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INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE
SAN FRANCISCO AREA-Part 5
VIL'I .^' •j'U'u'-'^ i!o.' s^ '
/)
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON UN-AMEEICAN ACTIVITIES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
DECEMBER 5, 1953
Printed for the use of the Committee on Un-American Activities
INCLUDING INDEX
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
4100.! WASHINGTON : 1954
/
/
Boston Public Library
Superintendent of Documents
MAR 1 6 1954
COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
United States House of Representatives
HAROLD H. VELDE, Illinois, Chairman
BERNARD W. KEARNEY, New York
DONALD L. JACKSON, California
KIT CLARDY, Michigan
GORDON H. SCHERER, Ohio
Robert L
FRANCIS E. WALTER, Pennsylvania
MORGAN M. MOULDER, Missouri
CLYDE DOYLE, California
JAMES B. FRAZIER, Je., Tennessee
KuNziG, Counsel
Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., Counsel
Louis J. Rdssell, Chief Investigator
Thomas W. Beale, Sr., Chief Clerk
Raphael I. Nixon, Director of Research
II
CONTENTS
December 5, 1953, testimony of — Page
Harrison George 342 1
PauIChown 3432
Bjorne Hailing 3440
Richard Lynden 3442
Herbert Naboisek 3446
William J. Bailey 3456
James Kendall 3460
Index 3497
EXHIBIT
Kendall Exhibit No. 1 — National Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots of
America, executive committee minutes, September 4, 1946, San Francisco,
Calif., West Coast Local 90, containing a statement signed by James Kendall,
dated September 4, 1946 (see p. 3489)
rn
Public Law 601, 79th Coxgkess
The legislation under which the House Committee on Un-American
Activities operates is Public Law 601, 79th Congress [1946], chapter
753, 2d session, which provides :
Be it enacted ty the Senate and House of Rept-esentatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled * * *
PART 2— RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RiTLE X
SEC. 121. STANDING COMMITTEES
17. Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine members.
Rttle XI
POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES
(q) (1) Committee on Un-American Activities.
(A) Un-American activities.
(2) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommittee,
is authorized to malie from time to time investigations of (1) the extent, charac-
ter, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States, (11)
the diffusion within the United States of subversive and nn-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 (ill) 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 sulx-ommittee. or by any
member designated by any such chairman, and may bo served by any person
designated by any such chairman or member.
RULES ADOPTED BY THE 83D CONGRESS
House Resolution 5, January 3, 1953
m ***** *
Rule X
STANDING COMMITTEES
1. There shall be elected by the House, at the commencement of each Con-
gress, the following standing committees :
*******
(q) Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine members.
*******
" * RtJLE XI
POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES
* * :!: tj! * * *
17. Committee on Un-American Activities.
(a) Un-American Activities.
(b) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as 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 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 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 meetings, 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 such chairman, and may be served by any person desig-
nated by any such chairman or member.
VI
INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE
SAN FKANCISCO AKEA— PART 5
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1953
United States House of Representatives,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Un-
American Activities,
San Francisco, Calif.
PUBLIC hearing
The subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Actvities met,
pursuant to adjournment, at 9 : 36 a. m., in the hearing room of the
board of supervisors, city hall, Hon. Harold H. Velde (chairman)
presiding.
Committee members present : Representatives Harold H. Velde
(chairman) , Donald L. Jackson, Gordon H. Scherer, and Clyde Doyle
(appearance noted in transcript).
Staff members present : Robert L. Kunzig and Frank S. Ta vernier,
Jr., counsel ; William A. Wheeler and W. Jackson Jones, investigators ;
and Juliette P. Joray, acting clerk.
Mr. Velde. The subcommittee will be in order. For the purposes
of the hearing this morning I will appoint Mr. Scherer, Mr. Jackson,
and myself as chairman. Mr. Doyle is on his way here. He has
been detained on account of official business, but will be here very
shortly.
I would like at this time to state to those present that you are here
as guests of the Congress of the United States. Any demonstration
of approval or disapproval on the part of the audience will result in
an order by the chairman for the immediate clearing of the hearing
room. It is hoped that this action will not be necessary, but the Chair
will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary ancl is required to
insure that the business of the United States Congress is conducted
with dignity and expedition.
Mr. Counsel, will you call your first ^'itness?
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Harrison George.
Mr. Veij)E. In the testimony you are about to give before this
subcommittee do yoti solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God ?
Mr. George. Yes, sir.
(At this point Representative Donald L. Jackson left the hearing
room.)
TESTIMONY OF HARRISON GEORGE, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS
COUNSEL, LAWRENCE SPEISER
Mr, Tavenner. You are Mr. Harrison George?
Mr. George. Yes, sir.
3421
3422 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Tavenner, Are you accompanied by counsel ?
Mr. George. Yes, sir ; to my left.
Mr. Tavenner. Will counsel please identify himself for the record?
Mr. Speiser. Lawrence Speiser, staff counsel for the American Civil
Liberties Union of Northern California, 503 Market Street, San
Francisco.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I introduced in evidence Hudson
Exhibit No. 1 during the testimony of Roy Hudson. This exhibit is
a letter from Earl Browder, general secretary of the Communist
Party, U.S.A., under date of November 27, 1939, addressed to the
counsel of the Committee on Un-American Activities, enclosing a list
of the national committee of the Communist Party, U.S.A., as elected
at the tenth convention.
TVniien I referred to that document at the time of its introduction in
evidence, I read into the record the names of those who were on this
committee. One of them was Harrison George.
Mr. George, I think I should first ask you, however, when and
where you were l)orn.
Mr. George. Kansas, 1888.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat is your present occupation ?
Mr. George. I am doing clerical work.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. George, I am not going to interrogate you re-
garding the details of your affiliation with the Communist Party as
a high functionary as shown by the exhibit, but I do want to question
you about a matter which the committee has had under investigation
for some time and the part that you played in it, if you played any
part in it.
The day before yesterday the committee in executive session took
the testimony of Mr. Joe Koide, K-o-i-d-e, a Japanese national, re-
garding certain propaganda activities under circumstances indicating
their connection with the Cominform, and in order to base questions
upon it intelligently, it will be necessary for me to read a part of Mr.
Koide's testimony to you.
Mr. Koide entered the United States as a student around 1925. He
received his A. B. degree at the University of Denver in 1929. He
states in substance in his testimony that he was extremely interested
in aiding the Japanese people in resisting the military clique in Japan
and that he considered that it was through the Communist Party that
he could best accomplish that purpose.
In a conference with Earl Browder, after Mr. Browder's return
from China, he was assigned to school, after becoming a member of
the Communist Party, in Moscow, where he remained for more than
a year.
Beginning at that point I will take up his testimony by reading
it into the record so that you may understand :
Question. What did you do upon your return to the United States?
Answer. I contacted Clarence Hathaway. He had nothing to advise me at
first. So I hung around about 3 weeks in New York. Then tinally Hathaway
told me to proceed to the west coast.
Question. Did he tell you what your assignment would be on the west coast?
Answer. No.
Question. Did he tell you who would contact you on the west coast?
Answer. No.
Question. What occurred? Did you go to the west coast as you were advised
by Clarence Hathaway?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3423
Answer. Yes.
Question. What happened after you arrived on the west coast?
Answer. I contacted Sam Darcy.
Question. Then what happened?
Answer. Sam Darcy wanted me to work for him.
Question. What type of work did he want you to do?
Answer. Well, he didn't specify, but he wanted me to work for the open party,
engage in open activities.
Question. Of the Communist Party?
Answer. That's right.
Question. What was the approximate date when you arrived on the west
coast?
Answer. About April 1933.
Question. Did you engage in open party work?
Answer. No.
Question. Why?
Answer. I didn't want to, that's one reason. Another was, Hathaway did
tell me that "When you go to the west coast, get in touch with Darcy, and Darcy
will tell you — or Darcy will let me get in touch with someone else. I am
supposed to work for this person.
Question. Well, after you failed to go along with the assignment of working
with Sam Darcy what did you do?
Answer. Sam Darcy took my address and promised that someone was to get
in touch with me.
Question. Did someone get in touch with you?
Answer. Yes.
Question. Who was it?
Answer. Harrison George.
Question. Tell the committee what occurred.
Answer. After getting in touch with Harrison George
Question. Just a moment. Did you get in touch with Harrison George, or did
Harrison George get in touch with you?
Answer. He got in touch with me. I started working with him in translations
and writing articles in Japanese for propaganda purposes directed toward
Japan.
Question. Explain what you mean by propaganda being "directed toward
Japan."
Answer. All the articles written had in mind the Japanese common people
of Japan, of the prospective, shall we say, target or readers that articles written
for the Japanese people to read and then to digest.
Question. What was the purpose? Was it to take advantage of the needs of
the Japanese people in order to promote the interests of the Community Party in
Japan?
Answer. You know, to answer that question I have to remind one point. Be-
tween 1929 or 1930, when I joined the party to 1933 many historic events took
place in Japan and in the Asiatic Continent ; mainly that the military clique
which were trying to capture power politically inside the country by 1933 almost
succeeded in capturing the power, and by that time the independent Manchukuo
Empire was already set up, and it was well underway to further conquer China
and eventually to capture the United States, so far as the conquest of the Pacific
is concerned. So at that time, so far as I was concerned, when I wrote it was
more a question of arousing the people of Japan against the militarist power
and militarist expansion policies, economic and political and socially, rather
than to advance the aims or objectives or ultimate objectives of the Communist
Party. It's more as a struggle against the existing power, to bring them down.
Its initial stage of the fight, more or less.
Question. Did Harrison George explain to yoti why the Comnmnist Party
was interested in directing propaganda activities toward Japan?
Answer. He didn't have to. Because I had the idea we had to do it.
Question. Did you have any understanding with the Communists in Moscow
as to what you would do in the future in the United States if they developed a
plan by whicli you could be returned to the United States?
I may interpolate there that the witness was faced with quite a
predicament in having been sent to school in Moscow and being a
41002^54— pt. 5 2
3424 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Japanese national and not a national of the United States, so it was
very difficult for the Soviets to get him returned to the United States.
[Continuing to read :]
Answer. Yes.
Question. What was that?
Answer. One of the difficulties standinj? in the way of my coming back to the
United States, of getting out of Russia, was that they could not find any way
of sending me back to the United States in the first place. And they didn't see
much purpose in trying to work out plans to send me back to the United States
Inasmuch as they did not know exactly what specific assignment they could
give me. Therefore, I more or less proposed to those in charge in Moscow that
thei-e is a job that should be done and could be done in the United States,
especially in connection with propaganda being aimed toward Japan — if they
could send me back to this country.
Question. Therefore, you were carrying out the original plan made in Moscow
when you started in this propaganda work with Harrison George on the west
coast ; isn't that true?
Answer. I just want to ask a question about that. Did you say "planned orig-
inally in Moscow" ?
Question. Yes.
Answer. So far as I was concerned, when I came back to the United States I
proceeded to do the kind of thing I wanted to do.
Question. To what extent did Harrison George assist or function in connection
with this propaganda work?
Answer. He wrote articles.
Question. Did you translate them into Japanese whenever he did?
Answer. Yes.
Question. What disposition was made of those articles?
Answer. Those articles were published, printed.
Question. In magazines or in pamphlet form?
Answer. In magazine form.
Question. Were those magazines published in this country or in Japan?
Answer. In this country.
Question. Were they sent to Japan for circulation there?
Answer. Some I sent through the United States mail.
Question. Were others sent?
Answer. I cannot say.
Question. Did you try to .send others?
Answer. I ti'ied to send throiigh mail, yes, knowing full well that some of
them would be confiscated at the customs in Japan.
Question. But, however, didn't you attempt to send articles of that description
by other means to Japan besides the mail?
Answer. So far as I am concerned, no.
Question. Well, even if you did not do it yourself, you do know as a matter
of fact, do you not, that they were sent by other means?
Answer. This is very hard to tell. I even doubt what I sent through mails,
not many of them ever reached there.
Question. Yes. I am not speaking of the success of the Japanese in censoring
them or intercepting them. I am talking now only about the plan to try to get
them to Japan.
Answer. That part is not my work.
Question. Whose work was that?
Answer. I do not know. My part was to write the article, translate arti'cle,
that's all. I see that it comes out. But after that
Question. Well, what would be done with these articles when they were
assembled?
Answer. Printed?
Question. Yes. And then what was done with them?
Answer. I mailed some of them to Japan.
Question. How were the others disposed of?
Answer. This I cannot tell you, because I do not know.
Question. You may not know what ultimately happened to them, but what
did you do with them? You had to get rid of them. Did you give them to someone
in the Communist Party?
Answer. No. I had what I could handle — about two dozen copies — and the
rest, I don't even see them myself. Because you understand the situation.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3425
If I printed 500, or maybe 200, it is fairly bulky. And at that time the condition
in which I was living was that I didn't have a big house or anything like that ;
I just had a room in a place. And you know how nosy those landladies are. I
didn't want anything hanging around.
Question. Nevertheless, in a matter in which you were so vitally interested
Answer. That's right.
Question. In which you had come from the East to the West to i)erform, where
your whole ob.1ect in joining the Communist Party was in order to be of some
help, as you thought, to the people of Japan, you wouldn't have left just to mere
chance the accomplishment of the thing that you set out to do : Namely, to get
these documents in the hands of the Japanese i)eople?
Answer. I agree.
Question. Isn't that right?
Answer. That is true. But the fundamental question here is that there has to
be a division of labor.
Question. I recognize that. But equally true, you must have known what that
division of labor was.
Answer. No ; I don't. I don't know exactly what is the setup or anything like
that. My part was to see to it that the article conies out. As to the disposition
of the bulk of the material prepared, it was not my business or domain, and I did
not ask questions on those matters.
Question. Do you know where Harrison George lived?
Answer. I do not know.
Question. At that time you were doing this work with him?
Answer. No.
Question. How many articles did Harrison George write during the 18-month
period you have spoken of?
Answer. Probably between 2 and 3 dozen.
Question. You. spoke of these articles having appeared in a magazine. What
magazine?
Answer. The name of the magazine is Pacific Worker.
Question. Who published the Pacific Worker?
Answer. We did.
Question. What do you mean by we?
Answer. Between him and me. But it had a notation, "Organ of the Pan-
Pacific Trade Union Secretariat." That was the notation we had on it. What
that had to do with us, I don't know, but we wrote it.
Question. Who financed the publication of the magazine?
Answer. I do not know for sure, but since it has been labeled as the official
organ of the Pan-Pacific secretariat, I suppose it came from that source, and if
it is, that fund should have come from RILU — Red International of Labor
Unions, otherwise known as Profintern. But this is my assumption.
Mr. Chairman, at this point I think I should, to form a basis for
my questioning, read into this hearing and to this witness some of the
testimony of Maj. Gen. Charles Willoughby.
Mr. Velde. Without objection that permission is granted, and you
may proceed to read.
Mr. Ta\t.nner. General Willoughby brought to our committee the
secret Shanghai police files, and he based his testimony on those files
regarding Communist Party activities in China. This is what Gen-
eral Willoughby has to say regarding the Pan-Pacific Trade Union
Secretariat, which is usually referred to as PPTUS.
The Pan-Pacific Trade Union Secretariat and its parent organization, the
Shanghai branch of the far eastern bureau, were the most important and highly
organized apparatus for Comintern labor activities in the Far East during the
late 1020's and the early 1930's. The PPTUS set up in 1927 a conference in
Hankow which was attended by several prominent Comintern leaders, including
Lozovsky. a Comintern agent who rose fi'om secretary of the Profintern in 1928
to ii transient position as leader of the Soviet labor movement.
(Representative Clyde Doyle entered the hearing room at this
point.)
3426 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Velde, At this point may I interrupt to say that Mr. Doyle
has arrived, and I now reconstitute the subcommittee, which will
consist of Mr. Scherer, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Doyle, and myself as chair-
man. You may proceed.
Mr. Tavenner (continuing to read) :
Another member of the Hankow conference who later became first head of the
PPTUS was the American Communist, Earl Browder, who was assisted in his
work in Shanghai by an American woman, Katherine Harrison. Other Ameri-
cans, including a journalist, James H. Dolsen ; one Albert Edward Stewart, and
Margaret Undjus, were prominent in the affairs of the PPTUS, as was the
German woman, Irene Weidemeyer.
I will not read further from his testimony except to indicate that
this testimony related particularly to the Sorge spy incident in Japan
and China.
General Willoughby had this further to say :
I pause here to establish the link in this police investigation. Sorge mentioned
the Comintern group in Shanghai.
He is referring there to Sorge's confession.
This we pick up as the Pan-Pacific Trade Union Secretariat since Noulens was
arrested. Obviously this man Walsh or Eugene Dennis, and his subsequent
connection with Browder establishes the strongest inference that he was asso-
ciated with him then.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Counsel, have you the date of General Wil-
loughby's testimony before this committee ?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir ; he testified before the committee on August
9, 22, and 23, 1951.
Mr. Velde. And if I am not mistaken, General Willoughby was tlie
chief intelligence officer of the United States Army operating directly
under General MacArthur, is that right ?
Mr. Tavenner. He was G-2 under General MacArthur during
nearly all of the occupation of Japan.
Mr. Speiser. Mr. Tavenner, I have a question. Did General Wil-
loughby have any official position in Japan during the period of time
that he was testifying — just a question with regard to his knowledge
in the matter — was it indicated ?
Mr. Velde. I am sure counsel knows his right to confer with the
witness and not to ask any questions, but I think counsel could very
well answer that question.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes. General Willoughby spent nearly a year in
investigating Communist activities in China and Japan, and he
brought this committee a well-documented treatise on the subject and
testified in person, and this is part of his testimony.
Mr. Velde. But I think the question that was asked was, did he have
any official connection with the intelligence service at the time he
testified before our committee.
Mr. Tavenner, I didn't understand that.
Mr. Velde. My understanding is that he was retired at that time.
Mr. Tavenner. This committee got in touch with General Wil-
loughby nearly a year before he testified, and he prepared this work
for the committee "to prepare himself to testify, but could not appear
before the committee until he returned to the United States, and this
was within a week or a few weeks after his return to the United States,
and he was retired, I believe, a short time after he testified. He was
being processed at the time he testified, according to my recollection.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3427
Mr. Velde. That is right ; I do recall that now, too. Yes ; you are
riffht. He did have the connection at that time.
Mv. Tavenner. He was undergoing physical examinations at the
time.
Continuing with the testimony of Mr. Joe Koide, K-o-i-d-e, the
Japanese national :
Question. What was the general nature or the propaganda material which you
wrote for this magazine?
Answer. This magazine was mainly concerned about analysis of the economic
conditions in Japan under military rule, and also articles dealing with how to
improve the conditions in the shops and factories and farms.
Question. Did the magazine carry other pertinent information for Communist
Party pui*poses as, for instance, was the custom of the Daily Worker and the
People's World?
Answer. No. This was mainly, basically, labor union publication, mainly,
although it did have some articles dealing with international developments.
Question. Do you know whether Hari-isou George was engaged in this form
of Communist Party activity prior to your being associated with him in it?
Answer. No, I do not know.
Question. Was Harrison George associated with you in this work during the
entire 18-month period?
Answer. Yes. That is, I worked longer than that, but my association with
him was about 18 months. But I worked longer than that.
Question. Tell us the circumstances under which he changed the field of
activity in which he was engaged.
Answer. All I know was that he was taken out. I got that word that he's
leaving, that I had to work with somebody else.
Question. Do you know the reason for his being taken from that work?
Answer. No; I do not know.
Question. Do you know what his new assignment was?
Answer. I did not know at that time, but shortly afterwards he became the
editor of the People's World, the People's World established here.
And if I may say so, he is not the type to do any conspiracy work or anything
like tliat. He wanted to mix to i)eople and he wanted to do open and he didn't
give a darn who he talked back to. He's a very independent and stubborn person,
if I may say so. I think that's the reason he didn't last long in the party.
Question. Was your work censored or edited in any way by the Communist
Party members on a higlier level than yourself?
Answer. No, except I got criticism once in a while later on.
Question. From wliat source did you get criticism?
Answer. Profintern source.
Question. Tell the committee about it, please.
Answer. Pardon me?
Question. Tell the committee about it.
Answer. Some examples : So far as writing and editing and publishing was con-
cerned, we did it on our own, no one to censor, no one to edit. We did it on
our own responsibility.
Question. To whom do you refer when you say "we" ?
Answer. To Harrison George and myself.
However, there were cases wlien some of the articles we wrote or we published
were severely criticized, and correction in print was demanded.
Question. Now, are you speaking of corrections in the sense of typographical
errors, or actual content of the articles?
Answer. Actual content. And if I may say so, political orientation.
Question. Describe more fully what you mean, giving an example, if you can.
Answer. At one time I wrote an article on how to organize a shop committee.
A few months later we received the manuscript with a notation that this
article be printed in toto without any editing or abridging. And this article, the
nature of this article was a bitter denunciation of the whole line of argument
we put forth in the article, previous article, on the organization of shop com-
mittee.
Question. Who signed the critical article?
Answer. This article bore the name of a Japanese representative to Profintern
at that time.
Question. What was his name?
3428 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Answer. Tanaka. I don't know whether that's his real name or not, but this
one Tanaka was on the executive committee of the Profintern at that time. I
also do not know whether this article has actually been written by him or not.
The fact is that article was sent to us to be printed, and there was no choice.
Mr. Tavenner. Incidentally, that is not the Tanaka who is notoriously known
in Japan as the author of the Tanaka Memorial.
Question. In that instance the Comintern itself directed what you should
publish; isn't that so?
Answer. Well, I'd better say Profintern.
Question. The Profintern.
Answer. On this question I have to state that the magazine itself bore the
title of official organ of the PPTUS. Now, if that is so, I think PPTUS has every
right to criticize what we printed.
Question. Were there any other instances in which you received criticism of
that character from the Profintern or any other international Communist
functionary group?
Answer. Not that I know. There might have been some minor ones, but I do
not remember. It was sucli small ones. But this was a big one, very big one.
Question. Who replaced Harrison George in this work?
Answer. Rude Baker.
Question. Can you fix the date?
Answer. Well, early in 1935 or some time in 1935 ; early 1935.
Question. How long did you work with Rude Baker in this type of propaganda
work?
Answer. We parted in 1937. That is about 2 years.
Question. Did you continue in the same general line of propaganda activity
with Rude Baker as followed with Harrison George?
Answer. No.
Question. What was the difference?
Answer. Up to that time I edited this official organ of the PPTUS, which, as I
stated before, mainly concerned about economic labor-unicm problems. However,
shortly after Rude Baker came 1 propo.sed, and later agreed, that I start entirely
difTerent type of propaganda material. And I started a publication. Interna-
tional Correspondence, a very small, about 16-page, pamphlet in .Japanese. This
pamphlet dealt more with political problems rather tlian economic and labor-
union problems. This proposal of mine coincided with the holding of tlie Seventh
World Congress of the Communist International. This congress was held in
1935, I believe.
Question. July 1935?
Answer, Was it July?
Question. In Moscow?
Answer. Yes. And this Congress adopted a new policy of people's front, and
made a thorough examination of the past mistakes of the Communist Party
throughout the world and adopted that new policy of people's front. And it was
very urgent, I believed, that this new policy be spread to Japan. And that is
one of the reasons I suggested to publish such a magazine. And also this fact
made it possible for me to work more independently from Rude Baker. When I
worked with Harrison George it was more or less a joint undertaking. He wrote
son)ething; I wrote something. In this new adventure of mine, or enterprise of
mine, I was my own boss. Balder wrote no articles. I didn't liave to take any
articles from him to publish.
Question. However, you were subordinate to Rude Baker in the iierformance of
this work?
Answer. I found that out.
Question. How did you find that out?
Answer. Since I was writing in Japanese and supplying no translation of the
articles, most of the things I wrote Rude Baker did not know about for a long
time. But after several months he did find out what I was writing about, and
he started checking up on me, wanted to know what I was writing what I was
going to write about in the next issue, and so forth. I did not like this interfer-
ence. But it came to a point finally that I was put on the carpet for writing
articles which has nationalistic tendencies or deviations; that I placed too much
upon national phases rather than international aspect.
Question. Do you recall any specific instance in which he charged you with
deviations?
Answer. No ; I do not recollect any .specific instances. But this criticism was
labeled more against my response to his criticism rather than the article itself.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3429
It started with his checking up on my articles, but when the break came it was
more or less the question of my attitude toward the criticism.
Question. What was the result of this criticism?
Answer. I was told to get lost.
Question. Did you get lost?
Answer. Yes, I did.
Question. Did that end your propaganda work for the Communist Party on the
west coast?
Answer. It did for over a year. I got completley lost. I didn't even try to
look at anything communistic. I was sick and tired of the whole thing at that
time.
Then as far as the rest of his testimony is concerned, it doesn't relate
to matters that I am interested in questioning you about, but in order
that the story may be completed, a year later he was assigned to the
publication in Japanese language of the history of communism in the
Soviet Union.
You have heard that testimony, Mr. George, and we are interested to
find facts as to the method — first let us say as to the method, or as the
witness said, as to the division of work in connection with the handling
of this propaganda, how it was sent to Japan, by what method. Will
you tell us that, please ?
( At this point Mr. George conferred with Mr. Speiser. )
Mr. George. Well, it has been a very interesting recitation, but I
don't see that under advice of counsel I can answer that question on
the grounds of the first and the fifth amendments.
Mr. Tavenner. You say on the advice of counsel ?
Mr. George. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, of course you should seek your counsel's ad-
vice, but the important thing here is not what your counsel says, but
what you think. Are you contending in good faith that to answer the
question might tend to incriminate you ?
Mr, George. Otherwise I wouldn't say so.
Mr. Tam=:nner. I want to make certain that is your idea.
Mr. George. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. If it is your idea, I cannot question you further
about it.
Mr. George. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. Is it ?
Mr. George. It is.
Mr. Tavenner. I want to call to your attention other evidence that
the committee has received. Prior to locating the witness, Mr. Koide,
testimony was received in executive session in Los Angeles — and it
has now been released — taken on December 22, 1952. The witness was
Anne Kinney, K-i-n-n-e-y. IMiss Kinney admitted her former Com-
munist Party membership and told of her activities within the party.
It is necessary that I base questions to you on her testimony, and so
it is also necessary to read it to you.
Mr. Velde. May I confer with counsel ?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir.
(At this point Mr. Velde conferred Avith Mr. Tavenner, and Mr.
George conferred with Mr. Si)eiser.)
Mr. T.WENNER. I am not certain just the date when this testimony
was released and made public, but I liave before me the printed release
of the committee which is entitled "Investigation of Communist Ac-
tivities in the Los Angeles Area, Part 5."
Mr. Velde. Proceed.
3430 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. TA^rENNER. This is a question asked of Miss Kinney by Mr.
Wheeler :
From September 1934 to the fall of 1935 you stated you were a member at
large. What is meant by the term "meml)er at large"?
Miss Kinney. You are not attached to any branch of any sort.
Mr. Wheeler. For what reason?
Miss Kinney. Because I was given a special assignment.
Mr. Wheelek. In your opinion would you say that you were a member at large
and not assigned to any group because of security reasons of the party?
Miss Kinney. I presume so.
Mr. WHEELBat. Were you assigned to any particular person?
Miss Kinney. Yes, to Harrison George.
Mr. Wheeleu. Will you further identify Mr. Harrison George?
Miss Kinney. Harrison George was apparently carrying out some special as-
signment which had to do with publishing what I think was a trade-union paper
that was sent to Japan. I knew very little about it because all I was supposed
to do was to pick up mail for him that was sent to various addresses and take
it to him.
Mr. Wheelek. Do you recall from whom you picked up the mail?
Miss Kinney. No, I don't. I never made the arrangements for the use of the
addresses. I simply went and got the envelopes and took them to George.
Mr. Wheeler. Do you recall any of the addresses where you picked up the
envelopes?
Miss Kinney. No, I don't.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you at any time acquire any knowledge as to what the
envelopes contained?
MLss Kinney. No, I didn't, nor did I ever know where they came from.
Mr. Wheeler. When assigned to Harrison George did you at any time have
any knowledge of the branch of the party known as the Philippine committee?
Miss Kinney. No.
Now, did Miss Kinney operate as a mail courier for you in con-
nection with the publication of this magazine, pamphlet, of which
we have been talking?
(At this point Mr. George conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. George. I decline to answei* on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
- Mr. Ta\-enner. Will you tell the committee the purposes of the
Communist Party in engaging in this propaganda activity?
Mr. George. That is a leading question, it seems to me.
IVIr, Tavenner. Yes, and I am leading purposely in the hopes that
I may get an answer.
Mr. George. Well, I decline to answer on the same grounds as
previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Was the publication to w^iich we have referred
financed and directed by the Profintern ?
Mr. George. I decline to answer on the same groimds.
Mr. Tavenner, Mr. Chairman, it is apparent that the witness will
not answer questions relating to this matter, so we will continue with
the investigation.
Mr. Velde. Well, Mr. George, if you were engaged in an operation
that was sponsored by the Soviet Union as has been mentioned in the
testimony of two witnesses, don't you think it vital to the security of
our country at the present time that you assist this committee with
information that you must have so that we might pass legislation
which would further protect the security of the American people ?
(At this point Mr. George conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. George. Well, some of your question was a presumption. But
I would say I don't think what I would say would have any bearing
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3431
Lil^on tliat thing. That is my opinion, and upon that opinion I base
my declination to answer the question on the grounds of the fifth
amendment as previously stated.
Mr. ScHERER. What part of ]Mr. Velde's question was a presumption ?
Mr. George. The presumption that the publication of this thing was
for the Soviet government.
Mr. ScHERER. Who was it for ?
Mr. GEor.GE. That is not for me to say, but I say that is his presump-
tion.
Mr. ScHERER. Can you clear it up for us ?
Mr. George. No.
Mr. Velde. I believe you could clear it up for us, Mr. George, but
apparently you are not going to assist this committee in any way. Do
you have any further questions, Mr. Scherer?
■Mr. ScHEKER. Did you ever receive any compensation, either di-
rectly or indirectly, from the Soviet Union ?
^Nlr. George. I think I better decline to answer on the grounds of the
fifth amendment.
Mr. Scherer. Do you decline ?
Mr. George. I do so decline, yes.
Mr. Scherer. Did you ever receive any compensation directly or
indirectly from the Communist Party ?
Mr. George. Same answer.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. When our chairman asked you a minute ago about
whether or not the publication was at the instance of the Soviet Union,
I understood your answer to indicate that you felt that was a presump-
tion on his part. Did I so understand ?
Mr. George. That was my implication.
Mr. DoTLE. Well, now
Mr. Scherer. I can't hear the witness.
Mr. George. That was my implication.
Mr. Doyle. As long as you disagreed with his presumption, you
tell us, please, in the interests of the national security of your own
Nation, who it was as far as you know that was sponsoring the publi-
cation of this?
Mr. George. I decline to answer on the gi"ounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. Scherer. Will you turn up-^the microphone for the witness?
His fifth amendments are weak here.
Mr. Tavenner, One further question : "Wliere do you reside, Mr.
George?
]\Ir. George. Los Angeles.
Mr. Tavt5xner. What address?
Mr. George. Residence? 1923 East Fourth Street, zone 33.
Mr. Velde. What is your occupation at the present time?
Mr. George. I am doing clerical work.
Mr. Scherer. For whom ?
Mr. George. Well, it is in a commercial enterprise owned by a doc-
tor in Los Angeles.
]Mr. Scherer. You are not today employed by the Communist Party
then ?
41002 — 54 — pt. 5 3
3432 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
(At this point Mr. George conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. George. No, I am not employed by the Communist Party.
Mr. ScHERER. Are you a member of the party today?
(At this point Mr. George conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. George. I decline to answer on the grounds of the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. Velde, Mr. Counsel, is there any reason why this witness should
be further retained under subpena ?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir.
Mr. Velde. If not, the witness is dismissed, and call your next wit-
ness, please.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Paul Chown.
Mr. Velde. In the testimony you are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God ?
Mr. Chown. I do.
TESTIMONY OF PAUL CHOWN, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL,
GEORGE ANDERSEN
Mr. Tavenner. What is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Chown. My name is Paul Chown.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you accompanied by counsel ?
Mr. Chown. Yes, I am.
Mr. Tavenner. Will counsel please identify himself for the record?
Mr. Andersen. My name is (jeorge Andersen, att/orney at law, 240
Montgomery Street.
Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Chown ?
Mr. Chown. I was born in California.
Mr. Tavenner. What is your occupation ?
Mr. Chown. I am field organizer for the United Electrical, Radio
and Machine Workers of America.
Mr. Tavenner. How long have you held that position?
Mr. Chown. Approximately 3 years.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was your employment prior to that?
Mr. Chown. I would have to ask time to gather together all the
information pertinent to that.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, let us see if you can recall what your^i-
ployment was immediately before you took your position with the UE.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. I was employed by the joint action committee of north-
ern California local unions.
Mr. Tavenner. How long were you so employed ?
Mr. Chown. Oh, I believe it was 2 or 3 months.
Mr. Tavenner. That employment then was in 1949 as nearly as
you can recall ?
Mr. Chown. 1950, 1 believe.
Mr. Tavenner. How were you employed in 1949 — let us put it this
way : I would like to know what your employment has been since 1945.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Tavenner. Maybe it would be easier to begin there and come
up rather than go back. But you may do it either way you like.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3433
Mr. Chown. I have been in the trade union movement all of my
adult life, and it would seem to me a lot easier if you asked me the
particular organizations and the time you are interested in.
Mr, Tavenner. Well, it is from 1945 on up until the time I have
mentioned, 1950.
Mr. Chown. Well, any particular year, counsel ?
Mr. Tavenner. Well, let us begin with 1945 and state what it is.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Tavenner. If it will simplify it any
Mr. Andersen. Pardon me; we are consulting, if you don't mind.
Mr. Tavenner. Let me change the question, please, and then you
can consult further.
Mr. Andersen. You want to withdraw it ?
Mr. Tavenner. Let me ask you how you were employed in 1948.
Maybe that will simplify it.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown, As best I can remember I was working for the Ala-
meda CIO Council in 1948. As I said before, counsel, it would require
my checking my records which I have at home as to the exact times
of employment, months and dates and so forth.
Mr. Tavenner. How were you employed in 1947 ?
Mr. Chown. In 1947 I worked for the, I believe, California CIO
Council and the Alameda County CIO Council.
Mr. Tavenner. ^Ir. Charles David Blodgett testified that he was
employed by the Daily People's World for a period of about 2'^^
years covering the years of 1947, 1948, and up into 1949, so probably
I should ask you also how you were employed in 1949 before closing
the questions that I have in mind.
Mr. Chown. I believe I was still employed by the Alameda County
CIO Council in 1949.
Mr. Tavenner. He stated that during that period of time he was
in attendance and required to attend under the directions of Lloyd
Lehman, the county chairman of the Communist Party of Alameda
County, the meetings of the Political Affairs Committee of the Com-
munist Party, and he described to some extent the operations of that
committee, although he says he was there merely as an observer. He
has identified you in the testimony as one of the persons who attended
those meetings, and it was during substantially the period that I have
asked you about.
The committee would like you to tell them just what activities that
group engaged in and who took part in it, so let me ask you first : Did
you meet with that group?
(At this point Mr, Chown conferred with Mr, Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. Well, in the first place, I was not present at the time
this man you allege so testified did so, and I would not be willing to
take the opinion of this committee as to what was said or what was
not said by this Mr. Blodgett, and I would certainly like to be able
to examine the transcript or have it read here in detail.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, you Imow the facts, and it wouldn't change
the facts, regardless of what may be on the record as to what the
witness said or my recollection of his testimony, so let me then put
the question this way: Did you at anv time attend a meeting of the
Political Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of Alameda
3434 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
County, which you may answer independent of anyone else's
testimony.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. C'liowN. Well, it seems obvious to me this committee is tryinfj
to link me in with the stool pi<;eon and with an attempt to smear some
other people politically, and I am going to decline to answer that
question based on the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. My question related only to you, Mr. Chown.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. I heard what you said, and my answer is still the same,
that no one appearing before this committee can hope to beat the
problem of paid, professional, hopped-up perjurers who come in here
and bear false witness.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Chown, let me again disabuse your mind of this.
This committee has never paid any witness to appear before it to give
testimony and doesn't direct the testimony of the witnesses.
Mr. CiiowN. Mr. Velde, every stool pigeon I have ever known of
has either been named or in some other way been
Mr. Velde. This committee does not direct the testimony of any
witness that comes before it. But as far as I am personally con-
cerned, I will take the testimony of Mr. Blodgett as the truth rather
than rely on anythino; that you might say before this committee.
Mr. C'nowN. "Mr. Velde-^ —
Mr. Velde. Is there anything further that
Mr. Tavexner. I am not certain the record shows what the reason
for his refusal to answer is.
Mr. Velde. I think it was very clearly stated it was the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. If he did, I have no further questions.
Mr. Chown. Wait a minute. I would like to answer the question.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. Yes. I note you say you were employed by the Cali-
fornia CIO council and Alameda council of the CIO in California.
I am not sure of the dates, but my recollection is that I have read
and heard that the CIO council of California, certainly in the last
4 or 5 years, took active means to kick out of CIO circles, so far as
they knew or discovered. Communists. Wliat part did you play, if
anv, as a CIO employee in kicking known Communists out of the
CIO councils?
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Doyle. Would you please tell us? We are interested, among
other things, in knowing what the methods were of these subversive
commies in any field of endeavor in California, which is my native
State, and you apparently have been employed by CIO councils
several years. Now, what part did you play if any, in kicking any
Communists out of the CIO councils ?
Mr. Chown. I am afraid Mr. Doyle, that you are not familiar with
what some of the real conflicts in the CIO have been. The real issue
has been a question of whether or not the iniions, such as my union
and many others that have for a long time had a clear and clean
record of fighting to maintain this country and fightinjx for political
freedom rather than political dictatorship — that was the split in the
CIO. It had nothing to do with Communists or non-Communists;
that was just a red herring that was dragged into it, and our fight
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3435
was wlietlier or not our membership ^Yould be able to vote for who they
w^anted for president rather than what a few people on top were
trying to dictate to them to vote for.
That was the issue, and as you ssij, I was opposed to qualify — I was
better qualified to decide what those issues were, Congressman.
Mr. Doyle. Of course I wasn't close to it at all.
Mr. Chown. That is right.
Mr. Doyle. But I am sure I have read reports by CIO publications
in the last few years that there was a definite program to kick Com-
nmnists out of the CIO in California, and you don't know anything
about that ?
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. I have read in the papers, too, about some honest, good
people, for 15 and 18 years have been fighting for the working people,
who have been dirtied up in this committee. If you don't put any
substance in that, I don't think you should put any substance in what
you have read about in relation to the CIO, Mr. Doyle.
Mr. ScHEKER. Are you still a member of the party today?
Mr. Doyle. But I have read those articles in CIO papers.
Mr. Chown. Well, it seems to me that the best way to acquire some
real knowledge of any situation is first-hand and not by what you read
because these days it is pretty hard to get the truth out of what you
see in newspapers.
Mr. Velde. Will the gentleman yield for one question?
Mr. Doi'LE. Yes.
Mr. Velde. Is the United Electrical Workers still a part of the
official body of the CIO?
Mr. Chowx. We separated ourselves from the CIO when they tried
to politically' dictate to us what our members should do in elections
and when they were using our dues money to try to raid and destroy
our union.
Mr. Velde. As a matter of act, you were kicked out of the CIO,
isn't that true?
Mr. Chown. As a matter of act, we suspended paying dues. We
walked out first.
Mr. Velde. Walked out before you were kicked out?
Mr. Chown. That is right: we walked out.
Mr. ScHEKER. AVell, I still think my question hasn't been answered.
Are you still a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Chown. I will be glad to ask
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. ScHERER. That is all, are you still a member of the Communist
Party today ?
(At tliis jwint Mr. Chown conferred Avith Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. Would you mind repeating the question?
Mr. ScHERER. Are you still a member of the Communist Party
today?
Mr. Chown. Well, of course that is a loaded question like when did
I stop beating my wife. However, I would like to say this in response
to that problem : It seems to me that the question of asking a j)er-
son's political belief tends to undermine the whole jihilosophical con-
ce])t u]ion which our country has been founded, and that came first
from the people in the l7th century, people like Voltaire and Jean
Rousseau, people like John Locke of England, and out of those writ-
3436 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
ings which said that free inquiry and freedom of the human mind was
going: to be the tiling for progress, that is what we based our Con-
stitution on, and that is why we have the high standard of living
and the kind of scientific development we do today, and I am not
just going to be a party in answering questions one way or another to
draw down a dark curtain on free human inquiry, and that is what it
gets to, start telling people what they are for or against.
Mr. ScHERER. I am just asking you whether you happen to be a
member of this consj^iracy that it threatening to overthrow this
Constitution which 3'ou so glibly uphold.
Mr. Chown. It happens I am not a member of any committee like
this or similar to it, which ask people questions which in my opinion
go toward destroying and undermining the basic rights that this
country was founded on.
Mr. ScHERER. You still haven't given an answer as to whether or
not you are a member of the party today.
Mr. Chown. I am going to decline to answer that question on the
basis, first of all, of the first amendment which gives every man and
woman supposedly freedom of association and freedom of speech
and freedom of religion, and that is what I said before, that in rela-
tion to how this country has operated and what has made us great
hae been that we can have a conflict of ideas, and when you wipe out
any conflict of ideas in the market place of political opinion, then
we are on our first step to turning the clock back over 300 years, and
I am not going to associate myself with any plots or schemes or plans
which will head us in that direction. Also based on the fifth amend-
ment I am going to decline to answer.
Mr. ScriERER. I thought that would be your answer.
Mr. Chown. Because I cannot know who will come here to bear
false witness, and I know how this thing is set up where my attorney
can't cross-examine people that come here, and we can't bring in our
own witnesses and in our own behalf
Mr. Doyle. Now Mr. Chairman, may I proceed and complete my
questions ?
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. ScHERER. I am sorry, Mr. Doyle. I thought you were finished.
Mr. Doyle. That is all right. I was glad to have you interrupt
temporarily. My questions will not be directed to your political
beliefs, but I assume from your own testimony that you have been
pretty closely in touch with the trade-union movement quite a while
in California. As a matter of fact, you said all your adult life,
and I am not interested, either, in inquiring into internal trade-union
squabbles or difficulties. You have testified yourself voluntarily as
to one difficulty apparently in trade unionism. I am not interested
in that difficulty. But I am interested in seeing if I can get your
cooperation in connection with your telling us whether or not to your
personal knowledge, we will say, since 1945, 1946, 1947, there have
been any persons subversively trying to destroy our form of consti-
tution and government.
You understand, of course, the meaning of "subversive." The rea-
son I use that lancfuage is that that is the language used in Public
Law 601 in which we are expresslv assigned to investigate the extent
and character of subversive activities.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3437
Of course we were not limited in that assignment because if there
have been subversive activities to your personal knowledge— or don't
you know ? Let me ask you this way, and that may make it shorter,
so I won't have to ask so many questions, and so you won't have
to make a speech. But can I ask you this way : Have you known
in the last 5 years of any subversive activities in the trade-union
movement here in California, to your own personal knowledge?
Mr. Chown. Well, Mr. Doyle, the problem on that is, you mention
the fact that subversive activity is supposed to be a simple and clear-
cut thing, but I don't find it to be so.
For example, you have a colleague in Congress, a fellow named
Lane from Massachusetts, who introduced a bill which
Mr. Doyle. Now
Mr. Chown. Wait a minute. I want to say he introduced a bill
defining subversive activity as anybody who engages in a work stop-
page or slowdown and who should go to jail 2 to 10 years with a
$10,000 fine. Is that the kind of subversive activity you mean?
Mr. DoTLE. Of course I am taking the commonly accepted defini-
tion, to destroy, to dissolve, to exterminate, as given by Mr. Webster.
That is my definition. Take Mr. Webster's dictionary definition with
which you are very familiar, I am sure.
Mr. Chown. Well, I would say that those unions — the advancing
of their constitutional provisions that would create second-class citi-
zenship for various people, whether because of color or political be-
liefs, that that is the type of subversive activity that has been going on
in the labor movement in recent times.
Mr. Doyle. No, no ; don't dodge the question, please.
Mr. Velde. May I again advise the physical audience present that
any expressions of disapproval or approval of anything that is said
by the witness or counsel or a member of the committee will not be
tolerated, and I would regret very much having to clear the hearing
room, but in case there is further outburst, the chair will have to
order the policemen to clear the hearing room.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Doyle. Let me state this : I don't know as I ever met you, but
I am in good faith in asking your cooperation.
Mr. Chown. So am I.
Mr. DoYLB. Well, I assume you are in trying to answer this ques-
tion again. I am looking for information, if you have anv, under our
assignment as a congressional committee under Public Law 601, to
investigate the extent of subversive activities in any field.
Mr. Chown. I will try to answer that question again. There have
been a lot of inquiries about sabotage and so on and espionage. To the
best of my knowledge and belief certainly in my union and, as far as
I know about the longshoremen, warehousemen, steel workers, and auto
workers, I have never heard of anybody being charged or indicted
with any such actions here on the west coast, and that seems to me to
speak pretty well for itself that the record of these people as loyal
Americans is pretty hard to question.
Mr. D0YI.E. Then you have no personal knowledge of any of it?
Mr. Chown. Not as I understand and define the term "subversive,"
no.
Mr. Doyle. Have you defined "subversive" according to your under-
standing?
3438 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Chown. As I understand it. I have no knowledfje of subversive
activities, except to the extent that tliere are i^eople, of course, in Cali-
fornia that would like to undermine tlie Bill of Rights, and I think
again any attack on our Constitution
Mr. Doyle. No, no ; don't dodge the question.
Mr. Chown. That is what I define as subversive, like there are cer-
tain Congressmen who would like to do away with the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. DoYi.E. Let me ask you this theri : Do you define persons m the
Communist Party who favor the forceful and violent overthrow of our
form of government as subversive? As long as we are discussing
definitions.
(At tliis point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. CiiowN. In my own acquaintance I know of no one who is
actively engaged in organizing the forceful overthrow of this country.
Mr. Doyle. Well, will you answer my question, please ? I didn't ask
you whetlier or not you knew any. I "asked you if that was included
in your definition of "subversive." You have had quite a consulta-
tion with your counsel before you answered that, and that is all
right. He has a right to advise you on your rights.
Mr. CiiowN. That is still a privilege which I should enjoy before
this committee.
Mr. Doyle. That is right, and I cherish the continued opi^ortunity of
every witness before this committee to have private counsel. But how
will you answer my question, please?
Mr. Chown. AVould you mind restating it?
Mr, Doyle. Would the reporter please read it?
(The question was read by the reporter as follows:
Do you define persons in the Communist Party who favor the forceful and vio-
lent overthrow of our form of government as subversive?
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. It seems to me that that is a political question of certain
presumptions as what the motivations of various people might be or a
member of a political organization, and I am not going to get in a de-
bate as to what the people who may be members of the Conununist
Party — what they advocate and what they don't advocate. I am just
not equipped to do that.
Mr. Doyle. In other Avords, you don't know, is that it, what they
advocate? Or do you know?
Mr. Chown. I am saying that I am not going to get in a debate
with you as what thev advocate or don't advocate.
Mr. D0Y1.E. I will ask you, do you know what the Communist Party
advocates in the United States?
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. You want my opinion, is that it?
Mr. DoYLE. No, I am asking if you know.
Mr. Chown. Well, that still sounds like asking my opinion to me,
and I am not going to debate the question of communism with you,
Representative Doyle.
:Mr. Doyle. I see you are not even going to discuss the question of
whether or not you know who is subversive and who is not.
Mr. Chown. t answered that as far as my understanding of what
subversive is.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3439
Mr. Doyle. I think I have no other questions from this witness.
Mr, Velde. Is there any reason why this witness should be longer
retained under subpena?
Mr. Tavenxer. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask one or two more
questions.
Mr. Chown, in my opinion you made a very pertinent statement a
moment ago. You stated the way to get information is to get it
directly at first hand, so I am going back to my original question. I
want to know about the activities of the Political Affairs Committee
of the Communist Party of Alameda County and try to get from you
first hand what knowledge you have, if any, of its operations.
(At this point Mr. Chown conferred with ]Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Chown. Well, there again that assumes that I know something ;
that is an "iffy" question, Counsel.
INIr. Tavexner. No; of course I don't want an answer unless you
know. Do you know?
Mr. Chowx. You are asking me an "iffy" question. Now, my point
in answer to that is that there again that goes to the matter of who
I associate with and who I don't associate with under the first amend-
ment, and with the way this setup has operated
Mr. Velde. The situation is this: Regardless of whether it is an
"iffy" question, will you answer the question ?
Mr. Chown. Well, the problem is, you bring people in here to
testify all week, and there is no basis for getting a crack at them to
cross-examine.
Mr. Velde. The problem is how can we get you to answer this
question and give us some information. As Mr. Tavenner has very
well pointed out, you mentioned yourself that the best place to get
information is at the source of the information. We have sworn testi-
mony that you were a member of the Communist Party and the Politi-
cal Affairs Committee of it.
Now, will you either admit, deny, or refuse to answer the question?
Mr. Chown. Will you give my counsel an opportunity to cross-
examine the witnesses who have so alleged ?
Mr. Velde. That is not an answer or a denial or refusal to answer.
Mr. Chown. It is a
Mr. Scherer. Mr. Chairman, I ask that you direct the witness to
answer the question.
Mr. Chown. It is an aspect of it.
Mr. Velde. Yes, you are certainly directed to answer that question.
Mr. Chowx. Well, on the basis of the restrictions you place around
it, I am going to decline to answer that based on the first amendment,
and in fact, all of the amendments to the Constitution, and primarily
the fifth amendment.
Mr. Velde. Anything fui-fher, Mr. Counsel?
Mr. Ta\'enner. I have no further questions.
JNIr. Velde. Is there any reason why this witness should be further
retained under subpena?
Mr. TA\n:NNER. No, sir.
Mr. Velde. If not, the Avitness is dismissed, and the committee will
be in recess for 10 minutes at this time.
(Whereujion. at 11 a. m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene at
11:10 a.m.)
41002 — 54 — pt. 5 4
3440 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
(The hearing reconvened at 11 : 20 a. m.)
Mr. Velde. The committee will be in order, please. Counsel, call
your next witness.
Mr. KuNziG. Bjorne Hailing.
Mr. Velde. In the testimony you are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Halling. I do.
TESTIMONY OF BJOKNE HALLING, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS
COUNSEL, GEORGE ANDEESEN
Mr. Ktjnzig. Would you state your full name, please ?
Mr. Halling. My name is Bjorne Hailing.
Mr. KuNziG. Would you spell it?
Mr. Halling. The first name is B-j-o-r-n-e, and the second name is
H-a-1-l-i-n-g.
Mr. KuNziG. When and where were you born, Mr. Hailing?
Mr. Halling. I was born in Norway.
Mr. KuNZiG. "V^Hien?
Mr. Halling. In 1909.
Mr. KuNziG. Are you today a naturalized citizen ?
Mr. Halling. Yes, sir.
Mr. KuNZiG. Wlien did you become naturalized.^
Mr. Halling. 1937.
Mr. KuNziG. What is your present address, please?
Mr. Halling. 596 Page, P-a-g-e, Street, San Francisco.
Mr. KuNziG. Wliere are you employed?
Mr. Halling. I am a longshoreman.
Mr. Kunzig. Mr. Chairman, I am in possession of testimony here
taken under oath in executive session of this committee of one Ernest,
E-r-n-e-s-t, Leroy, L-e-r-o-y, Seymour, S-e-y-m-o-u-r. The original
testimony was taken November 6, 1953, and a supplemental part which
I request permission to read was taken November 22, 1953, this year.
Mr. Velde. Would you also identify Mr. Seymour a little better,
please?
Mr. Kunzig. Mr. Seymour is an admitted former member of the
Communist Party acting here in San Francisco. He cooperated, Mr.
Chairman, fully with the committee.
The questions went as follows :
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have an occasion to meet Pat Tobin as a member
of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes, under the same circumstances as Neil Crowe and Don
Cameron.
Mr. Wkeeler. Did you ever have the occasion to meet Al Saxton as a member
of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymotjr. Yes ; Al Saxton was a member of the Communist Party of the
American Communications Association in San Francisco group from 1944 until
1946.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have the occasion to meet Robert or Bob Sherman
as a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Rettmour. Yes ; under the same circumstances as Al Saxton.
Mr. WHEETjini. Did you ever have occasion to meet Nathan Jacobson as a mem-
ber of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes ; in 1942 at one or more Communist Party meetings of the
waterfront section in San Francisco.
Mr. Wheeler. What union was he a member of?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3441
Mr. Seymoxjb, The Marine Cooks and Stewards Union. He was an ofBcial of
that union.
Mr. Wheeli:r. Did you ever have any occasion to meet David Jenkins as a
member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymouu. Yes; under the same circumstances as Nathan Jacobson. He
was in the same union.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have the occasion to meet Carl Williams as a
member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes; under the same circumstances as Nathan Jacobson. H«
was also a member of the same union.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have any occasion to meet Archie Brown as a
member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes ; he represented the San Francisco County committee of the
Communist Party at policy meetings with the bay area utility workers' caucus of
the Communist Party.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have occasion to meet Joe Lynch as a member of
the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes ; Joe Lynch was the control of the National Maritime Union
in Portland, Greg., in October of 1946.
Mr. Wheeler. You attended meetings in Portland with Joe Lynch when your
ship docked there?
Mr. Seymour. No ; we had a personal meeting with Joe Lynch in the offices of
the National Maritime Union.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you discuss with others Communist Party membership at
that time?
Mr. Seymour. AVe discussed Communist Party policy in relation to the Na-
tional Maritime Union.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have occasion to meet Bjorne Hailing as a member
of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes. He attended a meeting of the waterfront section of the
Communist Party in the fall of 1944 and gave the CIO's unofficial opinion of
some action which the waterfront section happened to be planning on taking.
I can't recall definitely what the point was, but he was invited to speak.
Mr. Wheeler. It was just one meeting?
Mr. Seymour. Yes.
Mr. Wheeler. Was this a closed' Communist Party meeting?
Mr. Seymolti. Yes, definitely a closed meeting.
Mr. Wheeler. Did you ever have occasion to meet Herb Kalman as a member
of the Communist Party?
Mr. Seymour. Yes ; I knew him as a member of the Communist Party in a
local group in Berkeley. I met him at one or two meetings in atwut 1947.
Before I ask any further questions, would counsel please state his
name and address for the record ?
Mr. Andersen. Yes. My name is George Andersen. I am a lawyer.
My address is 240 Montgomery Street.
Mr. KuNziG. Mr. Hailing, I have just read to you this testimony of
Ernest Leroy Seymour, given under oath before an executive session
of this committee in which he identifies 5^ou as a member of the Com-
munist Party. Have you ever been a member of the Communist
Party ?
(At this point Mr. Hailing conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Halling. I decline to answer on the basis of the fifth amend-
ment.
Mr. KuNziG. Are you now a member of the Communist Party?
(At this point !Mr. Halling conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Halling. Same answer.
Mr, Kunzig. Do you know or did you ever know Ernest Leroy
Seymour?
^Ir. Halling. To the best of my knowledge I wouldn't know him
if I found him in my soup.
Mr. Kunzig. Have you ever been a member of the board of directors
of the California Labor School, Mr. Halling?
3442 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
(At this point Mr. Hailing conferred with Mr. Andersen.)
Mr. Hai.ling. I decline to answer.
Mr. KuNziG. Mr. Chairaian, I think I have no further questions.
It is obvious the witness is going to take the fifth amendment on all
questions.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Scherer.
Mr. Scherer. I have no questions.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. DoTLE. No questions.
Mr. Velde. Is there any reason why this witness then should be
further retained ?
Mr. KuNziG. No, sir.
Mr. Velde. The witness is excused, and you may call your next
witness.
Mr. KuNziG. Mr. Richard Lynden.
Mr. Velde. In the testimony you are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Lynden. I do.
TESTIMONY OF EICHARB LYNDEN, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS
COUNSEL, GEOEGE ANDERSEN
Mr. Lynden. Counsel, may I make a request to address a message
to the chairman? I would like to submit a detailed statement in
respect to the character and structure of our union which is noAV in
preparation, and I would like to have it made part of the proceeding
here.
Mr. Velde. Well, the committee will take any statement that is
submitted and consider it for insertion into the record.
Mr. Lynden. Would it be made part of the proceeding?
Mr. Velde. Well, I can't tell until we see that statement of course,
until the members
Mr. Lynden. I can tell you the nature of the statement. It deals
with the structure of the union.
Mr. Velde. There is no question pending at the present time.
Mr. Lynden. I am makinc" a i-equest.
Mr. Velde. You will abide by those instructions. Proceed, Mr.
Counsel.
Mr. Lynden. Mr, Chairman, I am making a request to the cliaii-man
of the committee.
Mr. Velde. The committee has taken the request, and I have given
you the policy of the committee on it. We will take your statement
into consideration, as we do all statements that are submitted to the
committee.
Mv. KuNZTG. I think it should be very clear in the record, too,
Mr. Chairman, that we are here investigating communism and indi-
viduals who may have been active in communism, and not the union.
Ml-. Velde. Certainly that should be definitely
Mr. Lynden. You are not doing anything of the kind, and that is
not true.
Mr. KiTNZTG. Mr. Lynden, will you ]:)lease state your name for
the record?
COMIVIUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3443
Mr. Lynden. My name is Richard Lynden, L-y-n-d-e-n. I am
secretary treasurer of the Warehouse Union local 6.
Mr. KuNziG. "WTien and where were you born, sir ?
Mr. Lyndex. I was born in San Francisco in 1910.
Mr. KuNziG. Would counsel once again please state his name and
address for the record ?
Mr. AxDERSEX. Yes. My name is George Andersen. I am a law-
yer. My address is 240 Montgomery Street.
Mr. KuNZKi. What is your present address, Mr. Lynden?
Mr. Lyndex. 255 Ninth Street.
Mr. KuNzm. Before this committee previously in this week a Mr.
Rosser gave testimony as follows, and I will read it and recall it
to your mind :
.Mr. RossKK. Hedley, H-e-rt-l-e-y ; Posner, P-o-s-n-e-r — his name — Posey,*
P-o-s-e-y — I have forgotten the first name, Communist Party member who was a
member of ttie waveluiuseineu's union and who was assigned hy the political
action — that is Dave Hedley- — to head the drive in the Fillmore district. That
is where at that time the majority of Negroes and Japanese and minorities lived
here in Frisco. Also we had a meeting with Dick Lynden.
Que.stion. What is the name?
Answer. Richard Lynden. Richard Lynden is one of the officials of local 6
of the warehousemens union, either the president or the secretary treasurer, I
have forgotten.
Question. Now, you are speaking of the Communist Party members?
Answer. Yes ; Dick Lynden is a member. I knew him when he was a member
of the Young Communist League. I worked with Dick Lynden on the State
committee of the Young Communist League, and tlien I knew him as a Commu-
nist, as I said, when he became an official of local 6 of the warehousemen's union
here in the city. Dick Lynden was very active. He came from San Jose and then
moved up here to Frisco, and through the party's manipulations he soon became
the leader of this big union here in San Francisco.
I want to ask you, Mr. Lynden, have you ever been a member of
tlie Young Communist League?
Mr. Lyxdex. I want to answer that question in this way : I feel
that I should not answer the question because I think that I am in
danger of entrapment b}^ this committee. It is well known that the
president of the international union that I belong to, Harry Bridges,
had three trials.
Mr. Velde, Do you mean incrimination ?
Mr. Lyxdex. I can answer the question. You know, you can frame
the question, but you can't frame my answers, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Velde. All right. You meant entrapment and not incrimina-
tion.
Mr. Lyxdex. I mean that this committee can entrap me, and tlie
best ])roof 1 can offer you of that is wliat hajipened in tlie case of my
international president, that he was brought to trial three times. He
was cleared of any membership in or affiliation with the Communist
Party. The fact of the matter is that these trials apparently are
going to continue, the ])rosecution of Mr. Bridges has been continued
and unremittingly.
Now, this trial cost my union
Mr. Velde. AVitness, there is no use going any furtlier. We have
a number of witnesses to be called yet, and we have heard this same
line many, many times. Mr. Bridges is not here as a witness. You
1 Further idciitifiod as Max Posey.
3444 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
are here as a witness at the present time to answer questions put to
you by our counsel and by the members.
Mr. Lynden. Mr. Velde, if you don't mind, I will answer the ques-
tions in my own way.
Mr. Velde. That is not an answer to the question.
Mr. Lynden. It is a direct answer to the question
Mr. Velde. Let me ask the question ao;ain : Have you ever been a
member of the Younof Communist League ?
Mr. Lynden. I will proceed to answer that again in my own way.
1 don't know anything about your lawyer's techniques, but I know
how to answer that question, and I tell you I am not going to answer it.
Mr. Velde. The question is very simple.
Mr. Lynden. And I am not going to answer it.
Mr. Velde. You are directed to answer the question.
Mr. Lynden. I am not going to answer it because tiie president of
my international union got in a load of trouble trying to answer this
question forthrightly in the same circumstances. You people bring
people up here and expect to embarrass them in the eyes of the public
by asking them questions of this nature.
Mr. Velde. That is not an answer to the question. You are here
as a witness, sir. Will you answer the question or refuse to answer it?
Mr. Lynden. I will decline to answer the question, and I will state
the reasons why. Mr. Velde, if you will quit just for a minute trying
to frame my answer, I will have the answer out.
Mr. Velde. I am not trying to frame your answer. You can answer
the question very simply, and I wish you would.
Mr. Lynden. The answer to the question is I am declining to answer,
and I am doing it because I don't want to run these risks. In the
case of Mr. Bridges it cost our union over a half a million dollars to
defend him in the three trials.
Mr. Scherer. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Scherer.
Mr. Lynden. I am not going to run that risk when some paid stool
pigeon comes in here and drops my name before the committee.
Mr. Velde. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.
Scherer.
Mr. Scherer. I submit the reasons the witness is giving are not a
legitimate reason for not answering the question. It is a speech, and
I am going to ask the Chair to direct him to desist from making a
speech because the reasons he is attempting to give
Mr. Lynden. Mr. Scherer, you make speeches all the time in this
committee and gratuitous remarks, and I am addressing myself to the
question.
Mr. Velde. The gentleman from Ohio is making an observation and
request.
Mr. Scherer. I am going to ask that the Chair have the witness
removed from the room unless he answers the questions.
Mr. Velde. Or declines to answer them on a legal basis.
Mr. Lynden. I am declining to answer
Mr. Velde. You are again asked, Mr. Witness, or you are directed
to answer the question asked of you.
Mr. Lynden. I will decline to answer the question on the ground,
No. 1, of the first amendment, that it is none of this committee's busi-
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3445
ness. I decline further to answer on the ground of the fifth amend-
ment, which protects me in my right not to bear witness against myself,
and I want to say that the ILWU
Mr. ScHERER. I submit the witness has answered the question.
Mr. Lynden. I haven't answered it. I haven't completed my
answer to the question.
Mr. Velde. You refuse to answer the question. Proceed, Mr. Coun-
sel. Do you have anything further ?
Mr. Lynden. I am declining to answer the question on the further
ground that my union does not want to be put to the expense of any
more perjury trials. Mr. Rosser came in here
Mr. Scherer. Now, Mr. Chairman
Mr. Velde. Do you have any further questions, Mr. Counsel?
Mr. Scherer. I suggest that you follow my suggestion.
Mr. Velde. What is your suggestion, Mr. Scherer? That he be
directed to answer the question; is that your suggestion?
Mr. Scherer. My suggestion is, if he persists in this type of conduct,
that he be ordered to leave the room.
Mr. Lynden. You invited me here. That isn't a very good way to
shown your hospitality.
Mr. Scherer. He is in contempt of this committee and in contempt
of the United States. His whole attitude shows it, and the record
with recoi'd my remarks.
Mr. Velde. First of all, do you have anything further, Mr. Counsel ?
Mr. KuNziG. I haven't asked yet whether he has ever been a member
of the Communist Party, or whether he is now a member of the party.
Mr. Velde. Proceed.
Mr. KuNziG. Have you ever been a member of the Communist
Party, JMr. Lynden ?
IVIr. Lynden. I am going to decline to answer that question on the
same grounds that I stated previously.
Mr. KuNziG. Are you now a member
Mr. Lynden. I don't intend
Mr. KuNziG. Are you today a member of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Lynden. And I don't intend, even if you rig the questions and
hurry them along, to get pushed into any other answers than the ones
that I have given.
Mr. KuNziG. Well, just answer this question.
Mr. Lynden. The record is pretty clear.
Mr. KuNziG. Are you today, this very minute, a member of the
Communist Party?
Mr. Lynden. I decline to answer that question again on the ground
of the fifth amendment, and I don't wish to bear witness against myself.
Mr. Scherer. I have no further questions.
Mr. KuNziG. No further questions.
Mr. Doyle. No quastions.
Mr. Velde. The witness is excused. Call your next witness.
Mr. KuNziG. Mr. Herb Naboisek.
Mr. Velde. In the testimony you are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the tinith, so help you God ?
Mr. Naboisek. I do.
3446 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
TESTIMONY OP HERBERT NABOISEK, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS
COUNSEL, LAWRENCE SPEISER
Mr. KuNziG. Would you state your name, sir, please ?
Mr. Naboisek. Herbert Naboisek, N-a-b-o-i-s-e-k.
Mr. KuNziG. What is your address, Mr. Naboisek ?
Mr. Naboisek. I live at 837 San Luis Road, Berkeley.
Mr. KuNziG. Would counsel please state his name and address for
the record ?
Mr. Speiser. I am Lawrence Speiser, the staff counsel of the Amer-
ican Civil Liberties Union of north California, 503 Market Street, San
Francisco.
Mr. KuNziG. When and where were you born ?
Mr. Naboisek. I was born in New York in 1907.
Mr. KuNziG. Where are you presently employed ?
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I decline on ^rrounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, I can't possibly see how his present
employment would tend to incriminate him, and I ask that you direct
the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Velde. Yes, the witness is directed to answer that question.
The direction is based on the reason that I expressed, I believe, yester-
day, that we have an obligation imposed upon us by the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress to ascertain the extent
of the Communist and other subversive influences in all fields of
American life and all types of employment. So you are directed to
answer that question.
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I refuse on the same grounds, as I stated a moment
' "^Mr. KuNziG. Do you teach in any way at the University of Cali-
fornia at Berkeley ?
Mr. Naboisek. No, I don't.
I^Ir. KuNziG. Are you connected in any way with the University of
California? .
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to state for the reasons that I gave a moment
ago. .
Mr. Scherer. Mr. Chairman, I can't jjossibly see whether he is or
whether he is not connected with the University of California Avould
tend to incriminate him.
Mr. Velde. I certainly don't, either.
Mr Scherer. I ask that he be directed to answer the question.
Mr. A^ELDE. I don't think the University of California by any stretch
of the imagination is engaged in any illegal enterj^rise. Anyone
should be willing to admit their association or connection with it, so
you are directed to answer the question.
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I do research work at the university m the depart-
ment of psychology.
Mr. Velde. Thank you.
Mr. KuNziG. Now, 'there is testimony before this committee, Mr.
Naboisek, given by Mary Elizabeth Parrott Bradsher, sworn testi-
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3447
mony on the 2d day of November 1953. We have already mentioned
Mrs. Bradsher prior to these hearings this week in San Francisco.
She was asked the following question and gave the following
answer :
Question. Mrs. Bradsher, to the best of .your recollection can you tell me whom
you met and worked with as members of the Communist Party since the reforma-
tion of the Communist Party in October 1945 until you became inactive in the
party ?
Answer. There was a fellow named Jerry ; there was Jean Frederick and
Van Frederick ; Marian Redner, whom we knew as Marian Hammond, and Gene
Hammond ; Bill Redner ; Clara and Bob Ragland, Bimbo Brown ; Ella and Jack
Gonzoles ; Bruce Anderson ; and June and Herb Naboisek.
I would like to ask you, have you ever been a member of the Com-
munist Party, Mr. Naboisek ?
Mr. Naboisek. When you read that, you mentioned before this
person who gave this testimony became inactive and mentioned me.
Would you specify what the date was that she said she became
inactive ?
Mr. KuNziG (reading).
I ceased any great amount of activity in 1947.
So that would have been prior to 1947, Mr. Naboisek, in the period
1945-46, that period of time.
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. Would you repeat the question?
Mr. Ktjnzig. The question is, have you ever been a member of the
Communist Party ?
Mr. Naboisek. Well, I would like to put my answer in this way:
I am not a member of the Communist Party. I wasn't back to 1947,
as indicated by the testimony of that witness, and as for any other
period, I decline to state on grounds of the fifth amendment.
Mr. KuNziG. Let me ask you, were you a member of the Communist
Party then in 1947?
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to state.
Mr. KuNziG. Were you a member in 1946?
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to state,
Mr. KuNziG. 1945 ?
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to state.
Mr. KuNziG. 1944?
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to state; I decline to state all questions
of that nature.
Mr. KuNziG. Any year I ask back before 1944 you will decline to
answer ?
Mr. Naboisek. That is right.
Mr. KuNziG. And you are not now a member of the Communist
Party?
Mr. Naboisek. That is right.
Mr. KuNziG. What occupation did you have during the war years,
Mr. Naboisek?
Mr. Naboisek. T was in the United States Army in the armored
command.
Mr. KuNziG. Then let me ask you, were you a member of the Com-
munist Party when you were in the United States Army in the armored
command ?
41002—54 — pt. 5 5
3448 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Naboisek. I decline to answer any questions prior to 1947 about
membership in the Communist Party,
Mr. KuNZiG. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Scherer.
Mr. Scherer. I have no questions.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. I think you said you were eno;aged or employed by
the University of California in research in psychology.
Mr. Naboisek. That is correct.
Mr. Doyle. I know therefore you must have certain college degrees.
]\Ir. Naboisek. I do.
Mr. Doyle. What degrees ?
Mr. Naboisek. I am a Ph. D. in psychology.
Mr. Doyle. I assumed you were, and I asked you that because I ex-
pect your cooperation with us as a committee of the United States
Congress, as long as you are not now a Communist, since 1947, whether
or not you were before you decline to state, but as long as you are a
Ph. D. in psychology — I am not, but I want to be perfectly frank with
you. In my asking these 2 or 3 questions, psychologically I assume
you were prior to 1948 a member of the Communist Party.
Now, as you know, Doctor, one of the assignments this committee
has is to study the extent of subversive activities in the United States,
whether it originates in the United States or originates in foreign
countries, and it is fair for me to say to you that preliminary to this
question I assume that you, not being a member of the Communist
Party, are therefore not bound by any former relationships when it
comes to the matter of the internal security of our own Nation, which
is your Nation. Is that a correct assumption, that assumption on my
part ?
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I think it is.
Mr. Doyle. Very good.
(Kepresentative Donald L. Jackson returned to the hearing room
at this point.)
Mr. Doyle. Therefore, can you help us briefly in our investigation
of subversive activities in the bay area, with special reference to any
opinion you may have to the extent of subversive activities, say, at the
University of California, since 1947 first and last, because that is the
period you say you were not a member of the party, and you have
stated now that you are not bound by any limitations by reason of any
former affiliation.
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. It is pretty obvious, it seems to me, Mr. Doyle, that
if I have said that I know nothing particularly since 1947 about politi-
cal activities, that I wouldn't be aware of activities of the nature as
you indicate. I think I ought to go a little further and say that so far
as I know, I never have known an individual or have been associated
with anyone who has in any way, so far as I coidd tell, performed any
action that I regard as being subversive in any way.
Mr. Doyle. Well, then, as I understand your testimony, it is that
you have never known anyone at the university in connection there-
with or attending there who had any subversive attitudes toward this
constitutional form of government?
Mr. Naboisek. That is absolutely correct.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3449
Mr. Doyle. Are you aware of any subversive or un-American propa-
ganda now at or in connection with the University of California
campus at Berkeley ?
Mr. Naboisek. No.
Mr. Doyle. Since 1947?
Mr. Naboisek. I can't say that I have.
Mr. DoYiJE. Well, a minute ago you said that you had no kiiowledge
of anything particularly. I caught that word "particularly." In my
book that opens a question of whether or not you mean 100 percent
or 90 percent.
Mr. Xaboisek. No, I was merely specifying that I have been so
busy in my profession that I have had no time for any kind of outside
activity, political or even social, for that matter.
Mr. Doyle. Well without asking you to violate your own conscience
in connection with claiming the constitutional protections, may 1 ask
3'ou this question : In your study of psychology what are some of the
reasons why people join the Communist Party?
Mr. Naboisek. I don't think those reasons, Mr. Doyle, are psycho-
logical at all. I think many of the witnesses who have appeared before
this committee have been persons who became nuiture adults at the
time, for example, of the depression in the 19o0's. At a time like that,
it seems to me, any person who had an inquiring mind, who was
idealistic, would have felt that there was something basically wrong
in the management of, we will say, economical and social aifairs in
this country, and looked for a better way, and looked for the answers
in every possible direction that they could have found.
Many such people felt that an approach which nowadays is so
condemned, at that time was the only answer. Along the same line
I think that people who look at the world as it is today, who fear the
threat of an atomic war, for example, and feel and have the honest
feeling that under the present administration, and even under the past
administration, for that matter, we were rapidly approaching a point
where we would get into a position from which we could not back out
from a war in which the whole world would be annihilated — such con-
siderations would make people feel that there must be some other and
a far-reaching difference in approach to how such questions are
handled.
Now, these differences of opinion and these feelings that these
questions are serious and take a serious and sincere approach, even
though it might bring on them risks and dangers, such people might
often feel that they would take the risk of being extremists or being
called extiemists by other persons and yet be completely honest and
not subversive.
Now those reasons are not psychological.
Mr. Doyle. "What is the basis of those reasons if they are not psycho-
logical '. What is the fundamental basis of those two reasons you
have given \
Mr. Naboisek. Those are reasons based on people's experience of
political attitudes, of economic realities, of the bearing that economic
realities have on political decisions that the leaders of our country
mjike and so forth. When they feel — lots of people do feel that these
things could endanger the welfare of the country, and then they feel
that the matter of risk to themselves, or reputation, loss of enq)loy-
3450 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
ment and so forth — they feel there is nothing for them to do con-
scientiously but take extreme positions.
Mr. Doyle. May I ask this personal question: How old were you
during the depression of the thirties?
Mr. Naboisek. I was 25 years old.
Mr. Doyle. You are familiar with the Duclos letter which came to
this country from France by the route from Moscow, I think in May
1945, aren't you ?
Mr. Naboisek. I have heard of it, although I have never read it.
Mr. Doyle. You have nover read it. Well, you are familiar with
the fact that as a result of the coming of that letter to this country
largely, Earl Browder was kicked out of the leadership of the Amer-
ican Communist Party because he advocated the possibility of the
Communist system of government and our own American constitu-
tional system of government living in the same world side by side.
You are familiar with that fact, aren't you?
Mr. Naboisek. Well, I have read statements that in general seem
to be like that, yes.
Mr. Doyle. Do I understand then that you feel a person, since the
Duclos letter, which delineated the fact that the two systems could
not exist side by side in the same world — do I understand your testi-
mony that an American citizen can be patriotic and abide within the
four corners of the United States Constitution and be a member of
the Communist Party which has been proven to be an international
conspiracy at all times and especially since April 1945 ?
Mr. Scherer. I don't gather that the witness said tliat. I have
been trying to follow him closely.
;Mr. Doyle. Well, perhaps my question— — ■
Mr. Scherer. 1 think it has been very fair. I may not agree with
his conclusions, but I think he has been extremely honest.
Mr. Doyle. Of course I am not inferring he is not.
Mr. Scherer. No, I didn't mean
Mr. Doyle. Here is a brilliant ediicator. and we are searching,
Doctor, for w\ays and means by which we might understand as legis-
lators the problem of legislation in the United States Congress. You
understand the import of my question ?
Mr. Naboisek. Well, I do. I really don't see how I could answer
that because I have not thought about it, but it seems to me that what
you are asking me now is to give you my personal opinion. I think
that to give an opinion on a question which seems to be so important
would be a very w^rong thing for me to do until I had thought about
it, until I could give you an answer that I have
Mr. DoYi.E. I don't want less tlian a considered opinion.
Mr. Naboisek. I can't give you that.
Mr. DoY^.E. Then I will not press you for it because only a con-
sidered opinion will be helpful to us as legislators.
One further question, ^Ii-. Chairman. Again in our search for the
basis of possible change or additional legislation in Congress on this
subject of subversive and un-American propaganda and activities in
our country, liave you any suggestion to give this committee in the
field of possible legislation on the subject?
Mr. Naboisek. Well, I liave tried to be fair to the committee, and
I will make a statement which I feel again is fair. I agree with
many of the witnesses who have appeared here that the intent of this
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3451
committee is not what it claims that it is. I am getting around to
answering your question about what is subversive and your request
for information about what is subversive.
I think anybody who is accustomed to weighing performance against
statements by people who tell you or try to tell you what they are
trying to do would easily see from the performance of this committee
that they do not do what they say they are.
One such, I might as well say, is^ this question about the employ-
ment of witnesses who have appeared before this committee. Now,
it seems to me that if this committee is looking for information about
which to legislate, and this is your question, that it would not press
people for employment — for that kind of identifying information
because it has had sufficient experience certainly in its 15 years of
history as to what happens to witnesses who appear here.
Now, that to me is certainly in direct contradiction to the stated
purposes of the committee to legislate.
Now, with regard to the subversive activities other witnesses have
questioned the conmiittee with regard to what it feels are subversive
activities. I would like to make this point because I have heard you,
Mr. Doyle, say a number of times, talk a number of times, about the
international Communist conspiracy. Now, the point that I want
to make is that it certainly is easy to make people appear to be con-
spirators if all persons who have authority in the community engaged
in a hunt for those who have been in some way associated with such
activities or who don't like the political opinions they advocate, or
who don't like people getting together about issues which are impor-
tant to the community and so on.
Now, when people are after you, you certainly don't — you look
out, you tend to try to protect yourself by hiding from those who
em}:)loy all of the forces of the law who are engaged in a search
for you.
What I am trying to say is that it is very easy to make people
to look like conspirators, even when, if they were permitted the free-
dom to express their views, they would probably be very glad to
do so openly because their views are not the kinds of views so far
as I have even known about which a person should be in the least
ashamed. Now
ISIr. Velde. Will the gentleman yield just a minute there so I can
make an observation in that respect, too? I appreciate that the wit-
ness has a right to express his vie-ws as we do here, too, and that is
the great American right. I believe in it, and I know you do. But
it is my opinion, and I think the opinion of the other authorities,
that unless you actively advocate and teach the overthrow of our
form of government by force and violence, you can still be a member
of the Communist Party, and you have committed no crime what-
soever.
Mr. Naboisek. You are not being very realistic.
Mr. Velde. That is the reason we are asking you to give us any
information about any Communist activities you might have so we
can determine whether or not a great percentage of the Communist
Party members were engaged in teaching and advocating the over-
throw of our form of government of the United States. I am sure
that a great majority of those we call friendly witnesses who have
3452 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
named Communists in the past had no intention whatsoever of over-
throwino: our form of government. There are some, I am also sorry
to say, Avho did attempt to overthrow our form of government by
force and violence.
I can think of no one before this committee — I am sure there
hasn't been anyone before this committee, and I don't think before
any of the other committees of Congress, who has ever come and
told the truth about their past connections — that have been incrimi-
nated in any way.
Mr. Naboisek. Well, with regard to that, ISlr. Velde, I might say
that there are many people who are not in the least ashamed of the
fact that they have, say, at certain periods been members of the Com-
munist Party, but who know from the procedures of this committee
that to answer such questions would be to involve other persons in the
difficulties that seem to be inevitable from appearing before it as a
witness.
Now, this is the committee's fault because the committee does cause
damage to reputations in communities in which people live, and there-
fore I think any honest person would certainly not answer any ques-
tions of this committee that would involve other persons. For that
reason I, myself, also have used the fifth amendment for what I
think is its proper use, to protect innocent persons from damage which
is inflicted by this committee.
Mr. SciiERER. Did you hear Blodgett's testimony, read his testi-
mony, the witness who was before the committee the other day ?
Mr. Naboisek. No, I didn't.
Mr. ScHERER. You haven't had the opportunity to read that?
Mr. Naboisek. No.
(Representative Gordon H. Scherer left the hearing room at this
point.)
Mr. DoTi.E. Well, of course, doctor, as a result of FBI agents such
as have testified here and others in different parts of the country
having been for long periods of time members of Communist cells
in this country, we have uncontradicted evidence of the fact that cer-
tain Communists and in certain cells in the United States certain
Communist leaders have and still do advocate force and violent over-
throw^ of the United States Government. That is one thing, whether
you know it or not. We have that.
The second thing is that we know for a fact through that channel
and others that the Communist Party line today, this very day, in
this country is that Communist Party members who are called before
this committee shall plead the first or fifth amendments, whether
they do it sincerely or not, you see. Therefore we are under the
burden of responsibility of making as sure as we may that persons
do answer in good faith and sincerely.
One further statement.
Mr. Velde. If you have much further, Mr, Doyle, we will adojurn.
(Representative Gordon H. Scherer returned to the hearing room
at this point.)
Mr. Dovr.E. I want to call your attention — I Avoiild like this witness
to be back after lunch for a minute or two.
Mr. Velde. That is perfectly all right.
COIVIMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3453
Mr. Doyle. I do want to make this observation : You are aware^
are you not, that every American jury in the United States before
which alleged Communists, conspirators, have been tried under the
Smith Act in the last 2 years in 10 or 12 different areas of the United
States as I recall it — that every American jury has found every de-
fendant in every one of those cases, with the exception of one de-
fendant as far as I know, guilty of participating in an avowed con-
spiracy to forcefully overthrow the United States Government.
Mr. Naboisek. j\Ir. Doyle, could I ask you a fair question?
Mr. Doyle. Yes.
Mr. Naboisek. In all of these trials under the Smith Act the acts
under which these people were convicted were such as having read
books, having met in somebody's home, having expressed an opinion.
My question to you is this : Do you think that people in the United
States, that any American citizen, should be sent to prison because he
read a book, met at somebody's house, expressed an opinion?
Mr. Doyle. No; you are mistaken, Doctor, and I am glad to see you
have kept yourself informed since 1947. I had kind of gotten the
impression that you hadn't been very close to the Communist problem
since 1947. But I see you have kept up to date on these different
problems involving the Communist conspiracy, and I assumed you
would as a distinguished educator.
NoAv, that is not the basis of the instructions to the jury by the
American judges, and you are radically wrong in your declaration,
and I submit to you that you had better get into the clerk's room of this
court and this county and other courts and read the instructions to
the jury because your statement is not the fundamental reason these
defendants have been found guilty.
Mr. Naboisek. Oh, I know that.
Mr. Doyle. Well, I just want the record clear, that you do know,
and I want to say this in closing, that I don't know of any member of
this committee that thinks a man ought to go to prison because of any
book he reads or because of the fact that he expresses an opinion. In
my book controversy is the life blood of America and the freedom to
discuss controversial subjects within the limits of the Constitution.
Mr. Naboisek. I don't understand what that last phrase of yours
means.
Mr. DoYi.E. That means they have to discuss in a patriotic vein
without participating in an avowed conspiracy to overthrow by force
and violence, and that means sub-\^rsive in my language.
Mr. Naboisek. That is a curious stand to take, Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. There is nothing curious about it.
Mr. Naboisek. Wlio is to define what is patriotic and therefore what
I can discuss and what I can't discuss?
ISIr. Doyle. The law of the land defines that.
Mr. Naboisek. As defined by whom ?
Mr. Doyle. The Supreme Court.
^Ir. KrNZTG. There are 1 or 2 important questions I feel should be
asked at this time.
Mv. Naboisek, you said under oath a little while ago that you were
taking the fifth amendment here today to protect other persons.
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with Mr. Speiser.)
3454 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Naboisek. I think that what I said, Mr. Counsel, was that other
people had refrained from discussing; their views, their activities be-
fore this committee for fear of involving persons in the damage which
occurs to them when they appear here. I don't believe that I said
that that was the reason why I was using the fifth amendment.
Mr. KuNziG. It sounded very much like that. Let us make it clear.
Are you using the fifth amendment in the only way that it may be
used, to protect yourself ?
Mr. Naboisek. Yes ; I am.
Mr. KuNziG. Because you fear that you may incriminate yourself,
is that correct?
Mr. Naboisek. No ; I am using it because as I understand the fifth
amendment, it is a committee like this cannot compel a witness to
testify against himself.
Mr. KuNziG. In a criminal proceeding, don't forget that last little
phrase, because that is in the fifth amendment, too.
One further question. You talked at great length about the 1930's
hunger and poverty and so forth. I just want to ask you one further
question. In 1946 and 1947 after the letter referred to by Mr. Doyle,
it was perfectly clear that the Communist Party was a conspiracy
to overthrow this government by force and violence. Just once and
for the clarity of the record, were you a member of this Communist
Party in 1946 and 1947— not the '30s— 1946 and 1947 ?
Mr. Naboisek. On the grounds of the fifth amendment I will not
answer that question.
Mr. KuNziG. Thank you. I think you have made your position
clear.
Mr. Doyle, Mr. Chairman, may the record show this to be a fact —
I want the gentleman to tell me if it is not a fact. I have never met
jou before, have I, that you know ?
Mr. Naboisek. Not that I know of.
Mr. Doyle. I think, Mr. Chairman, that this discussion between the
doctor and myself, in which I was seeking for his suggestion as to
legislation, is concrete evidence of the fact that we do go into that
field of investigation without knowing in advance what the answer
of the witness may be in that particular field, and I want to thank
you for giving that.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson. Yes, several questions, if I may. I must apologize
for not being here during the course of your testimony, but I was
necessarily absent on business of the committee.
Do you believe, sir, that the theft of official documents from the
files of the United States Government, the photographing of those
documents, their transmittal to agents of a foreign power, is an ex-
pression of boyish precocity, or is that a conspiracy?
(At this point Mr. Naboisek conferred with INIr. Speiser.)
Mr. Naboisek. I think it is very plain, Mr. Jackson, that there
are laws in this country which cover crimes, and that those things,
those acts which you have just indicated, are crimes. It is not the
business, as I see, of this committee to be concerned with what is
someone else's business, namely, the Department of Justice, and that
all of this fanfare and so forth is really quite irrelevant to the question
that you are asking.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3455
Mr. Jackson. Well, the answer is brilliantly put, but it is not an
answer to my question. Do you consider those acts to be the acts
of a conspiracy, or do you feel that they are just in the normal
Mr. Naboisek. I feel that those are criminal acts.
Mr. Jackson. Do you realize, sir, that it was this committee that
disclosed the nature of that form of subversion ? Whether it should
have been done by someone else is not the question. The point is
that it was not done; that had it not been for this committee, the
House Committee on tin- American Activities, so far as we know that
sort of thing might have continued to this day. I was very much
interested— and I will be very brief, Mr. Chairman— in your very
lucid and brilliant explanation as to why, in your opinion, many
people enter into the Communist Party. I think there is a great
deal of truth in what you have to say.
I should like to have, sir, your opinion as to why people remained
in the Communist Party following the attack by North Korea and
the subsequent entry of Red China against the forces of the United
Nations, in the light of contemporary history, in light of the fact
that we know today that men and women, human beings, are strug-
gling through the night trying to reach a free world, carrying with
rhem the evidence of physical torture.
We know that yesterday there developed in Washington, out of the
result of congressional inquiry, testimony that proves that American
GI's with their hands bound behind them were shot through the head.
I say, sir, that that is part of the international Communist con-
spiracy, and as soon as this committee and all the other agencies of
government find out about it our civilization, in my humble opinion,
will be much safer than it has been for a long time.
I have no question unless you want to explain why, in your opinion,
people stayed in the Communist Party in the face of atrocities,
brutality, savagery unknown to civilization since Genghis Klian and
Adolf Hitler.
Mr. Naboisek. Well, I would not be afraid to answer that, Mr.
Jackson, but I think that it would take me some time, I have tried
to be very fair to this committee, and I think that I could give an
answer that, so far as I can see, would answer your question.
Now, I don't know whether you will give me sufficient time to do
that, or whether you merely wanted in this instance to express the
feelings that you have. If you want to give me an opportunity —
and I imagine it would take some tjme, I would be very glad to do so.
Mr. Jackson. That matter lies within the discretion of the com-
mittee so far as I am concerned, and I would personally vote to have
inserted into the record your statement as to why you people
can remain in this conspiracy and still have any true feeling for
humanity, for international law, for common human decency.
Mr. Velde. The Chair would concur with that, and we do have a
great number of witnesses called. Doctor, and I think that it is time
to adjourn, and we would like to dismiss you as soon as we possibly can.
Do you have any questions ?
Mr. Scherer. No. I think we should have his statement in the
record. I would like to have it.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle, do you concur ?
41002—54 — pt. 5 6
3456 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr, Doyle. Yes, I would like to have it, and I would like to see the
chairman ask him to file it with the committee promptly.
Mr. Velde. As promptly as you have it, we will be glad to receive
it, sir. The witness is dismissed, and the committee will stand in
adjournment until 1 : 45.
(Whereupon, at 12 : 20 p. m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene
at 1 : 45 p. m. of the same day. )
AFTERNOON SESSION
(At the hour of 2 : 05 p. m. of the same day, the hearing was resumed,
the following committee members being present: Representatives
Harold H. Velde (chairman), Donald L. Jackson, Gordon H. Scherer,
and Clyde Doyle. )
Mr. Velde. The committee will be in order.
Before proceeding with further witnesses, I would like to make a
brief announcement in order to correct any erroneous impression
that may have resulted from the testimony of Donald Ames during
the committee hearings yesterday relating to a bookstore in Berkeley
at which he obtained Marxist literature during his membership in the
Communist Party as an undercover agent for the FBI. The Chair
wishes to state that after discussing this portion of the testimony
with Mr. Ames and following an examination of the record that the
testimony of the witness related to a bookstore in Berkeley and is not
the Berkeley Bookstore. No inferences whatever should be drawn by
anyone from the testimony by Mr. Ames of the place where he secured
his Communist information that it was the Berkeley Bookstore.
Proceed, Mr. Counsel.
Mr. TA^^NNER. Mr. William Bailey, will you come forward, please,
sir?
Mr. Velde. In the testimony you are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Bailey. I do.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM J. BAILEY, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS
COUNSEL, DORIS BRIN WALKER
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Bailey. William J. Bailey.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you accompanied by counsel, Mr. Bailey?
Mr. Bailey. I am, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Will counsel please identify herself for the record?
Mrs. Walker. Doris Brin Walker, attorney at law, 345 Franklin
Street, San Francisco.
Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Bailey?
Mr. Bailey. January 23, 1910, Jersey City, N. J.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you state to the committee, please, what your
educational training has been ?
Mr. Bailey. My educational training consists of going to school for
about 4 years, and I graduated — not graduated, but I left school at
the fourth grade, grammar school.
Mr. Tavenner. What is your present occupation ?
Mr. Bailey. I don't think that concerns this committee.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3457
Mr. Tavenner. May I ask that the chairman direct the witness to
answer the question?
(Representative Donald L. Jackson left the hearing room at this
point.)
Mr. Velde. Yes, it does concern the committee as I have explained
previously, Mr. Witness, and yon are directed to answer the question.
Mr. Bailey. I am willing to answer the question, Mr, Velde, if you
would tell me how it would pertain to this committee.
Mr. Velde. Well, I don't want to bore you or other members of
the committee, but I feel it my duty to tell you that it does very
definitely pertain to the work of the committee. The committee is
authorized and directed by a resolution of the House of Representa-
tives of the United States Congress to investigate subversive activities
and propaganda and to recommend remedial legislation which would
capably handle the problem of all subversion.
The information that we seek is how far Communists and other
subversive activities have penetrated into all types of employment, so
therefore your employment is a very pertinent matter to this com-
mittee.
Now, will you answer the question, under direction, where are you
presently employed?
Mr. Bailey. I am unemployed.
Mr. Tavenner. How were you employed in 1946?
(At this point Mr, Bailey conferred with Mrs. Walker.)
Mr. Bailey. Mr. Chairman, not being quite familiar with where I
was employed, I feel I should decline to answ^er that question on
grounds of the fifth amendment, and secondl}^, on the grounds I don't
think it is any of your business where I was employed,
Mr, Ta\tnner, You are relying on the fifth amendment as the
grounds for your refusal to answer ?
Mr. Bailey. That is right.
Mr. Scherer. Mr. Chairman, I can't possibly see how his employ-
ment in 1946 — unless he was employed in some way with the Commu-
nist conspiracy — could incriminate him, and I therefore ask that you
direct him to answer the question,
Mr, Velde, The Chair concurs, and the witness is directed to answer
the question as to his employment in 19-1:6.
(At this point Mr. Bailey conferred with Mrs. Walker.)
Mr. Bailey. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Counsel, I think I could save the
committee a lot of time if you would allow me to read a statement off
that I have laboriously put down on paper which may help you to
determine all future answers about names of organizations, names of
people, and so on and so forth right down the line.
Mr. Velde. Does this statement show where you were emploved in
1946, Mr. Witness?
]\Ir. Baiij3Y. I don't know if it does or not; if you allow me to
read it
Mr. Scherer. Did you write it, or did somebody else write it for
you ?
Mr. Bailey. I am quite capable of writing my oAvn statements. Mr.
Congressman. Why do you make that type' of inference? Do I look
like an idiot or a dummy here that I have to have ghost writers write
statements for me?
3458 COMMtWIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. ScHERER. Did you write it, that is all I want to know.
Mr. Bailey. I wrote the statement.
Mr. ScHERER. All right.
Mr. Bailey. I said it was a statement from William J. Bailey. I
would like to read the statement.
Mr. Velde. May I see the statement to see whether or not it relates
to your employment in 1946 ?
Mr. Bailey. Well, I will show you the statement, Mr. Velde.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman, may I make a suggestion, or are you
reading?
Mr. Velde. Just a minute, please.
The Chair yields to the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. ScHERER. May I suggest, will you caution some of the spectators
at least about demonstrations, and I suggest that you instruct the
police to remove those that they may see breaking your instructions
with reference to the
Mr. Velde. Certainly the gentleman's suggestion is well taken,
and I authorize the police at this time, should any individual or number
of individuals in the audience start creating a demonstration of any
kind, on the record to remove them from the hearing room.
As far as the statement is concerned, it will be taken by the committee
in line with its policy in the past and its duties and considered for in-
sertion into the record.
However, as you probably knew when you submitted this statement,
there is nothing in here relative to your employment in 1946.
Now, will you answer the question from your own knowledge, where
were you employed in 1946 ?
Mr. Bailey. I think the record
Mr. Velde. That is under direction of this Chair.
Mr. Bailey. I think the record will show, Mr. Velde, that I said,
not being aware of where I worked in 1946, that rather than to drag
this thing all the way over the place, I decided to rely on the fifth
amendment.
Mr. Velde. And you decline to answer the question ?
Mr. Bailey. Certainly I decline to answer the question on the fol-
lowing ground that I gave.
Mr. Velde. Proceed, Mr. Counsel.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you at any time during 1946 acting as the
west-coast coordinator of the seamen's branches or waterfront iDranches
of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Bailey. Where would you get that information ?
Mr. Tavenner. Is it wrong?
Mr. Bailey. Well, where would you get the information ?
Mr. Tavenner. Is it wrong?
Mr. Bailey. Well, Mr. Chairman —
Mr. Tavenner. Will you answer the question ?
Mr. Bailey. I declined to answer that question or any other ques-
tions dealing with organizations, names, or anything else.
Mr. ScHERER. Mr. Chairman I ask that you direct this contemptu-
ous witness to answer the question.
Mr. Velde. Certainly the witness is purely in contempt of this com-
mittee, and you are directed to answer that question.
Mr. Bailey. I just gave an answer, Mr. Velde.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3459
(At this point Mr. Bailey conferred with Mrs. Walker.)
Mr. ScHERER. Will you proceed with the next question now ?
Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. ScHERER. No further questions.
Mr. Doyle. No questions.
Mr. Velde. Is there any reason why this witness should be longer
held under subpena?
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I think I should ask the witness
Mr. Velde. Do you have any more questions ?
Mr. Tavenner. I think I should ask the witness if he desires to state
the grounds upon which he refuses to answer that question.
(At this point Mr. Bailey conferred with Mrs. Walker.)
Mr. Bailey. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Counsel, I refuse to answer that
question on grounds that I refuse to be a witness against myself, which
is imbedded in the fifth amendment of the Constitution which is still
part of the land — part of the law.
Mr. Velde. Are you a member of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Bailey. Well, frankly, Mr. Chairman, I don't think that is any
of your business.
Mr. Velde. Well, regardless of whether it is our business or not
Mr. Bailey. I would give you the same answer I have given the FBI,
riot squads, police department, and everybody else, that it just is none
of your business.
Mr. Velde. Let the record show that the witness has raised his voice
in contempt of the committee of Congress, and in the Chair's opinion,
and I think that the other members of this committee will agree with
me, it is the business of this committee to determine whether or not you
are a member of the Communist Party, the Communist conspiracy, at
the present time, I can assure you.
Mr. Bailey. That is your conclusion.
Mr. Velde. And that is the only reason you have for not answer-
ing the question.
(At this point Mr. Bailey conferred with Mrs. Walker.)
Mr. Velde. We are giving you every chance in the world, as coun-
sel did in his last question to you
Mr. Scherer. I think we should dismiss the witness.
Mr. Velde. Let the record show, too, that the witness is now being
represented by counsel, conferring with counsel.
Mr. Scherer. And has consulted with counsel.
Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Scherer. No further questions.
Mrs. Walker. W7.S there a direction to the witness to answer the
last question?
Mr. Velde. No ; there was no direction on that.
Mr. Ta\tenner. I have no further questions.
Mr. Velde. Is there any reason why this witness should be further
retained under subpena?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir.
Mr. Velde. If not, the witness is dismissed at this time.
(Representative Donald L. Jackson returned to the hearing room
at this point.)
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. James Kendall, please.
3460 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Velde. In the testimony yon are about to give before this sub-
committee do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God ?
Mr. Kendall. I do.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES KENDALL
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat is your name, please, sir?
Mr. Kendall. James Kendall.
Mr. Tavenner. And when and where were you born, ]\Ir. Kendall?
Mr. Kendall. I was born August 3, 1922, in South Bend, Ind.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you accompanied by counsel ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. It is the rule and practice of the committee to advise
every witness of his right to counsel, to have counsel w^ith him at the
time he testifies or to consult witli counsel at any time he desires during
the course of his testimony.
Now, in light of that, do you desire counsel ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir; as an American of average intelligence I
believe I can answer your questions.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Kendall, will you tell the committee, please,
what your formal educational training has been?
Mr. Kendall. I graduated from high school, and I started to
college, which I attended approximately 1 year.
Mr. Tavenner, Wliere did you attend college.
Mr. Kendall. San Diego State.
Mr. Ta\'enner. In what year did you complete your college work ?
Mr. Kendall. 1939.
Mr. Taa^nner. After the completion of your college work how
were you first employed?
Mr. Kendall. A friend of mine and myself decided we would like
to go to sea, and we set out and came to San Francisco and eventually
ended up in Seattle where I got my ordinary seaman papers in the
merchant marine, eventually sailing to Alaska. From that time for
a while I was in the merchant marine on the various jobs.
Mr. Tavenner. During what period of time were you in the mer-
chant marine?
Mr. Kendall. From the year 1'940, I would say to 1948.
Mr. Tavenner, During that period of time did you become a mem-
ber of any union or unions ?
Mr, Kendall, Yes; in approximately February of 1942 in the port
of Seattle, Wash., I signed up as a member of the National Maritime
Union affiliated with the CIO by a port agent who at that time was
named Eugene Williams.
Mr. Tavenner, Did you later become a member of any other
union ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, in 1944 I became a member of the Masters, Mates
and Pilots affiliated with the American Federation of Labor,
Mr, Tavenner. Now, Mr. Kendall, it is not my desire or purpose to
ask you any question calling for a discussion of any problem between
labor and management or employers, and it is not my purpose to go
into any question involving any internal disputes within any labor
organization of which you have been a member. It is ray sole purpose
and intention to ask you questions relating to your knowledge, if you
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3461
have knowledge, of Communist Party activities within the unions of
which you were a member and also any knowledge you had of other
Communist Party activities outside of those unions.
Now, what has been your opportunity to know of Communist Party
activities in general?
Mr. Kendall. In approximately April of 1942 I was on shore —
on the beach, as a seaman likes to use the term — ^liere in San Fran-
cisco, and while in union hall awaiting assignment to a ship I was
recruited into the Communist Party of the United States by David
Saunders.
Mr. Ta\^nner. Wliat was the date?
Mr. Kendall. It was in April of 1942.
Mr. Tavenner. As a result of that were you assigned to any special
group of the Communist Party or cell of the party ?
Mr. Kendall. By the mere fact of being a seaman I was auto-
matically in the waterfront section of the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Was that in San Francisco?
Mr. Kendall. In the port of San Francisco; yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. How long did you remain a member of that group
or branch of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. Officially I remained a member of that particular
branch or group, I would say, about 1946 ; probably officially in the
eyes of the Communist Party I remained in until about 1948.
]\Ir. Tavenner. Where were the meetings held of that group of the
Communist Party?
Mr. Kendall. When I first joined there was a basemeiit on Stockton
Street. I don't remember the address, naturally, but it was held be-
low this Chinese laundry or some other facility run by some Chinese
folks, and in the basement we held meetings there. Eventuall}^ we
moved over on to North Broadway in which they had rented a hall —
that is, upstairs over a grocery store — and the remaining time that I
was in the Communist Party their meetings were held in that location.
Mr. Tavenner. Were yo'^^ ^ member of the National Maritime
Union at the time you became a member of the Comjnunist Party?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, I had not been a member, as you can tell, very
long. In the meantime, Eugene Williams became agent of the port
of San Francisco. Willie Hernley was the agent at Seattle, and it was
in this hall that I was recruited.
Mr. Ta\t3nner. Were you at sea frequently during the period that
you were a member of this group of the party ?
Mr. Kendall. Oh, yes; I would say over the entire period I went
to sea I doubt very much — including the period I attended a particular
school — if I was ever ashore a total of, in 8 or 9 years, more than 10
months during the total time.
Mr. Tavenner. I wish you would tell the committee, please, what
the method of operation was of the group of the Communist Party that
you were a member of; that is, what the membership consisted of, how
they functioned as members, and any other information that you can
give us regarding the activities of that group.
Mr. Kendall. AYell, they recruit the various seamen ; each particu-
lar union, of course, has the particular fraction within the union, and
it is their method to recruit new members out of the membership of the
individual unions, and in turn the various fractions of the individual
3462 commuktist activities in the san francisco area
unions belong to what is known as the waterfront section of the
Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. How many persons composed this group at any one
time, this group of the Communist Party, in your judgment?
Mr. Kendall. In the section or in the particular fraction?
Mr. Tavenner. Well, let us begin with the fraction.
Mr. Kendall. Well, of course the fraction depended upon the activ-
ity and the ability of the individual members of the fraction, in some
cases — say the NMU — if they had a large membership, they had a
larger membership of the fraction. In our particular fraction in the
NMU at times I have seen, I would say, possibly maybe out of attend-
ing one shoreside meeting, regular union meeting, there might be as
many as 15 or 20 active members of the Communist Party scattered
among the membership. I cannot speak for the other unions because
I never belonged to the other unions involved, which I think you know
about. I know you could go into them ; waterfront unions, that is.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, what about the membership of the section?
Mr. Kendall. The membership of the section, of course, I would
have to guess because I, of course, never had complete knowledge of
the entire membership, but I have estimated and friends I have talked
to have estimated it in the port of San Francisco, sailing out of this
particular port I would say there would be possibly as high as 200.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean at any one time as many as 200 ?
Mr. I^NDALL. No, it is possible that it might have gone up to 300
total at any one time, but possibly maybe out of a total of all water-
front unions, seafaring part of waterfront unions, probably 100 ashore
would be a maximum except during a strike there might be more.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat about visiting members of the Communist
Party ? That is, members of the Communist Party on incoming ships ?
Did they have any place to meet or to engage in Communist Party
activities of any character?
Mr. Kendall. At the foot of Market Street, go down Market and
turn to the left, there is a little bookstore there I believe is called the
Embarcadero Book Store.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you spell that, please ?
Mr. Kendall. Embarcadero. This particular bookstore was run
by the waterfront section of the Communist Party, and the members
of the various fractions within the union was always told that when
the ship was ready to sail to go there, pick up the latest literature,
take it aboard ship, to pick up the latest magazines. The seamen,
when they came in, the first thing they always did was of course go
to the bookstore and to pick up the latest literature and to receive
the latest party line, so they could go forward and give the word.
Mr. Ta\^nner. Was that the practice and the rule ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, veiy definitely for ships that sail out of San
Francisco; when we came in or left usually the last place we con-
tacted or somebody in the group contacted was the bookstore. Seafar-
ing ships from out of town where their home port was New York or
Baltimore, something like that, when they wanted to contact the
various party members in the local city, well, the bookstore was the
meeting place; they w^ould go in there and by mutual acquaintances
or by some previous word or token they would identify themselves,
and the membership or caucus on board that particular ship would
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3463
then be told where the meeting was on North Broadway, and they
would show up at the meeting.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the result of having this single phxce
where members of the Conmimiist Party from all parts of the United
States sailing on ships as members of the crew could meet? What
was the eifect and the result of that? In what way did that aid, if
any, the Communist Party to carry on any of its programs?
Mr. Kendall. Well, actually it was just a clearinghouse, to give
my idea of why they did it or something. I don't think it would be
a factual statement. I have my own ideas, and I Avould be glad to tell
you, but I really think we should stick to the actual facts.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; if you don't have actual knowledge, I think
you are correct.
It is a fact, however, that incoming sailors on the New York ships
could impart any new information regarding the Communist Party
activities in other parts of the country to persons on outgoing ships
whom they would meet at this central point?
Mr. IvENDALL. That is quite true, but it would be a very slow way,
counselor, because a ship takes quite a while. They could airmail
the same information here. But it is quite possible.
Mr. Tavenner. You said that this bookvshop w^as operated by the
Communist branch or section, the waterfront branch of the Com-
munist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. That is correct.
Mr. TA^TNNER. Do you know the personnel who operated that book-
shop during any of the period of time when you had occasion to be
there ?
Mr. Kendall. Most of the time that I had occasion to go into the
bookstore it was handled by a gentleman named Mr. Rogers. I don't
know his first name. I understand he is since deceased, and at other
times a gentleman known to me as Alex Treskin had taken charge of
the bookstore. Mr. Rogers also had a son which I do not know liis
name.
Mr. Tavenner. All right.
Mr. Kendall. At the bookstore also.
Mr. Tamsnner. Wliat part did Mr, Alex Treskin play in the Com-
munist Party setup?
Mr. Kendall. ]VIost of the period that I knew Alex Treskin as a
member of the Connnunist Party he was the waterfront organizer for
the Communist Party in San Fra;icisco, the port of San Francisco,
seamen's branch.
Mr. Tavenner. Xow, you have told us that the branch of the Com-
munst Party, of which you were a member — what was the next organi-
zation on a higher level?
Mr. Kendall. Well, of course the waterfront section composed of
the various fractions within all the unions along the waterfront, the
seafaring unions
jMr. Tavenner. Let me ask you first, how many branches of the
Conimuuist Party were there in the waterfront section?
Mr. Kendall. Well, there was the National INIaritime Union, CIO;
the MFOW, INIarine Firemen, Oilers, and Watertenders.
Mr. Tavenner. Don't go quite so rapidly, please. What was the
last thiit vou named?
3464 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO ABEA
Mr. Kendall. The MFOW; tliat is Marine Firemen, Oilei-s, and
Watertenclers, I believe, and the MC and S, Marine Cooks and
Stewards.
Mr. Tavkxnf^r. Have you named three?
]Mr. Kendall. Three ; National Maritime Union.
Mr. Tavenner. Who were the section oriranizers, or rather, the sec-
tion officers of this waterfront section or l)ranch of the party?
Mr. Kendall. Well, of course they were elected officer at the sec-
tion meeting; they would vote on the major officers and elect those
officers, and they would also appoint or elect a waterfront section
oro^anizer. and this is the position that Alex Treskin held. It is quite
possible — I should state that it is possible that he was a direct appoin-
tee instead of being elected. At this time I don't recall; I want to
make it clear that that is not a definite statement.
]Mr. Tavenner. Well, explain the organizational setup a little more
fully, please, so that the committee will understand just how the water-
front was organized in the Communist Party.
Mr. Kendall. The various fractions were within the unions that
I mentioned before, and in turn they were responsible to what we call
the executive committee which was elected by the membership of the
waterfront branches.
The executive committee in turn was responsible to the county com-
mittee, which I never got in on.
]Mr. Tavenner. Do you know who composed the executive commit-
tee or who were on the executive committee at any time during your
connection with the Communist Party in the port of San Francisco?
Mr. Kendall. In the year 1946 I can recall, I had occasion to visit
the executive committee of the waterfront section of the Communist
Party, and I can recall several of those members.
Mr. Ta\t:nner. Will you give us the names of those that you can
recall?
Mr. Kendall. At this one particular meeting that I was asked to
attend, Hugh Bryson of the Marine Cooks and Stewards was there ;
Alex Treskin was there; Bill Bailey was there; there was a man from
Marine Cooks and Stewards — I do not recall his name; Walter Stack.
Mr. Tavenner. Wliat was the name of the Bailey ?
Mr. Kendall. William Bailey. That is the witness that was here
a fcAv minutes ago when he had lapse of memory about 1946,
Mr. Tavenner. I interrupted you. Are there others that you can
identify that were members of the executive committee?
Mr. Kendall. I am quite sure there were several others. However,
I am not positive about the others, so I would rather not say, give
any names that I am not absolutely sure of.
Mr. Tavenner. What were the circumstances undei- which you
visited that executive meeting at that time?
Mr. Kendall. Well, it is quite a long story. I was a member of the
Master Mates and Pilots holding a chief officer's license.
Mr. Tavenner. Let me ask you a question first. When was this,
approximately ?
Mr. Kendall. This was in the year 1946.
Mr. Tavt.nner. Let us develop a little more of your record in the
Communist Party before we come to that.
Mr. Kendall. All right.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3465
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee what ships, if you can
recall, you had joined as a member of the crews ?
JNIr. Kendall. Is this from the time that I became a member of the
Communist Party ?
Mr. Tavennek. From the time you became a member of the Com-
munist Party, and while you were a member of the National Maritime
Union.
Mr. Kendall. Steamship Arthvr Middleton^ the Steamship Joseph
Pnestley^ the Steamship Nira Lnckenhach, the Steamship Santa Ana,
and there are a couple of short coastwise trips which I do not remem-
bei". I can find out. I huxe my discharges here.
I might point out, I would like to put it in the record, that these
are not notes; they are discharges from various ships, and if I look
at them from time to time they are just merely reference points and
dates tliat I would be looking at. To a seaman a discharge is like a
marriage license — you know where you have been and why.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you begin with your first sailings after be-
coming a member of the Communist Party and tell the committee in
a general way what Communist Party activities took place and the
extent of the Communist Party infiltration among the crews of these
ships ?
Mr. Kendall. Tlie first ship that I sailed out on after becoming a
member of the Communist Party was the Steamship Arthur Middle-
ton. It had just come into port from the South Pacific, and I went on
board. They took on a whole new crew, and I went on as an ordinaiy
seaman. I was 18 or 19 at the time, I might mention.
There was the entire crew that went aboard, and I would say
there must have been 125, 135, maybe possibly 200, and out of this I
guess there was approximately, I would say, 25 members of the Com-
munist Party aboard this ship.
This was a troop-carrying ship under charter to the United States
Navy, and aboard this ship I was in the deck department ; the entire
deck crew, I would say there was approximately 10 memJbers of the
Communist Party in that crew.
Each particular department, the deck, engine, and the stewards
department held their own individual fraction meeting, and in turn
we had joint meetings. The union, however, would have joint meet-
ings; the individual fractions never would hold joint meetings aboard
the ship. In that particular ship there was a little rivalry for leader-
ship among the party, and thes,e particular 2 that were fighting
among themselves was Dave Jenkins, who later became one of the
heads of tlie California Labor School here in the port of San Fran-
cisco, and David Saunders.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you recall at this time the names of any others
who were active in Communist Party work on board the Steamship
Arthur Middleto7i'i.
Mr. Kendall. Ernest Fox was aboard the ship ; however, before it
sailed he was taken off. However, he was a Communist. At this
time that is all the names I can definitely remember.
(Representative Donald L. Jackson left the hearing room at this
point.)
Mr. Ta^t:nner. Wliat about the strength of the Communist Party
on the crews of the other ships you mentioned ?
3466 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. IvENDALL. After the Steamship Arthur Middleton^ we made
two voyages on that, I went on the Nira Luckenhach^ I believe.
There was a couple of members of the Communist Party aboard that
ship. It was not a well-organized ship. We made a trip to South
America, and at such a late day I cannot remember any definite
names except myself.
Mr. Tavenner. What about the extent of infiltration on the other
two shi])s that you mentioned, the Santa Ana being one of them?
Mr. KenDxVLl, The Santa A7ia had a fairly large creAV. There were
3 or 4 members aboard that ship. They were definitely Comnnmist
Party members. I remember one very distinctly, Leo Kossman. He
did not belong to the seamen's branch of the Connnunist Party, how-
ever ; he belonged to some Hollywood group.
Mr. ScHERER. What was that last name 'i
Mr. Kendall. Rossman, Leo Rossman.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall the first name or the initials?
Mr. Kendall. Leo. So far as the steward department, engine
room, I don't remember anybody in those 2 departments that were
definitely Communist Party members. There was, I believe, another
one in the deck department, but I don't remember his name, another
Communist, but I am not sure of his name, so therefore I don't care
to give it.
Mr. Velde. What was the year of that sailing that you are referring
to at the present time ?
Mr. Kendall. If I may have a second. I am sure it was 1943.
However, I would like to just make sure. I signed on the Santa Ana
December 22 of 1942, and I signed off after 2 trips on June 28, 1943.
Mr. Velde. Did they hold regular meetings while you were
traveling ?
Mr. Kend.vll. You mean Communist Party meetings?
Mr. Velde. Yes.
Mr. Kendall. No. That particular ship there was not enough
aboard to have a meeting on.
Mr. Velde. Will you tell the committee how you happened to know
that there were Communists on board this ship ?
Mr. Kendall. Mr. Leo Rossman — I was an able bodied seaman ; he
was an ordinary seaman, and he slept under the bunk directly below
me. After living with the man for 6 months reading each other's
literature and books and so forth and I can't remember definitely but
I am quite sure that we never discussed the party like I remember
any particular time but I know he knew that I was a Communist and
I knew that he was a Communist.
Mr. Velde. Thank you.
Mr. Ta\t:nner. Were you elected a delegate to any convention of
the union while you were a member of the crew of the Santa Ana or
one of these other ships on which you had sailed ?
Mr. Kendalij. In the year 1943 when we came back from the south
Pacific on the second voyage of the Santa Ana., I was the ship's dele-
gate representing all three departments, in case there were any dis-
agreements about wages or overtime or anything like that particular
nature; I had been elected by the crew. The National Maritime
Union had called their biennial convention in the port of New York,
wartime convention, governmental approval on its traveling, and each
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3467
ship, each port, was to send representatives if they could afford it.
In onr particular ship we had a fairly large crew, average, good size.
Through various means they had gathered quite a bit of money. This
was strictly on a union activity and the crew nominated me and gave
me a fund to go back and represent the steamship Santa Ana, to the
1943 convention of the National Maritime Union in the port of New
York.
]\Ir. Tavenner. You say that was a strictly union activity ?
Mr. KIendall. The actual election of the delegate at the meeting,
joint meeting, of the crew was strictly a union activity. However, I
should clarify that, that I was told at our regular party meeting that
in all cases that the part}^ members should be nominated and elected,
if possible, to attend this particular convention, which was always the
policy, and because I was ship's delegate, I was the logical one, and
the crew felt, to go back and represent them, and of course the water-
front organizer at that time was Mr. Treskin, which I previously
mentioned, and they were very happy that I was elected.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you receive any instructions from Mr. Treskin
before you attended the convention ?
]Mr. Kendall. Most of the delegates from the various ships went
back together on a train. Our crew had pretty good fun, so I went
home and spent a few days and then I flew back to New York.
I was told that when I reached New York of course I was to present
my credentials to — I believe the official title was the national secretary
of the National Maritime Union, Ferdinand Smith, at which time I
was told that Mr. Smith would tell me who to contact as far as the
party was concerned.
Mr. Ta\t5Nner. You mean the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. That is correct.
]\f r. Ta\*enner. From what source did you get that direction ?
Mr. Kendall. Mr. Treskin himself gave me that information.
Mr. Ta"\t.nner. Do you have any personal knowledge that the repre-
sentatives or delegates from other ships received similar instructions?
Mr. Kendall. I have no definite information. Mine was an indi-
vidual case.
Mr. TA^T.NNER. Did you report to Ferdinand Smith ?
Mr. Kendall. I did.
]\Ir. Ta^-ennek. AVhat activities took place in New York at that
union in which the Communist Party played a part, if any ?
!Mr. Kendall. You mean at the convention, counselor?
jNIr. Ta^-enner. Yes, or preliminary to the convention.
Mr. Kendall. Well, I presented my regular union credentials to
Ferdinand Smith, and I was told to contact some particular individ-
ual which, because of the time element, I cannot remember who it was.
However, on the floor of the actual convention
Mr. Tavenner. flust a moment. How did Ferdinand Smith know
that you were a member of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. I assumed — well, it is an assumption, naturally,
but
]\Ir. TA^^ENNER. Let me ask you this : Did you tell him that you were
a member of the party ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir, I did not.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you have that information at the time that you
presented your credentials to him ?
3468 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Kendall. Very definitely. I presented my credentials, we got
the union business over with in short order, and then he told me who
to contact insofar as the party activities were concerned.
Mr. Tavenner. What party activities were there at that conven-
tion?
Mr. Kendall. If my recollection is correct, I believe we had one
joint meeting before the actual convention ; it w^as a regular New York
waterfront section meeting of the Communist Party in which Mr.
Smith was at the door checking individuals; Blackie Meyers was
there, who also was an official in the maritime union, and of course all
the delegates from the west coast were there. It was strictly a party
meeting of the waterfront section.
I might make it clear that I know tliat this meeting was held — now
whether it was held during the convention or just before, I don't
remember, but I do know this, that I made my contact as directed by
Mr. Smith, or better yet, on the floor I was contacted by somebodv
that I trusted. I don't remember who it was at this time, and he
told me to follow the lead on resolutions and so forth, several key
members of the National Maritime Union, and very definitely Bhickie
Meyers at that time was heading up the Communist group within the
convention, and he took the leads and saw to it that the Communist
Party members were placed on the key committees, in fact, to see that
they were placed on all important committees.
Mr. Tavenner. Is there anything else that you can tell us about the
Communist Party manipulations or activities at that convention?
Mr. Kendall. At that particular time we were having a very rough
time; we had been driven out of Europe, we had no navy.
Mr. Tavenner. You mean the United States ?
Mr. Kendall. The United States. So it was at the time that the
glorious cry for the second front was heard around the world, and
we saw to it, of course, that the appropriate resolution Avas passed
at tliat convention tliat called for a second front, and also the reso-
lution was passed that praised the Soviet Union for their stand at
Stalingrad and for their stand on the eastern front.
Mr. Tavenner. Are tliere any other activities that you can recall
at that convention ?
Mr. Kendall. No, I believe tliat sums it up entirely except that I
might add that 90 percent of your resolutions and on every com-
mittee there were active Communists, if not in complete control,
dominating that way by having men with lower I. Q.'s and so forth
among them, they could definitely dominate the committee, if not in
number, in brains.
Mr. Tavenner. Let us go back to your ex})erience on the crews of
these various ships. Do you know whether there were any Com-
munist Party members who were radio operators on these ships ?
Mr. Kendall. Going to sea you find that the men are very clannish.
Mr. Tavenner. I did not understand you.
Mr. Kendall. Going to sea you will find the men are very clannish.
The deck department sticks to itself; the engine department sticks
to itself; the stewards stick to themselves. The radio oi)erators are
a crossbreed, not accepted by the crew and not accei)ted by the officers.
So I Avould not know too much about them.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3469
Mr. Tavenner. Did any instance come to your attention where you
acquired information that a radio man was a member of the Com-
munist Party?
Mr. Kendall. In the back of my mind I have one recollection, but
I don't have names; I don't even remember the ship, but I remember
that there was one particular ship that I know that there was a party
man actively on duty in the radio room. Beyond that I cannot give
any further information.
Mr. Tavennek. When the ships landed in foreign ports, what was
done by the Communist Party members with reference to getting
new information relating to the Communist Party line, if any ^
Mr. Kendall. In foreign ports?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, or did they go to foreign ports ?
Mr. Kendall. You mean when the crews — 1 would like to ask a
few questions. When the crews went to these foreign ports you
Avant to know where w^ould they go to get the information?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes; would they go ashore and obtain information
in the same general manner as the crews for the incoming ships in
San Francisco ?
Mr. Kendali.. The party lines were never picked up in a foreign
port for the American seamen. We always received our party line
here in the United States. However, they a lot of times did make
contacts with the Comnuinist Party and make an ai)pearance at some
dance or meeting which showed solidarity in the world and so forth,
the party line.
Mr. Tavenner. Were there any occasions on which you were re-
quested to deliver material of any character from a port of the
United States to a foreign port ?
Mr. Kendall. I w^as requested to deliver some literature to New
Caledonia when I was ship's delegate of the ss Santa Ana. It was
not out-and-out Communist literature.
(Representative Donald L. Jackson returned to the hearing room
at this point.)
Mr. Kendall. However, it was literature that was being passed out
at the time. However, San Francisco, as far as I know, all over the
United States, it was a win-the-war pamphlet, and I delivered these
to New Caledonia, and on the Nira Luekenhach I was asked to take
some literature down to Buena Ventura, Colombia, which I did.
Mr. Tavenner. This was just the ordinary type of Communist
Party literature and information -which you had in your bookstore
here in San Francisco ?
Mr, Kendall. That is correct; however, it did not have the seal
of the Communist Party on it any place, nor did it say Connnunist
Party on it. It was strictly literature, front organization literature.
I did not take the material ashore. When I got here they knew that
I was coming, and they came aboard and got it themselves.
Mr. Ta\ennek. AVere there any security provisions, protection, af-
forded in getting that nuiterial otf the ship?
Mr. Kendall. It was not my responsibility to get it oil' the ship.
When I got to the particular places involved, they knew I was coming,
and they came aboard and contacted me, and they came and told
me they came to get the papers or leaflets or so forth, and thev were
3470 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
given the leaflets, and at this late date, I don't remember exactly how
they got them off. They threw them on a sling or something and threw
them over the side with a load of cargo, numerous other ways.
Mr. Tavenner. How did you receive the information that you were
to deliver to those foreign ports ?
Mr. Kendall. As long as the material did not carry anything ad-
verse to what I believed in, well, I carried it down there — and did
not carry the official seal of the Communist Party ; it was literature you
could have picked up any place on the streets ; they were passing out
on the streets and everything.
Mr. Tavenner. I mean, who gave it to you in the first instance for
delivery ?
Mr. Kendall. I am quite sure that Alex Treskin — I picked it u])
at the bookstore. How I was notified to pick it up at the bookstore at
this time I don't remember, but that is where I got the information and
the leaflets.
Mr. Tavenner. You were doing it under directions, were you ?
Mr. Kendall. I wouldn't say directions. I was asked to do it, and
I did it.
Mr. Tavenner. I mean, you were not doing it solely on your own
initiative?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir; no, sir.
Mr. Jackson. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson. It has been well established before this and other com-
mittees that San Francisco was an important stop on the courier
service of the party from eastern parts of the United States to the Far
East. At any time did you come into possession of any information,
or did you have any knowledge of the operation of such a courier
service ?
Mr. Kendali.. No, sir, I liave never taken part — never heard of —
I have heard of it, not at the time I was in the party. I wish I had —
of any courier service or any information leaving these United States
about anything that would have endangered our country, never have
heard of it.
Mr. Jackson. You have no personal knoAvledge of it?
Mr. Kendall. No personal knowledge, no sir.
Mr. Ta\'enner. Can you give us the names of any other members
of the Communist Party who were members of the crews of these
ships who have not already been named by you ?
Mr. Kendall. At the time I was a sailor ?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, at the time you were a sailor.
Mr. Kendall. Aboard the steam sliip Santa Ana. I have given tlie
names there.
Will you excuse me a minute ? I would like to look at my discharges
to refresh my memory on the various ships.
I believe that I have given all the names that I can remember at
this time.
Mr. Tavenner. You asked me if I wanted that information as to
while you were seaman. Was your status changed in the marine
service?
Mr. Kendall. United States Merchant Marine, counsel.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3471
Yes, in the year 1943 I made application to the United States Mari-
time Service officers' training school at Alameda, Calif., and I was
accepted in September of 1943 and became an officer candidate in
that school.
Mr. Velde. At this point, Mr. Counsel, we will have a recess for
10 minutes.
(Whereupon, at 3: 05 p. m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene
at 3 : 15 p. m.)
(The hearing reconvened at 3 : 25 p. m.)
Mr. Velde. The committee will please be in order.
Before proceeding further, Mr. Counsel, I would like to make this
announcement, that with the conclusion of this witness' testimony the
committee will adjourn until a time announced by the chairman of
the committee. Therefore, all other witnesses who have sul)penaed to
appear before the committee here in San Francisco are continued until
further notice by the committee.
You may proceed, Mr. Counsel.
Mr. TA^^ENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, whether there
were any persons known to you to be members of the Communist
Party in attendance at the officers' training school which you men-
tioned a moment ago?
Mr. Kendall. There were two members that I knew definitely that
were Communist Party members. One's name was James Drake, who
was a former San Pedro port agent for the National Maritime Union
who M'as attending that school to become an engineer.
Mr. TA^^3NNER. Do you know anything about Communist Party
activities on his part at a later date?
Mr. Kendall. No; after I graduated from the school I lost all
further contact with him, never heard of him again to the best of
my knowledge.
Mr. Taatenner. Proceed, please.
Mr. Kendall. The second man was named Duncan Keir, K-e-i-r,
I believe that is how you spell it. He fought in the Abraham Lincoln
Brigade in Spain.
Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment. Are you certain of the spelling of
the name ?
Mr. Kendall. I am not certain of the last name, no, but it is
Mr. Tavenner. The information that the committee has indicates
that the name is K-e-i-r.
Mr. Kendall. I can tell you in a minute. I have the graduation
list here, and he was a roommate of mine. K-e-i-r, Duncan Keir, Jr.,
excuse me.
He was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigate which fought
in Spain. At a later date, I might add, he was expelled from the
Communist Party. At the time that I knew him in my class in school
he was quite disillusioned at that time. Later on he was expelled
for — I think the terminology used to expel him was Trotskyite.
Mr. Tavenner. Proceed, please.
INfr. Kendall. That is the only man that I knew attending the
officers training school at Alameda that were members of the party
besides myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Did 3'ou again go to sea after the completion of
vour training course?
Mr. Kendall. Yes.
3472 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Tavenner. Did you receive a commission ?
Mr. KJENDALLi, I received an ensign commission in the United States
Maritime Service, yes, sir, and I was requested to go on the steamship
Alice H. Rice, which I did. I went aboard as third officer. It was a
new vessel being built over in Richmond, and I went aboard that
particular vessel, the first trip as an officer.
Mr. Tavenner. What Communist Party activities occurred on board
that ship ?
Mr. Kendall. That ship was loaded — let us put it that way. The
chief officer was David Saundei-s, and the third officer, myself, and the
deck department especially.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you identifying those pereons as members of the
Communist Party that you are naming?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, sir; very definitely. The purser was Dave
Teitelbaum.
Mr. Velde. Will you spell that name, please?
Mr. Kendall. I might have a crew list here ; I will look and see —
T-e-i-t-e-1-b-a-u-m.
Mr. Velde. Will you tell the committee how you knew tliat these
persons were members of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. I attended meetings with Mr. Teitelbaum and we
discussed quite frequently aboard ship among the other party members
various phases and problems within the party, outside the party line,
and so forth. There is no doubt that Mr. Teitelbaum was a
Communist.
We had a bosun whose name was Sam Telford.
Mr. Ta%t:nner. Spell it, please.
Mr. Kendall. To the best of my knowledge it is T-e-l-f-o-r-d. We
had two McDonald brothers aboard the vessel ; one was named Hughie,
and the other one I don't know his first name. They were not mem-
bers of the Communist Party. However, they attended Communist
Party meetings, and they were definitely what you might classify as
fellow travelei-s, but to the best of my faiowdedge they were not actual
members of the party. I am afraid that I would have to look at a
crew list of that particular vessel, which I did not keep to identify the
rest. How^ever, there were
Mr. Tavenner. How many on that vessel were members of the
Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. Offliand I would say 10 to 15, maybe not — closer to
10 probably would be correct.
Mr. Doyle. Out of a total crew of how many ?
Mr. I&NDALi^. Let me see, ships of that size usually carried about
45 or something like that ; one-fourth of the crew or maybe a little less.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you remain a member of the same union after
you were commissioned and shipped on the veasel that you mentioned ?
Mr. KJENDALL. At the time of my graduation I retired my book from
the National Maritime Union as a seaman, and I applied for and was
admitted to the Masters, Mates and Pilots Union.
Mr. Tavenner. Was there a Communist Party cell or branch within
that union when you joined it?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir. However, there were party members within
the union, but they did not hold fraction meeting and
Mr. Tavenner. In other words, there was no organization, Commu-
nist organization, within that union ?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3473
Mr. Kendall. That is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. Although there were some members of the Com-
munist. Party ?
Mr. Bjendall. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you assigned any particular job to do in that
union; that is, assigned any job by the Communist Party?
Mr. Kendali.. In the year 1946 I was getting ready to sign on a
vessel, the steamship Robert T. Hill, a liberty ship bound for Genoa,
and I was asked by Alex Treskin ■
Mr. Tavenner. Who is Alex Treskin ?
Mr. KJENDALL. Alex Treskin most of the time was the waterfront
organizer for the seamen's branch of the Communist Party of the
port of San Francisco, and for a long time they had been trying to
get all the members of the Communist Party within the Masters, Mates
and Pilots into a particular working fraction. They had not suc-
ceeded for various reasons, I don't know why, and they had asked
me, or Alex had asked me to please get off this ship, stay ashore and
see if I couldn't get something going in that particular union. He
asked me to appear before the executive board of the waterfront
section of the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. So you were taken off of the ship at the instance of
the Communist Party to engage in Communist Party work?
Mr. Kendall. I was not taken off the ship. I don't believe I could
phrase it that way. I was requested to come ashore, and after talking
to the executive board, I agreed to come off the ship.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the nature of the work that you were
called upon to do ?
Mr. Kj:ndall. I was to try to organize the active or the Communist
Party members within the Masters, Mates and Pilots.
Mr. Tavenner. Was there a shortage of mates at that period of the
war ?
Mr. Kendall. No ; not at that particular time. The war was over
at that particular time. Tlie war ended in August of 1945, and this
was 1946, counsel.
Mr. Tavenner. Well, tell the committee, please, the nature of the
work that you engaged in at the instance of the Communist Party.
Mr. Kendall. The purpose of my work within the Masters, Mates
and Pilots was, number one, if possible, to see if we couldn't elect
somebody who was either sympathetic to the Communist Party or
that would be more lenient towards the party; number two, second
resort, and the most feasible, was to elect somebody that would at
least be fair within the union as the head of the union and not use
dictatorial methods, because unfortunately in this particular case, in
my opinion, and many of the non-Communist opinions, the union was
ruled with an iron hand in a dictatorial method, even though it was
non-Communist. I was called or asked to come before the executive
board. We sort of outlined the program what we would do, and in
turn
Mr. Tavenner. Is this the meeting which you had started to de-
scribe at an earlier point in your testimony when I stopped you and
you went back to correct your history to that point?
Mr. Kendall. That is correct. This is the executive board of the
waterfront section of the Communist Party in the port of San Fran-
cisco. At this particular time, which I mentioned before, I was told
3474 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
where to come. It was on North Broadway and was upstairs, I
went up in this particular room and the
Mr. Tavenner. Who tohl you to appear there ; do you recall '.
Mr. Kendall,. I believe at that particular time Alex Treskin was
the waterfront organizer, and I was dealing mainly through him, so
I don't remember the actual incident where he told me to come, but
I am quite sure that he would be the only one that I would accept
it from, but I don't remember the actual incident where he told me
to come.
But I did attend this meeting, that he was carrying on some other
business, and I was sitting down there for awhile, and they finally
got to me.
Mr. Tavenner. Was this a Communist Party meeting?
Mr. Kendall. This was the executive board of the waterfront
section.
Mr. Tavenner. Of the Communist Party ?
Mr, Kendall. Communist Party in the port of San Francisco.
Mr. Tavenner, Tell the connnittee what occurred.
Mr. Kendall. W^e went over very brieily wliat we had to accom-
plish within the Masters, Mates and Pilots which I had previously
stated, and they agreed to give a little financial lielp, if necessary, and
they also arranged a place for me to stay while I was ashore to keep
my own expenses down, and Alex Treskin made arrangements through
other party personnel to give me the necessary technical help to print
a 2^articular paper, specifically about the Masters, Mates and Pilots.
The men pi'esent at that meeting — Hugh Bryson of the Marine Cooks
and Stewards Union, David Jenkins of the Marine Cooks and Stewards
Union, also working at the California Labor School; Alex Treskin;
there were several other members present, but I cannot definitely
recall. I believe I can, but unless I am certain, I don't care to give
you any more names.
Mr. Taa^enner. Well, what did you do as a result of the instructions
you received at that meeting ?
Mr. Kendall. We got our fraction together in this location that
they had located me to stay, and from the county committee of the
Conmiunist Party they sent technical aid to us in the form of one Leon
Kaplan, K-a-p-1-a-n, and a young lady from the Young Communist
League to do our typing for us.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall her name ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir. He came out to our fraction meeting and
gave us a little technical advice, and I believe he attended 1 or 2
fraction meetings, and that was all.
How^ever, he came to us directly from the county committee spe-
cificially for this particular project.
Mr. Taa^nner. Did you know at that time the names of other mem-
bers of the county committee of the Communist Party ?
Mr. KJENDALL. I knew at that time, yes sir. There was a lady named
Yates, but I had no personal contact with the committee myself. I
mean, I only knew them through some mass meeting we attended or
something.
Mr. Ta\t5:nner. What occurred as a result of the technical advice
and assistance that was given you by the county committee of the
Communist Party ?
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3475
Mr. Kendall. Well, quite frankly, really the only help we got was
the young girl. She typed our stencils for us or Avhat they call cut
them on the typewriter. She did our typing. The greatest help
from — Mr. Alex Treskin made arrangements for me to secure paper —
Mr. Ta\t:nner. Just a minute. What was it that you were attempt-
ing to do, to put out a leaflet or pamphlet of some kind ?
Mr. Kendall. A mimeographed sheet that would reach the members
of the Masters, Mates and Pilots, pointing attention to the overhanded
methods of its president, which by any standards, as I said before, was
a dictatorial
Mr. Tavenner. And the Connnunist Party was attem])ting to use
those shortcomings or faults in the management of the union in order
to advance its own Communist Party purposes?
Mr. Kendall. They figured that anytliing was better than the presi-
dent that they had of the Masters, Mates and Pilots.
Mr. Tavenner. All right ; now, will you proceed, please? You were
saying that arrangements were being made to give you additional help.
Mr. Kendall. Mr. Treskin arranged to have some pa])er given to us
through the book store previously mentioned on Embarcadero, and
then in turn he made arrangements for me to go u]) and contact Bob
Robertson of the ILWU to secure some more paper or technical help,
if necessary, and I did go u[) ;ind see Mr. Bob Robertson of the ILWU,
who in turn ■
Mr. Tavenner. Just a minute. At that time do you know whether
or not he was a member of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. Bob Robertson ?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
Mr. Kendall. I Avas directed to go to him by Alex Treskin, about
wliom I have already stated his position.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes.
Mr. Kendall. I never asked ; I just assumed, and that is all I could
do because I did not ask him whether he was a party member. The
fact that I had been directed to him by a party functionary was
enough to mo tliat lie was a party person, or he wouldn't have sent him
to me.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you go to his office ?
Mr. Kendall. I went to the office, west-coast office, of the ILWU,
contacted Mr. Robertson. He was expecting me or he knew I would
be in. He in turn introduced me to Mr. Bjorne Hailing.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you spell that last name ?
Mr. Kendall. You will have to get it some place else. It is a Nor-
wegian name of some sort. I don't have it.
Mr. Tavenner. B-j-o-r-n-e is the first name, and H-a-H-i-n-g.
Mr. Kendall. That is correct.
Mr. Tam:nner. Is that correct?
Mr. Kendall. He was about G foot, blond hair, in stature. I could
probably find it if I took time and went through the records here,
but I don't think I have his name in this particular group of papers
that I brought with me.
Mr. Velde. Did you talk over Communist Party matters with these
tAvo gentlemen, Mr. Robertson, is it, and Mr. Hailing?
Mr. Kendall. The Communist Party as such was never mentioned
in my meeting Avith them. If I may continue, Congi'essman, I think
it Avill clear it up a little bit.
3476 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Velde. All right, please do. Proceed.
Mr. Kendall. In turn I was introduced to Mr. Smith who was also
an official of the ILWU.
Mr. Tav-enner. Do you recall his first name ?
Mr. I^NDALL. I believe it was Harry, but I am not sure. I am very
definitely not sure of that because that was too long ago.
Bob Robertson then took me over to a young lady who was doing
the — compiling — handling the publicity or public relations work for
the ILWU, newspaper layouts and so forth and she told me she
would help me in any way possible to get out this newspaper, this
little printed leaflet.
Mr. Tavenner. Did it have a name ?
Mr. Kendall. The Horizon, yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. All right.
Mr. Kendall. And in turn they also gave me some paper to have
this printed on, some more paper which we would need. Tlien Mr.
Robertson took me into the office of Harry Bridges. Mr. Bridges — he
talked to him for a few minutes previously before I went in. Mr.
Bridges told me that he was glad to see us getting something going.
He asked us JHst what we had planned on, and I told him roughly
in a general way.
He told me that if we could get something going in there that we
could count on — I could count, rather, on our group, on getting all
the necessary help from our people to help us.
Mr. Ta\t3Nner. Did Mr. Bridges say who he meant by "our people" ?
Mr. KJENDALL. He did not. There was only one assumption that
I made.
Mr. Tavenner. I am not asking you to make assumptions.
Mr. Kendali.. All right, sir. His longshoremen were not my
people, I just want to make that clear.
Mr. Tavenner. "Wliat did you do ? Was that the
Mr. Kendall. That was the extent of that meeting.
Mr. Tavenner. The extent of your conversation with Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Kendall. That is right.
Mr. Tavenner. That what occurred?
Mr. Kendall. We started printing the paper, and we mailed it
out to the various ships, what addresses we could find in the tele-
phone books, and it caused quite a fracas within the Masters, Mates
and Pilots.
Mr. Tavenner. How long did you continue in the work of editing
and publishing the Horizon?
Mr. Kendall. I don't know exactly how many editions we put
out. However, I came ashore on May 21, 1946, and I quit tlie work
prior to September 4, 1946. During that time I made a brief coast-
wise visit or coastwise trip back as an able-bodied seaman down to
San Pedro — no significance to the trip; it was just to get away for a
few days.
Mr. Tavenner. Who assisted you in the editing and publication of
the Horizon other than the person sent to you from the Young Com-
munist League to do typing?
Mr. Kendall. There was a Captain Barry — ^I don't know how to
spell his name. There were 2 or 3 others, and although I can remember
a lot of names, unfortunately there were 2 or 3 men in there that I
COMMXTNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3477
just cannot remember their names. There was one that helped me
that was not a Conmiunist, and in fact, he had no real use for the
Communists, but he disliked the particular leadership of the union
very much, so he helped us, and his name was Carlos Toredo. I
couldn't spell that, either.
Mr. Tavenner. During 1946 was there any particular difficulty on
the San Francisco waterfront which eventually involved you?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, the SUP, Sailors Union of the Pacific, were—
I mentioned they went on strike of that year, and also the National
Unity Committee I believe it was called. In other words, the NMU
and the ILITO were coming up in that year for wage negotiations
and contract negotiations.
Mr. Tavenner. In what year was that ?
Mr. Kendall. 1946.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you continuing up to this time to edit your
publication, the Horizon ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes. Like I say, I don't remember exactly how many
editions we had put out, but we put out several editions, and I was
ashore that entire time previously mentioned. However, along toward
the end there, they brought some resolutions to me and asked me to
submit them to the membersliip of the Masters, Mates and Pilots,
which dumbfoimded me. They were resolutions which praised the
Soviet Union for some move thev had made, and all of a sudden the
liglit started to glow that instead of worrying about cleaning up the
union, what we originally started out for, they seemed to be more
interested in getting some resolutions passed which obviously couldn't
be passed in that union because the resolutions were out and out
Communist resolutions praising the Soviet Union, so that, along with
the meeting that I was called to attend on North Broadway — I decided
to give up the work and go back to sea.
Mr. Tavenner. Before you attended the meeting that you have
spoken of, what had become your position in the Communist Party
within vour union ? You had a position of leadership.
Mr. fvENDAix. Within the fraction itself I was appointed by the —
I don't know who exactly appointed me, I will be very frank with you
at this time ; there were two cochairmen of the fractions. One was
Captain Barry and one was myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you give the full name of Captain Barry at
this time ?
Mr. Kendall. I can't do it at tliis time; Captain Barry was chief
officer, B-a-r-r-y, but beyond that I couldn't
Mr. Tavenner. The two of you were cochairmen of the Communist
Party?
Mr. KJENDALL. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Within the unit?
Mr. Kendall. The Communist fraction.
Mr. Tavenner. The Communist fraction ?
Mr. KJENDALL. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. So you were one of two top-ranking members of
the Communist Party in your fraction ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes; it was a very small fraction, I might add.
Mr. Ta\t:nner. But it was the only fraction in that union, was it
not?
3478 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Kendall. That is correct; as far as I know, that was the only
fraction on the east coast.
JMr. Tavenner. The only representation that the Communist Party
had in that union was the representation which your small group had ?
Mr. Kendall. On the Pacific coast, that is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. You state you were asked to attend another
meeting ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes.
Mr. TiVVENNER. Will yon tell the committee about that?
Mr. Kendall. In this particular meeting I was approached by
Alex Treskin and told to take a streetcar out Stockton to come out to
North Broadway and to get off there, and he would meet me; there
was a very important meeting, and I was to be there at a certain time
on a particular Saturday morning, and I did, and he met me, and
he took me down the street there into a JVfasonic lodge, and there were
a cou})le of men standing in front — I don't remember who they were.
I knew them, I remember that.
We went back into the rear of one of the rooms, and there were a
couple of men at the door, and they let us
Mr. Ta^-enner. Just a moment. Had he told you what the nature
of this meeting was to be before you got into the building ?
Mr. Kendall. When I met him, after I had got off the streetcar,
on the way down, he told me that it was a meeting of various Com-
munist Partv leaders in the waterfront unions alono; the Pacific coast.
Mr. Tavenner. Where was this meeting held?
Mr. Kendall. It was held on North Broadway in a Masonic hall,
lasted 2 days.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall the place well enough to give some
description of the hall as to how you were able to get in ?
Mr. Kendall. We went to the front door, and it was divided into
two or three halls, meeting halls. I wouldn't say— I guess it Avas
the first; it was the first door to the right, it was on an angle, away
back in there, set up for a regular Masonic meeting, and we went in.
I mean, they had the American flag there, and that was it. As far as
the description of the building, I could take you there in a minute, but
as far as the address or anything, I don't know.
Mr. Jackson. You say there were two men at the door in the hall?
Mr. Kendall. There were 2 men in front, and there were '2 men in
the hall on the actual door leading into the hall itself.
Mr. Jackson. Did you know them, or did they request any identifi-
cation from you?
Mr. Kendall. I don't remember who they were at the time. I
mean, we had to be identified; the fact that I was with Treskin, and
they knew me, they just let us in.
Mr. Jackson. But would you say they were obviously there for the
purpose of determining who was entering the hall? Was that the
impression you gathered?
Mr. Kendall. Well, I figured they were definitely there for security
measures.
Mr. Jackson. Thank you.
Mr. Ta\'enner. What time of the day did your meeting begin ?
Mr. Kendall. It was early in the morning, 9 or 10 o'clock, some-
thing like that.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3479
Mr. Ta\^nner. How long did the meeting last?
Mr. Kendall. It lasted maybe not real late in the evening, but it
lasted fairly late, 5 or 6 o'clock, if I remember, something like that.
The first day was very tiresome, as I remember.
Mr. Tavenner. Did it last more than 1 day?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, it lasted 2 days. It broke np early Sunday.
Mr. Tavenner. Tell the committee, please, what occurred at that
meeting as near as you can fi-om the very beginning of your entrance
to the room.
yiv. Kendall. Well, as I went in, of course I noticed the various
people that were there, fi-om as far away as Seattle, Wash., Portland,
and as far south as San Pedro, the union officials for various unions.
Most of them were known to me ;'S Communist Party members. We
were told in the very beginning when the meeting was called to order
that while the back door was o])en we were never to mention the
Communist Party.
Mr. Ta^t^nner. That while what?
Mr. Kendall. While the back door or the main door was open
that we were never to mention the Communist Party because they
had went to a great deal of trouble to lease the hall or rent the hall
for that pai'ticular 2 days, and they had rented it under a different
name, of course, and we were not to cause any embarrassment to
anybody by mentioning the Connnunist Party as such when the door
was open in case somebody would be out there that was not a member.
Mr. TA\TiNNER. Then it was a Communist Party meeting without
any doubt?
Mr. Kendall. There was never a doubt in my mind.
Mr. Tavenner. Were any persons present at that meeting from
the east coast?
Mr. Kendali.. Yes, Mr. Al Lannon — at least that is the name I
knew him under.
Mr. Tavenner. Al Lannon?
Mr. Jackson. How do you spell that, please?
Mr. Kendall. Al L-a-n-n-o-n, I believe.
Mr. Jackson. L-a-n-n-o-n?
Mr. Kendall. I believe so. I might state that since, I found that
is an alias also.
Mr. Taat<:nner. What is that?
Mr. Kendall. That is an alias, I have been notified of that. I
have identified a picture other than that name. I don't remember
the name, but that is not his correct name.
Mr. Tavenner. What position did he hold in the Communist
Party?
Mr. Kendall. He was a national coordinator of the waterfront
section of the Communist Party. He had flown out from the east
coast especially for this meeting.
Mr. Tavenner. Were there any Communist Party representatives
from the east coast that you can now recall?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Continue with your description of what occurred
after you were told that the Communist Party name should not be
mentioned at any time while the door was open?
]\Ir. Kendaix. We Avere told that we were going to liear a report
from Al Lannon from the east coast. At that time the NMU was
3480 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
going through its struggle with the forces of Joseph Hearns trying
to rid the union of the Communists and Blackie Meyers was the
individual who the Communists had around, and it was a struggle
of power within the NMU, and he was going to give a report on that
particular struggle.
Mr. Tavenner. That was on the east coast ?
Mr. Kendall. That was on the east coast, that is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. That involved Ferdinand Smith, did it not ?
Mr. Kendall. Ferdinand Smith was also allied with Blackie Meyers
as a Communist.
Mr. Tavenner. That fight resulted in Ferdinand Smith being ex-
pelled from the union, did it not, and his deportation at a later date ?
Mr. Kendall. Sir, I don't know. I mean, I know he was deported,
but whether that particular battle was decisive to that thing, I don't
know.
Then we were to have a report from the various unions up and down
the coast from our party functionaries within that union who held
offices in that union on the problems and different problems that had
arisen on the coast; in other words, a complete report on how the
Communists were doing within the unions and whether they had
complete control and whether there were factions fighting them and
just a general report.
We also were to receive a report — now, I don't think we were told
we were going to see the report, but I better start naming off the people
that were there.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, and the unions which these Communist Party
members represented.
Mr. Kendall. All right. Walter Stack was there, and he was from
the MFOW, here for the port of San Francisco.
Mr. Tavenner. The name?
Mr. Kendall. Marine Firemen, Oilers and Watertenders.
Mr. Velde. How is the name spelled, please ?
Mr. KJENDALL. Marine Fire
Mr. Velde. The name of the person.
Mr. Kendall. S-t-a-c-k, to the be^t of my knowledge. He was
here from the port of San Francisco. Neil Crowe, San Pedro,
C-r-o-w-e agent of the National Maritime Union, CIO.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you spell that, please ?
Mr. Kendall. N-e-i-1. He was from San Pedro. Neil Crowe did
not come alone. There was somebody from the San Pedro branch of
the ILWU for that particular local. There were 2 or 3 men with him.
I didn't know those men. I knew Crowe because I had shipped down
there, as I mentioned previously, for about a week on another ship,
just for the ride, and to take it easy a little bit as an able-bodied
seaman. I held a license, and I knew that Crowe was in that position,
and I believe he was an agent; if not, he was what he called a patrol-
man, and if not the actual agent, he was a patrolman, but I am quite
sure he was an agent there at the time.
We had representatives of Portland with which I was not too famil-
iar because I didn't know anybody in Portland. The NMU had an
office up there, but it wasn't much of an office, and the ILWU was
helping out as much as they could. In the port of Seattle the NMU
agent was there, and they had a representative, a couple of representa-
tives of the ILWU which was there.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3481
Now, when I give unions, they were all represented to me as Com-
munist Party members in those individual unions. Harold Oakerly —
I mentioned Walter Stack — Alex Treskin was there; Harry Bridges
was there; Bjorne Hailing was there; and Bob Robertson was there.
Mr. Velde. Is there any question in your mind about any being
there whom you have named so far ?
Mr. Kendall. No.
Mr. Velde. Are you certain that Harry Bridges was there at that
meeting?
Mr. Kendall. Very definitely, yes.
Mr. Jackson. Mr. Chairman, a point of information. Captain
Barry I believe you had previously identified as a member of the Com-
munist Party ; is that correct ?
Mr. Kendall. That is correct.
Mr. Tavbnner. Will you tell the committee, please, what happened
during the course of that meeting? What was done?
Mr. Kendall. First of all we had a report from Al Lannon from
the ea^t coast who told about the internal struggle with the NMU
which was the major interest at that time as far as the east coast was
concerned. After he spoke we had various reports on party activities
of the various ports up and down the coast from the various union
representatives, Communist Party representatives, that held positions
in the union. Then we had a report on the negotiations at that time
that were going on between the shipowners and the ILWU, where it
might have been the committee on maritime unity at that time. I
forget just what the official title was of the negotiating group.
Mr. Tavenner. Who made that report ?
Mr. KJENDALL. Harry Bridges. The reason that I remember it so
well, this particular report, was two things. First of all, Mr. Bridges
constantly during the meeting, on hearing the other reports, was
drinking milk and eating crackers. The reason given for it to me
was that he had a very bad case of ulcers, and he was quite ill. How-
ever, he gave the report. The latter part of the second day he did not
attend the meeting, the final meetings, I mean, part of the meetings, as
he was too ill. But he gave the report,
Mr. Jackson. He was there during the first day of the meetings and
for the morning session of the second day ?
Mr. KJENDALL. Yes.
Mr. Velde. Do you know how these individuals were notified of the
meetings ?
Mr. Kendall. I only have knowledge of my own notific^ition.
Mr. Velde. Maybe you have alreadv stated, but how were vou noti-
fied?
Mr. Kendall. Alex Treskin notified me to come to the corner of
north Broadway and Stockton where he would meet me and take me to
the meeting place.
Mr. Tavenner. What was the nature of the report that was made by
Mr. Bridges, can vou recall that?
Mr. Kj^ndall. Well, at the particular time, as far as I could read in
the papers, they were still negotiating with the city shipowners, I be-
lieve was the title, and it was quite awhile, 80 days or so, where they
had to go in the contract or negotiate in as far as I knew. However,
Mr. Bridges told the group that the shipowners were going to stall,
3482 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
and they were stalling, and that there woidd be a strike and for party
members within the union to go back and prepare the membership
for a strike, wliich came to me — I was a little dnmfounded on it
because there was still, I thought, a lot of negotiation to go on.
Mr. Jackson. Do I understand that this directive vo go back and
prepare for the strike was a directive to all of the unions concerned,
ji.ot onlv the union of which Mr. Bridges was an official?
Mr. Kendall. Anytime on the waterfront. Congressman Jackson,
where you have a strike of one pai'ticulai' union, automatically no-
body would cross anotlier union's picket line, in those cases at least,
at that time, and therefore if one striked, they were all out of work,
so they had to set up certain facilities so they could be giving help to
the union members of their respective unions, even though one par-
ticular union might be the one doing the striking. Say, for example,
if it was the longshoremen's union that went out on strike, auto-
matically the seamen would be out and all the rest of the unions would
be out on the waterfront because they would not cross the picket lines,
so they prepared for the strike, and that was the reason the instructions
were given.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you make a report also at this meeting of the
Communist Party activities in your union ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, I did. I told of our activity and so forth, up
to that particular time. However, at that particular meeting was
the beginning of the end as far as I was concerned, I might add.
That was one of the turning points, when INIr. Bridges instructed the
party people to go back and prepai-e their membership for a strike
before negotiations had even got into full swing, as far as I was
concerned, and that was at the very time that Chiang Kai-shek was
fighting for existence in China, and it was after the Duclos letter,
and I began to realize the international complications involved.
Mr. Ta\^nner. Can you recall any other decision or action that
was taken at that meeting?
Mr. Kendall. I don't remember whether or not it was before that
particular meeting or at that meeting it was announced that Bill
Bailey was the west coast coordinator, or that he had been given the
job of the west coast coordinator for the waterfront sections of the
Communist Party.
I remember at that particular meeting he was, he lield that posi-
tion. Whether or not he was elected at that — I don't think he was
elected at that particular meeting, but at that particular meeting was
the first time that I had ever heard of it, that he held that position.
So they either appointed him just prior to that meeting or they an-
nounced it, but anyway, that was the first time that I knew of that
particular position. It was a new position, I might add, in the party.
It was something nobody else had had.
Mr. Jackson. Who presided as chairman at the sessions?
Mr. Kendall. I have thought many times over that, looking back
on it. It is very peculiar; I am sure it was 1 of 2 people, but as I have
stated previously, uidess I am absolutely sure who the presiding
chairman was, I will not state.
Mr. Jackson. It was 1 of 2 people ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jackson. If you have identified them as being present in the
meeting hall, I see no firm connnitments. As long as you say you are
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3483
not certain, but it was 1 of 2, if you will name the 2 persons, I think
it would be all right for the record in this instance.
Mr. IvENDALL. At this time you mean you want me to name them
again ?
Mr. Jackson. Yes, the 2 people who may — or 1 of whom did pre-
side as chairman.
Mr. Kendall. It was Alex Treskin or Bill Bailey who was chaimian
of the particular meeting involved. The most significant fact, outside
of what I have given about the international complications of the
meeting all of a sudden coming up, Avas that in addressing this meet-
ing Harry Bridges was not introduced as a Communist. I didn't ex-
pect him to be because we know from the years we have had, there
have been a lot of problems and trials and so forth on his citizenship —
however, his first words to address this meeting could be taken many
ways — but the words were "comrades."
Mr. Velde. Are you positive that this was a meeting closed only to
actual Communist Party members?
Mr. Kendall. Throughout the entire discussion of this meeting, I
liave tried to make it clear, there was no doubt in anybody's mind,
there was nobody there that was not a Communist. For a fact I will
be — well, I am not certain, so I won't say more. But I am positive
that the meeting was a closed Communist meeting. There were some
people that were there that I did not know. They might not have been
Communists, it is quite true, but everybody that I did know that was
there, they were Comnumists. I mean that I actively worked with
and knew' was a Communist. I knew Bridges, Hailing, Robertson,
and Smith, and I couldn't say they were Communists because I never
got close to them. However, everybody I did know and had close con-
tact with that was there were Communists except those mentioned.
Mr. Tavennek. Did any other person make a report for the ILWU
besides Harry Bridges ?
Mr. Kendall. There was a report made from San Pedro and also
a report, from Portland and also a very, very
iVIr. Taa-enner. I couldn't understand your last statement.
Mr. Kendall. There was a report made from Portland. I remem-
ber they were having some particular problem up there, union trouble,
and the anti-Communist forces within the union of the ILWU were
liaving a terrifRc fight with the Communist fraction up there, and they
reported on that. All the reports basically were in regards to Com-
munist Party problems within the various unions. They mentioned
several times minor fracases that they had with other miions — I mean
the unions they were in might have had with other unions that were
not Connnunist Party business; however, the basic reports were defi-
nitely (^onnnunist reports on activities in unions of the party.
Mr. Tavenner. Was any report made to your recollection from the
San Francisco area by a representative of the ILWU other than Mr.
Harry Bridges?
Mr. Kendall. I can't definitely say at this time.
Mr. ScHERER. The extreme security measures for this meeting which
you have described were taken, were they not, because this was a
(""ommunist meeting?
Mr. Kendall. At the last part the microphones Huctuated. I wish
3'ou Avould repeat.
Mr. Scherer. Would you read that, please ?
3484 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
(The question was read by the reporter as follows :
The extreme security measures for this meeting which you hare descril)ed were
taken, were they not, because this was a Communist meeting?)
Mr. Ej:ndall. That is a conclusion, but very definitely ; I mean, that
is the only reason it could have been. If it had been a union meeting,
there would have been no other reason. There wouldn't have been
any necessity for double guard, and not mentioning the Communist
Party if the door is open.
Mr. ScHERER. Merely the matter of notification was evidence of an
extreme security measure ; your manner of notification of this meeting
and your going to the meeting indicated that it was highly secretive 1
Mr. Kendall. That is correct, and that was the first time they had
ever called upon me to attend a meeting of such a high echelon cali-
ber— especially a Communist Party meeting, and that is probably
why they had me come the way I did.
Mr. Jackson. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Velde. Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jaokson. Is it customary among the waterfront unions to have
a strike vote before a strike is called, or is this determination gen-
erally made by a board or a f e-sv men or an individual ?
Mr. Kendall. Very definitely among the more democratic unions
on the waterfront section — and I believe the majority of the water-
front agents are probably more democratic than any other unions in
the United States — they always have a strike vote.
Mr. Jackson. Had that strike vote been taken to the best of your
knowledge, let us say, in your own group? Had any mention been
made of a possible pending strike before the directions were given to
go back to your unions and tell them to get ready to strike ? Do you
know of any
Mr. Kendall. Remember, I was a member of the Masters, Mates
and Pilots. I was not a member of one of the unions that were going
on a strike.
Mr. Jackson. Was a strike vote mentioned, to the best of your
recollection, in any of the unions which were represented in this
meeting ?
Mr. Kendall. No, I am sure the strike vote wasn't mentioned, be-
cause the strike vote is a formality that you always give to your
negotiators if nothing more as a bargaining agent.
%ir. Jackson. It really does not constitute balloting by the member-
ship of the union ?
Mr. Kendall. It does, but after all, your negotiating committee,
if they do not have the power to call the men out on strike if they
can't reach an agreement, they are handicapped, and the shipowners
and so forth, they know that. So for a negotiating committee to go
in to a group of shipowners without the power to strike would cer-
tainly not be intelligent negotiating at all, and the union would
always give power to strike.
Mr. Jackson. Thank you.
Mr. DoTLE. Mr. Chairman, may I ask a couple of questions at that
point? You have said that when Mr. Bridges first began to speak
he said — I am quoting you — "we are comrades."
Mr. Kendall. No, I said, "comrades" — period, sir.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3485
Mr. Doyle. I stand corrected. Then how did you Communists who
were there salute each other? Did you use the term "comrades" as
between yourselves ?
Mr. Kjendall. Normally anybody that would be speaking on the
floor, if he spoke of some other comrade, you would say Comrade
Jones or Comrade Smith. That is normal at any party meeting.
However, as far as the particular meeting outside of the actual speaker
or the chairman involved, I couldn't remember how they addressed
each other. It was the normal procedure off the ffoor to call eacli
other comrade.
Mr. Jackson. That is not the usual procedure, I assume, in any
other activity of the union or any open meeting of any sort?
Mr. Kendall. You mean the term "comrade" ?
Mr. Jackson. The term "comrade."
Mr. Kendall. That is one of the large questions always. The
term "comrade" can be used in many ways.
Mr. Jackson. Is it used in union meetings?
Mr. Kendall. Not lately.
Mr. Jackson. Was it a frequently used term at that time?
Mr. Kendall. No, no; I don't thiiik at any normal meeting that
you would get up and call a man comrade.
Mr. Jackson. In other words, you call people comrades in Com-
munist Party meetings?
Mr. Kendall. Period, yes, sir.
Mr. Jackson. Very well.
Mr. Doyle. I have a further question. During these 2 days of
meetings did any men who were not there the first day come into the
meeting the second day ? I mean did people go and come during the
meetings? Was the number larger or smaller? Did they come in
and out of the meeting room freely or what?
Mr. KJENDALL. No, no; everybody was there the second day that
was there the first day.
Mr. DoYLE. No new persons?
Mr. Kendall. To the best of my knowledge I can't remember any
new persons. Like I say, Mr, Bridges left early on the second day
because of illness.
Mr. DoYi^. You mentioned the two guards were at the door when
you went in. What is the fact with reference to whether or not the
door was closed during the meeting?
Mr. Kendall. Oh, yes, very definitely.
Mr. DoYi^. Was it locked, or do you know ?
Mr. Kendall. I wouldn't know. I never
Mr. Doyle. Were the guards that were there when you went in —
did they come inside the room and guard the room inside so that no
one came from outside, or did they stand outside?
Mr. Kendall. No, they did not stand outside. Tliey were actively
part of the meeting. At the meeting they might have been appointed
sergeant-at-arms or something like that to take care of the door, but
that is all. I mean, they weren't definitely guards — I mean, they
wouldn't be just to guard the door is what I am trying to put over.
They were actually a part of the meeting, however, they had been
asked previously to be security guards, I assume, or afterwards very
likely in addition to the chairman we also nominated sergeant-at-arms
or some sort of security guards.
3486 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Doyle. Were you men in attendance introduced to one another
by your regular legal names or by assumed names, or were you intro-
duced to one another at all ?
Mr. Kendall. I can only speak for myself as to that. But at no
time ever when I was a member of the Connnunist Party had I ever
used an assumed name, never.
Mr. Doyle. At this meeting where these men from Portland came
that you said you did not know, were they introduced to you?
Mr. Kendall. We were all introduced to each other.
Mr. Doyle. When you were introduced, were they introduced by the
term "comrade'' as a prefix?
Mr. Kendall. It was nor the habit in the party meetings to call each
other comrade on the floor of the meeting, no, sir.
Mr. Doyle. All right, thank you.
Mr. Tavenner. You had described the place of meeting. Will
you fix the time?
Mr. Kendall. In relation to days and so forth ?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, the day and the month, if you can, and the
Mr. Kendall. At a previous investigation that w^as held at whicii
I was asked to hel]), we tra<*ed
Mr. Tavenner. I suggest that you not comment upon what some-
body else did. If you can fix the time yourself of your own recol-
lection, do it, and if you can't, say you can't.
Mr. Kendall. It was in the month of August of 1946, and the
meeting lasted 2 days, and it was on a Saturday and a Sunday.
Mr. Scherer. You don't know who paid the rental for the hall, do
you ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir.
Mr. Scherer. You wouldn't know w^hether that was paid by check
or cash ?
Mr. Kendall. I was pretty low down the line; I didn't handle
anything as far as the
Mr. Scherer. You wouldn't know under what name the hall was
rented then?
Mr. Kendali^. No, sir.
Mr. ScHisRER. You knew it was rented under some assumed name ?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, sir, that is correct.
Mr. Scherer. Or assumed organization?
Mr. Kendall. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. May I ask you whether or not at the time you were
invited to this meeting you held any official position in j^our union?
Mr. Kendall. No.
Mr. Tavenner. So the only purpose under whicli you could have
been invited to this meeting was because of your superior position in
the Communist Party; isn't that correct?
Mr. Kendall. Yes, sir ; that is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. How long was it after that before you got out of the
Connnunist Party?
Mr. Kendall. At that particular meeting it became clear to me
that here were men being told to go back and prepare their unions
for a strike, and that we had not tried every means of negotiation.
And I began to wonder — I had wondered before because of the famous
COMMUNTIST ACTIVITIES EST THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3487
Diiclos letter, but this was one of the things that made me stop and
wonder. I was getting a little older, too, at the time, and then also
Mr. Velde. What did yon wonder, whether or not the order to
prepare for a strike was in some way or other handed down by the
Communist Party or by the Soviet Union through tlie Communist
Party — if you can tell the committee just how you felt about that
jjarticular order.
Mr. Kendall. For the first time, you see — going to sea I had not
been ashore very much, until this time, and all of a sudden the true
implication of the international conspiracy, as I saw it then, started
to just blossom out. In other words, here we were preparing, instead
of trying to work out something on a peaceful settlement with the
shipowners — wliich of course I mean I had no love for it at that
particular time anyway, but Chiange Kai-sliek was fighting for his
life over in China, and we were trying — in other words, all of a sudden
it became clear to me that actually the wages and conditions which —
the Communist Party had built themselves up to be supposed to be
the working party or class — all of a sudden it seemed secondary, and
there was international implications that came above working condi-
tions for these various unions which they had control of.
That is one of the reasons — I mean, later on maybe if I have time
I will go into the full reason, but on that particular issue is one of the
things that I decided then and there that I was going to get a ship out,
along with these resolutions that they had handed me, asking me to go
before a group of intelligent men, which I assume they are intelligent —
Masters, Mates and Pilots— praising the Soviet Union for some deed
that they had accomplished. The war was over and everything else;
I mean, all of a sudden I just began fitting together, and I was ashore
for the first time since the Jacques Duclos letter, and it just didn't
strike right to me.
Mr. Ta\tcnner. As a result did you get out of the Communist Party ?
Mr. Kendall. No, sir; not at that time. I told them that I wanted
to go to sea again, and I got on a. shi|) — the CJaymont Victory^ which
was an Army transport going to Alaska for Operation AVillowaugh,
and we were all ready to sail, and I was on this ship — I took a job I
believe on there as second mate, navigating officer — we were all ready
to sail when the SUP went out on a strike, the Sailors Union of the
Pacific, A. F. of L. They were on a strike, and the ship held Army
cargo, and we had Army troops aboard, and Mr. Harry Lundeberg,
president of that union, had o. k.'d the clearance of that particular
ship because it was Government c"argo, so everybody got clearance
but me, and the Sailors Union of the l*acific would not give me clear-
ance because of the fact that Charlie May, the president of the Masters,
Mates and Pilots, had a very strong suspicion that I was putting
out this Horizon, this paper that wtis causing them no end of
embarrassment.
So I went over to see Harry Lundeberg, and Harry told me, he
says, well, he told me that he had heard that I was putting out this
paper, and I swore up and down that I wasn't, of course, so then I went
over to see Alex Treskin, and the executive board of the Masters,
Mates and Pilots told me that if I came before them, they would like to
ask me a few questions; they would give me clearance, and in turn
Harry Lundeberg would give me clearance, and in turn I would be
3488 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
permitted to pass through the picket line to sign on the ship.^ So I
appeared before this portion of the executive board, and Alex Treskin
told me to go over there and tell them anything I wanted to, that it
didn't make much difference — in other words, lie to them, tell them
that I didn't have anything to do with it, because after all, the ulti-
mate goal, I believe, as the terminology always used, the ultimate goal
is what we are after, not individual trust at some particular time. I
mean, that was always the party line.
Mr. Jackson. Phrased a little differently, any means to the end.
Mr. Kendall. Correct, sir. So I appeared before this committee,
and this is the statement which I signed. It is brief, and I would like
to submit it in the record, if I may.
Mr. Doyle. When is it dated '^
Mr. Kendall. September 4, 1946.
Mr. Tavenner. I ask it be introduced in evidence and marked
"Kendall Exhibit No. 1."
Mr. Velde. Without objection, it will be so admitted.
(National Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots of America,
executive committee minutes, September 4, 1946, San Francisco, Calif.,
West Coast Local 90, containing a statement signed by James Kendall,
dated September 4, 1946, was received in evidence as Kendall Exhibit
No. 1.)
Mr. Tavenner. I suggest you read it.
Mr. Velde. The statement is short; will you read it, Mr. Witness?
Mr. Kendall. All right.
Executive committee minutes, September 4, 1946, 11:30 a. m., San
Francisco, Calif., International Organization Masters, Mates and
Pilots, West Coast Local 90.
Present: Capt. C. F. May, Capt. H. Miehelson, Capt. K. Hjorth, Capt. A. W.
Lawberg, Capt. J. J. Sawaska, Mr. M. A. Viera
Meeting called to order 11 : 30 a. m. to hear the case of James S. Kendall,
No. 4089.
James S. Kendall No. 4089 stated he is not in any way connected with the
Horizon. And an information that he was the editor of the Horizon is er-
roneous. He came before the executive committee of his own free will to
obtain a clearance from the organization and the SUP for the steamship
Claymont Victory, which is a troopship and not affected by the strike of the
SUP
and I signed my name.
Motion made by Captain Lawberg, seconded by Captain Miehelson, tbat the
above statement made by James S. Kendall. Xo. 4089, is accepted as a true state-
ment, and this statement be retained on file, and the above-named man to be
given clearance. Motion carried unanimously and so recommended. Meeting
adjourned at 12 noon.
I submitted this to Mr. Lundeberg, and he wrote on here "Okay for
clearance through SUP picket line, Harry Lundeberg, secretary
treasurer." So I sailed away on the steamship Claymont Victory
and went to Alaska, and when I came back the SUP strike had been
settled, and in the meantime tlie committee for maritime unity, the
longshoremen were a part of, had gone out on strike, and I came back
to the port of Seattle, so I thought I would try again, so there was no
group up there within the Masters, Mates and Pilots. However,
Jack Smith, wlio was the agent of the National Maritime Union and
a Communist Party member, was there, and so I attended several
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3489
KENDALL EXHIBIT NO. 1
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION of MASTERS, MATES & PILOTS of AMERICA
SCATTLK I. WAaMlNtTTOM
nOOM 31* MUTUAL LI^C BLOO-
«OS 1ST AVCNUC
Tfkl'HOHl KLiOTT OS««
TIklTtri BC 4*4
»0«T|_anO 4, ORCOON
aO> HKNHV •lDO.
4TM AHO OAK STRCCTS
Tlfc«»"0«.« AT-*If» 3»3I
T«HTT»f ^o a»7
i AFFIUATCD WITH A, F- of L
WEST COAST LOCAL No. 90
Headquartffs
SAN FRANCISCO. II
C. F. MAY. PnCS'OCMT
•AN rMAMOaCO II. CALir.
209 CALiraRNIA BTRCCT
TfLI^HOHl OAa'ilLO BITT
Tti.tfv»« sr ttT
■AN ^Koao. BALir.
617 S. PALOS VtROC
EXECUTIVE COUKITTEE IGKUTES
SEPXatBER Ij, 19i+6, 111 30 A.M.
SAN FKAKCISCO, CALIFCRNIA OF
THE NATIONAL ORGAMIZAnCH OF
MASTERS, MATES 4 PILOTS OF
AtO-JRICA, '.VEST CQftST LOCAL ff90
PRESENT 1
C&pt. C. F. May
Cupt. H, Mlcholson
Cupt. K. Hjorth
Capt. A. W. Lnwberg
C»pt. J. J. Sawaslcn
Ur. U. A. Viorm
Meeting e»ll«d to order at lit JO a.m. to hear the oaae of James S<
Kendall #i089,
James S. Kendall ffi;089, stated that he is not in any way connooted with
the Horlron, and any infomation that he «»B the editor of the Rorieon is erronoous.
He csjue up before the Exocutive Committee- of his own free will to obtain a oloaranoe
from this Orpianliation and the S.U.P. on the SS CLAYMONT VICTORY, Vfhioh is a troop
slilp and not af footed by the ctrike action of the S.U.P.
^Jaavs 3. Kendall f|li089
Motion made by Capt. Lawberg, seconded by Capt. Miohelsen, that the abore
statement made by Jaaos S. Kendall A089, 1» accepted as a true staternent, and this
statement to be retained on file and abovt-nanied mBin to be giv^n clearance. Motion
c«rried unanlmouely and so reooinraend»d«
Meeting adjourned at 12 noau
h.<i<^iA.
wXt
4rfT /
• UY VICTOKV aONDB
meetings with liim at the local waterfront section of the Communist
Party in the port of Seattle, Wash.
I never took any active part in the Masters, Mates and Pilots or-
ganization as a Communist in the port of Seattle. Ilowever, I did
come back to the Communist Party fraction meetings and tell them
of each — I used to come back to the fraction meetings of the section
meetings that we had within the party up there of the various mem-
bers of the waterfront section and tell them what the stand of the
Masters. Mates and Pilots was.
But it was nothing contrary to anything; I mean they could find
out by papere the same things I told them, only they got it a little
3490 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
faster, that is all. At this particular time, because of the elements
that I met in the port of Seattle that belonged to the party, I made
up my mind clearly and definitely it was time for me to get out,
because I realized that this was not for me, that for the first time
since I joined the party I had been ashore for a period of time and
worked with these people, and I realized that I had made a terrible
mistake. Tliis was in the year 19-1:6, and in 194G in the month of
December I signed on a vessel as second mate known as the Cape
Diamond. The strike was over in December, I believe, if I remember
right, and in January of 1947 I actually signed on the Cape Diamond^
and I went to the east coast where I remained on the Cape Diamond
for a couple of trips, and then I went to several other ships for various
companies.
I did not contact at any time on the east coast, after leaving the
west — at no time did I attend a party meeting or any regular party
group on the east coast, but I began reading the papere and began real-
izing the full significance of the party, its international tie up, its inter-
national complications. I look back and realize how they have been
able to dupe me for quite a long time. For awhile I thought, "Well,
I will just let it go," and then something I read in the paper one day —
1 will be very frank, I can't remember what it was; it was something
on the international scale that they had done. Communists in the
Soviet Union, that I realized that I had only one choice, and so I
notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in the meantime,
the very same day, for a fact, I sent a letter to the Communist Party,
the New York official office, in which I told them after a period of time
I realized there was basic ideological differences that the party had
and that I as an American could not stand, and so I was officially
severing all relationship with them.
The FBI got there after I had mailed it tinfortunately. because
they were rather disturbed that I had sent the letter off. They had
hoped that I hadn't sent it off. They tried to stop it, but they didn't
get to it in time.
Since that time I have worked wherever I could in my way to help
any organization of the Government expose, try to help people tliat
have belonged to the party, and there is one thing for sure : If enough
people will come forward and not be afraid and bring up the fifth
amendment to provide the missing links, I am sure that we are going
to be able to tie this into the international organization as it is.
I traveled all over this world as an officer in the merchant marine,
and there is no doubt in my mind that the Communists directly take
their orders from Moscow, and there hasn't been a major strike on this
coast, unfortunately, that did not have international complications,
and even though that the unions that are dominated by the Com-
munist Party members in most cases have better working conditions
than the unions that are not dominated by the Communists Party, the
ultimate goal is world domination by the Communist Party, and if
they ever attain that goal, the immediate gains that are gained by that
union dominated by Communist Party members will be lost forever,
and if we can get the word to enough young people, especially the
young college group wliich I think right now is the most susceptible
group, and actually expose these people for what they are — that it
is an intermediate conspiracy with world domination as their ultimate
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3491
and only goal — that the working man is not their friend ; he is a means
to the end— the helping and the understanding of the minority prob-
lems in this country is a means to the end for them only.
Mr. Tavenner. I hnve no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson. No, I have no questions.
Mr. Velde. ]\Ir. Scherer.
Mr. Scherer. I have no questions.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. Well, I think any question I might ask would seem so
insignificant compared with the magnificent contribution this gentle-
men has made that I will not ask any questions.
Mr. Velde. I certainly join with my colleague from California, and
I am sure it is in the hearts and minds of my other two colleagues
here, in expressing the deep gratitude of this committee for the fine
information which you have given to it, declared in such a concise
manner. I am sure that my colleagues will agi'ee that we think you
have redeemed yourself from any past mistake which you might have
made and are now a very fine American citizen.
We thank you, and with that you are discharged.
So that you might be under the jurisdiction of the Congress of
the United States, you will be retained under subpena until further
notice.
At this time you are dismissed.
At this time the Chair desires to yield to the gentleman from Cali-
fornia, ]\Ir. Doyle, so that he might make some observations relative
to these hearings.
Mr. Doyle. I will be very brief, Mr. Chairman, because of the late-
ness of the hour. I made a memorandum here a minute ago as Mr.
Kendall was testifying, just 5 or 6 things I wanted to suggest, and
1 make these suggestions with all the vigor there is in me.
First, I want to urge every person who is now a member of the
Communist Party who claims to be a patriotic American citizen to
withdraw from tliat party forthwith and begin actively to oppose
the Communist Party program.
Second, I want to urge that every such person and that every per-
son in the United States cooperate actively with all United States
Government agencies to help to discover and dissolve any or all sub-
versive organizations or programs.
Next, I urge that every patriotic American citizen be alert in all
or any groups in which they are members at anv level of American
experience in which tliey live and earn their living, in industries, in
education and labor, or any other group; and lastly, I want to urge
all patriotic American adults and all parents of American children
and American youth to consistently teach and to consistently ex-
emplify before American youth the value of the American wav of
life.
Mr. Velde. Thank you, Mr. Doyle. And now the Chair yields to
the other gentleman from California, Mr. Jackson, for a statement
of his summation of the proceedings here in San Francisco, Calif.
I want to say that Mr. Scherer and I have both read the summation
which Mr. Jackson is about to read and clearly concur heartily in
the statement which he is about to make.
3492 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
Mr. Jackson. Mr. Doyle has also had an opportunity to read this.
Upon conclusion of the present hearings in the San Francisco Bay
area the committee wishes to place in the record a few observations
relating to the disclosures made during the week by witnesses, cooper-
ative and otherwise, who have appeared here under oath to give their
testimony or to refuse their cooperation.
The committee is, first of all, indebted to all of the security agen-
cies in the area for their splendid cooperation; the police departments
of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland, the Alameda County sher-
iff's office, the United States marshal and his deputies, the agents
and employees of the Federal security agencies, the employees of the
city of San Francisco, all of whom have lent every possible measure of
cooperation and assistance to the committee and to its staff. For this
aid and for the helpful spirit displayed the Congress of the United
States tenders its appreciation through the House Committee on Un-
American Activities.
Thanks to the splendid coverage of the hearings by the bay area
press and radio, full coverage of the hearings and of the testimony of
witnesses has been made available to all listeners and readers. Each
reporter has been able freely to record his individual story without
interference, threat, intimidation, or coercion of any form or type.
This essential function of a free press in a free land is one of the monu-
ments of a nation's greatness, and the preservation of that freedom
is one of the greatest charges laid upon a free people.
The committee appreciates the full coverage given the hearings in
this area by the press and radio.
The use of this beautiful room in which the committee has held its
sessions has facilitated the conduct of those hearings and has made it
possible for a considerable number of citizens to view the proceedings.
The Congress and the committee are appreciative of the courtesy ex-
tended by the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in this
regard.
The nature of the testimony adduced during the week of hearings
can lead the committee to one inescapable conclusion, and that is, the
existence of a widespread Communist infiltration into almost eveiy
activity in the bay area. The actual extent of that infiltration cannot
accurately be determined by the facts presently in the record of the
proceedings, but on the basis of similar hearings previously conducted
by the connnittee in other great cities of the Nation it can be stated
on considerable authority that the total membership of the Commu-
nist Party in this area probably numbered several thousands of
persons.
However — and the committee wishes to stress this point — the actual
numerical strength of the Communist conspiracy is not the yardstick
by which its power to inflict irreparable damage on our institutions
and our defenses can or should be measured. A handful of deter-'
mined Communists in a local labor union can and will destroy democ-
racy in that union if unretarded by the vigilance of the majority of
union members.
One Communist faculty member in a school can and will poison the
minds and wither the souls of young students if his activities both on
and off the campus are not made the subject of constant scrutiny.
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3493
The myth that the Communist conspiracy constitutes nothing more
than the activities of individuals gathered together for the pursuit
of legal political activities has long since been exploded. Those who
meet in secret under assumed names for the purpose of fomenting
disorder, turmoil, and revolution deserve the name "conspirators."
Arrogance, contempt for and vilification of constituted authority
are the unmistakable hallmarks of the conspiracy and of its agents.
Under the guise of protecting human rights this conspiracy in fact
seeks to destroy them. Against this organized effort to destroy consti-
tutional government by unconstitutional means must be arrayed all
of the forces and weapons available to a free people.
This committee is established by the Congi'ess of the United States
and has been cloaked by that body with wide power under Public Law
601. It is one of the weapons in the hands of the American people.
Who dulls the edge of that weapon brings joy to the hearts of those
whose dedicated task it is to destroy the Constitution of the United
States and place human freedom behind barbed wire.
The fifth amendment to the Constitution of the United States is a
sacred privilege, oft abused as it has been during the course of these
and other hearings. In answer to the many citizens of the bay area
who have written to the committee relative to the use of the amend-
ment by uncooperative witnesses, the committee can only state again
that there is presently no legislative device to meet that misuse; the
need for clarifying legislation is clearly apparent. Communist direc-
tives lay a charge upon Communists and Communist sympathizers to
carry the class struggle into courts and hearing rooms, to remain al-
ways on the offensive, and to use whatever devices are necessary to
prevent disclosures which might be harmful to the Communist
conspiracy.
The evidences of this technique were abundantly made clear during
the Medina trial and in subsequent court action stemming from vio-
lations of the Smith Act and other antisubversion legislation. Tur-
moil in courts and hearings replaces decorum in the Communist
scheme, and dignity becomes an early casualty to the premeditated
tactics of the Communist conspiracy.
Those familiar with the techniques of the Communist Party have
had a firsthand opportunity to witness communism in action here in
this room for the past 5 days. Committee members and the staff
have been maligned and vilified in this very room and in paid adver-
tisements inserted in the press. The motives and the purposes of the
investigation have been misrepresented and sorely distorted.
Charges involving the integi-ity of the Congi'ess of the United States
and the elected representatives of the American people have been
hurled indiscriminately and venomously by witnesses using every
tactic and evasion to cover their alleged activities within the Com-
munist conspiracy.
The committee is confident that these efforts to undermine public
confidence in the committee and its work will be as unavailing in the
bay area as they have proven to be in other cities throughout this
country.
To those witnesses who have given the American people the story of
their own experiences in the Communist conspiracy the committee ex-
tends its thanks. Those who have lived through the lie of communism
3494 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA
and have come forward to do an American duty as they see that duty
should have not only the thanks of the Nation, but the sympathetic
understanding of business associates, employers, and former friends
and associates outside of the Communist Party. Scorned and vilified
as they are by former associates within the party, these witnesses
should find understanding among the vast body of loyal American
citizens. They should receive every assistance toward economic, so-
cial, and political rehabilitation consistent with the quality of trust-
worthiness which marked their testimony.
It should be remembered that without the testimony of the hundreds
of former Communists who have severed their ties with the con-
spiracy and who have testified fully as to the extent and nature of
the activities of the party there would not today be an ever expanding
volume of knowledge and information in the hands of the American
Congress and available to the American people.
Eternal vigilance is indeed the price of liberty. Vigilante action
is neither needed nor desirable. The work of tracking down sub-
version of every type and of insuring the passage of Federal remedial
legislation designed to meet the threat against human freedom is a
charge which must rest upon duly constituted authority at all levels
of Government.
Intelligent and loyal citizens armed with facts of subversion and
disloyalty can render a signal service to the American people by con-
tacting the Federal Bureau of Investigation or other agencies the
duties of which include investigation and proper evaluation of
information.
The question has been asked as to what purpose is served by the
disclosure of the names of individuals who may long ago have left
the conspiracy and since devoted themselves to home and work in the
manner of loyal American citizens. This is a reasonable question
and one deserving of a reasonable answer. The testimony of a co-
operative witness is not tampered with in any way by this committee
or by its staff. That testimony must stand the cruel test imposed by
the subsequent appearance before the committee of those who are
named. It would be an act of intellectual dishonesty for this com-
mittee to add or detract one name from the list of those whom the
witness is prepared to identify under oath as having been within his
own knowledge a member of the conspiracy during the period of the
witness' own membership. The identity of an individual having been
made in public or executive session, the committee has no alternative
but to place that individual in the witness chair at the earliest possible
moment.
The decision on the part of a witness as to the nature of his testi-
mony, whether he will cooperate or not is not within the authority of
the committee to rule upon. Every member of the Communist Party,
past or present is or was a small section of a jigsaw puzzle, and each
had his role to play. The fact of having left the conspiracy in no way
eradicates or erases his knowledge of events that transpired during his
membership nor of the role he played. The committee has no way of
knowing the status of his membership at present until he is placed
under oath and the information is sought to be elicited.
Upon the front of a great public building in Washington, D. C,
there are graven on stone the words "The past is prologue." If this
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA 3495
is true, and if individuals insure the future by reference to the past
then it is equally true that nations under unremitting attack must look
to the past in the preparation of its future defenses. One missing
piece of the vast and forbidding puzzle may well be in the possession
of a former and disillusioned member of the conspiracy. The risk
attendant on failure to make adequate and comprehensive inquiiy at
every available source is too great to justify the theory that former
Communists should be immune to interrogation. The bank robber,
the embezzler, or the murderer who leaves the pursuit of crime to take
up a quiet existence in a rural community enjoys no immunity for his
past activity and the stake of society involved in the transgressions
of those who steal physical properties or money is, while important, as
nothing when compared to the activities of those who would enslave
the world.
In conclusion, the committee wishes to extend its thanks to the
hundreds of citizens of the bay area who have communicated to the
committee their expressions of support and of encouragement. The
work of the committee is made easier by the knowledge that the vast
majority of loyal Americans stand behind their Congress and behind
their elected officials in the vital work so necessary to the defense of
the American Republic. So long as that support and encouragement
are evidenced by those who freely elect their representatives to the
legislative halls of this Nation it is inconceivable that there should
ever come into being the Union of Soviet United States. [Applause.]
Mr. Velde. I thank you for that very fine statement, Mr. Jackson,
and before adjourning I would like to mention that I forgot to mention
the fact that the gentleman from California, Mr. Doyle, also read the
statement that Mr. Jackson just read before he gave it and concurs
heartilv therein. Is that true, Mr. Doyle ?
Mr. Doyle. I do, very heartily.
Mr. Velde. Now the committee will stand in adjournment until
further call of the chair.
(Whereupon, at 5 :05 p. m., the hearing was recessed subject to call.)
INDEX
Individuals
Page
Ames, Donakl 3456
Andersen, George 3432-3444
Anderson, Bruce 3447
Bailev, William (Bill) 3464,3482,3483
Bailey, William J 3456-3460 (testimony)
Baker, Rude 3428
Barry, Captain 3476, 8477, 3481
Blodgett, Charles David 3433,3434,3452
Bradsher. Mary Elizabeth Parrott 3446,3447
Bridges, Harrv 3443, 3444, 3476, 3481-3485
Browder, Earl 3422, 3426, 3450
Brown, Archie 3441
Brown, Bimbo 3447
Bryson, Hugh 3464, 3474
Cameron, Don 3440
Chown, Paul 3432-3440 (testimony)
Crowe, Neil 3440, 3480
Darcy, Sam 3423
Dennis, Eugene 3426
Dolsen, James H 3426
Drake, James 3471
Duclos, Jacques 3450,3482, 3487
Frederick, Jean 3447
Frederick, Van 3447
Fox, Ernest 3465
George, Harrison 3421-3432 (testimony)
Gonzoles, Ella 3447
Gonzoles, Jack 3447
Hailing, Bjorne 3440-3442 (testimony), 3475, 3481, 3483
Hammond, Gene 3447
Hammond, Marian 3447
Harrison, Katherine 3426
Hathaway, Clarence 3422
Hearns, Joseph 3480
Hedlev. Dave 3443
Hernlev, Willie 3461
Hjorth, K 3488, 3489
Hudson, Roy -_ 3422
Jacobson, Nathan 3440,3441
Jenkins, David (Dave) 8441,3465,3474
Kai-shek, Chiang 3482, 3487
Kalman. Herb ^^^
Kaplan, Leon 3474
Keir, Duncan, Jr 3471
Kendall, James 3459, 3460-3491 (testimony)
Kimiev, Anne 3429,3430
Koide. Joe 3422, 3427, 3429
Lannon, Al 3479, 3481
Lawherg, A. W 3488, 8489
Lehman, Lloyd 3133
Lozovsky 3425
Lundeberg, Harry 3487, 8488
Lynch, Joe 3441
3497
3498 INDEX
Page
Lynden, Richard 3442-3444 (testimony)
MacArthur, Gen 34''>6
May, C. F H !_:__: sisS, 348»
May, Charlie 3487
McDonald, Huffhie 3472
Meyers, Blackie 1 3468, 3480
Michelson, H 3488^ 3489
Naboisek, Herbert (Herb) 3445, 3446-3456 (testimony), 3447
Naboisek, June 3447
Noulens 3426
Oakerly, Harold 34Si
Posey, Max 3443
Ragland, Bob 3447
Ragland, Clara 3447
Redner, Bill 3447
Redner, Marian 344T
Robertson. Bob 3475, 3476, 3481, 34;Sa
Rogers, Mr 346a
Rosser, Lou 3443, 3445
Rossman, Leo 3466'
Saunders, David 3461, 3405, 3472
Sawaska, J. J 3488, 3489
Saxton. Al 3440
Seymour, Ernest Leroy 3440,3441
Sherman, Robert (Bob) 3440
Smith, Ferdinand 3467, 3468, 3480
Smith, Jack 3488
Speiser, Lawrence 3421-3432, 3446-3456
Stack, Walter 3464, 3480, 3481
Stewart, Albert Edward 3426
Tanaka 342S
Teitelbaura. Dave 3472
Telford, Sam 3472
Tobin, Pat 3440
Toredo, Carlos 3477
Treskiu, Alex 3463, 3464, 3467, 3470, 3473-3475, 3478, 3481, 3483, 3487, 3488
Undjus, Margaret 3426
Viera, M. A 3488,3489
Walker, Doris Brin 3456-3460
Walsh (see also Eugene Dennis) 3426
Weidemeyer, Irene 3426
Williams, Carl 3441
Williams, Eugene 3460, 3461
Willoughby, Charles 3425, 3426
Yates 3474
Obganizations
Abraham Lincoln Brigade 3471
Alameda Council of the CIO 3434
Alameda County CIO Council 3433
American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California 3422, 3446
American Communications Association 3440
American Federation of Labor 3460
Army 3487
Berkelev Bookstore 3456
California CIO Council 3433, 3434
California Labor School 3441, 3465, 3474
Comintern 3425, 3426, 3428
Communist International 3428
Congress of Industrial Organizations 3433-3435, 3441, 3460, 3463, 3480
Department of Justice 3454
Embarcadero Book Store 3462
Federal Bureau of Investigation 3452, 3456, 3459, 3490, 3494
International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union 3445,
3475-3477, 3480, 3481, 3483
i^^DEx 3499
Page
Marine Cooks and Stewards Union . 3441, 3464, 3474
Marine Firemen, Oilers, and Watertenders 3463, 3464, 3480
Masters, Mates and Pilots of America, West Coast Local No. 90 3489
Masters, Mates and Pilots Union 3460, 3464, 3472-3477, 3484, 3487, 3488
National Maritime Union, CIO 3441,
34G0-3468, 3471, 3472, 3477, 3479-3481, 3488
Pan-Pacific Trade Union Secretariat 3425, 3426, 3428
Political Affairs Committee of tlie Communist Party 3433
Political Affairs Committee of tlie Conmumist Party of Alameda County— 3439
I'rofliitern 342."., 3427, 3428, 3430
Red International of Labor Unions 3425
Sailors Union of the Pacific 3477, 3489
Sailors Union of the Pacific, A. F. of L 3487, 3488
SS. Alice n. Rice 3472
SS. Arthur Middleton 3465,3466
SS. Cape Diamond 3490
SS. Claiiwont Victory 3487-3489
SS. Joseph Priestley 3465
SS. -V/ra Luckenhach 3465,3466,3469
SS. Rohcrt T. Hill 3473
SS. ^anta Ana 3465-3467,3469,3470
San Diefio State College 3460
Seventh World Conirress of the Communist International 3428
Supreme Court 34.53
I'nited Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America 3432
United Electrical Workers 3435
United States Army 3447
United States Maritime Service 3471, 3472
United States Merchant Marine 3470
United States Navy 3465
University of California at Berkeley 3446, 3448, 3449
University of Denver 3422
Warehouse Union Local 6 3443
Younff Communist League 3443, 3444, 3474, 3476
Publications
E-aily People's World 3427, 3433
Daily AVorker 3427
The Horizon 3476, 3477, 3487-3489
International Correspondence 3428
Pacific Worker 3425
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