Mr. Brockman Schumacher who was the chairman
of the committee.
Mr. Tavenner. The first name, you say, is Brockman?
Mr. CoRTOR. Brockman.
Mr. Tavenner. How do you spell that?
Mr. CoRTOR, B-r-o-c-k-m-a-n,
81594— 56— pt. 1 5
4748 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Air. Tavenner. S-c-h-u-m-a-c-h-e-r?
Mr. CoRTOR. I believe that is the way the last name is spelled,
Mr. Tavenner. He was the head of the committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Very well. \Miat other persons were active in the
conduct of its business who were known to you to be members of the
Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. There was William E. Davis.
Mr. Tavenner. Is that the same William E. Davis you referred
to as having been in the maritime union with you?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
James Wilburn.
Mr. Tavenner. Wilburn?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. W-i-1-b-u-r-n?
Mr. CoRTOR. I believe so.
Homey Hudson.
Mr. Tavenner. R-o-m-e-y?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. Hudson, H-u-d-s-o-n. Is that the spellmg?
Mr. CoRTOR. I believe so.
And there would be various other party people that would drop in
from time to time m case we had an emergency mailing or anything
of that kind to get out.
But these were the people that were predominant m what you call
the dhecting force of the St. Louis Emergency Defense Committee.
Mr. Scherer. They were the directing force. How many other
persons who were non-Communists joined this defense committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, I couldn't say actually how many non-Com-
munists there were. There were some people there that could have
been Communists, or they couldn't. I couldn't swear as to whether
they were Communists or not.
Mr. Scherer. Were there some others who were not Communists,
but who sympathized?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, a few.
Mr. Scherer. You obtained some of yom' money from non-
Communists, did you not?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Scherer. But the committee by itself, as you point out, was
set up, controlled, and dominated by Communists. It was not a
Communist organization as such.
You mean anyone w^ho was not a Communist could be a member
of the committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is true.
Mr. Scherer. The idea was to get people who were not Com-
munists to be members of the committee. Was that not the object?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Scherer. That is the reason you called it a Communist-front
organization, because it was not solely composed of Communists?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Scherer. Did you get much of your money for that defense
committee from non-Communists?
Mr. CoRTOR. I couldn't say. I wasn't in the financial end of it.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4749
Mr. ScHERER. The purpose of the committee, of course, was to
raise money, or rather one of the purposes of the committee was to
raise money. Do you have any idea how much money you raised?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir, I couldn't say.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall a person by the name of Sol Nissen,
N-i-s-s-e-n?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, I do.
As one person, they o:ave him a title one night as the manager of
the mimeograph. He did a good proportion of the mimeograph work
for the defense committee.
Mr. Tavenner. Was Sol Nissen known to you to be a member of
the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, sir.
In my contact with him while I was employed at the Fisher Body
plant at General Motors I got to know Air. Nissen as a member of
the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Back at that time?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. ScHERER. Who handled the finances for that committee? Who
was the head of the money-raising section of the committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. The person that actually handled the money for the
defense committee was Dr. Sol Londe.
Mr. Tavenner. Dr. Sol Londe?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
The money was
Other people would collect money and it would eventually be fun-
neled to Dr. Londe.
Mr. Tavenner. Had you had any other experience with Dr. Sol
Londe before serving on this defense committee with him?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, yes. I first met Dr. Londe in 1938 when I
went to him for a physical examination as a volunteer in the Abraham
Lincoln Brigade to fight in Spain.
Mr. ScHERER. Is he a medical doctor?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, he is a medical doctor.
Mr. Tavenner. By whom were you sent to Dr. Londe?
Mr. CoRTOR. I was referred to him by the party office. If I re-
member correctly, it was Carolyn Drew who sent me to him.
Mr. Tavenner. At the Communist Party office?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you pay anything?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. For your examination?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether the Communist Party did
or not?
Mr. CoRTOR. I don't know, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. How did this group go about raising money?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, they eventually ended up with all the mailing
list of all the front groups, and any other places Avhere they could
get anybody's mailing list.
There were some of the professional groups in St. Louis.
Mr. Tavenner. Professional groups of what?
Mr. CoRTOR. Any of the professional groups they could get in
contact with they thought they might be able to get some money
out of.
4750 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
And then door-to-door canvassing in some places. A person would
be given a list of names to go see if they could get money from.
Mr. ScHERER. Did the general public or people from whom you
were soliciting these funds know that this committee was Communist
controlled and Communist dominated, or did you suppress that
information?
Mr. CoRTOR. That information was suppressed.
Mr. Tavenner. I have before me a document which says The
St. Louis Defender, issued by the St. Louis Emergency Defense
Committee, May 26, 1956, which is a very vicious attack on this
committee in the conduct of this hearing, and which goes to con-
siderable length in encouraging witnesses not to testify and to use
the fifth amendment in refusing to do so.
Will you examine it, please, and state whether or not that is the
same organization of which you have been speaking — the St. Louis
Emergency Defense Committee?
(Document handed to the witness.)
Mr. Scherer. Is that still in existence today, Mr. Counsel?
Mr. Tavenner. This would indicate that on May 26, 1956, its
name was used.
Mr. CoRTOR. This is the same name, under the same name, yes.
That, I would take to be the same organization.
Mr. Tavenner. I would like to have the document marked for
identification purposes only as "Cortor Exhibit No. 1."
The Chairman. It wdll be so marked and filed.
(The document referred to was marked Cor tor Exhibit No. 1 for
identification and retained in the files of the committee.)
Mr. Scherer. We have not seen that yet.
Mr. Tavenner. I don't know whether you have or not, Mr. Chair-
man.
Mr. Scherer. How long have you had that?
Mr. Tavenner. I think about 2 days.
Mr. Tavenner. Now, Mr. Cortor, you have said that you were
assigned to membership in one of the West Side groups, and that its
chairman was Thelma Hecht.
Were you transferred from her group to another group?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the name of that group of the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. Cortor. It was called the Construction Workers Group.
Mr. Tavenner. How many persons were members of that group?
Mr. Cortor. There were four.
Mr. Tavenner. Does that include yourself?
Mr. Cortor. Yes; that includes myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlio were the other members of that group?
Mr. Cortor. John Day.
Mr. Tavenner. Had you had any other Com.munist Party con-
nection with John Day besides your association with him in this
particular group of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. I knew Mr. Day during my early period in the
Communist Party, and also knew him later as a member of an auto
branch of the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Very well. Proceed, please.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4751
Mr. CoRTOR. And there was a Frank Mariz who was a painter.
He spells his name either M-a-r-i-z or M-a-r-i-t-z. I have seen him
use both spellings at one time or another.
And Simon Tendle or Kendle. I am not sure of the correct last
name.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the purpose of that group?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, that was a group of construction workers that
were trying to penetrate the construction industry, tr^'ing to get some
influence in the construction workers' unions here, which, in my
opinion, they didn't succeed in doing.
Mr. Day at that time was a cement finisher. Mr. Mariz was a
painter. And Mr. Tendle or Kendle was a bricklayer.
Mr. Tavenxer. Going back for a moment to the St. Louis defense
committee, I am not certain I gave you an opportunity to give us the
names of all of those you considered to be the leaders in that group.
The last one that you gave was Hudson, Romey Hudson. Then I
think I got off into a discussion and probably interrupted you.
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, Mrs. Daroth}" Forrest helped direct the group
after she was gotten out of jail on bail.
Mr. Tavenxer. Dorothy Forrest?
Air. Cortor. Yes. She was one of the Smith Act defendants, and
she was with the group.
And so did the rest of the Smith Act defendants. The actual leader-
ship outside of these people I have named would be hard for me to
remember at this time.
Mr. Tavenxer. Were you acquainted with jMr. Sol Derman?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Was he active in that group?
Mr. Cortor. To some extent. He attendee! some of the meetings
and was actuallj^, I believe, on the steering committee of the defense
committee. But he didn't attend too many meetings of the defense
committee.
Air. Tavenner. Where did the leadership come from in the Com-
munist Party here while these principal defendants were bemg tried
under the Smith Act?
Air. Cortor. Well, it came from what they call the secondary
leadership of the Communist Party.
Air. Tavenxer. Secondary leadership?
Air. Cortor. Or the section leaders of the Communist Party at
that time.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you give us their names, or as many of them
as you recall.
Mr. Cortor. WeU, Thelma Hecht was one. And Harold Hall.
Air. Tavenner. Harold Hall?
Air. Cortor. Yes.
Air. Tavenner. Can you give us any further information relating
to the activities of Harold Hall?
Air. Cortor. Well, I met Air. Hall as a member of the Communist
Party when I for a short period of time was transferred to one of the
South Side groups of the Communist Party. And Air. Hall attended
several of theu- meetings as a section leader.
Air. Tavenner. Will joii proceed with the names of any other
persons who constituted the secondarv leadership of the Communist
Partv.
4752 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, those are the only two individuals that I could
specifically identify.
Mr. Tavenner. After a period of time in this construction group,
were you transferred to another group of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. I transferred to the South Side group that I
previously spoke of, for a short period of time, a period of, oh a few
months.
Mr. Tavenner. Who were in the South Side group with you?
Mr. Cortor. There was Bruce and Laura Miller, man and wife.
Mr. Tavenner. Bruce Miller and Laura Miller.
Had you had anv previous experience with them in the Communist
Party?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. In the early period I belonged — They were both
members of the Communist Part}^ at that time.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you then transferred to still another group
of the Communist Party?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. What was that group?
Mr. CoRTOR. I was transferred to an auto group.
Mr. Tavenner. An automotive group or branch of the Communist
Party?
Mr. Cortor. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. You have not mentioned that branch up until the
present time, have you?
Mr. Cortor. No, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. What year was that? .
Mr. Cortor. This was in 1953, the early part of 1953. *
Mr. Tavenner. Define the Automotive Branch of the Communist
Party. Just what was it?
Mr. Cortor. It was a group of people employed in the General
Motors plants here in St. Louis, the branch I belonged to.
Mr. Tavenner. Did it include more than General Motors?
Mr. Cortor. Yes. There was one person worked out at the
Lincoln-Mercury plant.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the purpose of this group of the Com-
munist Party? What was the Communist Party trying to do in
General Motors and Lincoln-Mercury?
Mr. Cortor. Well, to try to establish themselves in a position of
influence or leadership in the local union.
Mr. Tavenner. During this period of time was Chev^rolet Shell
operating?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, it w^as.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the practice about persons employed in
Chevrolet Shell and then later with General Motors?
Mr. Cortor. WeU, the original practice, as I understood it, was
that when the Chevrolet Shell plant was first put into operation there
was a good-sized group of the old-timers, experienced help, that trans-
ferred out of the Cheva'olet and the Fisher Body plants into Chevrolet
Shell with the understanding that they retained their seniority in
their old department, and that when Chevrolet Shell closed dow^n they
would transfer back to their old jobs. So that if there was ever a time
when Chevrolet Shell would be reopened the labor supply would be
available to reopen the plant with.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you have in your membership in the Com-
munist Party any persons who have answered that definition that you
COIVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4753
have given, that is, persons who have returned to the General Alotors
plant for normal employment who might be selected to go back to
Chev^rolet Shell in the event that a national emergency arose and that
shop would be again opened?
Mr. CoRTOE. To the best of my knowledge, no. There was no one
in the group I was in that would fit that definition. But if they
reopened the plant to fill the rest of the jobs in Chevrolet Shell the
people working at Chevrolet and Fisher Body would be given the
first opportunity to fill these jobs.
So anyone working at Chevrolet or Fisher Body would fit into the
categories named.
Mr. Tavexner. So then the possibility of the Communist Party
infiltrating Chevrolet Shell would depend upon how successful you
were in developing membership in General Motors?
Mr. CoRTOR, That is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know how many cells or groups of the
Communist Party were organized within General Motors?
Mr. Cortor. There was two groups.
Mr. Moulder. In what year?
Mr. Cortor. This was in 1953 and 1954.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether there were more than two?
Mr. Cortor. I knew of two. I don't know whether there was
any more or not. I knew of two.
Mr. Tavexner. Could others have existed without your knowing
it?
Mr. Cortor. Yes; it is possible.
Mr. Tavexner. But you never heard of more than the two?
Mr. Cortor. Two is all I ever heard of.
Mr. Tavexner. Who were members of your branch in the auto-
motive section?
Mr. Cortor. Well, the chairman of the group was William Henry
HoUand.
Another member was John Simpson.
John Da}^ was also in this group, and myself.
Mr. Tavenxer. How did you happen to find out about the second
group? Was it accidental?
Mr. Cortor. More or less.
Mr. Tavexner. Tell us about it.
Mr. Cortor. I found out the second group —
Well, I run into one individual I knew to be a member of the party,
and found out he was working at General Motors. And I asked him
what group he belonged to. He said he belonged to the second group.
And the other person I can identify from the second group I got to
know through the defense committee. And he was also working on
the same floor with me at Fisher Body.
Mr. Tavenxer. Who were in this second group as far as you were
able to find out?
Mr. Cortor. Elliott Waxman and Sol Nissen.
Mr. Tavexxer. Was Elliott Waxman the chairman of that group
or the head of that group?
Mr. Cortor. I believe so.
Mr. Moulder. May I interrupt? How did you happen to become
a member of the group that you have referred to?
4754 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, by first secm-ing employment at Fisher Body.
Mr. Moulder. Were you dii-ected by the Communist Party to do
that?
Mr. CoRTOR. Not particularly directed. I was told they were
hiring. I was out of emplo\Tnent at that time. So I went by and
was lucky enough to be hired.
Mr. Moulder. You were told that by the Communist Party
leadership?
Mr. CoRTOR. By some member of the Communist Part}^ I can't
recollect just which individual it was — that Fisher Body was hiring.
Mr. Moulder. After you were employed, did 3'ou become a member
of this particular cell or group jou have referred to?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Moulder. The point I am trying to bring out is, were you
requested to become a member of the particular cell or group by
Communist Party leadership after you went there.
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes. I was assigned — ^I was transferred to this
group by the Communist Party after I went to work at Fisher Bod3^
Mr. Moulder. I see.
Mr. Tavenner. Is there any other information you can give the
committee regarding the activities of Elliott Waxman in the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, Elliott Waxman at one time was the solicitor,
and headed the Daily Worker committee here in St. Louis. And he
also served as either the literature director or one of the literature
directors of the Communist Party because I had occasion at times to
go to him for literature for branch pin*poses and for other purposes.
And I also secured from him — imder directions I received from Mrs.
Hecht — I received from Elliott Waxman a homemade mimeograph
machine. It was to be used for underground purposes, so I was
informed. I retained this machine in my possession until I turned it
over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation just before the trial of the
Smith Act defendants.
Mr. Tavenner. And that homemade machine was obtained from
whom?
Mr. CoRTOR. Elliott Waxman.
Mr. Tavenner. You spoke of his connection with the Daily
Worker. TV^iat means were used to disseminate the Daily Worker
among the membership here?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, by subscriptions. And those people that
didn't want their home address used could pick them up at several
places. I, for example, used to pick up for a wliUe — I was picking my
Daily Workers up at the Waxman's. In other words, I would use the
Waxman residence as a mad drop to receive my mail and the Daily
Worker.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliy didn't you subscribe to the paper and have it
delivered directly to yom^ home?
Mr. Cortor. Because I wanted to keep on livmg there. If I did
that I wouldn't have been living there very long.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean yom* family would have objected?
Mr. Cortor. Very definitely.
Mr. Tavenner. You say there were other members of the Com-
munist Party who also wouldn't get the Daily Worker directly?
Mr. Cortor. That is true.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4755
Mr. Tavenner. But would get someone else to act as a mail drop
for them?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Mr. Tavekner. Did any other person that you know of act as a
mail drop for the Daily Worker besides Waxman?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, after my subscription ran out I liad the oppor-
tunity several times to go by the home of Ella Mae Posey and pick
up a copy of the Daily Worker. I would buy them from her. Whether
that was used as a mail drop or cbculation point I couldn't say. But
it seemed like they always had extra copies available there.
Mr. Tavenner. Did otlier people get their copies there, too?
Mr. CoRTOR. I couldn't say.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with the wife of W. Henry
HoUand?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. You testified, W. Hem-y Holland, was the chairman
of yom- own group in the automotive industry?
Mr. CoRTOR. That is right.
Yes, I met her on several occasions when we had meetings at theij-
home. And I knew her as a member of the party through personal
conversation. And one evening I was there they were talking about
Hem-y going to have to baby sit while she went to her group meeting.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know what her group was in the Com-
nmnist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, I do not.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you active in any other front organization
of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. The Negro Labor Council, the St. Louis branch of
the National Negro Labor Council.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I think the record should show at
this point that the National Negro Labor Council was designated
on January 22, 1954, by the Attorney General under Executive
Order 10450.
What was the natm'e of your work with the National Negro Labor
Council?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, mostly to help to set up the organization, try
to get it on a functioning basis.
Mr. Tavenner. Was it set up at the instance of the Communist
Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Moulder. As I understand it, Mr. Tavenner, in order that the
record might be clarified as to your statement, this organization was
on the Attorney General's designated list.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sh-; the Attorney General of the United
States.
Mr. CoRTOR. My work was confined to the local council. I can't
make any statement about the affiliations of any of the national
people. Those people I didn't know.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend any of its national conventions?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes. I attended one in Cleveland in 19 — . It was
the second convention of the Negro Labor Council, in Cleveland.
Mr. Tavenner. At whose instance did you attend that conven-
tion?
Mr. CoRTOR. I went up there as a delegate of the St. Louis Emer-
gency Defense Committee.
81594— 56— pt. 1 6
4756 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. You mean that defense committee directed yoii to
go as a delegate to the Convention of the National Negro Labor
Council?
Mr. CoRTOR. To this convention; yes, sh.
Mr. Tavenner. When was this? What year was this convention
held?
Mr. CoRTOR. I believe this was in the fall of 1952.
Mr. Tavenxer. Do you know whether any representatives from
vSt. Louis attended the founding convention?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, sir. I was informed at tlie time I was asked to
go into the Negro local to help establish the local chapter that Hershel
Walker — I was informed by Hershel Walker that he and William
Davis and one other person whose name I don't recall had attended
the founding convention in Cincinnati.
Mr. Tavenner. Was Hershel Walker known to 3'ou to be a mem-
ber of the Communist Party?
Mr. CoRTOR. Later.
Mr. Tavenner. At a later time?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Is this William Davis the same William Davis
you have mentioned several times in the course of your testimon\^?
Mr. CoRTOR. The same William Davis.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the purpose of that organization here
in St. Louis, the local chapter?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, the purported purpose was to fight for the
eciualities of Negroes in job opportunities, and abolish Jim Crow, as
they called it, and abolish any form of discrimination toward the
Negro people.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend conventions of any other organi-
zation at the instance of the Communist Party here?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes; I attended one meeting — this was at the — I
couldn't say it was the Communist Party that sent me. A Com-
munist Party member asked me to go, and, if my car would be avail-
able, to take a group of people.
Mr. Tavenner. Tell us about that.
Mr. CoRTOR. I attended the founding convention of an organiza-
tion known as the SOS, or the Save Our Sons Committee, which was
held in Springfield, 111.'
Mr. Tavenner. Who asked you to go to that founding convention?
Mr. CoRTOR. Brockman Schumacher asked me, if my car would be
available, to take people up there.
Mr. Tavenner. He was the head of the defense committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. The Save Our Sons Committee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. AVliat was that organization interested in?
Mr. CoRTOR. They were interested primarily, or so they stated, to
bring the boys back from Korea. It was a peace front.
Mr. Tavenner. A peace front.
Do you know who was the head of that organization, or wlio was
the principal proponent of it at that convention?
Mr. CoRTOR. A woman by the name of Florence Gowgiel.
Mr. Tavenner. G-o-w-g-i-e-1. Is tbat the spelling? Our investi-
gation shows it is G-o-w-g-i-e-1.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4757
Mr. CoRTOR. It may be correct. I couldn't tell you because I
never had met the woman before.
Mr. Tavexxer. Do vou recall whether anv person from St. Louis
was elected to a positioner appointed to a position in that organization?
Mr. Cortor. This individual wasn't from St. Louis. He was from
out-State Missouri at that time. That was Louis Kimmel. He was
living on a farm out here at Meta, Mo.
Mr. Tavexner. You have already testified to prior Communist
activities on his part, have you not?
Mr. Cortor. That is right; yes.
And he chaii'ed one of the sessions of this convention, and he was
elected a member of the continuation committee, I beheve, as repre-
sentative from Missouri on the committee.
Mr. Tavexxer. Did you receive an}- instructions at that founding
convention as to what j^ou were to do when you returned to St. Louis?
Mr. Cortor. Well, to try to establish a local group here in St. Louis
if possible, and participate with any other groups that were in the
peace groups that were trying to bring the boys back. But there was
no local group ever established here in St. Louis to my knowledge.
Mr. Tavexxer. I beheve, Mr. Chairman, we had better recess
instead of trying to finish now.
Mr. Moulder. Do you wish to recess?
Mr. Tavexxer. Yes.
Mr. Moulder. Congressman Scherer wishes to be recognized.
Mr. Scherer. Before we adjourn for lunch, Mr. Chairman, I have
looked over this pamphlet that was issued on May 26 by the Emer-
gency Defense Committee of St. Louis.
This witness just testified that the Emergency Defense Committee,
up until 1954 at least, was controlled and dominated by the Com-
munist Party.
This pamphlet, which gained some circulation in St. Louis, is a
vicious and libelous attack, chiefly directed at Morgan Moulder, of
Missouri, the chairman of this subcommittee.
Mr. Moulder is a Democrat, and I am a Republican. But I can
say that the charges made in this sheet are untrue, unwarranted, and
unfounded. Mr. Moulder is a fine Am.erican, an able Member of the
Congress, and I know, as a matter of fact from my association with
him, that the charges made against him in this pamphlet here in the
area in which he lives are utterly untrue and unfounded, and I would
class them as vicious and libelous.
Mr. Moulder. Thank you very much, Mr. Scherer.
The committee will stand in recess until 2 o'clock.
(^\^lereupon, at 12:40 p. m., the committee was recessed, to be
reconvened at 2 p. m., this same day, there being present at the time
of the recess Representatives Moulder, Frazier, and Scherer.)
AFTERNOON SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1956
(The subcommittee was reconvened at 2:15 p. m. at the expiration
of the recess, there being present Representatives Morgan ^L Moulder
and James B. Frazier, Jr.)
Mr. Moulder. The committee will be in order.
Proceed with the examination of this witness, please, Mr. Tavenner.
4758 coMMuisriST activities in st. louis, mo., area
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM W. CORTOR— Resumed
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Cortor, you said that one of your early assign-
ments in the Communist Party was to work with the unemployed
groups.
Mr. Cortor. That is true.
Mr. Tavenner. And that one purpose of the party in doing that
work was to use it as a means of recruiting people into the Communist
Party.
Can you recall at this time the name of any person or persons
recruited at that time?
Mr. Cortor. No; I can't recall the names of any people that were
recruited during that period. I didn't recruit any myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Are there any other members of the Communist
Party that you can recall now who participated in that work with
you?
Mr. Cortor. Well, there was one that I can recall at the present
time. That was Richard Stanford.
Mr. Tavenner. Richard Stanford?
Mr. Cortor. That is true; yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you have any Communist Party connection
with him at a later date?
Mr. Cortor. Not Communist Party connection. I met him in the
defense committee and some of the CRC meetigns I attended — Civil
Rights Congress meetings I attended. Mr. Stanford also would be
present.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you take any active part in the Civil Rights
Congress?
Mr. Cortor. No. I attended some of their meetings and was a
member of the Civil Rights Congress, but didn't take too active a
part in it.
Air. Tavenner. You mentioned earlier in your testimony a person
by the name of Dorothy Aukamp. Did you state that she later
married?
Mr. Cortor. Yes, su\
Mr. Tavenner. What is her married name?
Mr. Cortor. Sage.
Mr. Tavenner. Sage?
Mr. Cortor. S-a-g-e.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with her husband?
Mr. Cortor. Not at the time of their marriage, but I was later in-
troduced to her husband by Mrs. Sage. And she introduced me to
him as an oldtime party member, and she wanted me to meet her
husband. I was introduced to him on that basis. He was known to
me as a member of the party.
Mr. Tavenner. We have heard of a cell or group of the Com-
munist Party by the name of the Tom Paine Club of the Communist
Party.
Mr. Cortor. The Tom Paine Club was a neighborhood group that
met out on — they had a store-front headquarters on either Hamilton
or Hodiamont Avenue. I believe it is Hamilton; about the 1100 or
1200 block.
Mr. Tavenner. Was that during the first period of your member-
ship?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4759
Air. CoRTOR. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you ever attend any of its meetings?
Air. CoRTOR. I attended several of their meetings, yes, when I
would be in town off the river vessel.
Air. Tavenner. Are there any members of that club whose names
3'ou can recall as members of the Communist Party?
Air. CoRTOR. There is one by the name of Elsie Hauber.
Air. Tavenner. Will 3^ou spell the last name.
Air. CoRTOR. J believe it is H-a-u-b-e-r.
Air. Tavenner. H-a-u-b-e-r, Hauber.
Air. CoRTOR. I also met Aliss Hauber in my second period in the
party.
Air. Tavenner. So that her membersliip continued on through
into your last period of membership?
Air. CoRTOR. That is right.
Air. Tavenner. I am not certain that I have exhausted your
recollection of the membersliip in the Automotive Branch of the Com-
munist Party.
Air. CoRTOR. You have all the names that were in in the last period.
In the early period they had several branches I was not connected
\vith, but I knew one of the people, a fellow b}^ the name of Tom
Schmidt.
Air. Tavenner. S-c-h-m-i-d-t?
Air. CoRTOR. That is correct.
Air. AIoulder. That is a very common, general name. Could you
give any more identification specifically to identify that person?
Air. CoRTOR. I find it rather hard to give a physical description of
an individual myself.
Air. Tavenner. How was he employed?
Air. CoRTOR. If I remember correctly, he was working at Ford's,
and he participated in the strike of the Ford plant — -it was on Park
Avenue at that time— m 1938, the fall of 1938.
I also knew Air. Schmidt in my later period in the part^^
Mr. Tavenner. That is what I was going to ask you. That is
between 1951 and 1954?
Air. CoRTOR. That is right.
Air. Tavenner. Can you give us any description or any accomit
of his activities during that period?
Mr. CoRTOR. In the later period, for a good proportion of the time,
he had a job workmg nights, and he wasn't very active. He had a
little bit of activity in the Civil Rights Congress, and some with the
St. Louis Emergency Defense Committee; cjuite a bit of service with
that.
Air. Tavenner. What was the membership of the Communist
Party advised with regard to the Civil Rights Congress?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, it was once put to me that the Civil Rights
Congress was the legal arm of the Communist Party.
Air. Tavenner. Was its membership encouraged to be active in
the Civil Rights Congress?
Mr. CoRTOR. It was.
Mr. Tavenner. In what connection did you mention the name of
Pearl Bernstein Starks?
Mr. CoRTOR. Pearl Bernstein
When I first knew Mrs. Starks — before her marriage — she was
office secretary for the National Alaritime Union, and she would be
4760 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
the person that the party members would contact when they came to
St. Louis for what was going on in the local party in the way of social
affairs, front organizations, or anything like that. Miss Bernstein
would be the person we would contact.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with her husband?
Mr. CoRTOR. I met her husband during the later period, through
Miss Bernstein. She introduced me to her husband as one of the old
timers over the river. She wanted me to know him as a party
member.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you tell the committee of any activities in
which she engaged in the latter period of your membership?
Mr. CoRTOR. I met him several times at Civil Rights Congress
meetings, and that is about the only organization I can pinpoint Mr.
Starks on.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with a person by the name
of William Massingale?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes. I knew Mr. Massingale as a member of the
party during the early period. And I met him several times in the
later period that I was in the party. But his health was very bad,
and he wasn't taking a very active part.
Mr. Tavenner. That is in the latter period?
Mr. CoRTOR. In the latter period. I knew him definitely as a
member of the pai'ty in the early period.
Mr. Tavenner. This committee received considerable evidence
last year regarding the activities of the National Committee to Secure
Justice in the Rosenberg Case. To what extent did the Communist
Party participate in that matter in this area?
Mr. CoRTOR. Well, all party members were urged to support the
Rosenberg committee and contact as many people as they could to
ask them to write letters asking for justice for the Rosenbergs, and to
help the Rosenberg committee distribute leaflets, which I did on two
occasions.
Mr. Tavenner. You participated hi that work yourself?
Mr. CoRTOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. How were funds raised for the work of that com-
mittee?
Mr. CoRTOR. Oh, through public donations, social affairs, movies,
almost every means they could find to raise money they used.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you been connected with the Communist
Party in any way since 1954?
Mr. CoRTOR. No, sir; I haven't.
Mr. T.WENNER. Mr. Chairman, I think that is all I desire to ask
the witness.
Mr. Moulder. Do you have any questions?
Mr. Frazier. No questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Cortor, we are grateful to you, and appreciate
very much your appearance before the committee in givuig us the
information that you have given us concernuig your knowledge of
the Communist activities. Thank you very much.
The witness is excused, and again thank you very much.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. James Sage.
Will you come forward, please.
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Sage, will 3^ou hold up your right hand and
be sworn.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES INT ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4761
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony wliicli you are about to
give before the subcommittee will be the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Sage. I do.
(Representative Gordon H. Scherer entered the hearing room at
this point.)
TESTIMONY OF JAMES H. SAGE, ACCOMPANIED BY COUNSEL,
GARNET W. TAYLOR
Mr. Taylor. Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter my appearance
as counsel.
Mr. Moulder. Yes.
Mr. Taylor. Is now the proper time you do it?
Mr. Tavenner. If you will wait a moment I will see that that is
done.
Will you state your name, please, sir.
Mr. Sage. My name is James H. Sage.
Mr. Tavenner. S-a-g-e?
How do you spell your name?
Mr. Sage. S-a-g-e.
Mr. Tavenner. Will counsel accompanying the witness please
identify himself for the record.
Mr. Taylor. My name is Garnet W. Taylor. I am a practicing
attorney here in St. Louis. And the i-elationship of lawyer and client
exists between Mr. Sage and myself. Mr. Sage was referred to me by
the Bar Association of the City of St. Louis.
Mr. Moulder. Yes, sir. And we wish to compliment you for your
appearance.
And, as stated by the committee this morning, your appearance
here as counsel certainly is no reflection upon you, and we are pleased
to have you present here as an attorney.
Mr. Taylor. Thank you, Mr. Moulder.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlien and where were you born, Mr. Sage?
Mr. Sage. I was born September L3, 192L
Mr. Tavenner. Where?
Mr. Sage. In Shelby County.
Mr. Tavenner. Missouri?
Mr. Sage. Missouri.
Mr. Tavenner. Where do you now reside?
Mr. Sage. 6048 Stoneham JDrive in Berkeley, Mo.
Mr. Tavenner. How long have you been a resident of Berkeley,
Mo.?
Mr. Sage. Over 2 years, if I recall correctly.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you resided in St. Louis?
Mr. Sage. Would you state the question again?
Mr. Tavenner. Have you resided in St. Louis at any time?
Mr. Sage. Yes, I have.
Mr. Tavenner. Over what period of time?
Mr. Sage. Well, perhaps since 1948, I think.
Mr. Tavenner. Up until about 2 years ago?
Mr. Sage. Yes, that is approximately eon-eet.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what your
formal educational training has been.
4762 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Sage. I went through the grade school and the high school of
Clarence, Mo. And I also have a bachelor's degree from Kirksville
State Teachers College. And I also have a master's degree in edu-
cational administration from Washington University.
Mr. Tavenner. Wlien did you receive your master's degree at
Washington University?
Mr. Sage. In February 1950.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you say when you received your degree from
Kirksville?
Mr. Sage. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the date, the approximate date?
Mr. Sage. May 1943.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you serve in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
Mr. Sage. I did.
Mr. Tavenner. Durmg what period of time?
Mr. Sage. From September of 1943 until December of 1945.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what your
employment has been since 1945, since you returned from the service.
Mr. Sage. Well, I have worked at various things; as a teacher of
chemistry, as a teacher of general science, as a chemist.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give the places and approximate dates,
please.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that cjuestion, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment to
the Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Scherer. Mr. Chairman, I ask that you direct the witness to
answer the question. I can't possibly see how telling us where he was
employed would incriminate him unless he was employed in some
criminal activity.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer the question
propounded by counsel for the reason stated by Mr. Scherer, and the
additional reason that the witness initially opened the subject by
stating his occupation and employment and what he was doing.
And the reason for this direction is, as you understand, that our
courts have held that the witness should be advised of such direction
in order that he might know of the dangers with which he might be
confronted in connection with contempt proceedings.
That is not stated in any spirit whatseover of a threat but so that
you might be advised in that respect.
Therefore, you are directed to answer the question.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. All right.
Will you state the question?
Mr. Tavenner. Will you read the question to the witness.
(Wliereupon, the record was read by the reporter as follows:)
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what j-our employment
has been since 1945, since you returned from the service?
Mr. Saoe. Well, I have worked at various things; as a teacher of chemistry, as
a teacher of general science, as a chemist.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you give the places and approximate dates, please.
Mr. Sage. When I retm-ned from the service I took a position as a
teacher of general science at Brookfield, Mo. That was in January of
COMJVIUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4763
1946. And I finished the term of scliooling there, wliicli ended in May
1946.
Mr. ScHERER. In what city was that?
Mr. Sage. Brookfield, Mo.
Mr. ScHERER. Tliank you, sir.
Mr. Tavenxer. If vou will proceed, please.
Mr. Sage. All right^.
In September of 1946 I became an instructor of chemistry on tlie
high school and college level at Kemper Military School in Booneville,
Mo.
Mr. Tavenner. Proceed, please.
Mr. Sage. On leaving Kemper Military School after 2 years of
teaching there, I entered Alissouri University for a half semester on
the GI bill of rights. And, after going there for one semester, I
entered Washington University gi*aduate school of education.
Mr. Tavenner. That was followed by your obtaining jour degree
in 1950?
Mr. Sage. That is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. Then what was your employment after receiving
your master's degree in 1950?
Mr. Sage. Well, for a few months after that I worked at Fisher
Body.
^I^. Tavenner. In St. Louis?
xVIr. Sage. In St. Louis.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the nature of your employment there?
Mr. Sage. As a production worker.
Mr. Tavenner. On the assembly line?
Mr. Sage. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. How long did you continue to work there?
Mr. Sage. It was about 3 months; approximately 3 months, I
would say, or somewhere in that vicinity.
Mr. T.WENNER. Do you recall the date when you left the plant?
Mr. Sage. No; I do not.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall the month?
Mr. Sage. It was in the month of November.
Mr. Tavenner. What was your next employment?
Air. Sage. My next employment was with H. and H. Machine
Shop.
Air. Tavenner. In St. Louis?
Mr. Sage. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. What date did that emplojonent begin?
Mr. Sage. I am not sure, I think it was in January or February
of 1951.
Air. Tavenner. How were you employed between November 1950,
and the date in 1951 which you just mentioned?
Air. Sage. 1 was unempIoA^ed. There was a layoff at Fisher Body
during — or I was laid off from there. There was a general shutdown
of about 1 month in there. They are in the common habit of having
shutdowns about that time of year.
Air. Tavenner. Were you called back to work in November of
1950?
Air. Sage. I think I received a telegram to that nature calling me
back.
Air. Tavenner. Did you go back?
4764 COMJVIUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Sage. No, I did not.
Mr. Tavenxer. Why?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you make application in October of 1950 for
the issuance of a passport by the State Department, a photostatic
copy of which I hand you?
(Document handed to the witness and his counsel.)
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I wish to reassert my privilege under the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. Tavenner. I ask that the photostatic copy be marked for
identification pm'poses only as "Sage Exhibit No. 1."
Mr. Moulder. So ordered.
(The document referred to was marked "Sage Exhibit No. 1" for
identification and filed in the committee records.)
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine Sage Exhibit No. 1, please, and
state whether or not the signature appearing on the second page is
your signatm'e.
Mr. Sage. I wish to reassert my privilege under the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. ScHERER. The record should show that the witness did not
even look at the exhibit before he asserted his privilege. I ask that
jou direct the witness at least to look at the signature.
Mr. Moulder. Yes, the witness is dii-ected to examine the sig-
natm'e to ascertain whether or not he desires to answer the question
Let the record show that the witness is now examining Sage exhibit
No. 1 as requested by Mr. Scherer.
Now the question, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. The question was w^hether or not the signatm'e is
his signature, on this document marked "Sage Exhibit No. 1."
Will 3^ou now examine the document again, please, and state whether
or not the photograph appearing on the second page of the docu-
ment
Mr. Moulder. I don't believe he has answered the first question.
Mr. Tavenner. Excuse me. I thought he had refused.
Mr. Sage. What is the question, please?
Mr. Moulder. As to whether or not the signatm-e appearing upon
the document is your signature.
Mr. Sage. I thought I had already stated that I invoked the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Moulder. Do you now decline to answer?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. By reasserting yoiu- privilege?
Mr. Sage. By reasserting my privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine the document again, please, and
state whether or not the photograph appearing on the second page is
your photograph?
Mr. Sage (after examining document). I refuse to answer the ques-
tion, and claim the privilege against self-incrimination granted by the
fifth amendment of the Constitution.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was your address in October of 1950?
COIVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4765
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
^Ir. Sage. I refuse to answer the question, and invoke again, or
assert again my privileges under the fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, at this point at least I cannot see
how his telling us where he lived in October of 1950 could possibly
incriminate him. He was still employed at that time, according to
his testimony, by the Fisher Body Co. here in St. Louis. According
to his testimony, he wasn't laid off until November. So I can't
possibly see how telling us where he lived at that time could incrimi-
nate him. And I ask that you direct the witness to answer the
question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so directed to answer the question.
Mr. Taylor. Mr. Chairman, do I have any right to speak in behalf
of the witness?
Mr. Moulder. Unfortunately, the rules of our committee do not
permit counsel to address the committee. In controversies of this
sort you are free at all times to confer with the witness and advise
him on such questions in any manner you see it.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, aad assert my privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment of
the Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Sage, I will read to you this part of Sage
Exhibit No. 1:
My travel plans are as follows: Port of departure: New York. Approximate
date" of departure: November 10, 1950. Proposed length of stay abroad: 2
months. Means of transportation: Plane or ship. Countries to be visited:
England and France. Purpose of trip: Touring.
Did you engage in any travel for the purpose of touring in 1950
on the continent of Europe or England?
Mr. Sage. \^'liat do you consider touring?
Mr. Tavenner. Let us have your definition of it. You are the
one who took the trip.
(The wdtness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I reassert my privilege under the fifth amendment to
refuse to answer that question.
Mr. Tavenner. What do you mean by touring?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer the question, and assert
Mr. Tavenner. As a matter of fact, you didn't go to Europe for
the purpose of touring at all in 1950, did you?
Mr. Sage. I assert my rights under the fifth amendment to refuse
to answer this question.
Mr. Tavenner. As a matter of fact, you went to Europe for the
purpose of attending the Second World Peace Congress which was to
be held in Sheffield, England. Isn't that correct?
Mr. Sage. I assert my privilege under the fifth amendment to
refuse to answer this question.
Mr. Tavenner. Your plane was not permitted to land in England,
was it? And proceeded on to Paris? Isn't that true?
Mr. Sage. Again I assert my privilege under the Constitution to
refuse to answer this question, against self-incrimination.
Mr. Tavenner. You know, do you not, that the British Govern-
ment would not permit the Second World Peace Congress to be held on
4766 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
British soil because of the Communist participation or Communist
delegates to that convention? You know that, do you not?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Air. Tavenner. You know that the Polish Government then
invited the delegates to meet in Warsaw, and that you went to
Warsaw. Isn't that true?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Your expenses to Warsaw were paid by the Polish
Government; weren't they?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. ScHERER. Is that the Polish Government?
Wasn't it the Communist Party of Poland that paid the expenses?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir; it was.
You arrived in Warsaw on the 17th of November 1950, didn't you?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incriniination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you go from Warsaw to Moscow?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. You returned to the United States on the 8tli day
of December 1950, on the Batory; didn't you?
Mr. Scherer. The what?
Mr. Tavenner. The Batory.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't that the same ship on which Eisler escaped
from this country?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; the Batory was engaged for quite some period
of time in work of that type.
Mr. Sage. Are you asking a question or is this just a statement?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; I asked you a question — —
Mr. Scherer. I was asking counsel a question.
But do you know that the Batory you took was the same ship
Gerhart Eisler used to escape?
Mr. Taylor. Did you say counsel? You weren't addressing me?
Mr. Scherer. No. Our counsel.
Now I am asking the witness a question since he asked me one.
Witness, do you know that the ship on which you returned to the
United States was the same ship
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. I think you are properly invoking the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you meet Dr. Willard Uphaus at Warsaw?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimmation guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. Tavenner. Dr. Willard Uphaus testified before the Committee
on Un-American Activities last week in Washington, in the course of
hearings which the committee has been conducting relating to the
CO]\IMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4767
improper use of passports, with a view of recommending legislation to
Congress on the subject.
Dr. Uphaiis testified that he was one of the group who attended this
conference in Warsaw. And I have before me a copy of a speech he
made on that occasion. In the course of his speech he said this:
Mr. Sa2;e, one of our delegates, was arrested and fined for circulating the
Stockholm petition.
Did you hear Dr. Upliaus make that statement?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution of the United States.
Mr. ScHERER. Was Dr. Uphaus lying when he made the statement
that you were arrested for circulating that petition?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer your question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, whether an
American trade union financed your trip from St. Louis to New York
and from New York to Paris.
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question?
Mr. Moulder. Yes, Mr. Scherer.
Mr. Scherer. Witness, when you signed that application for pass-
port you swore to the statements you made in that application, did
you not?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Scherer. And isn't it a fact, Witness, that when you swore
to the application saying that you were going to tour in Europe you
were not telling the truth?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Scherer. You knew at the time you signed that application
for passport and swore to the statements you made in that application
that 3"0u were not going to Europe for the purpose of touring, but
that you were going to Europe to attend this Communist peace
conference in London, did you not?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. Scherer. And the fact is that you obtained that passport by,
first, committing perjiuy, and then by fraud in making false representa-
tions to the State Department of this Govermnent, did you not?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution of the LTnited States.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions.
Mr. Tavenner. From whom did you get directions as to how to
fill out this application for passport in such a way as to deceive the
State Department as to the real purposes of your trip?
4768 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. ScHERER. Isn't it a fact, Witness, that you got that informa-
tion and were told how to do this by agents of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution of the United States.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Tavenner, does the applicant state his occupa-
tion at the time he made the application for passport?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir; he does not.
Mr. Scherer. Yes, let me see it. I saw it.
Mr. Moulder. How" is the application signed?
Mr. Scherer. James H. Sage.
Yes, he swore to it on the 27th of October 1950, and that is before
he was laid off by the Fisher Body Co.
So he knew very well at that time that he was going to this peace
conference.
Now the fact is, Witness, at the time you made this application
you were living at 5673 Cabanne Street, St. Louis.
Isn't that a fact?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question and claim the privilege
of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. And living at that same address was William
Sentner, who was convicted in this very courtroom for violation of the
Smith Act. Isn't that right?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-uicrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't that the reason you refused to tell this com-
mittee a few minutes ago, when we asked where you were livmg
during 1950, and you refused to give us the address? Isn't that the
reason? That you were living at that time and collaborating with
William Sentner?
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment of
the Constitution.
Mr. Scherer. Were you here in this courtroom during the time
that Sentner was being tried for advocating the overthrow of this
Government by force and violence?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Mr. wScherer. The fact is you were living with him at that address
on Cabanne Street at that time, were you not?
Mr. Sage. Would you restate the question again, please?
Mr. Scherer. I ^\^1 withdraw the question.
Mr. Tavenner. I refer again to Sage Exhibit No. 1, the photo-
static copy of the passport application signed by James Harold Sage,
and read an affidavit appearing at the bottom of the document.
I, the undersigned, solemnly swear that I am a citizen of the United States;
that I reside at the address written below my signature hereto affixed, that I
know the applicant who executed the affidavit hereinbefore set forth to be a citi-
COIVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4769
zen of the United States; that the statements made in the appHcant's affidavit are
true to the best of my knowledge and behef ; further, I solemnly swear that I have
known the applicant personally for 4 years.
Signed "Sol Nissen", N-i-s-s-e-n.
Is that a correct statement, that Nissen had kno\\Ti you for a period
of 4 years?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I refuse to answer that question, and claim the privilege
against self-incrimination as guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. May I suggest, if you like, that when you are
relying on the fifth amendment, as you are, that you may state that
you refuse to answer on the same grounds. It woidd save you from
repeating it each time, and it is the customary practice before this
committee.
Mr. Sage. Thank you. I thought maybe you would advise us-
pretty soon about that.
Mr. Moulder. That will be permitted by the committee.
Mr. Sage. What is the answer that you want? That I reassert the
privilege?
Mr. Moulder. If you wish to reassert yom* privilege under the
Constitution you may, by merely saying that you decline to answer
for the same reasons previously given.
Mr. Tavenner. Then we will understand what you mean.
On the 27th day of October 1950, was Sol Nissen known to you to
be a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on the grounds previously
stated.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand you a paper bearing date August 3, 1950,.
piu'portedly signed by James H. Sage, and ask you to state whether
or not that is a copy of your application for employment at Fisher
Body Division of General Motors Corp.
(Document handed to witness and his counsel.)
(The witness confers with his coinisel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on the grounds pre-
viously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean to take the position that an applica-
tion for employment at Fisher Body might tend to incriminate you
if you admit that it was your application?
Mr. Scherer. I think so, Mr. Tavenner, in view of the fact that
he has made all these perjurious statements in his application to the
Government of the United States.
It is conceivable he made a false application to Fisher Body.
I think he is properly invoking the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine the application and state what
it says as to educational qualifications of the individual.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I have to decline to answer the question on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you return the document to me please?
(Document handed to Mr. Tavenner.)
Mr. Tavenner. This document is marked "Hardy Exhibit No. 1."
This exhibit, together with Hardy Exhibits Nos. 2, 3, and 4, was
introduced in evidence during the executive testimony of Mr. George
V. L. Hardy.
4770 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
I think, Mr. Chairman, it would clarify the record if I reoffered in
evidence at this point "Hardy Exhibits Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4" and have
them made a part of this witness' testimony.
Mr. Moulder. Yes; Hardy Exhibits Nos. 1 through 4 are admitted
in evidence as part of the record of the testimony of this witness.
(The exhibits are as follows:)
Habdy Exhibit No. 1
rKHIK 9»0«
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT "^^ '*■*-
riSHER BOOV DIVISION '^^* V^ .
ION -v^:Cr t^.
— .^::z.':
f^r^
~- .,„ ^...... :. „,„„
-^
. }-" Aua.l^'JS'" Pec. '/.5
C-C>A<24,^^XVC <
567-Xs^ (l*/-,
/^. FA Em at Cci. .-.-.i_'^j^i7^/V
?£JLlJlt*^
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4771
Hardy Exhibit No. 2
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
r.SHL'J B'-nV DIVISION
■^ }i/aujji-
•^7' "^ :
^-r.A^^
Ms. y4/>r /hJfcB
Aj/^u
ypLr^r^y^<^.
4772 coMMuisriST activities in st. louis, mo., area
Hardy Exhibit No. 3
Cent
b.i made <pptieilion for e^oyincnt »riib u^iod ttatM that b« «ru employed by you as
From /-£ /
Bad|!« No._
.*n!l'w'rjl'rt!f ■"r^:^ •'*'<'* r" "perience with tbr appbc.nt. The informalioD will be treated coafide«lially
and we wUJ be pleaaed u> recprocate. The apphcant-, eraployment may be delayed ontil we have your reply
Date-.
DATES or E
MPLOYMENT
T.
UND OP VOKX
1/17/51
5/12/51
Crate repairer
FISHER BODY DIVISION
General Moton Corporation
Reaaon for
L*a ving for another Job.
fteaarka
KATING
A.«. 1 A.,.
BeU»
A...
aJriBtr
CM^aot
Alta<I.M>f
HehJre: D Yea □ Na
IT » H Mach'ne \ Motor Parts Co
^-■S^^^iZ—ioZT^z^s
> on *CH ALONG THIS EDGE AND RETURN IN THE REPLY ENVELOPE
HARDY' Exhibit No. 4
%r$$s^'
RETURN RECEIPT
Rmetmdfnm Ae Pottmeata ikt RegiaknJ or Inuni Arikk, A» ariglmd
V UibcA appeart m the fact <^ ihU Cerd.
J.
(Sti»stm$ »t nam* q/ f
i.....7t.Pl :'S^ZA^-l.Jhr.._
(Slgmlmi i/mMtt**t't finl - Aftnt Jmrnli intu 3m*mtt't n»mt tt lint ONt dm*)
Dott of delivery .-, , t^ _^,
a, f. aovnmiiKT niMTiac orrKc >•— tM>t
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4773
Mr. Tavexxer. The application marked "Hardy Exhibit No. 1"
shows the name, in handwriting, of James H. Sage. It bears the date
of August 3, 1950. It gives the address as 5673 Cabanne Street, St.
Louis. And then it proceeds to state the educational training that
the applicant has had.
Mr. ScHERER. Up to the point of giving his address, he told the
truth.
Mr. Tavexxer. It merely lists "High school — 12", meaning 12
grades, for his education.
It does not indicate that the applicant has degrees from two uni-
versities, or a college and a university, or that there had ever been an
attendance at college.
Why was it you omitted that information from your application?
iVIr. Sage. I decline to answer the ciuestion on the grounds pre-
viously given.
Mr. Tavexxer. The committee, beginning with the witness, Mr.
Herbert Philbrick of Boston, heard evidence of the Communist Party
plan to colonize industry. He explained to the committee how people
from the educational and professional world were being induced to
<?olonize industry for the purpose of supplying leadership to the
Communist Party.
It was not until 1954, however, that the committee, at Flint, Mich.,
was able to get extensive proof of that type of procedure.
Mr. Moulder. IVIay I add that that procedure indicated that
people would be sent from New York and other points to sensitive
and important defense-plant areas to work under the direction of the
Communist Party leadership in New York.
Is that correct, Mr. Tavenner?
Mr. Tavexxer. Yes, sir.
There was one instance of an electrical engineer. There were
instances of other persons with degrees in the type of work in which
they had specialized, leaving college, or, immediately after completion
of their college work, going to Flint, Tvlich., and taking positions on the
assembly line and fm-nishing false information as to theu* educational
qualifications.
And, as shown there, witness after witness testified that they did
that for the pm-pose of becoming leaders in the labor field and in the
Communist Party.
Mr. ScHERER. They made applications similar to the one that this
witness made, and failed to include their educational qualifications
so that they could obtain emplojTnent on the assembly line.
I was at Flint, Mich., and I remember that testimony clearly.
None of those applications with those plants disclosed that the men
had degi'ees in engineering or master's degrees such as this witness
has here.
Mr. Tavexxer. And then information was obtained in the course
of hearings conducted in Denver relating to the Colorado University,
that young men in the com'se of their educational training were
induced by the Communist Party to leave school and take up places
in industry, falsely stating their educational qualifications, in order to
assist them in getting that type of position.
Mr. Moulder. In view of that as a basis, I wish to ask the mt-
ness a question.
4774 COAIMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Did the Communist Party leaders or any Communist Party member
influence you to make application for employment at the Fisher
General Motors plant for employment there on the assembly line?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on the grounds pre-
viously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Now you knew before December 10 that you were
gomg to be laid off, that there would be this temporary shutdown at
the Fisher Body plant, didn't you?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on the grounds pre-
viously given.
Mr. Tavenner. You have just made up your mind not to answer
any question that I might ask you. Is that correct?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on the gi-ounds pre-
viously given.
Mr. Moulder. Of course we are not handwriting experts, but may
the committee examine the documents referred to for the purpose of
comparing the signatures on the application for passport and the
application for employment at Fisher?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; I will very gladly hand you both exhibits.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. For the purpose of the record, it appears that it is
the opinion of the members of the committee that the signatures
appearing on both documents referred to as Hardy Exhibit No. 1 and
Sage Exhibit No. 1 are identical signatures. The same person signed
both documents.
Mr. Scherer. May I ask the witness:
Is the committee correct in its opinion that the signatures on both
of the documents are the same?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on the grounds pre-
viously stated.
Air. Tavenner. Mr. Sage, you actually received a notice by
registered mail that you were to return for employment at Fisher Body,
did you not?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on the grounds previ-
ously stated.
\h\ Scherer. I ask that you direct the witness to answer that
question. He has already partially answered that question in the
early part of his testimony when he said he thougJit he received a
notice by telegram.
He certainl}' waived any privilege he might have.
I call it now to his attention, that it was b}^ registered mail instead
of telegram.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer the question.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Air. Sage. I decline to answer the question on tlie grounds previ-
ously given.
Air. Scherer. I think we should state for the record that we do not
accept his answer, and that in at least the opinion of this member of
the committee the witness has subjected himself to possible contempt
for not answering that question.
Air. AIoulder. The witness is so advised, and has been previously
advised of the possibility.
I say that not in the spirit of a threat but in the spirit of
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4775
Mr. ScHERER. The Supreme Court made it mandatorv that we
state our feeling in order to predicate a possible action for contempt.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you direct the witness to answer?
Mr. Moulder. Yes, the witness has been so directed.
And, as I understand the record, he declines to answer for the
reasons previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Sage, after the receipt of a message to report
back to Fisher Body for reemployment, did you report back?
Mr. Sage. I declme to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you advise Mr. George V. L. Hardy, employ-
ment manager of Fisher Body division, as to why you had been absent
and could not report back at the time you were advised to report
back?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I think I should read into the rec-
ord at this point the testimony of Mr. George V. L. Hardy, taken in
executive session on that point, and give this witness an opportunity
to reply to or explain any of the matters referred to here.
Mr. George V. L. Hardy, after explaining that he was employment
manager of the Fisher Body and in charge of applicants for positions,
testified as to your application for employment, which he produced
under subpena duces tecum issued by tliis committee.
Mr. Hardy also advised that after the plant was ready to be put
back in operation you were advised by registered mail to report for
employment, but that you did not report.
However, under subpena duces tecum, Mr. Hardy produced the
''retm-n receipt" for his registered letter addressed to you.
Mr. Scherer, Addi'essed to liim at what addrc^ss? Cabanne
Street?
Mr. Tavenner. The return receipt does not show the addi'ess.
Mr. Scherer. \Mio signed the return receipt?
Mr. Tavenner. But it does show on his application, which I read
into evidence a few moments ago, as being 5673A Cabanne Street.
The return receipt previously introduced as Hardy Exhibit No.
4, shows that it was signed bv William Sentner, Jr., November 24,
1950.
Did Mr. William Sentner, Jr., live in the same building in which
you resided?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on groimds previously
stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Hardy further testified that you appeared in
person in his office and gave the following explanation of the reason
for youi- absence and your faihu'e to return at the time you were
advised lo return. This is Mr. Hardy's testimony:
He-
referring to you —
stated that he left work on November 3, 1950, and subsequently left St. Louis,
driving to New York, arriving on November 10, 1950. He took a Curtiss-Reid
airplane which stopped at Montreal and also Gander, Newfoundland. The
plane landed in Paris.
4776 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Is that a truthful statement up to that point?
Mr. Sage. I deehne to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavennee (reading) :
And he explained that the airline did not have a permit to land in London. So
he took a local plane to London from Paris on the same day.
Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment.
Did he state his reason for his desire to go to Ijondon?
Mr. Hardy. Yes. He gave me the information that the conference — he was
supposed to go to some special conference there, but he didn't go into any further
detail than that.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall \\hat conference that was?
(There was no response.)
Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether it was the Second World Peace
Congress?
I\Ir. Hardy. Yes, I am quite sure that is right.
Mr. Tavenner. Very well, sir. If you will proceed, please.
Mr. Hardy. On November 11 he returned to Paris where he stayed until the
14th or 15th, on which date he stated he went to Brussels, Belgium, and then
continued on the 15th to Prague. And he continued to Warsaw on the 17th,
where he said he was unable to continue by plane.
To what place did you continue after arriving at Warsaw?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
stated.
Mr. ScHERER. Was it Moscow?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
stated.
Mr. Tavenner (continuing to read the testimony of Mr. Hardy) :
He then went to a port in Poland and boarded a boat which he later identified
as the Batory.
This boat was due to land at some Gennan port which he did not name. But
he stated it was so heavily laden that it docked at Southampton first and then
proceeded to the German port. It touched at Le Havre and then docked at
New York on Friday, December 8. And he then flew by TWA airline to St.
Louis on the same date.
Is there an}' error m that statement bv Mr. Hard}' as to what you
told him on December 11, 1950?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the statements of any General Motors
officials on the grounds previously stated.
Mr. ScHERER. Is anything said by this General Motors official,,
namely, Mr. Hardy, about you untrue? Did he lie to the committee
on Saturda}^ when he testified under oath as to these things that have
been just read to you by Mr. Tavenner?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. ScHERER. Before we go any further, yom- passport specifically
stated that jou were not allowed to travel in Iron Ciu'tain countries,
did it not?
Mr. Sage. What was the statement?
Mr. ScHERER. As to your passport we have been discussing, that
was issued to you as a result of the representations you made in your
application; that passport specifically prohibited you from traveling
in Iron Cm'tain countries, did it not? Yet you went to Prague.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4777
Mr. Tavennek. It was at this time that you sought emploj^ment
with H. & H. Machine Shop, was it not?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I dechne to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Scheker. I ask that you direct the witness to answer the
question with reference to his employment with H. & H. Machine
Shop since in his early testimony he told us that he went to work for
the H. & H. Machine Shop in St. Louis in January of 1951.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so directed.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Scherer. Is there a dhection to answer the question?
Mr. Taylor. I believe we did invoke the amendment when you
made the original question as to the matter of employment. And
then you directed us to answer. We answered.
Mr. Tavenner. That is right.
Mr. Taylor. Since that time there have been many questions
asked, and you are coming back now to his place of employment in a
different way and in a different link.
Mr. Moulder. The record will speak for itself in that respect.
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Now I hand you Hardy Exhibit No. 2, and ask
you to state whether you did apply for reemployment in 1952, and if
in fact you were not reemployed by Fisher Body plant in August of
1952.
(Document handed to the witness and his counsel.)
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Tavenner. I refer now to the reverse side of Hardy Exhibit
No. 2 where the previous employment given by the applicant James
H. Sage is H. & H. Machine Co. from January 1951 to May 1951.
Will you tell the committee, please, whether H. & H. Machine Co.
was organized by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. In February of 1951 were you employed as an
organizer for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of
America?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you a member of the Communist Party on
February 11, 1951?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you receive Communist Party encouragement
and support in obtaining a position as organizer for the United
Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Moulder. The committee will stand in recess for a period of
5 minutes, at the end of which period of time the witness will be recalled
for further exammation.
(Whereupon, a short recess was taken, there bemg present Repre-
sentatives Moulder, Frazier, and Scherer.)
4778 COMMTJNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST, LOUIS, MO., AREA
(The committee was reconvened at the expu'ation of the recess,
there being present Representatives Moulder and Scherer.)
Mr. Moulder. The committee will be in order.
Proceed, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you arrested on June 18, 1951, in connection
with the showing of a moving pictiu-e at the home of Eddie Richardson?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds prev^iously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. In the course of the staff investigation it procured
photostatic copies of certain papers alleged to have been in yom* car,
in yoiu- possession at that time. That is, at the home of Richardson
on June 18, 1951.
I hand you photostats of these papers marked for identification
pm-poses only as "Sage Exhibit No. 2" as one document. I ask you
to identify them as copies of notebook paper material which was in
your possession.
(The documents referred to were marked "Sage Exhibit No. 2" for
identification.)
(Documents handed to the witness and his counsel.)
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Tavenner; Will you answer the question, please.
Mr. Taylor. What was the question?
Mr. Tavenner. Will you identify these photostatic copies of
papers found in your possession at the time of yom* arrest at the
home of Richardson on June 18, 1951?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question
I decline to answer the question on grounds previously given.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine the documents again and state
whether or not they appear in yom' hand^aiting?
(Documents handed to the witness and his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on groimds previously
stated.
Mr. Scherer. That is no answer. That is a refusal to answer.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you engage in any work for the Communist
Party in mass orgamzation relating to the peace movement in the
summer of 1951?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you assist in the organization of a trip of
delegates from St. Louis to a convention held on June 29 and 30 and
July 1, 1951, sponsored by the American Peace Crusade in Chicago?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
stated.
Mr. Tavenner (referring to Sage Exhibit No. 2). I will read from
some of the notes on this note paper which are numbered as follows:
No. 1. Hank Holland, H-o-l-l-a-n-d:
Going for 3 daj's. Will take car and will try to make up his own group.
Was that part of the delegation to this peace crusade convention
in Chicago?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Was Hank Holland known to you at the Fisher
Body plant as a member of the Communist Party?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4779
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on giounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavexxer. Had Hank Holland been employed in the Fisher
Body plant prior to November 3, 1950, while j'ou were there?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on gi'ounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenxer (reading) :
No. 2: Romey Hudson, (R-o-m-e-y) 4954 Fountain.
Would like to go on the 28th to be there for the opening of the meeting —
is the notation appearing under it.
Was Romey Hudson known to you to be a member of the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenxer. Both Hank Holland and Romey Hudson were
identified by the preceding witness as members of the Communist
Party.
Mr. Taylor. Mr. Counsel, did you want an answer there?
Mr. Tavexxer. Yes, if you would give one I would be veiy happy
to have it.
Mr. Taylor. I didn't know whether you put that in a question.
I thought you were going on. Are you expecting
Mr. Tavexxer. I live in hope always.
Will you answer the question as to whether or not Mr. Cortor was
correct in his identification of Hank Holland and Romey Hudson as
members of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on groimds previously
given.
Mr. Tavexxer (reading) :
No, 3: Loretta Waxman, Elliott Waxman, Marilyn Waxman, need transporta-
tion.
One of those names, Elliott Waxman, was identified by the preced-
ing witness as the head of one of the automotive branch groups of the
Communist Party.
Was he known to you to be a member of the Communist Party?
(Representative James B. Frazier, Jr., entered the hearing room at
tliis point.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on the grounds pre-
viously given.
Mr. Tavexxer (reading) :
No. 6 is Elsie Hauber.
Was she known to you to be a member of the Communist Party?
Air. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavexxer. In addition to having identified her as a member
of the Communist Party, Mr. Cortor also identified Orville Leach,
who is listed under No. 9 of the notes, as a member of the Communist
Party.
Do you know whether Orville Leach was a member of the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given .
4780 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Another name appearing on the notes is Bill
Massingale.
Do you know whether Bill Massingale was a member of the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Pearl Starks, S-t-a-r-k-s. Was she a member of
the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Bill Sentner?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Thelma Hecht?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Mrs. Holland?
Mr. Sage. I declme to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Maschoff, M-a-s-c-h-o-f-f?
Mr. Moulder. Is there a first name in connection with that?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir; there is not.
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. A person by the name of Otto Maschoff was identi-
fied as a member of the Communist Party, one of those who attended
the fraction meetings in the industrial branches of the Communist
Party.
Ai'e you acquahited with Otto Maschoff?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. I also read a notation from the top of one of the
notes which is underscored:
Chicago convention scheduling.
Does that refer to the Chicago convention of June 29 and 30 of the
American Peace Crusade at Chicago?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
]\Ir. Tavenner. I see on another note a breakdown of names into
groups, the heading of which is —
Youth to Chicago.
As the head of one of those groups is the name of Sol Nissen,
N-i-s-s-e-n. That is the same name appearing as the identifying
witness on your application for passport.
Did Sol Nissen accompany you to Chicago?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
2;iven.
Mr. Tavenner. Was he a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. On another page of these notes, there appears a
breakdown of groups:
Youth, 25; professional, 15; labor — •
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4781
It is impossible to tell whether it is 30 or 50.
Church groups, 15; other, 20; K. C, 50; out State 25.
What does K. C. mean?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. You know that means Kansas City, don't you?
Air. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Wliat does "Out-State" mean?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Isn't that the term used in the official document
of the Communist Party signed by Ray Koch as the organizational
secretary under date of April 14, 1947, in which he refers to a group
of the Communist Party as the Out-State group, and which it was
testified here this morning meant that part of the Communist Party
outside of the city of St. Louis?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chahman, as previously indicated, I ask that
these notes be combined as one document, identified as "Sage Ex-
hibit No. 2," to be retained in the files of the committee.
Mr. Moulder. Very well.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand j^ou Hardy Exhibit No. 2, wliich was your
application for reemplojTiient at Fisher Bodv, bearing the date
of August 13, 1952.
Pm'suant to that application were you again given a job at the
Fisher plant?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. What emplovment have you had since August
13, 1952?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you a member of an organized group of the
Communist Partv at the Fisher Body plant at any time between
August 3, 1950, and November 1, 1950?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. AVere you a member of such an organized group of
the Commmiist Party at any time after August 13, 1952?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previouslj^
given.
Mr. Tavenner. I have before me a photostatic copy of a document
over the name of the Communist Club of Washington University,
Post Office Box 1006, St. Louis, AIo. I hand you this document, and
I will ask you if j^ou have ever seen it before.
(Document handed to the witness and his counsel.)
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you play any part in the dissemination of that
document?
4782 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IX ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. ]Mr. Chairman, the committee's investigation
discloses that Post Office Box 1006, which appears at the bottom of it,
was rented by Ralph Shaw and Jim Forrest.
Do you know Ralph Shaw?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on gi-ounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Was Ralph ShaAv in 1951 a Communist Party
organizer in this area?
Mr. Sage. I decline to anwser the question on gi'oinids previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Do 3-ou Ivtiow whether Jim Forrest, mentioned
here, is the Jim Forrest who was one of those convicted under the
Smith Act in 1954?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the ciuestion on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, the committee's investigation
shows that a reference to "William Sentner was given when this post-
office box was obtained.
Mr. Moulder. Do we have am' information on Ralph Shaw?
Air. Tavenner. I am certain that Ralph Shaw was identified as a
functionary of the Comnnmist Party by Mr. Schoemehl in executive
testunony, and I am confident also that he will be further identified
during the course of this hearing.
I ask that this document be marked "Sage Exhibit No. 3," for
identification purposes only, and retained in the committee files.
Mr. IMoulder. The document will be so marked.
(The document referred to was marked "Sage Exhibit No. 3" for
identification.)
Mr. Tavenner. I shall read into the record only one paragraph.
The campuses of the Nation do not exist in a poHtical vacuum and we will find
that the evils embodied in this law will strangle the free exchange of ideas which
is the primary function of an institution of higher learning.
And then this part of it is underscored:
It must do this in order to capture the minds and bodies of the campus youth
who are one of the major supplies of cannon fodder which is so desperately needed
by Emperor MacArthur at the moment to further his fascistic aims of subjugating
the people of Asia to the imperialistic exploitation of Wall Street.
Mr. Scherer. Subjugating the people of Asia?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir.
The reference is to the "McCarran Act," which was a term used in
1951 to describe the Internal Securit}' Act of 1950, which was origi-
nated by this committee. This is not the McCarran- Walter Act. It
is the AlcCarran-Wood Act. Mr. Wood was chairman of this com-
mittee, and Mr. McCarran of the Senate committee. And the correct
name was realW the McCarran-Wood Act. But it is the Internal
Securitv Act of 1950.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4783
Was there an organized group of the Communist Party on the cam-
pus of Washington University while joii were in attendance and
obtained your master's degree?
Mr. Sage. I declme to answer the question on grounds previously
stated.
Mr. ScHERER. I forgot, Witness. In what field did you receive
your master's degree?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer the question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. ScHERER. I ask you direct tlie witness to answer.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer.
Mr. ScHERER. In vrhat field?
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Taylor. Congressman Moulder — Mr. Chairman, couldn't we
search the record and get that?
Mr. Moulder. You mean it lias already been stated in the record?
Mr. Taylor. It seems to me like it was, in the first.
Mr. ScHERER. I think it was. That is the reason I was so flabber-
gasted that he invoked the fifth amendment. I just forgot it.
Mr. Taylor. Congressman, j^ou know
Mr. Moulder. You are directed to answer.
Mr. Taylor. You directed him to ansv\-er tluit one particular
question for the Congressman?
Mr. Moulder. Yes; as requested by Mr. Scherer.
Mr. Taylor. Will you read the ciuestion then?
Mr. Scherer. I will repeat it.
In what field did he get his master's?
Mr. Sage. In educational administration.
Mr. Scherer. That is all I wanted to know.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee the facts relating to
the preparation of this document and the dissemination of it from thft
post office with reference to Post Office Box 1006?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. How are you presently employed?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
!NIr. Sage. WlU you state the question again, please.
Mr. Tavenner. WiU j^ou read the question, please.
(The question was read by the reporter.)
Mr. Sage. As a chemist.
Mr. Moulder. As a what?
Mr. Sage. As a chemist.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you now a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline '^ to answer that question on the grounds
previously given.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you been a member of the Communist
Party at any time other than those about which I have specifically
asked you?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Scherer, do you have any questions?
4784 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. ScHERER. You said in your earlier testimony that j-ou for a
time service! in the Armed Forces of the United States. I forget what
years that service covered. Would j^ou tell me?
Mr. Sage. It covered from August 1943, or September 1943, until
December of 1945.
Mr. Scherer. In what branch of the armed services?
Mr. Sage. United States Ai-niy Air Corps.
Mr. Scherer. Did you see service outside of this country?
Mr. Sage. Yes; I did.
Mr. Scherer. \Vhere?
Mr. Sage. In Italy.
Mr. Scherer. What were your specific duties?
Mr. Sage. WeU, I suppose my classification was that of a supply
clerk.
Mr. Scherer. What did you do in the Air Corps?
Mr. Sage. That is mainly what I did, was supply work. Just how
I was classified I don't remember.
Mr. Scherer. Did j^ou have a commission?
Mr. Sage. I did not.
Mr. Scherer. W^ere you a member of the Communist Party at the
time that you were serving this country in the Ai'med Forces?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Scherer. When j^ou were in Italy did you have any contact
with members of the Communist Party?
Mr. Sage. I decline to answer that question on grounds previously
given.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions, Mr. Chau'man.
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Frazier?
Mr. Frazier. No questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. I have no questions, Mr. Tavenner.
The witness will be excused.
Call your next witness.
Mr. Tavenjser. Mr. Elliott Waxman.
Will you come forward, please, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Do you solemnly swear the testimony which you
are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Waxman, I do.
Mr. Moulder. jVIr. Taylor, we wish to thank you for your conduct
and appearance here as a member of the legal profession, as an at-
torney, at the request of the Bar Association of St. Louis, representing
the witness Mr. Sage, and express our appreciation for the manner
in which you have represented him as a duty on your part as a member
of the legal profession.
Mr. Taylor. I have had the pleasure of knowing our Congi'essman
for some years.
TESTIMONY OF ELLIOTT WAXMAN
Mr. Waxman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit a statement
for the committee at this time. I would like to read it.
Mr. Moulder. Yes, you may present your statement and file it.
Mr. Waxman. Can I read it?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4785
Mr. Moulder. The rules of the committee do not permit the read-
ing of a statement, but you may
Mr. Waxman. May I insert it in the record?
Mr. Moulder. You may file the statement as a part of the files of
this proceeding. The statement will be duly filed for the committee
records.
Mr. Waxman. Thank you.
(The statement referred to was filed for the records of the com-
mittee.)
Mr. Tavexxer. Will you state your name, please, sir.
Air. Waxmax\ \ly name is Elliott Waxman.
Mr. Tavexxer. Mr. Waxman, you probably heard me state, when
the first witness appeared, that each witness has the right to have
counsel with him if he desires.
Mr. Waxman. That is right.
Mr. Tavexxer. It is noted that you do not. But, of course, you
may have counsel at any time durmg the course of your testimony if
you see fit.
When and where were you born, Mr. Waxman?
Mr. Waxmax. I was born and raised in New York City; November
29, 1919.
Mr. Tavexxer. Where do you now reside?
Mr. Waxmax. I reside at 5867A Highland.
Mr. Tavexxer. St. Louis?
Mr. Waxmax. That is right.
Mr. Tavexxer. How long have you lived in St. Louis?
Mr. Waxman. Since I was discharged from the Army in 1945.
Mr, Tavenner. Prior to 1945 where did you reside?
Mr. Waxman. Well, I was in the Army for a period of time.
Mr. T.wENNER. I meant prior to the time you were in the Army.
Mr. Waxman. New York City.
W^ell, I was working in Washington for a time.
Mr. Tavenner. Washington, D. C?
Mr. Waxman. Yes; that is right.
Mr. Tavenner. For what period of time were you working in
Washington?
Mr. Waxman. I went from New York City to Washington, D. C,
and then I was there a year or two, I guess, on a job.
Mr. Tavenner. What date?
Mr. Waxman. Well, I don't know the exact dates, but about 1938,
I guess; 1938 or 1939.
Mr. Tavenner. By whom were you employed in Washington?
Mr. Waxman. I was employed by the Federal Government.
Mr. ScHERER. Would the witness mind talking just a little louder.
(Representative Morgan M. Moulder left the hearing room at this
point.)
Mr. Waxman. I was employed by the Federal Government.
Mr. Tavenner. By what branch or agency of the Federal Govern-
ment?
Mr. Waxmax. Defense Housing.
Mr. Tavexxer. Will you tell the committee, please, how you have
been employed in St. Louis since your discharge from the Army?
Mr. Waxmax. Well, I would rather take the fifth amendment, and
decline under the fifth amendment.
4786 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. In other words, you refuse to answer in the beHef
that b}^ answering the question it might tend to incriminate you?
Mr. ScHERER. What was the question?
Mr. Tavenner. As to his employment in St. Louis since he was
discharged from the Army.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, I ask you du"ect the witness to
answer the question.
Mr. Frazier (presiding). You are directed to answer the question.
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Do you honestly feel, Witness, and honestly com-
prehend that if you answered the question as to that employment that
such an answer might tend to incriminate you?
Mr. Waxman. I would like to answer all the questions. I really
would, but, the way I see it, I don't see how you can answer anything.
Therefore, I reassert my privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. It is very simple to answer how you were employed
Now will you answer my question?
Do you honestly believe if you told this committee how you have
been employed since you left the Army that those answers might
subject you to prosecution in a criminal case? Do j^ou honestly
believe that?
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, I hand j^ou an application for emplo3"ment
at the Fisher Body plant under date of March 28, 1949, and ask you
whether or not you have been employed there since 1949.
(Document handed to the mtness.)
(Representative Morgan M. Moulder returned to the hearing room
at this point.)
Mr. Waxman (after examining document). I refuse to answer the
question on the grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. There has been evidence produced before the com-
mittee this morning that you were the head of one of the automotive
branches of the Communist Party in St. Louis while employed at the
Fisher Body plant. Do you wish to deny that?
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. Was the testimony truthful when you were identi-
fied as the head of that gi'oup of the Communist Party?
Mr. Waxman. I decline on the grounds of the fifth amendment.
^Ir. Moulder. May I intervene by saying that it is often heard
that in proceedings had before this committee a witness has been
accused or charged with having been a member of the Communist
Party or having engaged in Communist activities and is not given an
opportunity to face his witness or to confirm or deny the charges that
are made against him.
You are now being accorded that privilege and that opportunity.
Mr. Waxman. I don't feel that you have an opportunity.
I feel it would be better to go into court and have somebody proceed
to put charges against you.
i\lr. Moulder. Counsel has asked you a question now
Mr. Waxman. I declined to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. Giving you an opportunity to deny or affirm, and
you have declined to answer the question, claiming the privilege under
the amendment. Is that the way I understand you?
Mr. Waxman. That is right.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4787
Mr. Tavenner. Can't you tell the truth here as well as you could
tell it in any other place?
Mr. Waxman. I would be glad to teU the truth anywhere.
Mr. Tavenner. Then tell us.
Mr. Waxman. But I decline on the grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Then you are not glad to tell the truth.
Mr. Scherer. You submitted, at the opening of your testimony,
Witness, a prepared statement that you have asked this committee to
make a part of your testimony.
Who prepared this statement?
Mr. W\a.xman. Who prepared it?
Mr. Scherer. Yes.
Mr. Waxman. I did.
Mr. Scherer. You prepared this statement?
Mr. Waxman. Yes, sir.
Mr. Scherer. You know you are under oath now.
Mr. Waxman. I did.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't it a fact that this statement was prepared at
least in part with the help of some functionary of the Communist
Party?
Mr. Waxman. What is that question again?
Mr. Scherer. Wasn't this statement prepared at least in part by
the help or with the help of some member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Then you didn't prepare this statement?
Mr. Waxman. I did prepare the statement.
Mr. Scherer. You mean you typed it?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. I am not asking 3^ou in this next question about who
typed this statement, but did you actuall}'^ prepare the language con-
tained in this statement?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the basis of the
previous amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Were j^ou telling us the truth a few minutes ago
when you said that j*ou prepared this statement?
Mr. Waxman. I refuse to answer that question.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't it a fact that you were lying just a few minutes
ago
Mr. Waxman. No; I am not lying.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't it a fact that you were lying just a few minutes
ago when you said that you prepared this statement?
Mr. Waxman. I refuse to answer the question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. You refuse to tell us whether or not a few minutes
ago you were either lying or telling the truth?
Mr. Waxman. A minute ago I asked you to have the same oppor-
tunity in court.
I decline to answer the question.
Mr. Scherer. All right.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what your
formal educational training has been.
Mr. Waxman. That I will be glad to tell.
4788 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Graduate, high-school graduate.
Mr. Tavenner. Where?
Mr. Waxman. Well, I was graduated in New York City. I went
to a trade school in order to learn something about graphic arts.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you had any other type of schooling?
Mr. Waxman. Yes, I had religious schooling.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you have any Communist schoolmg?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question.
Mr. Tavenner. The committee, in the course of its investigation,
has found a great many things that the Communist Party has been
interested in doing in mass organization, and the different methods
by which the Communist Party has endeavored to propagandize the
public.
Did you take part in activity of that type?
Mr. Waxman. I refuse to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. I am not sure that you understand what I mean.
Did you at the instance of the Communist Party, become active in
any type of Communist-front organizations or mass organizations, as
the Communists refer to them?
Mr. Waxman. Sir, I decline to answer that question on the grounds
of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Haven't you been secretary of a group known as
Freedom of the Press Committee?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question.
Mr. Tavenner. Here in St. Louis?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand you a paper marked for identification
purposes only as "Waxman Exliibit No. 1," and I ask you to identify
it.
(The document referred to was m.arked "Waxman Exhibit No. 1"
for identification.)
(Docmnent handed to the witness.)
Mr. Tavenner. Read what appears at the beginning.
Mr. Waxman. You mean Freedom of the Press Committee
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
Mr. Waxman. Of St. Louis, Box 4473, Wade Station, St. Louis,
Mo. Mr. Elliott Waxman, secretary.
Then you don't want the whole thing read, do you?
Mr. Tavenner. No.
That says that you were secretary of that organization. Did you
prepare that as secretary?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer, sir, on the grounds of the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. You were secretary, though, weren't you?
Mr. Waxman. I refuse to answer that question, sir, on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. It is marked for immediate release.
Mr. Scherer. Wliat is the date of that?
Mr. Tavenner. It is not dated, but it shows that it relates to
the year 1956 because at the bottom it says:
COMMUNIST ACTR'ITIES IN ST, LOUIS, MO., AREA 4789
Mr. Morris, labor editor of the Daily Worker, will speak in St. Louis on Sunday,
January 15, 1956. His subject will be, Labor and the 1956 Elections. He will
appearat the Belo Hall, 1229 North Leonard Avenue, at 8 p. m. The public is
'invited.
Mr. George Morris was the labor editor of the Daily Worker,
wasn't he?
Mr. Waxmax. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the grounds
previousl}' stated.
Mr. ScHERER. What connection did you have witli the Daily
Worker?
Mr. Waxman. I have issued a statement, and I believe the state-
ment tells my connection.
Mr. ScHERER. I am asking a question.
Mr. Waxmax. At the present time I decline on the grounds of the
fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. The man files a statement and tells us about his
connection with the Daily Worker. He certainly has waived any
privilege in that respect.
Mr. Moulder. I don't believe the document asserts any connec-
tion with the Daily Worker. It merely comments about the Daily
Worker.
Mr. Scherer. It says [reading]:
For some time now I have been the representative of the Daily and Sunday
Worker, the only working-class paper in this area.
And then:
The Daily and Sunday Worker has always been on the side of the people.
Many things which this paper fought for are now the cornerstone of the American
way of life.
And so on and so on.
He wasn't under oath when he gave this.
Mr. Waxman. Yes, I was, sir. I was sworn in.
Mr. Scherer. I think I have tlie right to ask him questions. So
much the better if he was under oatli then.
What is your connection with tlie Daily Worker?'
Mr. Waxman. I refuse to — decline to answer that question, sir.
Mr. Scherer. I ask that you direct the witness to answer the
question. He was under oath when he submitted his statement.
If he has any privilege he certainly has waived it.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer.
Mr. Scherer. I certainly have a right to cross-examine him on the
statement.
Mr. Waxman. I am a representative of the Daily Worker in this
area.
Mr. Scherer. You are what?
Mr. Waxman. I am representative of the Daily and Sunday
Worker in this area.
Mr. Scherer. For how long?
Mr, Waxman. I decline to answer that.
Mr. Scherer. I ask that you direct the witness to answer the
question as to how long he
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so directed.
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege.
Mr. Scherer. Witness, let me tell you in all sincerity — j^ou do not
have counsel, but I do think that you subject yourself to contempt
4790 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
proceedings in view of the record if you refuse to answer now questions
about your connection with the Daily Worker.
I am asking you now how long you have been connected with the
Daily Worker. I am not trying to trap you because I do think you
would be in contempt if you refused to answer questions in view of the
fact that you have voluntarily submitted this statement to the com-
mittee.
This statement contains references to the Daily Worker and your
connection therewith.
I have the right to ask you then about those statements, and test
the validity of those statements and the truth of those statements be-
cause this statement of yours will be a part of the records of the com-
mittee.
Mr. Waxman. Well, I have been associated with the Worker for
about a period of 7 or 8 years.
Mr. ScHERER. Wliile we are talking about the preparation of
documents, what part did you play in the issuance of a document
which is dated May 26, 1956, just last week, entitled "The St. Louis
Defender," issued by the St. Louis Emergency Defense Committee?
WTiat part did you play in the
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the gi"0unds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. Isn't it a fact you were one of those who prepared,
either prepared this document or participated in the distribution of
this document?
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege, sir.
Mr. ScHERER. What help did you have from employees of the Daily
Worker in the preparation of this document?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. The fact is that the document was prepared and
written by the editors and employees of the Daily Worker, was it not?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question.
Mr. Scherer. Is it not a fact that j^ou are a member of the Emerg-
ency Defense Committee?
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege, sir, under the fifth amend-
ment of the Constitution.
Mr. Scherer. Isn't it a fact that the directuig force of the St. Louis
Emergency Defense Committee is the Communist Party and the
Daily Worker?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Waxman, in view of the fact that you have
represented the Daily Worker in this area, and due to the fact that
you were the secretary of the Freedom of the Press Committee of St.
Louis you are in a particularly favorable position to give this commit-
tee information as to how the Communist Party manipulates support
to the Daily Worker through the Freedom of the Press Committee, if
that be a fact. And I want you to tell this committee what you know
about the operations of the Freedom of the Press Committee of
St. Louis.
Mr. Waxman. Well, sir, I decline to answer that question on the
grounds of the fifth amendment of the Constitution of the United
States.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4791
Mr. Tavenner. Were you selected as secretary of the Freedom of
the Press Committee by action of the Communist Party?
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege, sir,
Mr. Tavenner. To what extent does the Communist Party control
the activities of the Freedom of the Press Committee?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. AIouLDER. Maybe I was absent, but do we have some definite
explanation as to the Freedom of the Press Committee of St. Louis?
Was that while I was out of the room?
Mr. Tavenner. The Freedom of the Press Committee is a national
organization with chapters or groups established at various places
in the United States like in Minneapolis, St. Louis, and other places.
And the activities of these various groups may be somewhat different.
The Attorne}^ General of the United States, in a memorandum
dated July 15, 1953, designated the National Committee for Freedom
of the Press under Executive Order 10450.
Did your Freedom of the Press Committee of St. Louis give financial
support to the national organization?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. I have a record before me of two contributions to
the national organization, one from the Philadelphia Freedom of the
Press Committee of $60; and one from the St. Louis Freedom of the
Press Committee for $5.
Do you know the circumstances under which that money was sent
from St. Louis?
Mr. Waxman. I decline — I decline to answer that question, sir, on
the grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Is it the purpose of this organization, the Freedom
of the Press Conimittee, to give financial aid and support to the Daily
Worker so that the Communist Party may continue to publish it?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the grounds
previously stated.
Mr. Moulder. Do I understand then that this committee, the
Freedom of the Press Committee, is a recent organization specially set
up for the purpose of defending the right of the Daily Worker to con-
tinue its publication and distribution?
Mr. Tavenner. The national organization was formed by a group
of 22 people in 1951. And the general purpose of it was to assist the
Daily Worker. Just in what way it is assistmg we don't know. This
witness could tell us to what extent it represents concerted action by
local membership of the Communist Party, or how they may induce
non-Communists to participate in it. We don't know. This witness
could tell us.
Mr. Scherer. In connection with what you say, Mr. Coansel, I
wouJd like to make this observation and say this to the witness:
You have refused — and, I think, properly so — to answer the ques-
tions that have been asked 3^ou by counsel on the grounds that to do
so might tend to incriminate you, or might tend to subject you to
criminal prosecution.
I point out to you that during the 83d Congress a law was passed
which gives to this committee, with the approval of a Federal court,
the right to grant immunity from prosecution.
4792 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
In other words, if we grant you that immunity you can answer
freely any question asked you because after that immunity is granted
you could not possibly be subject to prosecution.
Now, as Mr. Tavenner indicated, we feel, because of your position
with the Daily Worker, because of your position as secretary of this
committee, you do have valuable information that would aid the
Congress and aid this committee.
Now I am going to ask you this:
If we granted you immunity would you then answer the questions
that have been asked you?
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment, sir.
Mr. ScHERER. How could that incriminate you? How could an-
swering my question, whether you would answer those questions,
incriminate you if you were granted immunity?
I am saying that under no condition could you be prosecuted.
Mr. Waxman. I would reassert the privilege, sir.
Mr. ScHERER. Just a minute.
You are refusing to answer these questions, I presume in good
faith, on the ground that to answer them, if you did answer them, you
might be prosecuted.
If you can't be prosecuted, if you can't be incriminated by answering
the questions, we are asking you then whether you would answer them.
Mr. Waxman. It is not whether I would be proscuted; it is a ques-
tion of whether we have a free press in the country or not, sir.
Mr. ScHERER. Is that the reason for your refusal to answer these
questions?
I thought it was because you feared that you might be subjected
to criminal prosecution if you answered those questions and not be-
cause of the question whether we have a free press or not.
You can't refuse to answer
Mr. Waxmax. We can't have a free press with people thrown in
jail and intimidated and advertised as being attacked and everything
else, people being told they can't read it and all that.
Mr. ScHERER. If those are your reasons for refusing to answer the
questions then you are improperly invoking the fifth amendment, and
not invoking it in good faith.
You can't sit here and refuse to answer questions asked by this
committee on the grounds that you feel this committee is interfenng
in some way with freedom of the press. That doesn't give you the
right to refuse to answer these questions.
You do have a perfect constitutional right to refuse to answer these
questions on that ground if you conscientiously and in good faith
feel that you might be prosecuted as a result of your answer.
I am beginning to wonder, from your recent answers, whether or
not you actually fear criminal prosecution and whether you actually
are in good faith invoking the fifth amendment.
But assuming that you are invoking the fifth amendment in good
faith, and we thought you were up to this point, then if we relieve
you from any possible criminal prosecution, my question is then, if
you will not answer these questions.
Mr. Waxman. How was that last part of the question, sir, again?
Mr. ScHERER. If you are reheved from any criminal prosecution as
the result of your answering the questions we ask, and are granted
immunity, would you then answer the questions?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST, LOUIS, MO., AREA 4793
Mr. Waxman. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of
the fifth amendment, sir.
Mr. ScHERER. I ask that you direct the witness to answer the
question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer.
Mr. Waxman. I reassert the privilege, sir.
Mr. Scherer. Do you understand what I have been trying to say
to you?
Mr. Waxman. I believe so.
Mr. Scherer. You understand that. All riglit.
Mr. Tavenner. I suggest that the photostatic copy of the press
release of the Freedom of the Press Committee of St. Louis be marked
"Waxman Exhibit No. 1" for identification purposes only.
Mr. Moulder. The exhibit will be so marked as requested by
counsel.
(The document referred to, marked ''Waxman Exhibit No. 1,"
was filed for the information of the committee.)
Mr. Moulder. Have you any more questions of this witness?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir; I have no further questions.
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Scherer?
Mr. Scherer. No questions.
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Frazier?
Mr. Frazier. I have no questions.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is excused.
Call your next witness, please.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you be sworn, Mr. Davison?
Mr. Moulder. Do you solemnly swear the testimony which you
are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
Mr. Davison. Yes, sir.
TESTIMONY OF LESLIE S. DAVISON, DEPUTY UNITED STATES
MARSHAL
Mr. Tavenner. Will you state your full name, please.
Mr. Davison. Leslie S. Davison.
Mr. Tavenner. You are a deputy United States marshal for this
district?
Mr. Davison. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. I have asked you to produce before the committee
any evidence that you have of the correct address of William Sentner
nt the time of his arrest in connection with the charge against him
under the Smith Act in this court.
Mr. Davison. All right, sir.
On September 24, 1952, William Sentner was arrested in Peoria, 111.^
and removed to the eastern district of Missomi, which is at St.
Louis, on the 25th day of September 1952.
I fingerprinted Mr. Sentner, and on this fingerprint card which we
have to make out he gave his address as 5673 Cabanne Avenue, St.
Louis, Mo.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chahman, that is exactly the address given
by Mr. James Harold Sage as indicated on his passport application.
It also is the same address which he gave on his application for
employment at Fisher Body on August 3, 1950.
Thank you very much, sir.
4794 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Frazier?
Mr. Frazier. No questions.
Mr. Moulder. Thank you very much, Mr. Davison.
Call your next witness.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Sol Nissen.
Will you come forward, please, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Will you hold up yom' right hand and be sworn,
please.
Do you solemnly swear the testimony which you are about to give
before the subcommittee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Nissen. I do.
Mr. Moulder. Be seated please.
TESTIMONY OF SOL S. mSSEIST
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Nissen. Sol S. Nissen.
Mr. Frazier. I didn't get the name.
Mr. Nissen. Sol S. Nissen, N-i-s-s-e-n.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Nissen, it is noted that you are not accom-
panied by counsel, but I think you heard the explanation I made to
the previous witness about his right to counsel, did you not?
Mr. Nissen. I did.
Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Nissen?
Mr. Nissen. I was born in St. Louis, 1920.
Mr. Tavenner. What is your occupation?
Mr. Nissen. I am going to assert the privileges under the Constitu-
tion and refuse to answer.
Mr. Scherer. I ask you direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer the question.
Mr. Nissen. I am going to reassert the privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand you an application for employment bearing
date of April 26, 1949, at the Fisher Body division of the General
Motors Corp. Will 3^ou examine it, please, and state whether or not
it is your application for employment.
(Document handed to the witness.)
Mr. Tavenner. Will you answer the question, please.
Mr. Nissen. I am going to reassert the privilege and decline to
answer.
^ Mr. Tavenner. This shows that your present or last place of
employment was cabinet work at Modernday, Inc., in St. Louis, from
1948 to 1949. Were you so employed?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert the privilege,
Mr. Scherer. I ask you direct the witness to answer the question.
I don't see how being employed as a cabinetworker could possibly
incriminate him. I don't believe the witness is invoking the fifth
amendment in good faith.
I ask you direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. As requested by Mr. Scherer, the witness is directed
to answer the question.
Mr. Nissen. I feel that this possibly might deprive me of due
process guaranteed under the fifth amendment, and I have to reassert
it.
COIVIIVIUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4795
Mr. ScHERER. You say jou feel that it might deprive you of due
process?
Do you sincerelj^ and honestly believe that to answer the question
propounded by Mr. Tavenner might tend to incriminate you and lead
to a prosecution in a criminal case?
Mr. NissEN. I feel that the previous witness has testified against
me without opportunity with full benefit of counsel to cross-examine
that witness, and I feel that that question might in the future serve
to aid that testimony in depriving me of due process.
Mr. ScHERER. You said a previous witness has testified against
you. I don't recall. To which witness are you referring?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege and decline to answer.
Mr. ScHERER. Whoever the witness may have been, was anything
he said about you untrue?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. ScHERER. You just said you do not have the right to cross-
examine this witness or face this witness. Now here you are given
the opportunity under oath to say ■
Wliatever this witness said against you, and I don't know what he
said, I don't know what \\'itness you are talking about, and I don't
recall — whatever this witness said about you, j^ou are here given the
opportunity^ under oath to say that that witness either told the truth
about you or lied about you, or explain anything you want to about
his testimony. And you refuse to do so.
Mr. NissEN. I am afraid I cannot. I am not able to cross -examine
him myself, and have to reassert the privilege under the Constitution,
under the fifth amendment of the Constitution.
Mr. ScHERER. Let's get an answer to my question again now.
Is there anything that this witness, whom you ssij testified against
you- — -is anj'thing that witness said about you untrue?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, I ask you direct the witness to
answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so directed.
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Scherer. To which witness is he referring?
Mr. Tavenner. He is referring to the fh"st witness this morning —
Mr. Cortor.
Mr. Scherer. What did Mr. Cortor testify about Sol Nissen? I
don't remember.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Cortor testified that he was a member of the
Automotive Branch of the Communist Party while emplo3'ed at
Fisher Body, and that he was in Mr. Waxman's group or cell.
Mr. Scherer. Were 3^ou present in the hearing room this morning
when Mr. Cortor testified?
Mr. Nissen. I was present; yes.
Mr. Scherer. Did you hear his testimony?
Mr. Nissen. I heard his testimony.
Mr. Scherer. Did you hear his testimony about you?
Mr. Nissen. Yes; I heard his testimony about me.
Mr. Scherer. Is there anything Mr. Cortor said about you under
oath to this committee this morning that is untrue?
Mr. Nissen. Yes.
Mr. Scherer. What did he say?
4796 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. NissEN. I will have to reassert my privilege.
Mr. ScHERER. Now, Mr. Chairman, he said something Mr. Cortor
testified about him was untrue. So he has opened it up. And I ask
that you direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so directed to answer the question.
Mr. ScHERER. What Mr. Cortor said about you is untrue.
Mr. NissEN. I feel I am not able to cross-examine the witness.
I am not prepared; I have no training to.
Mr. Moulder. Would that enable you to ascertain whether he
was telling the truth about you? You said a moment ago, in response
to Mr. Scherer's question, that he did say something that was untrue.
What did you have in mind when you answered that question by
saying yes he did say something that was untrue?
Mr. Nissen. I would like to have proper counsel cross-examine this
witness under oath in a proper court of law.
Mr. ScHERER. You said he said something about you that was un-
true. I want you to tell us. And if you do not tell us it is my honest
belief that you will be guilty of contempt of this committee.
Wliat did he say? When he said that you were a member of the
Communist Party; was that untrue?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. ScHERER. And you are refusing to tell us in what respect he
lied about you?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege. I can't answer that.
Mr. ScHERER. When he said that you were a member of a Com-
munist cell at Fisher Body; was that untrue?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. ScHERER. Was anything he said about yom* membership in the
Communist Party and your activities in the Communist Party untrue?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Scherer. I am coming back once more, giving you the oppor-
tunity, Witness, to answer. I honestly feel that you are guilty of
contempt. And if you persist in not telling us in what respect, what
part of ins testimony about you is untrue, I am going to recommend or
move that you be cited for contempt of this committee.
You have charged a man with committing perjury before this com-
mittee this morning. You have charged Mr. Cortor with committing
perjury. You now have the opportunity to say in what respect.
And then I will ask that the testimony of Cortor and your testimony
be referred to the grand jury or the Department of Justice to deter-
mine which of you was telling the truth.
In what respect did he lie about you this morning? You have
charged a man with committing perjury here this morning.
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Scherer. Well, I might say that we would have no alternative
now since you have charged a witness before this committee with
perjury and then have not been willing to say in what respect he did
commit perjury. I think that is about the worst smear, to come in
and talk about people smearing, and this committee smearing, as you
put it forth in this paper that you publish here, and here you come
before this committee and charge a former member of the Communist
Party with perjury and then do not have the intestinal fortitude to
tell this committee in what respect he committed perjury. That is
about the worst smear I have heard. And I am going to move, when
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4797
this committee gets in executive session, that you be cited for contempt
of this committee because I am convinced that you are in contempt of
this committee.
Proceed, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Your application for employment shows that your
second last place of employment was McDonnell Aircraft Corp. The
kind of work was sheet metal riveting and assembling. And the date
of such employment was from 1945 to 1948.
Is that a correct statement of that employment?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Your application for employment shows also that
you served in the Air Force between 1942 to 1945. Is that correct?
Mr. NissEN. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. You are of the opinion that to tell this committee
that you served in the Armed Forces of the United States might tend
to incriminate you?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand you a photostatic copy of a passport appli-
cation by James Harold Sage, bearing date the 27th day of October
1950, at the end of which there is an affidavit of an identifying witness.
(Sage Exhibit No. 1.)
Will you examine that, please, and tell the committee whether or
not the signature of that identifying witness is your signature.
(Document handed to the witness.)
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, the circum-
stances under which Mr. Sage applied for a passport to travel in
Europe for touring when his actual purpose was to go to Sheffield to
attend a Communist-sponsored, so-called peace convention?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. Your name was one of those names appearing in
a notebook of Mr. Sage at the time that he was arrested on June 18,
1951, as the head of a group to take others to an unnamed destination.
Was that destination the city of Chicago?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. And did you agree to take people to Chicago to
attend a convention sponsored by the American Peace Crusade?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend the Joseph Weydemeyer School
of Social Science in 1949?
Mr. Nissen. I decline to answer that question for the same reason.
Air. Tavenner. Are you at this time a member of an organized
group of the Communist Party in this city?
Mr. Nissen. I decline to answer that for the same reason.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee the work that the
Communist Party is doing now to extend its organization within an
industrial plant in this city?
Mr. Nissen. I decline to answer for the same reason.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you a member of the Communist Party at
this time?
Mr. Nissen. I decline to answer; same reason.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you been a member of the Communist Party
at any time as to which I have not already asked you?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
4798 COMIVIUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO,, AREA
Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Frazier?
Mr. Frazier. No questions.
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Scherer?
Mr. Scherer. Witness, I don't recall whether counsel asked you at
the beginning of your testimony, but where were you born?
Mr. NissEN. St. Louis.
Mr. Scherer. And when?
Mr. Nissen. 1920.
Mr. Scherer. And have you lived in St. Louis continuously'since
1920?
Mr. Nissen. Yes.
Mr. Scherer. Have you ever been out of the country?
Mr. Nissen. With the exception of my 3 years' service in the
Armed Forces.
Mr. Scherer. When did you serve in the Armed Forces?
Mr. Nissen. From December of 1942 to December of 1945.
Mr. Scherer. What has been your educational training?
Mr. Nissen. 12 years in the St. Louis public school system.
Mr. Scherer. No other educational background?
Mr. Nissen. No formal educational background any more.
Mr. Scherer. In what capacity did you serve in the Armed Forces
of this country?
Mr. Nissen. In the ground forces of the Air Force.
Mr. Scherer. Did you receive a commission?
Mr. Nissen. No.
Mr. Scherer. Were you a member of the Communist Party at the
time you were in the Army Au- Force?
Mr. Nissen. I reassert my privilege.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is excused, and may claim his witness
fees.
Call the next witness.
Mr. Tavenner. John Simpson.
Mr. Moulder. Hold up your right hand and be sworn, Mr.
Simpson.
Do you solemnly swear the testimony which you are abou t to give
before this subcommittee will be the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Simpson. I do,
Mr. Moulder. Be seated.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN W. SIMPSON
Mr. Tavenner. What is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Simpson. John Simpson.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you have a middle initial?
Mr. Simpson. W.
Mr. Tavenner. John W. Simpson.
It is noted that you are not accompanied by counsel, I think you
have been present in the hearing room and have heard the explanation
I made to other witnesses about their right to counsel.
You have?
Mr, Simpson, Yes, sir.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOIHS, MO., AREA 4799
Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Simpson?
Mr. Simpson. I decline to answw on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. Tavenner. I ask a direction.
Mr. ScHERER. Wait a minute.
I ask you direct the mtness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The ^\■itness is directed to answer the question.
Mr. Simpson. I decline to answer on the grounds of the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Scherer. I think we should say to the witness, as we are re-
quhed to say by the court decisions, that we do not accept your
answer.
We feel that to refuse to answer on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment as to where you were born is not a proper invocation of the fifth
amendment. It couldn't possibly incriminate you in any way, shape,
or form to tell this committee as to when and where you were born.
And if you persist in refusing to answer the question you are in con-
tempt of this committee.
I ask that you direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is so advised and dhected, and further
advised that the statement by Mr. Scherer is not in the spirit of a
threat but is to advise you of the dangers which you risk in being
guilty of contempt by refusal to answer the question.
Therefore, you are specifically directed to answer the question.
Mr. Simpson. I am surrounded by a bunch of shck operators, and
I am supposed to answer your question and have it twisted all to
pieces?
I continue to decline to answer that question or any other questions
on the grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Or any questions we ask you?
Mr. Simpson. If I answer the question you twist it.
Mr. Scherer. You saj^ you are surrounded by a bunch of "slick
operators."
Mr. Simpson. By a bunch of "slick operators."
Mr. Scherer. If that is the reason for refusing to answer, the
witness is certainly in contempt of this committee, and obviously is
not invoking the fifth amendment in good faith. He doesn't even
believe he is incriminated, subjecting himself to incrimination by
answering the question.
Mr. Moulder. Any more questions, Mr. Tavenner?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir.
Where do you live?
Mr. Simpson. I decline to answer on the grounds of the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Scherer. I ask you direct the witness to answer the question.
And, without repeating what I have said before. Witness, what I said
with reference to your refusal to answer the other question, applies
with equal force to this question.
Mr. Moulder. And you are so directed.
Mr. Simpson. I decline to answer on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
Ivlr. Tavenner. Mr. Shnpson, do you want the advice of an attor-
ney before we proceed further?
Mr. Simpson. I can't afford it.
4800 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN ST, LOUIS, MO., AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I suggest that the bar association:
be called upon to give this man assistance.
Mr. Moulder. The Bar Association of the City of St. Louis has
offered its services in providing counsel for witnesses if you so desire.
Do you so desire?
Mr. Simpson. I don't have the money.
Mr. Moulder. Well, do you so desire if, without charge, the bar
association provides you with counsel without charging you any fee
for that service? Do you so desire counsel under such circumstances?
Mr. Simpson. I have no objection.
Mr. Moulder. I ask you do you so desire.
Mr. Simpson. Not particularl3^
Mr. Moulder. Or so request?
Mr. Simpson. Not particularly.
Mr. ScHERER. Let's pursue this a little fm'ther, if you don't mind,
Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. Surely.
Mr. ScHERER. You knew, did you not, before you came into this
room today, from the great amount of publicity that the press has
given to the fact that the bar association has made available lawyers
to witnesses; you knew that fact, did you not?
Mr. Simpson. I think I had better start refusing to answer on the
grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. I ask that you direct
Mr. Simpson. Because I may incriminate myself.
Mr. ScHERER. I ask that you direct the witness to answer.
Mr. Moulder. You are so directed to answer.
Mr. wSimpson. I am going to rely on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. ScHERER. Do you read the newspapers?
Mr. Simpson. I refuse to answer on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment, that I don't want to incriminate myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman
Mr. ScHERER. I suggest we proceed.
The witness is obviously
Mr. Moulder. I should first make this statement:
The committee will request the Bar Association of the City of St.
Louis to appear and represent you
Mr. ScHERER. No; I wouldn't agree to that. Not after what this
witness said. He said he doesn't want any particularly. He won't
tell us whether he knew about the fact that lawyers were available.
We don't have to go that far, to call a lawyer in here to represent this
man when he says, when he indicates that he doesn't want any, and
when he won't even tell us whether he knew about the offer of the bar
association to represent individuals who didn't have money.
Mr. Chairman, I don't think that we are in a position under these
circumstances to stop this investigation and force a counsel upon this
man, or practically force him.
(The committee confers.)
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Simpson, you are advised that the Bar Asso-
ciation of the City of St. Louis has offered its services, providing
counsel without charge for witnesses who so request. Therefore,
you are temporarily excused as a witness until tomorrow morning,
giving you an opportunity to make such a request of the bar associa-
COMMUlSriST ACTIVITIES IN ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA 4801
tion, at which time you are directed to reappear with counsel if you
so desire.
Call your next witness, Mr. Tavenner.
That is at 9 o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Simpson. Do I get to collect some dough?
Mr. Moulder. No; you are not excused yet.
Call the next witness.
Mr. Tavenner. It is going to take a little time.
Mr. Moulder. The committee will stand in recess until tomorrow
morning at 9 a. m.
(Whereupon, at 5:10 p. m., Monday, June 4, the committee was
recessed, to be reconvened at 9 a. m., Tuesday, June 5, 1956, there
being present at the time of taking the recess Representatives Moulder,
Frazier, and Scherer.)
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 9999 05706 3230
k i' ,' k
31^ J
^OfVt Gar ^'^ ^
iiii
li I 11
mmimi
m5*if>f!l
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11