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SACRAMENTOj 194} GEORGE H. MOORE, STATE PRINTER
SENATE
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE
FIFTY-FIFTH SESSION
1943
REPORT
JOINT FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON
UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
IN CALIFORNIA
TO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE
MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE
SENATORS ASSEMBLYMEN
JACK B. TENNEY, CHAIRMAN NELSON S. DILWORTH
HUGH M. BURNS JESSE RANDOLPH KELLEMS, PH. D.
JAMES H. PHILLIPS
HON. FREDERICK F. HOUSER SENATOR JERROLD L. SEAWELL
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE SENATE
HON. CHARLES W. LYON
SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 5
Authorization 5
Activities of the Committee 6
Americanism 8
Isms versus Democracy 9
Subversive Groups Attack Weaknesses 10
PART I
COMMUNISM 12
1. The Soviet Government as an Ally of the United States. _ 12
2. Red-Baiting and Red Baiters 16
3. Sources of Communist Information 18
4. Communist Theory and Practice 21
Legal and Illegal Methods 22
Foreign Control 23
Force and Violence 26
Day-to-Day Struggles 27
Religion 28
Legal Political Communist Party a Fiction 33
5. Trotskyism 36
6. Six Periods of Communist Strategy in the United States 39
First Period (1919 to 1921) 40
Second Period (1921 to 1928) 41
Third Period (1928 to 1935) 41
Fourth Period (1935 to 1939) 42
Fifth Period (1939 to June 22, 1941) 43
Sixth Period (June 22, 1941 to f) 50
7. Communist Activities in California 58
8. Organization and Operation 64
Communist Functionaries 67
9. Labor Organizations 76
10. Front Organizations and Transmission Belts 89
11. Consumer Front Organizations 100
Communist Party Consumers Council 104
12. State Government 111
13. State Schools, Colleges and Universities 113
14. Conclusions 116
15. Affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 117
16. Affidavit of Rena M. Vale 122
League of Women Shoppers 124
WPA Historical Records Survey 126
American Writers' Union 128
American Federation of Government Employees 130
Communist Unit 131 Professional Section 131
Dues Secretaries Commission 133
Communist Party Fraction 134
Communist Control of Unions 136
San Francisco Cultural and Professional Fraction 137
Removing Non-Communists 139
"Loyalist" Spain 140
Negro Commission of the Communist Party 140
(2)
TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued
COMMUNISM— Continued Page
Communist Party Trade Union School 141
Meaning of "Popular Front" 142
Communist Party Membership Commission 143
Workers' Alliance Fraction 144
Communist Party Membership Drives 146
Collective Playwriting 146
Disillusionment 150
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild 152
Communist Party Political Commission 157
Communist Party Cultural Commission 164
Trotskyism in Writing 166
Communist Party Commissions 167
Control Commission 168
Communist Schools 172
Communist Oath 174
PART II
THE KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 176
Legal History of the Case 177
Labor Background • 177
Communist Background 177
George W. Alberts 179
Campus Unit Number Five of the Communist Party 182
Flight 183
Communist Cause Celebre 185
Special Privileges at San Quentin 190
Employment for Parolees 191
The Parole Board 192
Mental Conditions of Men 194
John Mustak 195
George Wallace 196
Conclusion 198
PART III
STNARQUISTAS 200
Background and History 200
Sinarquism in the United States and California 201
"Zoot-Suit" Crimes in Lo& Angeles 203
Digest of Testimony of Connelly, Fuss and McCormick 212
Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican- American
Youth 216
PART IV
NAZI ACTIVITIES 218
1. History 218
2. Theory 221
3. German-American Bund 225
4. Nazi Propaganda and Activities (in California) 241
5. Anti-Semitism 247
6. Nazi Front Organizations 254
Nazi-Communist Collaboration 256
National Copperheads of America 258
(3)
TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued
NAZI ACTIVITIES— Continued page
7. Friends of Progress 260
8. The America First Committee 273
9. Ku Klux Klan 280
PART V
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 282
1. History 282
2. Theory 283
3. Fascist Propaganda Channels in the United States and
California 284
Nazi and Fascist Activities 294
4. Italian Organizations and Activities 299
Cenaloco 301
Ex-Combattenti Society 302
Sons of Italy 303
Italian Chamber of Commerce 306
5. The Italian Consulate 307
6. Italian Language Newspapers 309
7. Italian Language Schools 314
8. Summary of Italian Fascism in California 319
PART VI
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 322
1. Kebeis 322
2. Dual Citizenship 323
3. Shintoism 323
4. Japanese Language Schools in California 326
5. Japanese Imperialism 329
6. Japanese Propaganda 332
7. Japanese Subversive Organizations 337
8. Activities of Japanese Evacuees 346
9. Pro- Japanese Sympathies in the United States 350
PART VII
MANKIND UNITED 353
Introduction 353
1. Mankind United Fantasy 355
2. Mankind United in Southern California 356
3. Mankind United in Central California 361
4. Mankind United in Northern California 376
5. The Voice 379
PART VIII
RECOMMENDATIONS _ 383
APPENDIX A 386
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13 386
APPENDIX B i 389
House Resolution No. 277 389
APPENDIX C 392
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 392
INDEX 397
(4)
EEPORT OP THE JOINT FACT-FINDING COM-
MITTEE ON UN-AMEEICAN ACTIVITIES
IN CALIFORNIA
INTRODUCTION
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, and members of the Legislature :
Your committee investigating un-American activities in California
herewith submits its report on the investigations and public hearings
held throughout the State.
AUTHORIZATION
The committee was created by Assembly Concurrent Resolution No.
13, filed with the Secretary of State January 27, 1941. This resolu-
tion created a Joint Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activi-
ties in California. The committee was instructed by Assembly Con-
current Resolution No. 13 to ''investigate, ascertain, collate and
appraise all facts causing or constituting interference with the National
Defense Program in California or rendering the people of the State,
as a part of the Nation, less fit physically, mentally, morally, eco-
nomically or socially;'7 and to ''investigate the activity of groups and
organizations whose membership include persons who are members of
the Communist Party, the Fascist Organizations, the German Nazi Bund,
or any other organization known or suspected to be dominated or con-
trolled by a foreign power, which activities affect the preparation of
this State for National defense, the functioning of any State agency,
unemployment relief and other forms of public assistance, educational
institutions of this State supported in whole or in part by State funds,
or any political program. " Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13
provides that the committee should "act during this Session of the
Legislature (1941), including any recess hereof, and after final adjourn-
ment hereof, until the commencement of the Fifty-fifth Legislature/'
and "to file a report with the Legislature during any Session of the
Fifty-fourth Legislature and with the Legislature during the regular
Session of the Fifty-fifth Legislature." Assembly Concurrent Resolu-
tion No. 13 appropriated the sum of $10,000 from the Contingent Fund
of the Senate and the Assembly for the expenses of the committee.
Pursuant to the provisions of the resolution the Committee on Rules
of the Senate appointed Senators T. H. DeLap, Chris N. Jespersen and
Clarence C. Ward. The Speaker of the Assembly appointed Assembly-
men Hugh M. Burns, Jesse Randolph Kellems, James H. Phillips and
Jack B. Tenney. In compliance with the provisions of Assembly Con-
current Resolution No. 13 the committee, as appointed by the Rules
Committee of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly, selected
Assemblyman Jack B. Tenney as its chairman.
Before the final adjournment of the Legislature in 1941, the Rules
Committee of the Senate declined to make a further appropriation for
the use of the Joint Fact-Finding Committee created under the pro-
visions of Assembly Concurrent Resolution No, 13, On June 13, 1941,
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6 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Assemblyman Jack B. Tenney, the Chairman of the Joint Fact-Finding
Committee created under Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13,
offered House Resolution No. 277 to the Assembly. House Resolution
No. 277 was adopted by the Assembly. This resolution contained
nearly the same provisions as Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13,
except that it created an Assembly Fact-Finding Committee 011
Un-American Activities in California of five members of the Assembly
to be appointed by the Speaker and appropriated the sum of $15,000
from the Contingent Fund of the Assembly for the expenses of the
committee. The Speaker of the Assembly thereafter appointed Assem-
blymen Hugh M. Burns, Nelson S. Dil worth, Jesse Randolph Kellems,
James H. Phillips and Jack B. Tenney to serve on the Assembly com-
mittee. Subsequently, the members appointed by the Speaker selected
Assemblyman Jack B. Tenney as its chairman. Later in the year
Senators T. H. DeLap, Chris N. Jespersen, and Clarence C. Ward
resigned from the Joint Fact-Finding Committee created by Assembly
Concurrent Resolution No. 13. Although the committee sat during the
greater part of its existence as an Assembly interim committee, it never-
theless retained a majority of the members of the Joint Fact-Finding
Committee.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 was introduced by Senators
Jack B. Tenney of Los Angeles County and Hugh M. Burns of Fresno
County on January 8, 1943. It was unanimously approved by the
Senate and was adopted by the Assembly with but five dissenting votes.
Pursuant to its provisions the Rules Committee of the Senate appointed
Senators Hugh M. Burns and Jack B. Tenney and the Speaker of the
Assembly appointed Assemblymen Nelson S. Dilworth and Dr. Jesse
Randolph Kellems. The committee in its first meeting elected Senator
Jack B. Tenney its chairman.
The committee, therefore, acted at all times under joint authority of
the Senate and the Assembly of the California Legislature. For this
reason your committee makes its report to both houses of the California
Legislature.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
Between July 28, 1941, and March 1, 1943, the committee conducted
30 days of public hearings in the State of California. The dates and
places of these hearings are as follows :
Los Angeles, July 28, 29, 30. 31. and August 1, 1941.
Los Angeles, October 14, 15, 16, and 17, 1941.
San Francisco, December 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 1941.
San Quentin, December 6, 1941.
San Diego, February 19, 20, and 21, 1942.
Los Angeles, February 23, and 24, 1942.
Los Angeles, March 24, 1942.
Fresno, May 22, 23, 1942.
San Francisco, May 25, 26, and 27, 1942.
Los Angeles, December 16, and 19, 1942.
Los Angeles, February 27, and March 1, 1943.
In addition to the above specified public hearings, the committee met
in executive session on a number of occasions. During the two years
INTRODUCTION 7
existence of the committee it has taken 16 volumes of testimony-tran-
script numbering 3,980 pages. Hundreds of exhibits have been intro-
duced in connection with the testimony of witnesses and are attached
to the original transcripts of testimony. In addition to these records,
the committee has gathered hundreds of pamphlets and circulars.
Attaches of the committee have subscribed to subversive publications
and have systematically checked them during the life of the committee.
In addition, the committee has filed and indexed nearly 14,000 cards
listing the activities of as many individuals in California. This part
of the committee's work is incomplete due to the lack of funds for the
employment of necessary attaches.
The committee has attempted to probe the activities of the groups
enumerated in the resolutions creating the committee, such as the Com-
munist Party, the Nazi-German Bund, the Fascist organizations and
kindred groups.
The members of your committee unanimously selected Mr. R. E.
Combs of Visalia as Chief Investigator. Investigators were hired from
time to time in northern California and in southern California and in
all cases these investigators did an outstanding patriotic work.
Thomas L. Cavett did a great deal of work for the committee in the
southern part of the State and Harry T. Machell did splendid work
for the committee in the San Francisco area. The committee had a
number of volunteer investigators who did extensive work without
compensation and at their own expense. Among these your committee
wishes especially to mention Mr. W. Bruce Pine of Los Angeles. Mr.
Pine was attacked in San Francisco in a trap that had been laid for
the committee's chief investigator, R. E. Combs, and had to be hos-
pitalized. The American Legion and its committees assisted in every
instance. Ben S. Beery, Chairman of the Americanism Committee of
the Seventeenth District, American Legion, rendered your committee
valuable services. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Anti-Defama-
tion League and other similar groups assisted the committee in every
possible manner. Many other patriotic and civic organizations who do
not desire publicity, likewise rendered invaluable service.
Dr. John R. Lechner, executive director of the Americanism Educa-
tional League did especially fine work in the Japanese field, collecting
many documents and statistics concerning Issei and Nesei Japanese.
His report, Playing With Dynamite, prepared by him in his capacity
as chairman of the Americanism Commission of the 23d District of the
American Legion, is well worth study in connection with the Japanese
problem.
Particular mention must be made of the work of Mrs. Linnie Terry,
committee secretary, who labored night and day preparing the material
and typing the entire manuscript of this report.
To all of these patriotic individuals and groups, and the many others
who are not named, but whose fine assistance is acknowledged, the
members of the committee extend their sincere thanks.
From the very inception of its work the members of the committee
were cognizant of the fact that all subversive activities are tinged with
sensationalism and that facts developed by investigations and public
hearings necessarily lend themselves to publicity. The committee and
8 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
its members, therefore, endeavored in every way to conduct the hearings
with dignity and restraint, sometimes under most trying circumstances.
Before hearings on any phase of the committee's work were planned,
an intensive study was made of the ideological background of the par-
ticular movement under investigation. Its literature was secured and
read. Hearing briefs, covering all of the points concerning the organ-
ization, its leaders, members and activities, and the questions to be
asked the witnesses and the exhibits to be introduced in connection
with witnesses7 testimony, were carefully prepared. The order and
appearance of witnesses were carefully planned so that the committee's
transcript would show a clear, systematic and chronological sequence.
To preserve clarity and continuity throughout, the examination of wit-
nesses was conducted by the committee's chief investigator, Mr. R. E.
Combs. At the conclusion of the prepared questions from the hearing
brief, the members of the committee asked such questions as occurred to
them during the chief examination of the witness.
The committee, at all times, cooperated closely with the intelligence
units of the armed forces and with the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion. Representatives of the committee have worked for weeks at a
time with the agents of Federal departments. It was found the elastic
powers of your committee were exceedingly helpful to other law enforc-
ing agencies. The committee, empowered to subpena witnesses and
to examine them under oath, not being bound by the rules of evidence
and armed with the power to punish for contempt through the initia-
tion of proper criminal proceedings, and for perjury in the event that
crime might be established, cuts through the technical restriction of
other investigative units which are primarily law-enforcing in character
rather than fact-finding.
The newspapers of the State of California played an important
part in the work of the committee. Nearly every newspaper in the
State carried concise and clear reports of the public hearings and
contributed greatly in exposing the machinations and activities of
subversive groups within our borders. Your committee wishes to
state emphatically that subversive organizations wither and die under
the penetrating search-light of publicity. The newspapers of California
have contributed no small part in patriotically checking these termites
in their efforts to undermine and sabotage our government.
AMERICANISM
The committee approached each separate subversive problem on the
premise that any group that attacks the Flag, institutions, traditions,
Democracy and Constitution of California and the United States is
un-American per se. The members of the committee, at all times, kept
in mind the Bill of Rights and its guarantees to the people of the
United States. The committee has, at all times, carefully distinguished
between criticism of our form of government and design for its destruc-
tion. We have been aware, at all times, of the right of every citizen to
criticize, to discuss, and to propose changes in either our laws or our
economics. We have never lost sight of the right of the individual, or
of a group of individuals, to propose changes in our laws and in our
government by constitutional methods. We have, therefore, concerned
ourselves with those individuals and groups who are determined to
INTRODUCTION 9
sabotage and forcibly destroy the government under which we live
and to which we owe our allegiance. The committee is happy to report
that such individuals and groups are in the minority but wishes
emphatically to state that because of this minority status, these groups
have evolved techniques and tactics that more than offset the smallness
in numbers of their adherents. They present a real and tangible threat
to our institutions, our Democracy, our State and our Nation.
ISMS VERSUS DEMOCRACY
The members of the committee have been asked from time to time
to define un-American and subversive croups. We believe that any
organization, individual or group in California or in the United States,
controlled, directed or subsidized by a foreign government or agency,
either by direct instructions or sympathy with or adherence to foreign
isms inimical to the Constitution and Democracy of the United States,
and which have as their ultimate objective the changing of the policies
of, or the government of, the United States in accordance with the
wishes or directions or ultimate objectives of such foreign government,
are un-American and subversive.
Considerable study of Communism, Fascism, and Naziism has been
made by the committee and its representatives in contrast to American
Democracy. We find, generally, that all of these isms are inimical to
the most fundamental principles of Democracy under the Constitution
of the United States. Communism, Naziism and Fascism differ one
from the other only in minor technicalities. The committee finds that :
1. Communism, Naziism and Fascism are totalitarian dictatorships.
2. Communism, Naziism and Fascism abolish all respect for personal
dignity and individual rights.
3. The individual under Communism, Naziism or Fascism is deprived
of any legal protection whatever against acts of force or brutality by
representatives of his respective government.
4. All three forms of government have in common a complete and
thorough contempt for liberalism, parliamentarism, humanitarianism,
majority opinion or democratic procedure. All three isms are founded
on intolerance and are committed to attaining their ends by the appli-
cation of ruthless force and brutality.
5. Under Communism, Naziism or Fascism the imposition of group
interest over individual right differs only in respect to the group
favored. Under Communism, it is the proletariat and under Naziism
and Fascism, the lower middle classes of the people.
6. Communism, Naziism and Fascism are single party systems. Party
members under all three systems are exalted over the remainder of
the people and constitute a class under which new caste distinctions
emerge. The National Socialist Party of Germany under Hitler at the
outbreak of the war numbered about 3,000,000 people out of the total
population of Germany, and the Communist Party of Russia had about
the same numerical strength. Only party members in Germany or in
Russia have anything to say whatsoever about the conduct of their
respective governments.
10 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
7. Class warfare is the approved, accepted, desirable and legitimate
means used by Communism, Naziism and Fascism for the attainment
of their respective objectives.
8. Communism, Naziism and Fascism have a common history of terror
and intimidation. The Blood Purges of 1934 in Germany are illustra-
tive of the Nazi technique in overcoming opposition and have their
counterpart in Soviet Russia in the physical mass liquidation of entire
populations in the Ukraine and in the Communist trials and mass
murders of 1937.
9. The Communist, Nazi and Fascist dictatorship share the doctrine
of expansion by force beyond their own boundaries ; not only conquest
by the sword, but conquest by propaganda, and political penetra-
tion as well. The Fascist invasion of Ethiopia, the Nazi attacks upon
Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway and Western Europe in gen-
eral, and Soviet Russia 's attack on Finland, Poland and Rumania before
Hitler's invasion of Russia, are typical illustrations of conquest by the
sword. Nazi propaganda and front organizations under direct super-
visi<0ta of Berlin,, Communist propaganda, front organizations aaid
activities throughout the United States under the direct supervision
of Moscow and Fascist propaganda and organizations under the direc-
tion of Rome, are illustrations of the political penetrations of these
three totalitarian states.
Constitutional democracies are best described today as being "in the
middle." The end of the war, with its necessary dislocations and
readjustments, will make this fact even more apparent. On the one
side is Communism and on the other, Fascism. Regardless of the
outcome of the war neither ideology will be destroyed. While there
is little difference between them, each flourishes and grows strong in
its antagonism against the other. Naziism, and its German-American
Bund mouthpiece in America, recruits members and sympathizers on
the basis of its race hatred and anti-Communism. Russia, through its
mouthpiece, the Communist Party of the United States, recruits mem-
bers on the basis of class hatred and anti-Fascism. Constitutional
democracies are caught in this vicious "squeeze-play." We have yet
to see an anti-Nazi Communist League.
The successful adjustment of our economic life in the United States
to industrial and agricultural mass production; the successful adjust-
ment of the increasing use of machines to the decreasing use of labor
within the framework of our Constitution and its Bill of Rights is the
real problem facing American Democracy today. Many of our people,
including public officials, appear to have lost sight of this real problem
in the midst of the hullabaloo raised by the conflict between Fascism
and Communism. American Democracy has been sitting idly by,
quizzically watching the life and death struggle of two beasts of prey,
little realizing that Democracy is the prize to be devoured by the
victor of the contest. America must be made to realize that it is not
just Fascism versus Communism, but, actually, Constitutional Democ-
racy versus Totalitarianism.
SUBVERSIVE GROUPS ATTACK WEAKNESSES
The United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor! This attack
was a practical demonstration of what can happen to a Nation
INTRODUCTION 11
unaware of enemies possessed with ideological passion for world dom-
ination. The United States has no territorial ambitions. The United
States has no desire to govern the people of other lands. In fighting
this war we do so because we are attacked. All that the United States
hopes for in victory is that the world will rid itself of the madmen ; of
superiority ideologies and of the crusading isms continually challenging
the right of other Nations to live at peace at home and with its
neighbors.
This global conflict is a two front war. It is a war of ships and
tanks, of bombers and guns. It is also a war of ideas. In the final
analysis the conflict is not simply to determine the victorious nation
or nations, but to determine what ideas will rule the world. The
United States battle fronts are scattered throughout the world. We
can trace the ebb and flow of desperate battle on the world's map.
It is difficult, however, to trace the isms, the sneaking and disguised
enemies of our democracy as they ebb and flow, pulsating within our
own ranks at home. Our military leaders, our engineers and our
scientists have developed military equipment; we have heard of
"defense in depth"; of offensive strategy; of adequate arms, but we
have developed little, if anything, for the battle of ideas. It should
be remembered that we can win the war and lose our democracy
through short sightedness. If we are to win the war and retain our
democracy, then we must know not only the enemy we fight with guns
but the enemy we fight with ideas; we must know his strategy and
the weapons he uses against us. The fanatical fighting zeal of the
subversive enemies within our midst must not only be met with equal
zeal but must be surpassed in faith for our democracy and our form
of government.
What kind of people are we fighting on the home front? Your
committee is prepared to state that they are trained, iron-disciplined
and inspired with a zeal and purpose to wipe out our way of life.
Are we, as Americans, trained and disciplined and inspired with zeal
to continue our way of life ? Are we prepared for this war at home ?
We are fighting a total war. We should demand nothing less than
total victory. It is the responsibility of the Legislature to enact suit-
able laws for the protection of the community, the State and Nation
from these subversive organizations, but laws are not enough. We
need a fighting faith for our Democracy, our Constitution and our
way of life.
PART I
COMMUNISM
1
THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT AS AN ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES
The members of your committee are fully appreciative of the mag-
nificent stand being made against Hitler and his hordes of barbarians
by the Red Army. We are likewise cognizant of the fact that since
December, 1941, our country, the United States, has been an ally of
Soviet Russia. The members of the committee, since the invasion of
Soviet Russia by Germany in June of 1941, have been in full accord
with every possible assistance to the Soviet Union in its fight against
the common enemy, Nazi-Germany. We stand unequivocally behind
the foreign policy of our government in giving every possible aid, at
this time, to Soviet Russia and her valiant Red Army. We have no
quarrel, whatsoever, with the foreign policy of the United States in
relation to the winning of the war and the uncompromising defeat of
the Axis powers. We stand, as we believe every patriotic American
stands, wholeheartedly for every possible aid to Great Britain, China,
Soviet Russia and the United Nations in winning this war and in the
complete and thorough crushing of Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito.
The committee, however, wishes to distinguish between the activities
of the Soviet Union as a government allied to the United States in this
present conflict, and the activities of its tool and agent, — the Com-
munist Party of the United States. We look upon these two activities
as distinct and separate; on the one hand referring to the foreign
policy of our own country, and on the other, referring specifically to
our internal domestic picture, and bearing, perhaps, vitally, on the
future and the preservation of our form of government when the war
is ended.
The situation is crystal clear if our thinking is straight and lucid.
Prior to December 7, 1941 the United States was seething with alien
propaganda, foreign-agents and avowed enemies of our way of life.
For 22 months, culminating June 22, 1941, two fifth columns, merging
their activities and propaganda, had collaborated in sabotaging our
defense efforts and our preparations for the eventuality of war. The
Nazi Fifth Column and the Communist Fifth Column, because of the
mutual interests of their respective foreign governments, buried what-
ever antagonism that had existed between them and worked against their
common enemies, the United States, Great Britain and the nations at
war with Germany. Suddenly, on June 22, 1941, the masters of these
fifth columns in America went to war against each other. The United
States was still at peace. On June 23, 1941, the Communist Fifth
Column stopped its collaboration with the Nazi Fifth Column, altered
its propagandizing in the United States, and became a leading force
in its demand for intervention. Many Americans, including members
(12)
COMMUNISM 13
of your committee, favored intervention against Nazi-Germany at the
outbreak of the war.
Since the invasion of Soviet Russia by Nazi-Germany, the Communist
Party in California has been helpful in ferreting out Nazi and pro-
Axis agents and sympathizers, as the transcripts of the committee amply
indicate. Every loyal American, and every decent human being, loathes
and abhors the bestiality and degrading philosophy that activates
Nazi-Germany. Every loyal American is resolved and determined,
at whatever personal sacrifice necessary, that the Nazi-monster and
its Axis partners be vigorously and thoroughly stamped out. No loyal
American will compromise this resolve and determination and will
be satisfied with nothing less than the unconditional surrender and
defeat of these world aggressors. In this resolve and determination
of ours, the Communist Party of the United States has found, for the
first time in its existence, a moving force in America, corresponding
in every detail with the foreign policy, ambition and need of the
Comintern. The Communist Party will take every possible advantage
of this situation. Heretofore the Communists have been able to fit
their party line into small segments of American life, detached
from the broad current of Yankee thought and desire. Now, they
find that the sweeping force of a great war in which the United States
is engaged, is one which they can harness for their future, sinister
purposes.
Earl Browder's latest book of Communist propaganda is Victory
— And After (International Publishers Co., Inc., 1942). This work,
as is to be expected, illucidates the present party line of the Comintern.
In addition to being an all-out attack on Martin Dies and his com-
mittee, the general theme is "Unity," which may be considered the
Communist key-term for the current era of Communist strategy in
the United States. The psychological tactic of tying in the enemies
of Communism with the enemies, fancied or otherwise, of segments of
American life, is here used in a vicious and clever manner by tying
the enemies of Communism in with the enemies of the United States.
Thus, although the Dies Committee has exposed Axis-agents and Nazi-
front organizations as fearlessly as they have exposed Communism and
its front organizations ; because it has fought Communism together with
the now admitted enemy of the United States, Naziism, Mr. Browder
labels Dies and his committee the real fifth column in America and
agents of Hitler. Mr. Browder believes the war offers an opportunity
for the Communist Party to rid itself of the Dies Committee and of
all similar Committees by the fallacious reasoning that in view of the
fact that the United States is an ally of Soviet Russia, it naturally
follows that those who oppose Communism necessarily espouse Naziism.
Mr. Browder's plea for " Unity " is a plea for freedom of action,
plotting and intrigue in the United States for the Communist Party.
Victory — And After is clearly Communist propaganda modified to meet
the present strategy of the party.
In Victory — And After we have, as of course is to be expected, a
different Earl Browder than the person who appeared before the mem-
bers of the Fifteenth International Brigade in the vicinity of Moro
Station in Spain following the brigade's relief from action at Teruel.
(Affidavit of John G. Honey combe.) At that time, Mr. Browder is
14 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
reported as having said in his address to the members of the brigade
that "Victory for the working class of Spain will be the signal for
the revolt of the working classes throughout the world to overthrow
their oppressors and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat;
* * * we of America must set the example of revolutionary dis-
cipline and courage for the workers of Spain as well as for our own
working class at home in America, " and that the day would surely
come when the Communists would be the cadres of the revolution,
leading the vanguard of the working class in their struggle to over-
throw the capitalists and the capitalist systems and establish the dic-
tatorship of the proletariat; that the comrades in Spain must emulate
the heroic leaders of the revolution, Lenin and Stalin.
The Communist Fifth Column is still in America. The committee
warns that this fact must not be forgotten. We all admire the courage
and heroism of the Russian people fighting against the barbarous,
brutalized Nazi invader. We do not believe, however, that this stand
and this courage of the Russian people proves the greatness of their
form of government any more than we believe that the aggressiveness
and brutality of the Nazi hordes prove the greatness of the Nazi dic-
tatorship. We have no quarrel with the Soviet Government. We DO
have a quarrel with Nazi-Germany and her Axis partners. We are
determined, in collaboration with the United Nations, to prosecute
that quarrel to glorious victory for the United Nations. We want
peace at the conclusion of this victorious war with all the nations of
the world. Our comradeship-in-arms with Soviet Russia in this life-
and-death struggle will, and properly should, bring the people of the
United States and the people of Russia, together in strong bonds of
friendship. We desire that our governments, because of our mutual
sacrifices, work together in the future in close friendship and coopera-
tion. We have no designs on the Government of the United Nations
nor upon the Government of Soviet Russia. We believe in the self
determination of peoples of all nations. We insist and demand that
we be permitted to determine our own form of government. We are
resolved that the end of the war shall not see the end of our American
way of life. Therefore, we should not tolerate in our midst, either
the fifth column of the enemies we fight on the far-flung battlefields
of the world, or the Fifth Column of the allies with whom we
fight as well.
The war is one thing. Our peace, tranquillity and security at home,
in California and in the United States, is another thing. We must not
forget that the transcendent arch-enemy which the Communist Third
International, and its affiliated parties throughout the world and the
whole elaborate Communist hierarchy have been savagely, relentlessly,
ruthlessly and fanatically fighting since the inception of the Comintern,
is Capitalism. The complete smashing by force of every capitalist gov-
ernment— yes, and of every Democracy — and the establishment of a
world- wide dictatorship of the proletariat is the long range objective of
the Comintern. The mere intervention of this global conflict will not,
for an instant, change the allegedly scientific socialism of Karl Marx or
in any manner amend or lessen the basic ideologies of the Communist
movement which is indelibly burned into the mind and fibre of every
real indoctrinated Communist.
COMMUNISM 15
The committee is likewise aware of the cleverly conceived and still
more cleverly executed psychological warfare plans of pro-Axis forces
in the United States. We have become thoroughly familiar with the
patterns of Axis propaganda, its use of prejudices and its play on
ignorance and emotion. The committee has gathered considerable evi-
dence, proving beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the pro-Axis forces
in California and in the United States, have used in the past, and are
well prepared to use in the future, the Communist Party and Soviet
Russia as a basis for a negotiated peace with Germany and the Axis
powers. Hitler used the Communist menace as a stepladder to the
Fuehrership of the Third Reich. Therefore, the committee emphatically
warns the people of California and of the United States to be watchful
and aware of such a pro-Axis scheme. Our country and its leaders
have never quarreled with the people of other countries in the determi-
nation of their particular forms of government. We reiterate that
we in America have no quarrel with Soviet Russia, as a government,
in its form of government, its economics, or its internal laws. We have
never sought officially or otherwise to dictate to the people of Germany,
of Italy or of Japan, the form of government under which they should
live. We have never sent emissaries from the United States to under-
mine or destroy the governments of foreign countries. We have never
attempted to indoctrinate the people of other countries with our philos-
ophy of government nor have we stirred them up for the purpose of
undermining and sabotaging their institutions. We have no quarrel
with the Monarchy of Great Britain. We have no quarrel with the
form of the governments of the United Nations. We, therefore, believe
that we have a right to be free of molestation and interference in our
own Nation as to our particular type of government and its institutions.
If we are not concerned about the preservation of our American Democ-
racy, its Constitution, its government and its institutions, then, of
course, it doesn't very much matter. The committee believes, however,
that we are vitally concerned. Thus it is, that we carefully distinguish
between the government of Soviet Russia, our ally in fighting the com-
mon enemy, Nazi-Germany, and the Communist Party of the United
States, which has as its long range objective the destruction of our
form of government. It is only incidental, and considerably aside
from the main question, that the Communist Party of the United States,
in carrying out its policy of protecting the Soviet Union, joins pres-
ently in our all-out war effort 'against the common enemy.
Clear thinking in these times is vitally important. The committee
learned that when it investigated the Communists in California, that
the Communists attacked the committee as being "Fascist" and, after
the invasion of Russia by Germany as agents of Hitler. When the com-
mittee investigated the German-American Bund, the Friends of Prog-
ress, and the Italian-Fascist groups throughout the State, the committee
was attacked by these groups as being ' i Communist. ' ' The pattern of
psychological propaganda in this respect was the same on either side
of the picture. This strategy is being carried to great lengths at pres-
ent by the Communist Party in California. An attack upon the Ameri-
can Communist, according to the American Communist, is an attack
upon American " unity " and whoever indulges in such attacks, pro-
claims the American Communist, is an ally of Hitler and the Axis
16 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
powers. The ' ' unity ' ' that the Communist Party babbles about at this
time is the unity of a drop of arsenic in a glass of milk. If anyone
complains of the arsenic, argues the Communist, he is disrupting
' ' unity. " It is the psychology of the classical proposal of an alternate
selection of death; hanging or shooting, and the human mind some-
times does not reason clearly enough to recognize the fundamental and
actual desire, merely to live. Americans want neither hanging nor
shooting, neither Fascism nor Communism. They want American
Democracy, constitutional government, free enterprise, civil liberties,
freedom, and the unhindered enjoyment of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
The distinction the committee makes in this connection is a very real
one. How many of our people ever heard of a man by the name of
Michael Kalinin? Everyone has heard of Stalin. Yet Stalin has no
position, whatsoever, in the Soviet government. Michael Kalinin is the
head of the Union of the Socialist Soviet Republics. Joseph Stalin is
merely the Secretary of the Communist Party of Russia.
RED-BAITING AND RED-BAITERS
The average citizen knows little or nothing of Communism. He has
been the victim of a steady barrage of clever propaganda under which
true designs and purposes are concealed. He has been led to believe
that anyone who advocates a more equal distribution of the world's
goods and who fights for the oppressed and the exploited is called a
* l Communist ' ' by the so-called ' i reactionary ' ' press and the spokesmen
of large corporations. If Mr. Average Citizen has heard Communism
defined at all, it has been on the basis of the theory of John Mill who
defined "Communism" as "An equality of distribution of the physical
means of life and enjoyment as a transition to a still higher standard
of justice that all should work according to their capacity and receive
according to their need. ' ' John Mill 's definition of Communism is the
cheese in the trap for the unwary mouse, Mr. Average Citizen.
Generally, Mr. Average Citizen has never met anyone who admitted
he was a Communist. He has undoubtedly heard of Mr. Earl Browder,
Secretary of the Communist Party of the United States of America,
and perhaps he has even seen photographs of Mr. Browder. He may
have heard that "Communism is Twentieth Century Americanism.7'
In recent years he has heard that Communism is based on the principles
of Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln, Marx, Lenin and Stalin. Certainly,
reasons Mr. Average Citizen, (if he is actually reasoning and not merely
reacting to his conditioned reflexes), if Washington, Jefferson and
Lincoln are in agreement with Marx, Lenin and Stalin, then, certainly,
Communism is, in fact, really Twentieth Century Americanism.
If our Mr. Average Citizen has really been doing any thinking in
recent years, he must undoubtedly have been considerably confused
and dismayed by the apparently twisting Communist "party line"
in America. He would like to discuss the matter and to learn the
reasons and the motivating force behind Communist machinations in
California and in the United States. This, however, he finds he can
not do. Some strange spell has been cast over his mind. He finds that
COMMUNISM 17
he can not reason at all when it comes to a discussion of Communism.
The more intellectual he happens to be; the more he considers himself
a " liberal " or a "progressive" the more inhibited he finds himself when
faced with this vague and mysterious subject of Communism.
While Mr. Average Citizen really knows little of the subject, its
objectives and its purposes, he has heard of a terrible group of people
generally referred to as "red-baiters." Depending on the current
policy of the Communist Party, these ' ' red-baiters ' ' are the paid emis-
saries of a variety of devils. Most generally the masters of the "red-
baiters" are exploiting capitalists and "reactionary" taskmasters.
More recently these "red-baiters" are the propagandists of Fascism
and the designing agents of Hitler's Fifth Column in America. Act-
ually, however, Mr. Average Citizen really does not know what the
term means. He dare not even plumb the depth of its horrible implica-
tions. If he happens to imagine himself a ' ' liberal " or a " progressive ' '
he will shy away from anyone who attacks Stalin's particular brand of
Communism. He will avoid anyone who attacks Stalin's Sacred Cow.
Anyone in America may attack the Socialists, the Trotskyites, the Nazis
or the Fascists, with impunity but when Soviet Russia or the loyal
comrades of Stalin's administration are attacked, they fall into that
terrible category, that abyss of depravation, referred to as "red-
baiters." A "liberal" or a "progressive" who falls into the sin of
attacking Communism of the Stalin school, particularly if such
"liberal" or "progressive" happens to be a sincere and sensitive soul,
feels that he has sunk to the lowest depths of depravity; that he has
betrayed his best friend and has lost caste over the face of the earth.
It is as though a voodoo doctor had cast a spell over his mind; an
enchantment of black magic suddenly conjured by name-calling. To
sincere and sensitive individuals other Communist names such as ' ' stool
pigeon," "renegade liberal," "strike-breaker" and "social Fascist"
are name-taboos soul-shattering and terrifying, but for devastation
complete, "red-baiting" is in a class by itself. The strange efficacy
of the term has closed and kept shut the mouths of many disillusioned
ex-Communists. Fear of this stinging epithet holds the tongue and
hands of many who might speak and write on the subject with author-
ity. Politicians, in trembling fear of the appellation, avoid Com-
munism in campaign speeches and in the exercise of the public offices
to which they are elected. This strange, paralyzing fear of a name
should engage the attention of psychiatrists and psychologists.
Our American history is full of occasions of biting and derisive name-
calling but throughout its crowded pages there have always appeared
men of courage who feared neither the names or the caller-of-names.
But only a few men during the past several years have had the courage
to stand up under the paralyzing accusation of being a "red-baiter."
There is little wonder, then, that Mr. Average Citizen is confused and
dismayed when confronted with, what must appear to him to be a
vague and unsubstantial thing — Communism.
Eugene Lyons, in his book on Stalinist penetration of America, "The
Red Decade," has written brilliantly in defense of red-baiting. He
sums it up as follows :
' ' There can be no clear thinking, no clear examination of
the issues raised by the Kremlin 's intrusion in American
2— L-2275
18 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
life until the red-baiter taboo has been exorcised. A
beginning, at least, can be made if those who expose Com-
munist sculduggery walk up boldly to the terrible hob-
goblin and, taking their courage in their hands, say,
* ' Boo ! ' ' right in its face. After that, I can assure them,
they will be able to wear the red-baiter tag with a flourish
of pride, and their sleep will be as sweet as a healthy
infant's. * * * What is more, I challenge all intel-
lectually honest liberals to break through their inhibi-
tions by saying, "Boo!" They will not find it easy at
first, of course, and may have to practice it before their
mirrors with doors closed and blinds drawn. But after a
while they will discover that neither thunder nor light-
ning will descend on their heads, but only a spatter of
harmless sparks unloosed from Thirteenth Street, off
Union Square in New York. In the end they will be
cured, and will be able to examine the mythology of
Stalinism as calmly as the folklore of capitalism or the
mythology of Hitlerism."
The Committee investigating un-American activities in California
has followed Mr. Lyons' advice and has not only said "Boo!" to the
hobgoblin red-baiter-taboo but has actually found courage to subpena
the medicine men of Communist Voodooism and compel them to testify
in public hearings. The jungle drums of the Communist press have
roared and sent up a great turmoil. New names have been invented
and hurled with special venom at the committee and its members;
distorted news items and lying editorials have been generously indulged
in, but the spell has been broken. The committee is happy to report
that the citizenry of California and of the United States may success-
fully risk "red-baiting" and the terrible appellation of "red-baiters."
SOURCES OF COMMUNIST INFORMATION
No attempt has been made by the committee to include in this report
the details and ramifications of the extremely complicated ideology of
Communism. The committee has been more concerned with the activi-
ties and manifestations in California of the Communist Party than
with the ideology that moves and disciplines its members. The prob-
lem, however, cannot be understood unless some knowledge of the
theory of Communism, its history, development and strategies are
explained. The members of your committee, its investigators and rep-
resentatives, in addition to examining Communist witnesses, have given
considerable time to the study of Communist documents, textbooks and
literature. "Whatever the theoretical grounds and basis of Com-
munism may purport to be, the committee is prepared to state the
practical approach to the attainment of Communism in the United States
of America is vicious and subversive. The committee, after its study
and examination of Communist Party literature, textbooks and the
works of contemporary writers who lived in Soviet Russia, concludes
that all that remains of Communism in Soviet Russia is the name.
COMMUNISM 19
Even Joseph E. Davies writing in Mission to Moscow indicates this fact.
The committee is prepared to state that Soviet Kussia since 1935 has
been, in fact, a Fascist state.
The committee examined and interrogated many experts on the sub-
ject of Communism and on the subject of Communism in Russia. It
has questioned many disillusioned former members of the Communist
Party. The affidavits of John G. Honeycombe and Rena M. Vale are
set forth in full in this report. Both of these affidavits are outstanding
evidence of the morass of intrigue and the insidious plotting of the
Communist Party. The affidavit of Rena M. Vale is of exceptional
value in the opinion of the committee. This unusual document of
Communist undercover machination in the State of California should
be read by every Californian.
To those who may be interested in pursuing the complicated ideology
of Communism, its activities and machinations, the committee recom-
mends its 16 volumes containing the transcript of testimony taken
through 1941 to 1943 together with their exhibits. In this connection,
the committee recommends to the Legislature, that these transcripts
together with their exhibits, be published in their entirety. The com-
mittee has studied and drawn heavily on the entire library of Commu-
nist literature. The following list is recommended to those who wish to
pursue the subject in greater detail:
1. Das Kapital, by Karl Marx.
2. Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Frederich
Engels.
3. Official History of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union.
4. The World Communist Movement, by G. Manuilsky.
5. Men and Politics, by Louis Fischer.
6. I Confess, by Benjamin Gitlow.
7. The Red Decade, by Eugene Lyons.
8. The People's Front, by Earl Browder.
9. Constitution of the Communist Party of the United
States.
The last named, The Constitution of the Communist Party of the
United States, is revised from time to time, as the laws of the Federal
Government are revised, and , the foreign policy of Soviet Russia
changes. All of the publications mentioned, with the exception of
those by Fischer, Lyons and Gitlow, may be purchased at any Commu-
nist book store in any of the large cities in California. Most of these
book stores are easily identified as they are known as " Progressive "
or " Workers" book stores, or some such equivalent name. Your com-
mittee considers the works by Eugene Lyons as particularly illuminat-
ing and informative. In addition to Lyons' Red Decade, the committee
also recommends Lyons' Assignment in Utopia and Stalin, Czar of All
the Russias.
In addition to the foregoing, members of the committee and its repre-
sentatives have carefully examined the reports and records of similar
committees and have had access to the files of law-enforcing bodies of
the State and similar agencies. Confidential sources of information
have been of great assistance in the preparation of public hearings and
20 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
have been the background upon which considerable evidence has ulti-
mately been established.
The use of the word "Communism" in this report should be clearly
understood. The committee wishes clearly to distinguish between such
terms as "Socialism," " Syndicalism, " "Radicalism," "Anarchism,"
or general philosophies of political, economic or social change and
"Communism." When "Communism" is used in this report, the
committee is referring to the revolutionary radicalism and totalitarian-
ism of Stalin and the Third or Communist International which has its
headquarters in Moscow. The terms "Communism," "Stalinism,"
' ' Third International, " " Communist International ' ' and ' ' Comintern ' '
are intended to convey the same meaning in the pages of the commit-
tee 's report. The use of these terms is not to be confused with Social-
ism or philosophies of governmental reform divorced from foreign
domination and control, and force and violence.
In addition to the sources listed above the committee has gathered the
following material:
1. Photostats of all of the signers to Communist Party nominating
petitions in California, including the appointments of members to the
State Central Committee of the Communist Party. The files of the
committee contain complete lists of every individual who has officially
run for public office on the Communist Party ticket together with the
registered members of the Communist Party who signed their nomi-
nating petitions.
2. Lists of all individuals who registered as Communists in various
parts of the State.
3. Full data of the background and activity of California Communists
and Fellow Travelers.
4. Identities, background and activities of individuals who have, from
time to time, been identified with Communist causes in California, either
in the category of "dupes" and "innocents" or just Communist Party
"window dressing."
5. Files of the Communist Party official publication on the West
coast, the People's Daily World; current Communist magazines and
Communist literature. From these publications the committee has
been able to secure a rounded picture of Communist attempts to pene-
trate and capture the following :
Home Defense groups.
Labor Unions.
Consumers groups.
Language and racial groups.
Migratory labor and agriculture groups.
Schools and colleges.
Motion picture industry.
Theatre and radio.
Charitable organizations.
Art and music.
All fields of writing.
These publications clearly reveal Communist Party attempts to
influence women's organizations, churches, State and Federal Govern-
COMMUNISM 21
ments, the Army and Navy, educational institutions and all mass
organizations.
6. A mass of documents, photostats, inflammatory pamphlets, peri-
odicals, newspapers, reports and similar documentary evidence of the
scope of the Communist Party's influence in propaganda fields.
COMMUNIST THEORY AND PRACTICE
One of the stock questions asked by every American Communist and
Communist Fellow Traveler when questioned as to his Communist
affiliation is, "What is a Communist?" This is designed to leave the
original questioner flabbergasted. The Communist or Communist
Fellow Traveler, schooled in the art of oral fencing, readily falls back
on the definition of ' l Communism ' ' by John Mill. He is apt to counter,
when definitely pinned down, to something, as follows : " If you mean
by "Communism," an equality of the distribution of the physical
means of life and the enjoyment thereof as a transition to a still higher
standard of justice that all men and women should work according to
their capacity and receive according to their needs, then I am a Com-
munist. ' ' This economic delusion is supposed to leave its hearers fully
convinced that the word ' ' Communist " is a derogatory term for high-
minded men and women who merely desire to make the world a better
place in which to live.
Earl Browder has named the following as the basic texts of Com-
munism : The Manifesto, by Marx and Engels ; Das Kapital, by Karl
Marx; Fate and Revolution, Left Wing Communism, and What is to
Be Done, by Lenin; Leninism, by Stalin; The United Front, by
Dimitrov, the Secretary of the Third International. Earl Browder,
himself, has written the following books on the subject, which are
accepted by the Communists as authoritative : Communism in the United
States (1933-4) ; What is Communism? (1936) ; The People's Front
(1937-8), and Fighting for Peace (1938-9).
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels are the authors of the modern
version of Communism and Lenin and Stalin are the modern inter-
preters and prophets. All Communist authorities agree with this
statement. The Manifesto, written by Marx and Engels in 1848, may
be considered the bible of Communism. The Marxian theory of Com-
munism is supplemented in its .modern version as to sovereignty and
tactics to be employed for its attainment.
The First Communist International was created September 28, 1864,
and was organized in London, England. The Second Communist
International was organized in Paris in 1889. Lenin organized the
Third Communist International in Moscow in 1919. Trotsky headed
the Fourth International. Only about 3,000,000 adherents of Russian
Communism have any voice whatsoever out of the 180,000,000 or more
Russians in the Soviet government. Only the "politically most con-
scious" of the Russians may join the Communist Party of Russia.
(Constitution, 1936, Article 126.)
Article XI of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Communist Party
of the United States adopted in New York May 27-31, 1938, provides*:
"The Communist Party of the U. S. A. is affiliated with
its fraternal Communist Parties of other lands through
22 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the Communist International and participates in Inter-
national Congresses, through its National Committee.
Resolutions and decisions of International Congresses
shall be considered and acted upon by the supreme author-
ity of the Communist Party of the U. S. A., the National
Convention, or between Conventions, by the National
Committee. ' '
LEGAL AND ILLEGAL METHODS
The program of the Communist International bluntly directs
legal methods must unfailingly be combined with illegal
methods * * *." One of the conditions laid down for admission
to the Communist International, promulgated by 0. Piatnitsky, is as
follows :
"The obligation to spread Communist ideas include the
particular necessity of persistent, systematic propaganda
in the army. Wherever such propaganda is forbidden by
exceptional laws, it must be carried on illegally. The
abandonment of such work would be equivalent to the
betrayal of revolutionary duty and is incompatible with
membership in the Third International."
Section 36 of Part V of the Constitution of the Communist Inter-
national provides :
1 1 The Communist Parties must be prepared for transition
to illegal conditions. The B. C. C. I. (Executive Com-
mittee of the Communist International) must render the
Parties concerned assistance in their preparations for
transition to illegal conditions. "
Joseph Stalin, himself, writing in Volume 1 of Leninism throws aside
all pretense and states :
"The revolutionary will accept a reform in order to use
it as a means wherewith to link legal work with illegal
work, in order to use it as a screen behind which his illegal
activities for the revolutionary preparation of the masses
for the overthrow of the Bourgeoisie may be intensified. ' '
Methods and tactics of combining legal work with illegal work on
the part of the Communists everywhere accounts, particularly in the
United States, for the secret, conspiratorial, underground groups, who
use fictitious names and deny their affiliation with the party. These
tactics readily explain the shifting and deceit in the changing public
declarations and documents of open Communist functionaries. Thus,
it is, when the Congress of the United States enacts a statute providing
for the registration of the members of groups dominated by foreign
governments, that the open functionaries of the Communist Party act-
ing for the protection of the secret and underground membership,
revise their public constitution "as a screen behind which * * *
the illegal activities for the revolutionary preparation of the masses
for the overthrow of the Bourgeoisie may be intensified. ' '
The committee learned from William Schneiderman (Volume V, pp.
1260-1342) that the Communist Party did, in fact, call a special
COMMUNISM 23
National convention in New York on December 16, 1940 for the pur-
pose of amending the Constitution to comply with the Voorhis Act —
the Federal statute requiring the registration of subversive groups.
In this connection Mr. Schneiderman stated that ''revolution is one
of the historical facts of the world * * * we are part of it, ' ' He
admitted that changes in the Communist Party Line in America and
California were the result of changes in world events.
He said that the Communist Party believed it a mistake for the
United States to enter the war until the Soviet Union was attacked.
He amplified this statement by adding: "Any attack on the Soviet
Union is an attack on the interests of the workers throughout the
world." He stated that the use of the term "Fatherland," referring
to Soviet Eussia, was merely symbolic and that William Z. Foster used
this term in the symbolic sense when he stated that "Russia was the
Fatherland of all workers and the Red Flag the flag to which the
Communist Party owed allegiance. " He stated the slogan "The
Yanks Are Not Coming" was the Communist Party slogan prior to
the invasion of the Soviet Union by Hitler but after the invasion it
became a "reactionary slogan," and that after the Soviet Union was
attacked the role of America was changed.
An understanding of this insidious method of combining legal with
illegal methods on the part of the Communist Party in the United
States explains many inconsistencies, mental maneuverings and actual
perjuries on the part of many Communist witnesses who have testified
before the committee.
FOREIGN CONTROL
The Honorable Charles Evans Hughes reporting to the United
States Senate January 21, 1924 in his capacity as Secretary of
State, said:
"It will be seen that the question of whether Communist
programs contemplate the use of force and violence has
been passed upon by every class of tribunal which would
pass upon it, namely, Federal and State Courts, adminis-
trative tribunals and Legislative Committees of both
Federal and State governments and in every case the
result has been in support of the position that force and
violence are inseparable from Communist programs."
Mr. Hughes stated further, in the same report :
" It is believed that the evidence presented by the Depart-
ment of State established the unity of the Soviet Govern-
ment, and the Communist International, all of which are
controlled by a small group of individuals, technically
known as the political bureau of the Russian Communist
Party. Second, the spiritual and organic connection
between this Moscow group and its agents in this country
— the American Communist Party and its legal counter-
part, the Workers' Party. Not only are these organiza-
tions the creation of Moscow, but the latter has also
elaborated their program and controlled and supervised
their activities. While there may have existed in the
24 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
United States individuals, and even groups imbued with
the Marxist doctrines prior to the advent of the Com-
munist International, the existence of a disciplined party
equipped with a program aiming at the overthrow of the
institutions of this country by force and violence is due
to the intervention of the Bolshevik organizations into
the domestic political life of the United States. The
essential fact is the existence of an organization in the
United States . created by and completely subservient to
a foreign organization striving to overthrow the existing
social and political order of this country. Third, the
subversive and pernicious activities of the American Com-
munist Party and the Workers' Party and their subordi-
nates and allied organs in the United States are activities
resulting from and flowing out of the program elaborated
for them by the Moscow group ! ' '
Stalin told the American delegation to the Third Communist Inter-
national in Moscow in 1927: "The Communist Party of America,
as a section of the Third International must pay dues to the
'KiminterneV'
William Z. Foster, three times a candidate for the President of the
United States on the Communist ticket and an admitted member of
the Third International, testified before a Congressional Committee of
the United States Congress, as follows:
«* * * rpkg comnmnist International is a world
party, based upon the mass parties in the respective coun-
tries. It works out its policy by the mass principles of
these parties in all its deliberations. It is a party that
conducts the most fundamental examination of all ques-
tions that come before it and, when a decision is arrived
at in any given instance, this decision the workers, with
their customary sense of proletarian discipline, accept and
put into effect. * * * The workers of this country
and the workers of every country have only one flag
and that is the red flag. * * * The workers, the revo-
lutionary workers, in all the capitalist countries are an
oppressed class who are held in subjection by their respec-
tive capitalist governments and their attitude toward these
governments is the abolition of these governments and
the establishment of soviet governments. * * * I
stated very clearly the red flag is the flag of the revolu-
tionary class, and we are part of the revolutionary class.
* And all capitalist flags are flags of the capitalist
class, and we owe no allegiance to them."
William Z. Foster further testified :
"No Communist, no matter how many votes he should
secure in a National election, could, even if he would,
become president of the present government. When a
Communist heads a government of the United States, and
that will come just as surely as the sun rises, that gov-
COMMUNISM 25
ernment will not be a capitalistic government, but a soviet
government, and behind this government will stand the
Bed Army to enforce the dictatorship of the proletariat. "
If anyone should believe that the testimony given by William Z.
Foster, as quoted above, reflected a passing period of Communist
policy, the recent testimony given by Mr. Foster before the Dies Com-
mittee on September 29, 1939, dissipates that idea. Mr. Foster
virtually confirmed the testimony he had given before another con-
gressional committee several years previous. Earl Browder testified
before the Dies Committee in September of 1939 also, and stated:
"The Communist Party of the United States is affiliated with the
Communist International * * *. We have participated in the
International Congress ; we have sent delegates to all the International
Congresses since the third Congress * * *. It was only an organ-
izational question that there was any ignoring of the Constitution.
Politically, there has been the closest collaboration, the closest relation-
ship * * *. So far as the political essence of the problem is
concerned, there is the closest harmony between the Communist Party
of the United States and the Communist International." In order
that no doubt be left on the subject, Mr. Browder stated there is no
"single instance where the Communist Party of the United States has
ever disagreed with the Communist Line in Russia."
As will be shown later, the foreign policy, need and ambition of
Soviet Russia itself determines the policies of its Communist branches
throughout the countries of the world. The method promulgated by
the Third International for the combining of legal and illegal tactics
in the countries in which the branches are operating, permit the Com-
munist Parties literally to "fly through the air with the greatest ease,"
leaping from one convenient trapeze to another. Thus, the enactment
of Federal statutes, providing, in part, that all organizations controlled
or dominated by a foreign power, register as such with the Department
of State, saw a frantically-called special convention of the Communist
Party of the United States November 16-17, 1940. Certain of the
gullibility of Americans in their unquestioning acceptance at face
value of the truthfulness and honesty of anything printed in a so-called
constitution, this convention of the Communist Party amended its
so-called constitution to conform to the new Federal statutes. Thus
it was that the revised constitution emanating from this special con-
vention of the Communist Party of the United States provided in
Article VII, Section 1, as follows:
"The supreme authority in the Communist Party of the
U. S. A., is the national convention. Regular national
conventions shall be held every two years. Only national
conventions are authorized to make political and organiza-
tional decisions binding upon the entire party and its
membership, except as provided in Article VII, Sec-
tion 6." (Section 6 provides that between conventions
the highest authority of the party is the National Com-
mittee. )
As far as the new constitution is concerned, the Communist Party
of the United States was divorced from the Third International. The
26 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Communist Party press in the United States openly laughed at the
subterfuge — this typical application of the method of combining legal
with illegal tactics. Actually the Communist Party of the United
States redoubled its efforts for the sabotaging of our defense efforts
and continued to carry out the mandates of the Hitler-Stalin pact.
Paid Communist functionaries, such as Jack Moore and William
Schneiderman, when subpenaed before the public hearings of the com-
mittee, were able to shout from the housetops that the Communist
Party was a law-abiding political group " carrying forward the tradi-
tions of Jefferson, Payne, Jackson and Lincoln, " upholding "the
achievements of Democracy, the right of 'life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness,' " and that the Communist Party "defends the United
States Constitution against its reactionary enemies who would destroy
Democracy and all civil liberties."
FORCE AND VIOLENCE
The Manifesto, by Marx and Engels, states : " * * * Communists
scorn to hide their views and aims. They openly declare that their
purpose can only be achieved by the forcible overthrow of the whole
extant social order. Let the ruling classes tremble at the prospect of
a Communist revolution. Proletarians have nothing to lose but their
chains. They have a world to win. Proletarians of all lands, unite ! ' '
Lenin stated: "The dictatorship of the proletariat is nothing else
than power based upon force and limited by nothing * * * by no
kind of law and by absolutely no rule."
Earl Browder, the foremost exponent of Communism in the United
States has stated in his book, "What is Communism?":
"It must be emphasized that capitalism will not simply
come to an end; it can only be ended by the organized
actions of the working class in collaboration with its allies
from other sections of the population. * * * After
this first step of taking state power has been realized, the
workers make use of the state power to take possession
of the instruments of production. Then the new govern-
ment, at the head of the masses, reorganizes the entire
national economy of the country in an organized and
planned manner, along socialist lines. * * * All revo-
lutions have been made with weapons which the over-
thrown rulers had relied on for their protection. * * *
History does not show a single example in which state
power was transferred from one class to another by peace-
ful means, whether in the form of voting or some other
method of formal democracy. * * * If the productive
forces and accumulated wealth of society are to be pre-
served and further developed the property rights of
the capitalists and the institutions by which they are
maintained must be abolished and the exploiting minority
and its agents suppressed. Thus, some form of violence
is unavoidable. There is no possible choice between vio-
lence and non-violence. The only choice is between the
two sides of the class struggle."
COMMUNISM 27
Stalin stated to the Communist Party of the United States of
America in 1929: "I consider the Communist Party of the United
States is one of the few Communist parties to which history has given
decisive tasks from the point of view of the world revolutionary move-
ment. It is necessary that the American Communist Party should be
capable of meeting the moment of crisis fully equipped to take the
direction of future class wars in the United States. You must forge
real revolutionary cadres and leaders of the proletariat who will be
capable of leading the millions of American workers toward the revo-
lutionary class war."
William Z. Foster stated in 1928 when accepting the Communist
Party nomination for President of the United States : "We must utilize
this campaign to carry on a widespread and energetic propaganda to
teach the workers that the capitalist class would never allow the work-
ing class peaceably to take control of the state. That is their strong
right arm, and they will fight violently to the end to retain it. We
working class must shatter the capitalistic state. We must build a new
state, a new government, a workers' and farmers' government, the
Soviet Government of the United States. * * * In all our agita-
tion around these demands we must emphasize the absolute necessity
for the proletarian revolution. Our strategy is to utilize these imme-
diate demands to educate and organize the masses in preparation for
the final revolutionary struggle, which will abolish capitalism alto-
gether. Reliance upon immediate demands would lead us merely to
reformism. Our party is a revolutionary party. * * *"
Your committee might continue quoting from official Communist
sources for many pages in reference to the program of force and violence
advocated by the Communist Party for the overthrow of the Govern-
ment of the United States, but it is felt the above quotations will suffice.
It may be said without fear of contradiction that the Communist Party
in America and the Communist Parties throughout the world, under the
domination of the Third International, have, as their ultimate and long-
range objective the destruction of all existing democracies and govern-
ments by force and violence and the establishment of soviet govern-
ments in their stead under the dictatorship of the proletariat.
The objective of world-wide revolution and the destruction of existing
governments by force and violence, and the establishment of Soviets,
is the long range plan of the Stalinist Communist. It is an objective
that can be postponed from time to time in view of the ever immediate
objective of the Communist Parties of the world. Soviet Eussia, itself,
is the immediate consideration, and its protection, as the Fatherland of
the proletariat, is ever present in the minds of Stalin's loyal comrades
everywhere. An understanding of these two fundamental objectives of
the Communist Party and the Third International is absolutely neces-
sary in order intelligently to follow the apparently twisting policies
and "Party Line" of the American Communist Party in California
and in the United States.
DAY-TO-DAY STRUGGLES
" Sof tening-up processes" of "decadent" bourgeoise democracy is
known in Communist Party pig-Latin as the technique of the ' ' day-to-
day struggle" against the "bosses" and the "bosses' government."
28 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Under the heading of "Immediate, and Partial Demands," the Com-
munist Party hopes to move the non- Communist masses toward the
blood-and-thunder era in which the government will be overthrown
and the dictatorship of the proletariat established. No issue is too
small or insignificant for Communist Party strategical utilization.
The issue may be social, political or economic. Immediate issues such
as wages, working conditions, hours, civil rights, liberties, and zoot-
suit gangs all afford opportunities for agitation in the "day-to-day
struggle.*' The whole purpose of the strategy is to arouse the masses,
the non-Communist masses, against the " bosses " and to direct pub-
lic resentment against the "bosses' " government. By this tactic the
Communist Party believes that it extends its own influence with the
people and, when public resentment is whipped to a white heat, will offer
an opportunity to the Communists to lead the masses in civil war and
armed revolt against the government.
Jack Stachel, writing in The Communist for November, 1934, under
the title of "Our Trade Union Policy, a Report to the Political Bureau
of the Central Committee," states: "Our basic task in trade union
work, as Communists, is to organize and lead the masses in a struggle
for their immediate economic and political needs, and, in the course of
these struggles * * * to revolutionize these masses, to mobilize
them for the revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of capitalism."
V. Adoratsky writing in The Communist for May, 1932, states :
"* * * Leninism does not limit the movement to any
one particular form of struggle, but rather strives to
master all forms. Various forms of proletarian struggle
are the strike movement, demonstrations, parliamentary
struggle, revolutionary utilization of parliament when
the situation demands it, and also the higher forms of
struggle: armed uprising, civil war, dictatorship of the
proletariat. In the second place, Leninism approaches
the problem as to what particular form of struggle is
to be utilized, historically, in connection with and taking
into consideration the entire concrete situation. In the
choice of means it is necessary to sh6w the greatest
flexibility."
This particular technique of "Immediate and partial demands"
in the so-called "day-to-day struggle" of the Communist Party, must
be understood if the agitational techniques of the conspiracy are to
be exposed and combated. Members of legislative bodies, public offi-
cials and the people generally should be warned careful Iv to dis-
tinguish between Communist Party agitation per se and legitimate
issues of real public concern.
RELIGION
Modern Communism and its true believers abhor religion. Earl
Browder has stated: "We Communists do not distinguish between
good and -bad religion, because we think they are all bad for the
masses." William Z. Foster, testified before a congressional commit-
tee, that : "Our party considers religion to be the opium of the people."
COMMUNISM 29
Experts on Communist history, theory and the laws of Soviet Russia
have stated to your committee that Communism is the most intolerant
of all isms, in spite of the loud-mouthed boastings of the American
Communist that the members of their party are " liberals'* and
" progressives. " In connection with the subject of religious tolerance
and freedom in Soviet Russia, which Communist apologists are now
proclaiming to the unsuspecting citizenry of the United States in
their drive to make Soviet Russia appear as a Democracy instead of
the absolute totalitarian dictatorship that it is, the committee quotes
Article 126 of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Repub-
lics, now being sold two for a nickel, neatly bound and carefully
printed in English by Ogiz, State Publishing House of Political
Literature, Soviet Russia, 1938:
"Article 126. In conformity with the interest of the
working people, and in order to develop the organiza-
tional initiative and political activities of the masses
of the people, citizens of the U. S. S. R. are ensured the
right to unite in public organizations — trade unions,
cooperative associations, youth oganizations, sport and
defense organizations, cultural, technical and scientific
societies; and the most active and politically most con-
scious citizens in the ranks of the working class and other
sections of the working people unite in the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union, (Bolsheviks), which is the
vanguard of the working people in their struggle to
strengthen and develop the socialist system and is the
leading core of all organizations of the working people,
both public and state." (Italics are the committee's.)
Thus, the great ' ' democratic, ' ' intolerant dictatorship of the proletar-
iat as enunciated by its constitution permits its people to organize into
particular and specifically named societies, thus excluding those not
catalogued. This "tolerance" and "democracy" goes even further;
it permits the most active and politically most conscious citizens actually
to unite in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Thus, the con-
stitution itself excludes and makes illegal organizations and societies
based on any other school of thought than Communism.
Article 124 of the aforesaid Constitution of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics provides :
"In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the
church in the U. S. S. R. is separated from the state, and
the school from the church. Freedom of religious worship
and freedom of anti-religious propaganda is recognized
for all citizens.'" (Committee's italics.)
At first blush, and without further information, it would appear
that this guarantee of both religious and anti-religious freedom was
the acme of religious tolerance. Vladimir Gsovski, who was formerly
a County Judge and lawyer in Russia, and who is presently Assistant
in Foreign Law to the Law Librarian of Congress and a professor in
Russian at Georgetown University in the School of Foreign Service,
30 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
has written on the legal status of the church in Soviet Russia in 8
Fordham Law Review, 1, January, 1939. Mr. Gsovski states :
"The Soviet laws directly dealing with religion and the
church are not the only factors determining the status of
the church in Soviet Russia. Inimical attitude toward
religion in the Communist philosophy has contributed
largely to the manner in which the laws were interpreted
and applied. Stress is laid at one time upon propaganda,
at another time upon direct persecution and suppression.
To deprive the churches of any possibility of exercising
influence upon the people even outside of politics is the
real tenor of all the acts of the Soviet Government. To
create conditions for replacement of religion by atheism
is its real aim."
The committee, at this point, wishes to stress the alleged constitu-
tional freedom of religious worship and the freedom of anti-religious
propaganda. The freedom of religious propaganda is thereby pro-
hibited. On this point, Mr. Gsovski writing on the legal status of the
church in Soviet Russia, states :
"In 1929 the constitutions of the major soviet republics
were amended to make clear the prohibition of religious
propaganda and this modified text was incorporated into
the 1936 constitution."
Mr. Gsovski 's treatise on this subject may be summed up as follows:
Soviet statutes do not recognize the church as an organized aggregation
of parishes of a given denomination. All such units, if they exist at
all, must be strictly local in character. All churches are completely
deprived of any property rights. Even the ownership of vestments,
utensils, chalices and other objects which are merely destined for
purely liturgical and ceremonial use are denied to them. All objects
of historical or artistic value are taken from the churches and removed
to museums, if the objects do not have a material value. Any gift made
to a church or religious organization, under Soviet law, automatically
becomes the property of the Soviet state, and is subject to disposal by
Soviet authority. Any establishment of regular membership fee is for-
bidden by Soviet law under a penalty.
The activities of a church or religious group, referred to in Soviet law
as a "religious association," are strictly confined to what the Soviet
law terms "performance of the cult," that is, to bare performance of
ceremony. "Religious associations" is a term in Soviet law that has
no remote relationship to the legal entities embodied in the Anglo-
Saxon sense. Under Soviet law, no church may dispense charity, teach
religious doctrines, even to its own members or their children.
Religious ceremonies or the display of religious symbols are stricthr
prohibited under heavy penalty in any governmental, public, coopera-
tive or private institution or enterprise or in commonly used premises
of an apartment. Special permission of the government must be
obtained two weeks in advance for the customary God services in the
open air or in any other premises than the church. Christmas and
Easter are not holidays in Soviet Russia. Any worker who attends
COMMUNISM 31
church on either of these days and who fails to put in an appearance
at his place of work is summarily dismissed.
Soviet statutes strictly prohibit the teaching of religion or "any
form of religious belief" by the church. These statutes go even further
in prohibiting the teaching "of any form of religious belief" in any
educational establishment and also in "teaching religious doctrine to
persons under 18 years of age. ' ' Mr. Gsovski, in this connection, states :
"Soviet regulations are not confined to a negative combat of religion,
but a positive program of atheistic education is officially established for
the Soviet schools. ' '
In reference to the persecution of the clergy, Mr. Gsovski says : ' ' For
18 years limitations and especially heavy financial burdens were imposed
upon the clergy of all denominations and upon monks and nuns. From
the first Soviet Constitution of July, 1918 to the Constitution of 1936
the laws deprived the clergy of franchise. The disfranchise not only
affected the right to vote, and to be members of the trade unions and
therefore be lawfully employed especially in governmental enterprises,
but also imposed higher rents for their apartments. When food and
other commodities were distributed by ration on cards, disfranchised
persons were deprived of such cards. Their children were practically
barred from education and employment. They were subjct to specially
high taxes."
A religious man is suspected by the Communists of being inimical to
the Soviet Government and almost automatically involves the accusation
of counter-revolutionist. Mr. Gsovski points out that the definition of
' * counter-revolutionary ' ' crime is couched in very general terms which
are much broader than that of political crimes. Moreover, the Soviet
court has power to sentence for acts not expressly dealt with in the
Penal Code. The law provides: "Propaganda or agitation containing
an appeal to overthrow, undermine, or weaken the Soviet authority or
to commit individual counter-revolutionary crimes, or the dissemina-
tion, preparation, or possession of literature containing such matter
* * * if done * * * by utilizing religious or racial preju-
dices ' ' — entails the death penalty. Set up, side by side with the
courts, are special government departments that have broad power to
inflict heavy penalties without any judicial procedure and without trial,
and not bound by any substantive or adjective law. These special gov-
ernment departments are variously known as Cheka, GPU, OGPU and,
since 1934, the Federal Commissariat of the Interior — Narkomvnudel
(NKVD). Mr. Gsovski states that: "For several years it had first the
actual power and later the right to put to death after secret procedure,
or sentence to penal servitude (labor camps) or exile." Mr. Gsovski
concludes with this statement :
"The entire set-up of the Soviet penal system does not
offer any convincing evidence that the high number of prel-
ates, priests, monks, and active parishioners were engaged
in the counter-revolutionary activities for which they were
prosecuted. Separation of state and church declared in
Soviet decrees means actually the suppression of the
church by an atheistic state. Soviet legislation on religion
is a legislation of militant atheism which sought to eradi-
cate religion from the human mind. ' '
32 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Much ado by American Communists was made over the new Consti-
tution of December, 1936, above referred to and quoted, as to its guar-
antee of religious freedom. As a matter of fact, all information and
evidence available, points to a marked increase in anti-religious activ-
ity on the part of the several agencies of the Soviet Government and
certainly there has been no change in the religious outlook of American
Communists. This anti-religious campaign is directed against all
religions — Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Mohammedan and
Jewish. Corliss Lamont, formerly head of the Friends of Soviet Rus-
sia, wrote in Soviet Russia and Religion: "The truth is that the social
roots of religion are well on the way towards being totally abolished in
Soviet Russia. ' ' In this same work, Mr. Lamont states as follows :
"It now remains to be asked to what extent the anti-
religious campaign has been successful. The most recent
figures were announced at the meeting held in Moscow in
February, 1936, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the
founding of the Union of Militant Atheists. The union
now boasts a membership of more than 5,000,000 with 50,-
000 active local organizations. There is also the youth
section, the Young Militant Atheists, who number over
2,000,000. During its existence the union has published
more than 1,000 anti-religious titles, with the actual total
of books and pamphlets issued running into several mil-
lion * * * Emelian Yaroslavsky, old Bolshevik and
friend of Lenin's, who is President of the Union of Mili-
tant Atheists, claims that there are approximately 40,000,-
000 active atheists in the U. S. S. R. out of a population
now close to 170,000,000. "
Mr. Earl Browder, the American prophet of the dictatorship of the
proletariat, states in Religion and Communism: "From this estimate
of the social role of religion, it is quite clear that the Communist Party
is the enemy of religion. We Communists try to do the opposite of
what we hold religion does."
In a book, Teachings of Marx for Boys and Girls, by William Mont-
gomery Brown, your Committee finds the following:
"Religion is a dangerous dope because it takes the
people's mind off their misery and their poverty.
Religion is dope like opium. Well, religion acts the same
on the poor American as opium does on the Chinese coolie.
Now you will understand one of the most famous sayings
of the great Karl Marx. He said, 'Religion is the opium
of the people. ' It makes them dream of a heaven in which
they will be rewarded forever, if they suffer patiently the
hell they have on earth. The preacher dopes them with
his sermon. Then they go home dreaming about the beau-
tiful heaven which is no more real than the beautiful
palace of a Chinaman's opium dream."
The committee believes that it is unnecessary to extend this part of
its report any further. It is the definite and abiding conviction of
the members of the committee that the Communist Party seeks, not
COMMUNISM 33
only to destroy our government, its Constitution and the American way
of life, but to destroy our religion and religious institutions as well.
LEGAL POLITICAL COMMUNIST PARTY— A FICTION
The fourth period of Communist development and strategy in the
United States, based on the parallel period of the need, ambition and
foreign policy of Soviet Russia, saw the rise of Communism in the
United States as a legally constituted political party. While begin-
nings had been made before this period the names selected had been
more deceiving, such as the Communist Labor Party, Workers' Party,
et cetera. It must be remembered that this fourth period, beginning
in 1935, had seen the launching of the Trojan Horse Cavalry and the
creation of " people's fronts," " popular fronts" and " collective secu-
rity." Fascization of Soviet Russia had been under way for some
time. Stalin had despaired of forming an advantageous pact with
Hitler and Mussolini and was in growing fear of a German and Japa-
nese war. The comrades of the Communist Parties of the world were
ordered to sell Soviet Russia to their respective countries on the basis
of "Democracy" and "anti-Fascism." In conformity with the new
slogan "Communism is Twentieth Century Americanism" and the
Communist-advertised agreements between Marx, Lenin, and Stalin
and Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, the Communist Party of the
United States of America launched its legal political party in earnest.
The revolutionary character of the party had not changed. It was
merely in moth balls. What the Communist Party of America did, so
reasoned the Kremlin strategists, reflected the character of the Soviet
Government. So it was that selected comrades in the various states
were ordered to register as members of a legally constituted Communist
Party. Former members of the Communist Party have stated that at
no time in the United States did more than 20 per cent of the member-
ship of the Communist Party register openly as such. This strategy
served two purposes. First, it helped the Red Fatherland in its cur-
rent maneuvering and secondly, it permitted greater recruiting of
unwary Americans into the party and gave an air of respectability to
the odious appellation of "Communist."
It must be emphasized and remembered that the Communist Party
is fundamentally and basically a secret, conspiratorial branch of a for-
eign government. Its members, for the greater part, in affiliating with
this secret and conspiratorial group, do so under assumed and fictitious
names. The committee has examined many Communist Party member-
ship books and has in its files photostats of the applications for mem-
bership of many Communists. In nearly every case the applicant
gives first his real name and then sets forth the fictitious name under
which he desires to be known in Communist circles. The majority of
Communist members are registered in other legal parties, and in recent
years have concentrated in the Democratic Party. In the period under
discussion, the Communists in California were able practically to cap-
ture the Young Democrats of this State, and had strong working frac-
tions in nearly every official Democratic County Committee.
Your committee is in possession of a mass of evidence concerning
many individuals throughout the State of California and their rela-
tionship with the official secret, conspiratorial Communist Party.
3— L-2275
34 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Where such an individual is of prominence, and therefore of great
value to the Communist strategy, no record whatsoever is made of
such an individual's affiliation. Among the Communists themselves
such an individual is referred to as " a member at large. ' ' Because of
his or her importance, no formal application for membership is ever
demanded and no party-book or other indicia of membership is issued.
For general purposes such individuals are generally listed as "fellow
travelers." He or she is easily catalogued once the observer under-
stands the policies of Soviet Russia and its agents in California and in
the United. States. The "fellow traveler" follows the party line with-
out deviation. If his activities tally with the changing policies of the
periods of Communist strategy outlined herein, there can be little
doubt of his close association with the Communist Party of America.
The real liberal or progressive, retaining intellectual independence and
freedom of thought, is not for any great length of time a fellow
traveler in this sense. The true fellow traveler is one who called
Roosevelt a war monger from 1939 to June 22, 1941 and who subse-
quently took the breath taking flip-flop on June 22, 1941 when Hitler
invaded Soviet Russia. The fellow traveler is never registered in the
legally constituted Communist Party.
Typical of witnesses who deny affiliation with the Communist Party
but whose activities and philosophy meticulously follow the Communist
Party line was Laurence B. Smith (Volume VIII, pp. 2432-2437).
Mr. Smith told the committee that he had never affiliated with the
Communist Party but that he had attended many of their functions.
He told of attending a function given for the benefit of the People's
Daily World, Communist Party newspaper, in the C. I. 0. Hall on
Eighth Street, in San Diego, in April of 1941 and of attending a meet-
ing in Los Angeles in November of 1941 to hear Robert Minor, National
Chairman of the Communist Party of the United States. He admitted
having made contributions for the defense of William Schneiderman.
He had been a member of the American Civil Liberties Union for some
seven or eight years. He frankly told the committee that he was
against sending aid to Great Britian until they were "united to defeat
Fascism." (Great Britain united, according to Communist reasoning, to
"defeat Fascism" when Soviet Russia was invaded by Nazi-Germany.)
Mr. Smith added : "If that's the party line, I agree with it."
The people of California should recall that practically every appel-
late court decision passing on Communism in California has adjudicated
it to be a criminal conspiracy to destroy the government of the State
and of the Nation and the property of the citizenry by force, violence,
sabotage and treason. In the case of the People vs. Taylor, 187 Cal.
378, the court stated: "There seems to be no doubt that its aims,
objectives and purposes were in full accord and in entire sympathy
of that body (Communist Party of Russia) in Russia." The court
went on to further state that : ' ' Taylor disclaimed any hope of success
of change through the ballot, and advocated getting results by force.
He favored sabotage as a weapon of the working class against the
employers and capitalists * * *. During the time he was advocat-
ing all such measures, Taylor was active in the work of the Communist
Labor Party."
COMMUNISM 35
The agitation-propaganda department of the Communist Party,
known to the Communist as the "Agit-Prop" has laid down a policy
of disloyalty to the United States. This has been confirmed by testi-
mony of Earl Browder under oath. When questioned as to the attitude
of the American Communist in event of war between the United States
and Soviet Russia, Mr. Browder stated as follows: ''The American
workers, when called upon to go into this war against the Soviet Union,
must refuse to fight against the Russian workers, and go over on the
side of the Red Army. The American workers, like the Russian
workers in 1917, must turn the imperialist war into a civil war against
the real enemies — the capitalist class of the United States which
exploits and oppresses the American working class." Earl Browder
further testified that if America made "an aggressive war against the
Soviet Union, I would stand as absolutely opposed to such a war, and
as doing everything possible to stop it. * * * Even to turning such
a war into a Civil war. * * * I can only answer for myself per-
sonally, and I can not say * My country, right or wrong. ' If I thought
my country was wrong, I would oppose its entrance into such a war
and conduct of such a war, just as I opposed the entrance of America
into the war in 1917, when I thought it was wrong."
We have heretofore quoted William Z. Foster, who was the Chair-
man of the Communist Party of the United States and three times
its candidate for the presidency of our country in reference to the
Communist use of the ballot. It will not be remiss again to quote
this leading light of Communism in the United States. He said:
« * * * q^e Communist International is a world Party, based upon
the mass parties in the respective countries. * * * I stated very
clearly the Red Flag is the flag of the revolutionary class, and we are
part of the revolutionary class * * * and all capitalist flags are
flags of the capitalist class, and we owe no allegiance to them. No
Communist, no matter how many votes he should secure in a National
election, could, even if he would, become President of the present
government. When a Communist heads a government of the United
States, and that will come just as surely as the sun rises, that govern-
ment will not be a capitalistic government, "but a Soviet government,
and behind this government will stand the Red Army to enforce the
dictatorship of the proletariat."
The attempt of the Communist Party of America to appear as a
legally constituted political party is purely a fiction in full conformance
with other fictions developed from time to time during its existence in
the United States. The California Legislature of 1940 outlawed the
Communist Party of California by statute. This statute has been
attacked in the courts of this State and through typical Communist
maneuvering, the Communist Party was able to avoid the issue in a
trial court and subsequently placed its candidates on the 1942 primary
election ballot. Your committee recommends that steps be taken to
strengthen the statute wherever necessary to the end that this fiction
of legality and respectability of a foreign-controlled subversive organi-
zation in the State of California be forever ended.
36 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
TROTSKYISM
Leon Trotsky was one of the group that signed the Manifesto launch-
ing the Comintern in March of 1919. Undoubtedly Lenin distrusted
Stalin and preferred Trotsky as his successor. All contemporary
writers of the time and evidence available now indicates this fact
clearly. Certainly Leon Trotsky was Lenin's closest associate and
confidant. Stalin had moved cautiously and it was apparent in 1926
or 1927 that Trotsky's pretensions to the dictatorship were doomed.
Charles E. Ruthenberg, "the American Lenin," died suddenly early
in 1927 and the American Bolsheviks started a mass scramble for power
in the United States. Jay Lovestone, Benjamin Gitlow, William Z.
Foster and other pretenders to the throne vacated by the "American
Lenin, " Charles E. Ruthenberg, dashed madly off to the Kremlin in
their scramble for Ruthenberg 's crown. Jay Lovestone and his group,
being luckier guessers than the others, for the time, at least, took the
lead in demanding Trotsky 's ouster from the International. Lovestone
and his followers, subsequently slated for the same fate, viciously
attacked Trotsky and his adherents as Trotskyites, a sort of ' ' left-wing ' '
Communism. Those who had espoused the cause of Leon Trotsky were
branded as Trotskyites and the first major purge in the Communist
Party of America occurred in 1928 when James Cannon, Max Schacht-
man and other bad-guessers on the outcome of the Stalin-Trotsky
contest in Russia, were expelled from the party. Jay Lovestone and
his American group later guessed wrong in a contest that developed
between Stalin and Nikolai Bukharin. Although Stalin was reported
as ridiculing rumors of an impending break between himself and
Bukharin, clever Stalinists veered away from Bukharin. Jay Love-
stone, representing the great majority of Communists in the United
States, was foolish enough to believe Stalin's protestations and main-
tained friendly relations with Bukharin. Intrigue and plotting inside
the Communist Party of the United States soon culminated in a
smear campaign directed against Jay Lovestone and his adher-
ents because of their friendship with Bukharin and they were
attacked as "Bukharin Right Deviators." A Comintern Commission
was set up in Moscow under the supervision of Viacheslav Molotov and
Lovestone and his followers, although representing the greatest number
of American Communists, were charged with treachery, stupidity and
unprincipled opportunism and were thrown out of the party. Hence,
the second great American purge by the Communist Party occurred
in America and the expelled members became known as Lovestoneites.
The so-called orthodox Communists — orthodox because they follow
the Stalin school and Stalin is on the throne in Moscow — undoubtedly
reserve their deepest hatred for the Lovestoneites and the Trotskyites—
and in any choice between these two factions and capitalism — the Stalin-
ists would unhesitatingly take the latter. A person who merely mur-
ders his grandmother is a nice fellow compared to a Trotskyite, from
the Stalinist point of view.
Don Morton, a former Communist Party member, told your com-
mittee (Volume VI, pp. 1783-1794) that the Communist Party planted
spies in the Socialist Party and in the Fourth International and that
COMMUNISM 37
these spies reported to the Stalinist group on the activities of the
Trotskyites.
William Schneiderman (Vol. V, pp. 1260-1342), Secretary of the
Communist Party in California, testified that the Communist Party
regarded the Trotskyites as "agents of Fascism" and that they have
held them in this light ever since they were expelled from the party.
The Lovestoneites, according to Mr. Schneiderman, are viewed in the
same category — "agents of Fascism." Illustrating the venom and
bitterness with which the orthodox Stalinites look upon the Trotskyites,
Mr. Schneiderman told the committee that Alexander Noral had
denounced his sister, Norma Perry, for Trotskyite activities in San
Francisco at a convention of the Communist Party in 1938.
Mr. William Schneiderman (Volume V, p. 1341) regarded the
reading of Max Eastman "a waste of time." Mr. Eastman, he stated,
belonged to the "Trotskyite element."
Mr. Bert Hanman, a self -admitted former member of both the
Stalinist and Trotskyist variety of Communism in California, testified
before your committee in San Francisco (Volume VI, pp. 1695-1727).
Mr. Hanman testified that he had entered the University of California
from Chowchilla in the Fall of 1925 and that he graduated from the
College of Commerce in 1929 with a degree of B.S. He received his
Masters Degree in Economics in 1930.
Returning to Chowchilla, Mr. Hanman took over his father 's business
and later decided to be a writer. He studied Marx, Lenin and Trotsky.
About this time he met Norman Mini and William Gannon in Sacra-
mento and also met Carl Patterson, the then State Organizer for the
Communist Party. It was Mr. Patterson who started the United
Farmers' League in California for small farmers. Mr. Hanman testi-
fied that this was a Communist Party front. Mr. Hanman stated that
the movement began early in 1933 when most of California's small
farmers were destitute. All of the members of the United Farmers'
League were bona fide farmers except Patterson, the organizer. Mr.
Hanman stated that he worked with the United Farmers' League and
that he then joined the Communist Party, helping Patterson organize
the farmers into a Communist Party Unit in Chowchilla. He stated
that this became a unit of some 30 members.
Mr. Hanman was invited by, Sam Darcy through Louise Todd to
attend a district committee meeting of District 13 of the Communist
Party in San Francisco. He told your committee that this meeting
was held in a very secret manner in a garage. Among those present,
Mr. Hanman named Lillian Monroe, Caroline Decker, Pat Chambers,
Paul and Violet Orr, Elmer Hanoff, Sam Darcy, Louise Todd and
Carl Patterson. Mr. Hanman stated that Elmer Hanoff was known,
at that time as the "Red Star Man," which term indicated a member
of the Communist Party disciplinary body. Mr. Hanman testified that
the vaunted and confusing term of Communist Party lingo, "Demo-
cratic centralism" really meant dictatorship. He stated that he had
been led to believe that the Communist Party was a democratic organi-
zation but soon learned that it was built and functioned only on
dictatorship lines. He testified that the Communist Party in Cali-
fornia is completely controlled by a very small group sitting at the top.
00 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He stated that party functionaries agreed with him that the Communist
Party was not all that it should be.
One of the tactics used by the Communist Party in winning the
farmers was by acting as the "Pied Piper" through the United
Farmers' League. Through the activities of the league the county was
induced to supply squirrel poison and the United Farmers' League
members put it out helping the farmers thus rid themselves of a
squirrel plague. Mr. Hanman said this tactic gave the farmers a
feeling of unity and that it strengthened their morale. It was then
easy enough for the Communist controlled United Farmers' League to
lead them in requesting a reduction in power rates. Mr. Hanman
testified that the United Farmers' League collapsed in 1934 after he
moved from Chowchilla to Berkeley.
Mr. Hanman went to Salt Lake in 1934, at about the time Norman
Mini and others were arrested and charged with criminal syndicalism.
He stated that he was gone about three months and during this time
he became interested in Trotsky's writings. He stated that he believed
the Fourth International movement corrected many ills of the Third
International. He discussed this matter with Norman Mini who agreed
with him, mainly because criticism had become impossible in the Com-
munist Third International.
Returning to Berkeley Mr. Hanman was reinstated in the Communist
Party. Meanwhile Caroline Decker, Norman Mini and others were in
jail in Sacramento on the Criminal Syndicalism charge and the Com-
munist Party had made no attempt to bail them out. Mr. Hanman
attended a joint county meeting of the East Bay Section of the Com-
munist Party about this time and learned that the Communist Party
was "disciplining" Caroline Decker and the others because of some
trouble between a fraction of the California Workers' Industrial Union
and the "Darcy Bureaucracy" over management of that organization.
At this meeting, Mr. Hanman requested the Sacramento trial be
placed on the agenda. This was refused. Mr. Hanman insisted on
speaking of the Sacramento trial anyway. Miles Humphrey was the
chairman of this meeting. Being unable to do anything for his com-
rades in Sacramento at the Communist East Bay Section meeting, he
prepared a paper on the Sacramento cases and submitted same to Sam
Darcy, sending a copy of the paper to Caroline Decker in Sacramento.
Mr. Hanman testified that this action made Sam Darcy very angry.
He was called before a general membership meeting of the Communist
Party over which Elmer Hanoff, the "Red Star Man" presided. The
witness told your committee that this was, indeed, bureaucracy ' ' really
at work. ' ' He testified that only members friendly to the bureaucracy
were notified of the meeting and that he was not allowed to speak in his
own behalf. He was charged with being a Trotskyite and the chief evi-
dence in support of this charge was that he had had a cup of coffee
with a known Trotskyite. Mr. Hanman testified that all rights of
lower Communist Party organizational bodies were ignored. Despite
the steam-roller methods used in expelling him, Hanman stated that
there were several dissenting votes.
After his expulsion from the Communist Party Hanman immedi-
ately contacted a Trotskyite group in the bay area headed by one
Barney Mayes. Mayes was at that time the editor of The Voice of the
COMMUNISM 39
Federation of the Maritime Federation. Hanman then joined the
Workers' Party, the American section of the Fourth International,
headed by Leon Trotsky. (Leon Trotsky was at that time in exile in
Norway.) Hanman contacted the Non-Partisan Labor Defense (which
is to the Fourth Communist International what the International Labor
Defense is to the Communist Third International) on behalf of the
Communist defendants charged with criminal syndicalism in Sacra-
mento. He stated that the Non-Partisan Labor Defense raised money
through the Socialist Party in New York and offered to put up bail for
these defendants. When the Communist Party heard of this move on
the part of the Trotskyist Non-Partisan Labor Defense it immediately
ordered the Sacramento defendants to refuse "counter-revolutionary"
bail. Hanman 's activities for the defendants, however, caused the
Communist Party immediately to busy itself in behalf of its "dis-
ciplined" members languishing in the Sacramento jail.
Mr. Hanman told your committee that after these events he acted
as an organizer for the Workers' Party for a time and that he brought
Lillian Monroe, Charles Cornell and a Joe Hanson of Salt Lake City
into the Fourth International. Charles Cornell, the witness testified,
later became a bodyguard for Leon Trotsky in Mexico and Joe Hanson
became Trotsky's secretary.
The witness concluded his testimony by stating that after a time he
began to run into the same sort of bureaucracy in the Fourth Inter-
national as he had encountered in the Third; that he uncovered the
same kind of double-dealing and the same lack of democracy under
Trotsky that he found in the Stalin faction.
Mr. Hanman now looks upon himself as something of a "political
derelict. ' *
6
SIX PERIODS OF COMMUNIST STRATEGY IN THE UNITED STATES
The average man can not be blamed for being confused by the Com-
munist conspiracy in America. Distorted news items, lying editorials
and articles profusely and generously scattered through Communist
Party organs and the periodicals of front organizations and Innocent
Clubs have carefully smudged and obscured the real objectives of
these cheap conspirators in the American picture. This program of
deceit and hypocrisy is part and parcel of Communist Party tactics.
The greater part of the Communist press is disguised and for public
consumption purports to be anything but what it really is. Front
organizations, periodicals and magazines do most of the Trojan Horse
work. Like its cowardly members, hiding their Communist Party
affiliations under fictitious names, many of these disguised Communist
periodicals and magazines find their way into the homes of unsuspect-
ing and ordinarily patriotic Americans. There is little wonder that the
average citizen is confused when confronted with Communism.
Although it is termed the Third or Communist International, the
Communist International has never been international in the generally
accepted sense of the term. The Bolshevik revolution which overthrew
the Kerensky government under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky
culminated in what is now known as the Communist International (also
known as the Comintern). It was founded in the Kremlin in Moscow
40 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
in March of 1919 by 35 delegates and 15 guests. It is significant, in
considering the international aspects of the so-called Communist Inter-
national, that all but one of the founders were Russian. From its
beginning up to the present time it has been characterized by a greedy
and stubborn nationalism. The Communist parties that later developed
in the other countries of the world, including the United States, have,
in fact, only been branch parties of the Russian Home Office of the
Comintern and these parties scattered throughout the world reflect in
every instance, from the very beginning down to the present time, the
foreign policy and the interest of Soviet Russia. Thus it is, that the
policies, purges, leadership and the "party line" of the Communist
Party in the United States have always turned on Soviet events, ambi-
tions and needs.
The key to the strange activities, machinations and twisting policies
of the torturous ' * Party Line ' ' of the American Communist is found in
the unchanging Communist slogan "Defend the Soviet Union." It
explains, also, the pitiful failures of the Communist Party in the United
States to capture Yankee interest and support. Because its slogans
and its policies were based on conditions existing in Soviet Russia and
on the foreign policy of that country, the American people failed to
respond to the ill-fitting and foreign-sounding slogans of a group of
American lunatics concerned only with the protection of a foreign
dictatorship. The turnover of membership in the Communist Party of
the United States has been tremendous since its inception in 1919. The
mortality rate in membership from year to year is significant of its
failure to capture the American mind. Yankee practicality blinks
unresponsively at slogans such as " Defend the Soviet Union" and "The
Americanism of Lenin and Lincoln." But, year after year, many a
tricked and duped American has become in actuality the agent-stooge of
the foreign, totalitarian, dictatorship of Soviet Russia.
To understand clearly so-called American Communism, it is necessary
to examine its history since its inception in Chicago in 1919. This can
only be intelligently done by a parallel examination of the history of
the Soviet Union for the same period. Eugene Lyons has roughly
divided Communist development in the United States into five ages,
each period turning on events in Soviet Russia and reflecting in each
period the needs, ambition and foreign policy, NOT of the United
States, its workers or its people, but of Soviet Russia. To the five ages
of Eugene Lyons your committee has added a sixth, and prognosticates
a seventh. In order better to clarify the findings of your committee
in the field of Communism, we briefly outline these six periods of
Communist conspiracy in the United States.
FIRST PERIOD (1919 TO 1921)
The Bolshevik Government found its territory invaded and besieged
by foreign armies and effectually blockaded in 1919. It needed a mili-
tant internationalism in non-Bolshevik countries to break the strangle
hold of the economic blockade and it sorely needed a pro-Bolshevik
sentiment in non-Bolshevik countries to bring about the withdrawal of
the armies that were invading its boundaries. Consequently the Com-
munist parties throughout the world were ordered to be militantly revo-
lutionary and to work in their respective countries for the succor of the
COMMUNISM 41
Soviet Union. Hence, in the United States, the Communist Party,
emerging from its Chicago convention in 1919, was fanatically revolu-
tionary and conspiratorial and openly rebellious, calling for the imme-
diate overthrow by force and violence of the Government of the United
States and the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat. It
likewise propagandized for the Soviet Union and attempted to create
pro-Bolshevik sympathies in America.
SECOND PERIOD (1921 TO 1928)
This period saw the launching of the New Economic Policy (NEP)
in Russia. The new economic policy was, in fact, a compromise between
state and private economy. The Soviet Union found itself in many
economic difficulties and began to feel the need for exchange and traffic
with other governments. To effectuate this it created the fiction of a
separation between the Soviet Government and the Communist Party of
Russia. This fiction was embellished and carried further by apparently
effecting a separation between the Communist International and the
Russian Communist Party. These fictions, it was believed, would soften
the attitude of capitalistic governments and permit the Soviet Union
to deal with them. As a result of this desperate need for exchange and
traffic with other governments, the Communist Parties scattered
throughout the world were ordered to retreat from their plotting and
to soft-pedal their demand for open revolt and to do their propagandiz-
ing within the laws of their respective countries. A lull in world-wide
revolutionary propaganda ensued and the comrades in the United
States busied themselves with trapping and exploiting sympathetic
liberals and progressives and in creating friends for Soviet Russia.
The key phrases of this period were "United Front " and "Boring
from Within. "
THIRD PERIOD (1928 TO 1935)
This period saw the launching of the first "five-year plan" in Russia
and the exiling of the so-called Communist Party "leftist," Leon
Trotsky. NEP, the new economic policy, was violently wiped out.
Private farming came to an end and the forcible socialization of farm-
ing began. The most brutal "speed-up" in the world's history began
in Russian industry. Soviet Russia more and more turned to greedy
nationalism. Workers' control in industry was completely abolished
and Soviet Bureaucracy took over. History will undoubtedly reveal
that the Fascization of Soviet Russia began in this era. Purges and
official mass murders terrorized the entire country. The old Bolsheviks
and the heroes of the revolution were slaughtered without compunction,
sympathy or trial. Soviet Russia began to look for military alliances
and started to woo Germany and Italy. A new revolutionary upsurge
was ordained for the Communist Parties in the United States and
throughout the world — a new revolutionary upsurge, not so much
against capitalism, but more against socialists, conservative labor leaders
and trade unionists, liberals and progressives — all lumped in one ter-
rible category — "Social Fascists." This period of Soviet need and
ambition undoubtedly cleared the way for Hitler and Mussolini.
42 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
FOURTH PERIOD (1935 TO 1939)
Soviet Russia's unsuccessful wooing of Hitler and Mussolini led to
the change of policy introduced to the world in 1935. The Seventh
World Congress, held in Moscow in 1935, gave birth to the new Trojan
Horse policy of Dimitrov and the subsequent creation of * ' Peoples ' ' and
"Popular" fronts. The fear of a German and Japanese invasion of
Soviet Russia gave rise to a "collective security" policy and the Com-
munist Parties in the United States and throughout the world were
ordered to carry these new policies into effect. Despairing of any alli-
ance with Germany or Italy, Soviet Russia decided to appear to be
"democratic" and "anti-Fascist" and ordered the branches of the
party throughout the world to propagandize and advertise Soviet
Russia on this basis. The Communist Party in the United States
became "Twentieth Century Americanism" — the real "friend" of
democracy and the * ' guardian ' ' of every tradition of freedom and civil
liberty. The Communist Party of the United States went to great
lengths to advertise Soviet Russia in this new "democratic" light.
Soviet Russia, meanwhile, subscribed to the Kellogg Pact and made
nonaggression pacts with her neighbors. Although Lenin had called
the League of Nations the "League of Robber Nations," Stalin now
entered the league. A phoney constitution for the Soviet Union was
drawn but never put into effect and a short time later Stalin physically
liquidated two-thirds of the members of the committee who drew the
constitution. The threat of world-wide Communist revolution was
laughed away and Stalin later lightly described it all as a "comic
misunderstanding. ' '
Anti-Nazi leagues flourished in the United States and the Anti-
Nazi League of Hollywood grew to considerable proportions. The
comrades in America and California exploited to the fullest the
growing horror in the minds of all Americans of the brutality rampant
in Hitler's Third Reich. The ruthless and barbarous persecution
of the Jews by Hitler and his bloody minions, the unspeakable and
unbelievable tortures inflicted on the innocent scapegoats of "Fuehrer
Aryanism," stirred up a righteous indignation in the hearts of every
liberty-loving American citizen. V. J. Jerome (whose true name is
Isaac Romaine), personally supervised the organization of the Holly-
wood Anti-Nazi .League. Mr. Jerome had been sent to Hollywood
some time before by the Communist Party Central Committee to take
over the duties of Stanley Lawrence in "improving cultural work"
in California. It was V. J. Jerome who brought John Howard Law-
son to Hollywood. He helped organize study clubs and coordinated
Communist Party work between Hollywood groups and downtown
Los Angeles sections. He was a member of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of the United States and co-editor of its maga-
zine, The Communist, as well as being Chairman of the Cultural Com-
mission of the Communist Party of the United States. The Anti-Nazi
League banked some $89,892.51 between May 14, 1935, and August
16, 1939.
In spite of this exploitation by the Communist Party of the emo-
tional upsurge against Hitler and his regime, the American Com-
munists regarded the war in Europe as purely an imperialistic
struggle. The party line during this period was to heap abuse and
COMMUNISM 43
vilification upon, not only Nazi Germany and its Axis partners, but
upon the victims of its aggression. Some 30 days before the amaz-
ing and abrupt termination of this fourth period of Communist
strategy, Foreign Commissar Y. M. Molotov stated :
«* * * there is nothing surprising in the fact that
at the end of April the head of the German state in one
speech scrapped two important international treaties —
the naval agreement with Great Britain and the non-
aggression pact between Germany and Poland. There
was a time when great international significance was
attached to these treaties. But Germany made short
work of them, disregarding all formalities. Such was
Germany's reply to the proposal of Mr. Roosevelt, Presi-
dent of the United States — a proposal permeated with
the peace-loving spirit. " (Soviet Union and the Peace
Front, by V. M. Molotov, International Publishers, Inc.,
page 5.)
FIFTH PERIOD (1939 TO JUNE 22, 1941)
The Soviet Union amazed the world and many of its deluded Com-
munist members in the United States, by signing a pact with Nazi
Germany, August 23, 1939. The Comintern immediately ordered
its parties in the United States and throughout the world to renew
their revolutionary character. " Collective Security" was immedi-
ately scuttled and the Communist parties everywhere became isola-
tionists and belabored Great Britain and the "British Imperialist
War." In the United States, the Communists launched the slogan
"The Yanks Are Not Coming" and attacked President Roosevelt
viciously as a " warmonger. ' ' Strikes in war and defense industries
were fomented and viciously carried on by Communists throughout
the United States. Meanwhile, Soviet Russia attacked Finland and
partitioned Poland with her Nazi comrade-in-arms. Nazi Bundsters
and American Communists joined hands in sabotaging United States
aid to Great Britain. Members of both organizations began a pene-
tration of the America First Committee. Conscription and lend-
lease proposals were viciously and bitterly opposed. Anti-Nazi leagues
in America were quickly abandoned for American Peace Mobilization
fronts and new name-calling, including "warmonger" and "imperial-
ist," were shouted at anyone who decried Nazi brutality and aggres-
sion. The fifth period of Communist development in the United
States will always be remembered for its sharp curve in 1939 with the
signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact and its breath-taking . flip-flop June
22, 1941 when Hitler's hordes swept into the Ukraine.
About a week after the signing of the Stalin-Hitler nonaggression
pact, Foreign Commissar Molotov wrote in The Meaning of the Soviet-
German N on- Aggression Pact, Workers' Library Publishers, August
31, 1939, page 3 :
«# * * ^e conclusion of a pact of non-aggression
between the U. S. S. R. and Germany is of tremendous
positive value, eliminating the danger of war between
Germany and the Soviet Union."
44 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Commissar Molotov continued in the same article (page 8) :
"As you see, Stalin hit the nail on the head when he
exposed the machinations of the Western Europe politi-
cians who were trying to set Germany and the Soviet
Union at loggerheads. It must be confessed that there
were some short-sighted people in our own country who,
carried away by over-simplified anti-fascist propaganda,
forgot about this provocative work of our enemies.
Mindful of this, Stalin even then suggested the possibil-
ity of other unhostile, good-neighborly relations between
Germany and the U. S. S. R. It can now be seen that on
the whole Germany correctly understood these state-
ments of Stalin and drew practical conclusions from
them. The conclusion of the Soviet-German Non- Aggres-
sion Pact shows that Stalin's historic prevision has been
brilliantly confirmed." (Committee's italics.)
In Molotov' s report to the Supreme Soviet, October 31, 1939, Work-
ers' Library Publishers, Inc., page 5, the foreign commissar further
solidified Soviet Russia's new policy toward Germany, in the follow-
ing language:
«* * * Germany is in a position of a state which is
striving for the earliest termination of war and for peace,
while Britain and France, which only yesterday were
declaiming against aggression, are in favor of continuing
the war and are opposed to the conclusion of peace.
The roles, as you see, are changing.'7
And further in the same report, page 8, Molotov continues :
"The relations between Germany and the other Western
European Bourgeois states have in the past two decades
been determined primarily by Germany's efforts to break
the fetters of the Versailles Treaty, whose authors were
Great Britian and France, with the active collaboration
of the United States. This, in the long run, led to the
present war in Europe * * *. The relations between
the Soviet Union and Germany have been based on a dif-
ferent foundation, which involved no interest whatever
in perpetuating the post-war Versailles system. We have
always held that a strong Germany is an indispensable
condition for a durable peace in Europe." (Committee's
italics.)
On page 23 of his report to the Supreme Soviet, Foreign Commissar
Molotov asks some questions about the United States :
"In any event, our country, as a neutral country, which
is not interested in the spread of war, will take every
measure to render this war less devastating, to weaken it
and hasten its termination in the interests of peace.
From this standpoint, the decision of the American Gov-
ernment to lift the embargo on the export of arms to
COMMUNISM 45
belligerent countries raises just misgivings. It can
scarcely be doubted that the effect of this decision will not
be to weaken the war and hasten its termination, but, on
the contrary, to intensify, aggravate and protract it. Of
course, the decision may insure big profits for American
war industries. But, one asks, can this serve as any
justification for lifting the embargo on the export of arms
from America? Clearly, it can not."
Thus it was, in compliance with Soviet foreign policy, that the Com-
munists in the United States and in California launched a campaign
for isolation and nonintervention, joining hands with the America
First Committee, The German- American Bund and many other anti-
war, isolationist organizations. Harry Bridges' Union, the Maritime
Federation of the Pacific, originated the slogan "The Yanks Are Not
Coming !" and this defiant expression of nonintervention became the
password in every Communist front organization. Labors' Non-
Partisan League of California circulated thousands of paper book-
matches bearing this slogan. It was heard from the rostrum of every
Communist front organization, such as the American Peace Mobiliza-
tion and the American Student Union.
So that no doubt be left in the minds of anyone, the Committee quotes
the above-mentioned V. J. Jerome, the American Communist bell-
wether of the fellow-traveling cultural clique, in Social Democracy and
the War. Workers' Library Publishers, Inc., 1940 (pages 45-46) :
"Since the warmongering campaign opened, innumerable
trade unions and other mass organizations have adopted
resolutions against this country's involvement. A. F.
of L. and C. I. 0. State labor bodies and city councils,
national unions and locals, the unemployed, church bodies,
and the vital youth movement are saying, with the
national convention of the C. I. 0. : Labor wants no war
or any part of it. * * * The voice of militant labor
rings forth in ever-swelling volume in the slogan first
sounded by the Maritime Federation of the Pacific : ' The
Yanks Are Not Coming!' The Communist Party of the
United States declares: ' * * * we Communists will
continue the broadest collaboration with all elements in
the labor movement to advance the struggle for working
class unity by educating, rallying, and unifying the
workers against capitalist reaction and exploitation and
to keep America out of the imperialistic war '. ' '
In April of 1941 circulars were being generously and copiously cir-
culated throughout California, carrying to the uninformed and the
innocent, the Americanized version of the foreign policy of Soviet
Russia. Pamphlets demanding and proclaiming: "Get Out and Stay
Out of the Imperialist War ! No Convoys ! No A. B. F. ! The Yanks
Are Not Coming! Friendship With the Soviet Union!" were distrib-
uted at the University of California at Berkeley and throughout the
United States.
46 UK-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Your committee finds that the Communist Party in California, act-
ing through unions which it dominated and controlled, launched an
amazing epidemic of strikes in key defense industries and were suc-
cessful in many cases in tying up production of armament, die-casting,
steel, planes and ships.
Mr. Hugh Ben Inzer, who was president of Local 216 of the United
Automobile Workers Union, C. I. 0., testified under oath before your
committee, October 16, 1941. Mr. Inzer stated that he had been an
assemblyman for General Motors in South Gate since November 16,
1936. He stated that he was acquainted with Lew Michener, Wynd-
ham Mortimer, Philip M. (Slim) Connelly and other leaders of the
C. I. 0. We quote Mr. Inzer's testimony verbatim from Volume IV
of the committee's transcript, beginning at page 1215:
"A. (Inzer) When I was elected to the presidency of
Local 216, I was asked by the Regional Director to take
time oif and come down to the Regional Office for a couple
of days at the expense of the International. In other
words, the International would pay my expenses. So
that was around the 8th of May, 1940, and at that time
I took this time off and went down and I reached the
office about 9.30 in the morning and from that time until
noon I was introduced to different people in the CIO
Building, who worked in the offices and he stated those
were the people I would now have to cooperate with —
I was the new president of Local 216, and they were all
in the CIO movement. So, then, we proceeded to go out
for luncheon.
Q. Now, where are the headquarters you spoke of ?
A. (Inzer) That's the Currier Building at Spring and
Third, I believe.
Q. In this city?
A. (Inzer) In Los Angeles, yes, sir.
Q. All right, Mr. Inzer.
A. (Inzer) About twelve we went out to lunch and I
went out to lunch with Michener and a person known as
Slim Connelly.
Q. Now, is that Philip M. Connelly?
A. (Inzer) That's Philip M. Connelly.
Q. What position, if any, did he occupy in the C. I. 0 ?
A. (Inzer) He holds a position as President of State
C. I. 0.
Q. He is still?
A. (Inzer) Yes, he is —
Q. And — pardon me.
A. (Inzer) — he was also Secretary to the Council here
in Los Angeles.
Q. Now, while you were there, did you have a conver-
sation with Mr. Michener and Mr. Connelly relative to
the general situation among the automobile workers ?
A. (Inzer) I did, yes, sir.
Q. And the Union situation in the vicinity of Los
Angeles in that industry ?
COMMUNISM 47
A. (Inzer) That's right.
Q. And did that conversation occur while you were at
lunch y
A. (Inzer) No, after lunch we \vent into the Regional
Office and he said there were some more people coming in
and we were going to get together on a program to follow
for the next year and it took place after lunch in the
Regiona: Office.
Q. And after you went back to the Currier Building,
following your luncheon, did you go upstairs in the build-
ing or we re you on the ground floor ?
A. (Inzer) We went upstairs in the building, I believe
the Regional Office at that time was on the fourth floor — I
know it was on one of the floors above the first floor.
Q. Yes.
A. (Inzer) So we went up to the Regional Office and
went into the Regional Director's Office and we were
seated there.
Q. Did some other people come in ?
A. (Inzer) Two men came in, other than Connelly,
Mortimer and Michener and myself, two other men. One
came in and was introduced to me as Mr. Diebel ; another
man came in and was introduced to me as Mr. Perry.
Q. Now, were you present here when Mr. Diebel testi-
fied before this Committee ?
A. (Inzer) Yes, sir, I was.
Q. Did you have an opportunity to observe him?
A. (Inzer) No, other than his back walking up and
from the witness stand.
Q. Were you able to tell whether or not that is the
same Mr. Diebel you met at the Currier Building?
A. (Inzer) I am positive of it.
Q. You are sure it was ?
A. (Inzer) I am sure it was.
Q. I hand you a photograph and ask you if that is a
photograph of Mr. Diebel? (Handing to witness.)
A. (Inzer) That is.
Q. You recognize him as the same person who was
present at the meeting you are now testifying about?
A. (Inzer) Yes, sir.
Q. Are you sure of that ?
A. (Inzer) Yes, sir, I am positive.
Q. Who else came in ?
A. (Inzer) There was a colored fellow came by the
name of Perry. They introduced him as Mr. Perry.
Q. Was that Mr. Pettis Perry?
A. (Inzer) I found out later it was, I found out later
it was Pettis Perry.
CHAIRMAN TENNEY : He is a Negro, is he not ?
A. (Inzer) He is a Negro, yes, sir.
MR. COMBS: Go ahead.
48 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
A. (Inzer) These men came in and sat in. I didn't
know who these people were any more than I know the
people out in the audience, all I thought was they are some
part of the Labor Movement. So Mr. Connelly and Mr.
Michener began to tell me that we would have to set up
an organization among all the Locals, that is, to have
the Presidents of the Locals and the Executive Board of
each Local to be ready to cooperate with the Regional
Office at any time in case of an emergency, and what I
gathered from the conversation of the meeting, the emer-
gency was this : Any time they wanted to call a strike at
any plant that has a C. I. 0. contract that they could put
so much pressure on the management by calling the other
plants in Los Angeles out in sympathetic strike with the
plant trying to get a contract, by so doing they could force
the management of that company to sign the contract
that the Union wanted. So they also stated that this man
who they introduced as Mr. Diebel had cooperated with
them in the past in putting out literature. They went
ahead to state they cooperated in literature known as
' 'The Yanks Are Not Coming" and he said also any time
we needed any literature printed that this man had a
print shop and would be glad to cooperate in putting out
any literature that we needed.
Q. That was said in the presence of Mr. Diebel ?
A. (Inzer) That was said in the presence of Mr. Diebel
and the rest of the men in the meeting.
Q. When that portion of the conversation occurred, Mr.
Inzer, were you seated any place in the room?
A. (Inzer) We were seated in the room in chairs
(indicating).
Q. Around a table?
A. (Inzer) No, the chairs were just pulled out and
seated in the room (indicating).
Q. The conversation was perfectly audible to all persons
present ?
A. (Inzer) Yes.
Q. All right, go ahead, and give us the substance of
what occurred.
A. (Inzer) This statement in regards to putting out
the literature and he agreed he would do that. Then they
stated Mr. Perry was the head of an organization who
could furnish us with men, with a lot of man power, and
also furnish us with pickets, men to put out literature and
men to do any kind of a job that we needed so long as our
men were tied up on the picket line and by so getting that
cooperation we would be able to force the management
of the plants to sign an agreeable contract with the Union.
Q. Well, now,
A. (Inzer) Mr. Perry agreed he was at the head of an
organization and could supply any amount of men that
were needed.
COMMUNISM 49
Q. Was that organization identified at that time or
subsequently ?
A. (Inzer) No, it was not.
Q. All right.
A. (Inzer) No, it was not.
Q. You did not know the organization they were
referring to?
A. (Inzer) I did not know the organization, no, sir.
Q. Had you ever seen either Mr. Diebel or Mr. Perry
before, to your knowledge?
A. (Inzer) No, sir, I had never seen them before in my
life.
Q. All right, go ahead.
A. (Inzer) So after these two points were brought up
these men disappeared, they got up and left the room.
Q. Did they leave the room together?
A. (Inzer) No, they didn't.
Q. Who left first?
A. (Inzer) I believe Mr. Diebel, and in five or ten
minutes Mr. Perry followed out.
Q. All right.
A. (Inzer) So, then, we continued with our conversation
and in the meantime though, I had been used to running
into the Communist activities in the C. I. 0. before that
time, and I could see that this program was leading right
up to the same thing, Communist C. I. 0. on the Coast. So
the next day, — after these fellows left we talked about ten
or fifteen minutes, and I went back to my office. The next
day I was supposed to go down again but I went back to my
own office and called up the Regional Office and told them
I was there in case they needed me. Mr. Michener wanted
to know what was wrong and I told him I had investigated
and found out who these men were and I, as President of
Local 216, I would not be connected with the Regional
Office, my rank and file would not cooperate, — by the way,
our Local consists of 1800.
Q. They didn't approve of it?
A. (Inzer) They don't approve of that influence in the
Union.
Q. They are aware the influence is there?
A. (Inzer) Absolutely, yes, sir.
Q. Now, Mr. Inzer, you say you did make an investiga-
tion following this meeting which you have testified
about ?
A. (Inzer) That's right.
Q. Did you find out what organization Mr. Perry spoke
of when he mentioned that he had an organization
through which he could furnish pickets, and so forth ?
A. (Inzer) Yes, I went back to the Union and asked
some of my Executive Board if they had heard of these
men and they said they had heard of them and they
-2275
50 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
i-elieved one was on the German- America n Bund and the
other the Communist Party. I had a friend who was
very active in different work in Los Angeles and I knew
he was well acquainted or would know of them, so I asked
him and he was quite shocked to know that I had 1 een to
such a meeting, and he readily told me that this one, Hans
Diebel, was at the head or active in the German- American
Bund in Los Angeles and he did have a bookstore on
15th Street and also Perry was the head of the Communist
Party and he took me down to the places and I looked in
and satisfied myself as to who they were, — they were
there.
Q. You went to both addresses?
A. (Inzer) I saw both persons.
Q. You conducted an investigation that satisfied you
that the statements you had obtained concerning their
activities were correct?
A. (Inzer) Absolutely, yes, sir.
Q. What happened to you then in your Local 216?
A. (Inzer) Well, as soon
Q. Of course, there was the declaration of war between
Russia and Germany?
A. (Inzer) That's right. As soon as the Regional
Director mentioned or found out I was not going to
cooperate with him and the reason he wanted me to
cooperate with him was the Communist Party here in
Los Angeles controls the C. I. 0., and I don't mean partly,
I mean they control it, they do what they want to with it.
Any time they send a Communist out to my Local to sell
the rank and file that all he wants to do is to have them
work with him and help put it over, and after I would
refuse any issue he'd attack me for not cooperating with
the Regional Office and he also brought Mortimer out to
do the same thing, and try to poison the minds of the rank
and file, who I represented, so they 'd not pay any atten-
tion to me and be against my act."
The committee has included the above excerpt from the testimony
of Hugh Ben Inzer as proof of the collaboration and cooperation of
the Communist Party and the German- American Bund with such
Communist-dominated union organizations as the C. I. 0. under the
leadership of Philip M. Connelly and Lew Michener during the fifth
period of Communist strategy. The identity and affiliation of Pettis
Perry, then the Secretary of the Communist Party of Los Angeles
County, and Hans Diebel, of the German-American Bund, in the City
of Los Angeles, are well known.
SIXTH PERIOD (JUNE 22, 1941, TO ?)
The Sixth Period of Communism in the United States began with
Hitler's invasion of Soviet Russia. The Communist press in the United
States up to this event was still attacking President Roosevelt as a
* ' warmonger ' ' and belaboring the ' * British Imperialist War. ' ' Strikes
COMMUNISM 51
all over the country were instituted by Communist dominated unions.
With the startling news that the "Fatherland" had been attacked by
Hitler's hordes, the strikes stopped in defense and war industries
throughout the United States. Peace mobilization fronts and leagues
evaporated into thin air. "All Out Aid to Soviet Russia, Great Brit-
ain and China" replaced the former slogans of "Stop the British
Imperialist War" and "The Yanks Are Not Coming." This latter
slogan was soon considerably amended to read "The Yanks Are Not
Coming Too Late." President Roosevelt became an overnight hero
instead of being a ' l warmonger. ' ' Every Communist in California and
throughout the United States became a chauvinistic patriot and ' t Unity
Leagues" of this and that for "Victory" mushroomed throughout
California and the United States. Although the anti-religious cam-
paign of Soviet Russia was flourishing up to the violation of the Soviet-
Nazi Pact and Soviet Russia's League of the Militant Godless was still
vigorously functioning, the Communist Party of America began, in
this period, to extol the religious tolerance of Communism. The
American Communists were ordered to emphasize the "democracy" of
Soviet Russia and its fervent championship of civil liberty.
Dictator Stalin's "historic prevision," as Foreign Commissar Molo-
tov had hailed it, was thrown in the ash can as Hitler's panzer divisions
went crashing over the Soviet frontiers and the non-aggression pact
simultaneously. New slogans and proclamations appeared on the
familiar mimeographed circulars and pamphlets of the Communist
Party pamphleteers as soon as the comrades had caught their breath
and determined the new foreign policy of the "Fatherland." On
September 16, 1941, another circular appeared at the University of
California at Berkeley, this time urging the students to: "Unite the
campus to defeat Hitler and Hitlerism ! Defend America by full and
immediate aid to Great Britain and the Soviet Union! Aid China!
Embargo Japan! Make the campus a fortress of Democracy! For
unity and victory — Join the American Student Union!"
Your committee here wishes to point out that on June 22, 1941, it
was Russia, and NOT the United States that was invaded by Germany.
The news of this event, however, was attended with repercussions in the
United States and in California which were immediate and profound.
A strange and significant quiet prevailed over America's labor front.
Overnight the Imperialist War *of June 21, 1941, was changed by some
strange, international magic, into a people's war which involved the
Soviet Union. The American Communists would now take all the
Yanks they could get. American Communists were now declaring
that "Now * * * this is OUR war * * *, " as did Rose Segure
and other California Communists and fellow travelers. Foreign Com-
missar Molotov now ordained that it would be all right for America
to lift the embargo on arms to belligerents; particularly to the Soviet
Union and Britain.
Your committee wishes to emphasize the significant lesson to be
learned from this period of Communist strategy. Americans every-
where should concern themselves seriously with the changes which came
to California and the United States ; changes which effected the release
of defense industries from the strangle hold of Communist dominated
unions, the sudden change in propagandizing in our State educational
52 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
institutions. It should carefully be noted by all students of these
matters that these changes were caused, not by anything happening
directly in or to the United States. Again they turned on the need
and foreign policy of a foreign government thousands of miles away.
Your committee wishes to emphasize the fact that there exists in the
State of California an organized group of subversive individuals, com-
pletely dominated by a foreign power, which has sufficient influence in
our American Labor movement to launch a strike epidemic in our
defense or war industries when the purpose suits the foreign power,
and to turn it off again like water from a tap when the foreign policy
of the dominating foreign power commands. While the needs of the
foreign power dominating this group in California and the United
States may correspond presently with our own needs, it may well be,
in the future, that the needs of the dominating force exerted on these
American subversives may be detrimental in the extreme to our own
needs and purposes. Your committee believes that it is high time for
the people of this State thoroughly and completely to understand and
realize that the members of the Communist Party are organized into an
iron disciplined group and controlled, unquestionably, by a foreign
power, Soviet Russia. These people should be regarded for what they
actually are — agents of a foreign power, and should not be, in any
way, looked upon as super-patriots and saviors of the working class
of America and California, as they would like to lead us to believe.
The official mass murders of Soviet Russia's Fifth Period, together
with its amazing trials in which every defendant attempted to out-
confess the other ; literally bubbling over with the admission of treason-
able crimes against the Soviet Government, fantastically, eagerly and
enthusiastically inviting the death penalty are now being sold to the
American people by the Communists as far-visioned statesmanship on
the part of Dictator Stalin. Ambassador Joseph B. Davies' book,
Mission to Moscow, is now pounced on by the Communists of America
as corroborating evidence of the statesmanship of Joseph Stalin in
defending the "democracy" of Soviet Russia and the United Nations.
This phase of Ambassador Davies' book, Mission to Moscow, should be
read in conjunction with the report on the trials by Dr. John Dewey,
Men and Politics by Louis Fisher and writers who were in actual
attendance at the trials in Russia and who possessed a knowledge of
Communist ideology and tactics.
Hewlett Johnson, the aged Dean of Canterbury, has written a book,
Soviet Power, and this volume is now being given widespread circula-
tion by the Communist Party of America. Eugene Lyons, who spent
considerable time in Soviet Russia, calls this book of the Dean of
Canterbury "a topsy-turvy book * * * an Alice-in-Wonderland
volume that can only be catalogued as literature of hallucina-
tion * * *."
The members of your committee realized on the morning of June
23, 1941 that an era of Communist strategy had come to an end in
California and in the United States. The committee had been pre-
paring a series of hearings connected with the strikes at the North
American Aircraft Company in Inglewood. This plant had been
closed June 6, 1941 by the C. I. 0. but had been reopened several
weeks later by the United States Army acting under the direction of
COMMUNISM 53
the President of the United States. "While the committee did not have
an opportunity fully to investigate this strike it learned that its leaders
in the C. I. 0. were the same old Communist and fellow-traveling crowd.
Wyndham Mortimer — whose Communist Party name was Baker — Lew
Michener, Elmer Freitag— who was registered as a Communist in 1938
— and lesser lights such as Jeff Kibre and Don Healy, were the Stalinist
leaders of this piece of defense sabotage in America. It was all over,
of course, when Hitler's panzer divisions drove into Russia June 22,
1941. Your committee knew that the Communist Party of the United
States would receive new instructions ; that the revolutionary character
of the Communist Party of America would be disguised ; that the com-
munists of California would, as long as it assisted Soviet Russia, be the
most enthusiastic patriots for the defeat of Hitler and the enemies of
the Red Fatherland. What love of the United States, its Constitution,
Flag, traditions and way of life could not accomplish in its appeal to
men like Wyndham Mortimer and Lew Michener, invasion of a foreign
totalitarian dictatorship accomplished overnight. The people of Cali-
fornia and the United States should never forget that the defense efforts
of our great Nation would have been ruthlessly sabotaged by what
purported to be an American labor movement — the C. I. 0. — had it
not been for the need of a foreign dictatorship thousands of miles away.
Your committee reports, therefore, that, in this, the Sixth Period
of Communist development and strategy in California and the United
States, the war efforts of our State and Nation are presently safe from
Communist interference and sabotage. Every real Communist in the
United States will sacrifice, fight, and die if need be, just so long as
the sacrificing, fighting and dying assists the Red Fatherland — Soviet
Russia. Meanwhile, Americans should make no mistake about the true
situation. The Communist Party of the United States of America is
NOT willing to sacrifice, to fight or to die, to preserve American
Democracy, its Constitution, its Flag, its tradition, or its way of life.
The long range objective has not changed and will not change. The
revolutionary spirit is temporarily on ice and the Seventh Period of
Communist development in this country may see it in all its grim
horror if the needs, ambitions and foreign policy of Soviet Russia so
ordain.
Those who have read thus far are well capable of drawing their own
conclusions. Your committee's* investigators already report plans of
the Communist Party in California for the formation of soldiers' and
sailors' councils in the Army and the Navy, patterned after similar
councils set up in the armies and navies of the Czar and the Kerensky
government in Russia in 1917. Reports reaching your committee from
closed meetings of Communist groups throughout California tell of
plans for soviet governments throughout Europe upon the collapse of
Hitlerism and the weakening of the Nazi-yoke. While it is not the
province of your committee to prognosticate the future, the committee,
must, nevertheless, state to you with all the emphasis at its command
that this, the Sixth Period of Communist development and strategy,
is not the last period. The committee warns the people of California
and of the United States that there WILL BE a Seventh Period of
Communist strategy in America. Only the vigilance of the American
people and the devotion to the Constitution and traditions of the
54 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
United States on the part of public officials can successfully block the
Seventh Period of Communism from being the last period of the Amer-
ican way of life.
Totalitarian rattlesnakes apparently find satisfaction in warning their
prospective victims before striking. The democracies of the world
can not complain that Hitler had not warned them of his world
aggression ambitions in the pages of Mein Kampf. The purpose of
the Third International, from the beginning and throughout its history,
has been boldly stated as world domination and the destruction of all
existing forms of government. Even the Japanese Imperialists, while
not quite so blatant and open in their avowed objectives, have indi-
cated the course that they would pursue at the proper moment.
Similarly the Comintern today indicates the course of its next period of
strategy. Manchester Boddy, writing in his column Views of the
News, in the Los Angeles Daily News for Wednesday, February 24,
1943 brilliantly records an historical moment that may cast a dark and
sinister shadow in the Seventh Communist era that is to come :
"Views of the News
" 'Russia stands alone/ says Mr. Boddy.
' ' That is what Stalin said to his people.
"His speech delivered yesterday on the occasion of the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Red Army
is perfectly clear. Russia stands alone. Russia is fight-
ing for one and only one purpose: to defend the homeland.
' ' Nowhere in his long address does Stalin even acknowl-
edge any help of any kind given Russia.
"Nowhere does he allude, by word or implication, to
any sharing of the ideals we claim to be fighting for.
"There is no hint with respect to the 'Four Free-
doms,' nor even the slightest hope for a world at peace.
"He does point out that there is no second front in
Europe. But he implies no obligation on the part of his
allies to create such a front. Nowhere does he state why
a second front should be established.
"Stalin hammers again and again and again on one
point only: Russia fights on Russian soil. Russia fights
to drive out the invader. The Russian Army will liberate
Russian land from the hated enemy.
"Beyond that — nothing. Stalin's speech is, however,
consistent with the few but cogent statements he has made
since the beginning of this war. Always the safety and
security of Russia have been Stalin's sole concern.
"Back in 1939, he said:
« i * * * if we accept the Reich's offer of collabora-
tion, the latter will not hesitate to crush Poland ; England
and France will thereupon be drawn fatally into war.
There will result a thorough destruction of western
Europe, and remaining outside the conflict we can advan-
tageously await our hour. If Germany wins, she will
emerge from the war too exhausted to dream of an armed
conflict against us. We must accept the pact proposed
COMMUNISM 55
by Germany and work to prolong the war the maximum
possible * * *.'
"But the war didn't work out this way, and in June,
1941 Joseph Stalin announced :
" 'In June 1931, Hitlerite Germany perfidiously
attacked our country, rudely and foully violating the non-
aggression agreement, and the Red Army found itself
compelled to launch a campaign to defend its native land
against the German invader and to drive him from the
borders of our country.'
" Nothing could be clearer.
"Russia intended, just as official Pravda had previously
explained, to sit tight while all Europe was being overrun.
Only when Hitler actually invaded Russian soil did the
Red Army 'find itself compelled to launch a campaign to
defend its native land against the German invader and to
drive him from the borders of Russia. *
"Joseph Stalin devoted yesterday's speech to a reitera-
tion of that single theme. He comes back to it again and
again.
"Russia battles 'against the invasion of the German
Fascist hordes.'
" 'The beginning of the massed drive of the enemy
from Soviet lands has begun. '
" 'It should not be considered an accident that the
command of the Red Army is not only liberating Soviet
soil from the enemy, but it is also not allowing the enemy
to leave our soil alive by carrying out operations to sur-
round and wipe out the enemy. * * * '
"Stalin merely mentions the absence of a second front.
He does not chide his allies for their failure.
"The Red Army struggles against the invasion of the
German Fascist hordes. Does Stalin hint that Russia is
fighting against 'militarism' or dictatorship or on behalf
of the 'four freedoms'? Not at all. Russia is fighting
invaders. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"Stalin points out that the Red Army is bearing the
whole weight of the war. 'Not half — not three-quarters —
not 99 per cent. The whole weight. And how about the
food and the machines and the munitions we have been
sending to Russia? How about the men who have died
in the icy waters of the North Sea while battling to get
through to Murmansk ? Are they no part of the weight
of the war? No. Not from Stalin's viewpoint. We are
not fighting for Russia. Russia is not fighting for us.
Russia stands alone bearing the whole weight of the war,
.to drive the enemy out of Russia!
'The Red Army,' Stalin says, 'has only to pursue it
(the German Army) to the western frontiers of our
country. It would be stupid to suppose the Germans
will give up even one kilometer of our land without a
struggle!'
56 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"His order of the day is even more specific. His army
will continue to fight 'for the sake of liberation of our
country from the hated enemy, for the sake of final vic-
tory over the German Fascist invaders. * * *'
"The theme and all its variations are clear and con-
sistent :
"Russia fights for the right to ~be let alone.
"Russia did not enter the war — as a defense measure —
when the Germans overran France and the low countries ;
nor when Great Britain stood alone with only a thin strip
of water between her and total destruction. She entered
the war only when Russian soil was invaded !
"Obviously we are disappointed in the Stalin speech.
We know there are perfectly good reasons why American
soldiers should invade Europe. "We feel certain that
Stalin, too, knows and understands those reasons. But
our men are fighting many thousands of miles from home,
while the Russian men are fighting to recover their
homes from an invader.
"We can not talk to our armies about driving the
enemy off our own soil as Joseph Stalin talks to his
armies. So we must substitute other reasons: a United
Nations cause, for example; a future world free from
war and fear of war. Above all else we must talk about
a common front between Russia, China, the United States
and Great Britain. We had hoped Stalin might have had
one little word for these ideals, and a nod of recognition
to our soldiers who are fighting so far from home. Not
because the enemy has invaded their homeland, but for
an ideal.
"We must say, however, that Joseph Stalin talks
straight from the shoulder and says what he means. For
a leader reputed to be adept at propaganda he has proved
himself to be exactly the opposite.
"What he says, boiled down to a few words, is that if
he were an American he would stay in America. His
speech will be exultantly accepted and used by our iso-
lationists.
"It will make the Allied effort all the more difficult."
The Los Angeles Examiner for March 9, 1943, carries a news item
by the International News Service under date of March 8, 1943, head-
lined, "U. S. Envoy Charges: 'Stalin Suppresses Facts on U. S.
Aid*. Unlike former American Ambassador Davies, Ambassador
Admiral William H. Standley looks beneath Soviet window-dressing.
The news item is as follows :
"Moscow, March 8 — (INS) — American Ambassador
Admiral William H. Standley declared tonight he saw no
evidence of official Soviet recognition of the aid Russia is
receiving from the United States and indicated this silence
might have an unfavorable effect on Congress.
COMMUNISM 57
" Inf erentially urging that Russia acknowledge to her
own people and the world the assistance extended to her
from America, the 71-year-old ambassador made his blunt
remarks to correspondents in Moscow even as renewal of
the lease-lend program was up for consideration in Wash-
ington.
"Long Way to Enactment
"Pointing out that it is 'a long way from the foreign
affairs committee to enactment' of the Lease-lend bill by
Congress, Admiral Standley said :
'The United States Congress is rather sensitive. It
is generous and big-hearted as long as it feels it is
helping someone, but give it the idea that it is not
helping and it might be a different story. '
"The white-haired ambassador, who returned to his
post from Washington early in the year and who is sched-
uled to confer with Premier Josef Stalin shortly, asserted
frankly that the Soviet Government seems to be keeping
the Russian people in the dark concerning the aid . . . . ' '
An editorial from the Los Angeles Examiner for March 10, 1943,
also indicates things to come in the Seventh period of Communist
strategy:
"Stalin's Monstrous Double- Dealing Revealed
' ' The almost incredible story of the execution of Victor
Alter and Hendryk Erlich, two Jewish Polish Socialist
leaders in December, 1941, by the Russians, does not
augur well for the 'Four Freedoms' and the principles
of the Atlantic Charter, to which Joseph Stalin has given
some lip-service.
"Although Alter and Erlich were, as Polish labor lead-
ers, the foes of Naziism they were arrested nearly four
years ago as 'Socialists' while Germany and Russia had a
10-year non-aggression pact in force and when Stalin had
taken nearly half of Poland as his 'divvy' on the murder
of Europe, which Hitler was systematically engaged in.
"Maxim Litvinoff, Soviet Ambassador in the United
States, has officially informed William Green, President
of the A. F. of L., that Erlich and Alter were executed in
December, 1941, on Soviet soil.
"They were executed, said the Ambassador, because
they had urged the Reds to make a separate peace with
Germany.
"As these men were Poles, Jews and anti-Nazis, of
course, this statement must be taken as one of those ' save-
face' excuses in which Russia's ally, Japan, is so expert.
' ' The worst of the matter is that for four years Ameri-
can labor unions have been sending presents to these dead
men and Messrs. Murray and Green of the C. I. 0. and
A. F. of L., have been cabling pleas to the Kremlin for
58 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
their release — not knowing that the men had been dead
for a year.
"This cowardly double-dealing on the part of one of
our military allies is nothing short of monstrous.
"We are sending billions in money and material to
Russia to aid her in her fight to get the Germans out of
Russia while she has been making a perfect fool out of
our labor leaders and out of the Jewish people, who were
naturally interested in the fate of their fellow-religionists.
"The question of American and Russian postwar rela-
tions looms larger every day.
"The secret execution of Erlich and Alter and the
duplicity and dishonesty in the matter of their deaths do
not promise well for the future. ' '
COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Your committee has been exceedingly careful in its selection of wit-
nesses on the subject of Communism. During the two-year period of
the committee's investigation, it has refrained from making accusa-
tions against anyone appearing before the committee and has been
content to let the testimony of the witnesses speak for itself.
The Communist Party, by tactics formulated and cleverly carried
into operation by the so-called "Antiseptic Squads," attempts to dis-
credit in every possible manner the testimony of any person who testi-
fies concerning the intrigue and criminal machinations of the party.
The mildest criticism of Communism on the part of anyone, is imme-
diately hailed as l ' red-baiting ' ' and the critics are immediately labeled
"Social Fascists," "red-baiters," and agents of exploiting capitalism,
Hearst and Hitler. The Antiseptic Squads of American Communism
reserve their most vicious and bitter denunciation for ex-Communists who
find the courage publicly to expose Communist Party objectives, activi-
ties and tactics. The Communist grapevine and its blatant press imme-
diately proclaim such individuals as "stool pigeons," "informers,"
"degenerates" and "pathological liars." All faithful Communist and
fellow-traveling witnesses are heralded as "progressives" and "lib-
erals" and the personification of veracity. A slight scanning of the
pages of the committee's volumes of transcripts of the testimony of
Communist Party functionaries reveals amazing lapses of memory on
the part of such witnesses as to membership in the Communist Party
and of events in connection with Communist Party activity that would
be readily and easily remembered by an ordinarily truthful witness.
There is hardly an instance in the testimony of self-admitted Com-
munist members where they remember the identification of the person
to whom they paid dues. Rare, indeed, is the testimony of a Com-
munist member in which he clearly remembers the identity of those in
attendance at important Communist meetings or functions. In cases
where the person to be identified is a well-known Communist, and
admittedly so, the Communist witness has little difficulty in remem-
bering.
COMMUNISM 59
Your committee wishes to emphasize, in this connection, that the laws
and ethics of capitalist society are not, in the least, held to be binding
on members of the Communist Party. It likewise should be remem-
bered that the Communist is not burdened with any sense of religion
and suffers no compunction of conscience when falsely testifying under
oath. To the iron disciplined, class-conscious Communist, "oaths" and
"conscience" are superstitious capitalist fictions invented by capitalist
exploiters for the purpose of oppressing and dominating the work-
ing class. Thus it is, that Communist witnesses will blandly deny
ever having heard of the Communist movement, though it may well be
(as has happened in several cases) that the committee is in possession
of the Communist Party book or a photostat thereof, of the witness who
sits before it brazenly prevaricating.
Illustrating the ease with which Communist Party members handle
the truth is the case of Lee Gregovich testifying before the committee
in San Diego, February 20, 1942 (Volume VIII, pages 2305-2319).
Mr. Gregovich stated that he had never been affiliated with the Young
Communist League or the Communist Party although he admitted
knowing Stanley Hancock, Esco Richardson, Dan Taylor, La Verne
Lym and Bert Leech as Communists. Your committee has in its files
a photostatic copy taken from the office of the Secretary of State,
bearing the -name of Lee Gregovich sponsoring Nathaniel Griffin for
the Communist Party nomination to the office of Assembly in the
Seventy-eighth Assembly District in San Diego County. Also illus-
trative of the insidious tactics of these lying agents of the Comintern is
the testimony of Lee Gregovich in attempting to smear a member of
the Legislature from San Diego County by placing him, in his testi-
mony, in suspected Communist meetings.
Every "iron disciplined" and thoroughly indoctrinated Communist
is convinced that he is a soldier in a bitter and unrelenting war. He
is thoroughly fired with fanatical hate of capitalism and capitalistic
government and he believes that he is one of the heroes in the vanguard
of the assault on the enemies of the ' ' workers, ' ' one of the generals in
the class war. Military objectives include industries employing wage
labor, educational institutions, churches and all functions of govern-
ment, municipal, State and National. One of the chief military objec-
tives of the Communist Party is Democracy — all Democracies, because
its members war against the state in any form. They have been taught
that all states are merely instruments of capitalism and exploitation,
and, therefore, a Democracy is just another form of the state.
Because he believes himself living in a state of war, the Communist
has discarded all of the ways of peace. Each Communist in the United
States and in California considers himself a spy in a hostile country,
waging a desperate warfare with his bare hands, his wits — a spy in the
land of the enemy — a secret agent living in constant jeopardy of his
life. He considers himself in continual combat, surrounded by ruthless
enemies who, if they could, would eliminate him. It is the duty of a
soldier to kill his country's enemies, and if a Communist kills the
enemies of Communism, he becomes one of the heroes in the vanguard
of the proletariat. Among themselves they proudly admit that they lie
— that they commit perjury — glorious deeds on the pages of the history
of the class war. Do capitalist presidents, premiers and diplomats hesi-
60 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
tate to lie and to commit perjury in the furtherance of their country's
cause f Of course not! Then, reasons the Communist, why should a
soldier or a spy in the vanguard of the proletariat hesitate to do that
which furthers his fanatical cause? Any good spy or secret agent
caught in the toils of enemy courts or enemy investigating bodies would
not be worth his salt if he hesitated to lie thereby to fool the enemy.
Every Communist in a capitalist nation must protect the Red Father-
land— must protect his fellow conspirators and comrades; hide their
identities, activities and objectives, at all cost to himself. Your commit-
tee is convinced that they believe their actions and conduct in this con-
nection proper and completely orthodox. This fanatical belief of being
a soldier and a spy in an alien and hostile land must be understood in
evaluating and weighing the sworn testimony of known Communists
and fellow travelers.
The witnesses subpenaed to testify in public hearings before your
committee on the subject of Communism in California may roughly be
divided into two classes, hostile and friendly witnesses. Your com-
mittee does not wish to intimate that this classification is necessarily
significant or that the hostile witnesses were, in fact, members of the
Communist Party. It is merely a fact that they were unfriendly and
in many cases defiant and impudent. The hostile witnesses on this
subject, examined by your committee, are as follows:
Samuel Albert, Frederick Langton,
Mischa Altman, Bert Leech,
Otto W. Benziger, Frances Lym,
George B. Bodle, La Rue McCormick,
Reuben W. Borough, Lucile McNeil,
Louise Bransten, Frances Moore,
Carl Brant, Jack Moore,
Wilmer Breeden, June Orr,
Archie Brown, Pearl Ossman,
James H. Burford, Pettis Perry,
Manuel Cabral, Max Radin,
Philip Connelly, Mervyn Rathborne,
Frances Decker, Dorothy Ray,
Judy Dunks, William Schneiderman,
Julius Furman, Laurance B. Smith,
Maxine Furman, Herbert K. Sorrell,
Oscar Fuss, John F. St. Cyr,
Philip Gardner, Vaughn A. K. Tashjian,
Kate Crane Gartz, James Toback,
B. S. Gorin, Clarence Vernon
Jack Greenberg, Wahlenmaier,
Lee Gregovich, Robert E. Warren
Aubrey Grossman, John M. Weatherwax,
Carrol E. Hunnwell, Helen Wheeler,
Frieda Jasmagy, A. L. Wirin,
John A. Jones, B. Joseph Zukas.
Of the above group, Archie Brown, Philip Gardner, Bert Leech,
Mrs. La Verne (Frances) Lym, Jack Moore, Pettis Perry, William
Schneiderman, Dorothy Ray and Dr. Vaughn A. K. Tashjian all
COMMUNISM 61
admitted joining the Communist Party. To this list should be added
the name of B. Joseph Zukas, who, though he denied ever being a
member of the Communist Party, was proved by documentary evidence
to be a member In this category, also, should be placed the name of
James H. Burford, who undoubtedly lied many times under the ques-
tioning of the committee.
Friendly witnesses testifying concerning Communist activities in
California are as follows :
Charles G. Bakesy, Hugh Ben Inzer,
Aubrey Blair, Thomas Kirk,
J. Frank Burke, Floyd Matthews,
J. "W. Buzzell, Don Morton,
Oliver Carlson, John Mustak,
Tom Cavett, Mrs. Edward Suchman,
Matthew G. Guidera, J. W. Thornton,
Gene Hagberg, Rena M. Yale,
Bert Hanman, George Wallace,
Edward Heim, Earl Warren,
L. C. Helm, A. H. Webber,
John G. Honeycombe, Esther A. McCarthy,
Miles G. Humphrey,
Of this group Bert Hanman admitted having joined the Communist
Party and having later joined the Trotskyites. His testimony is illum-
inating and informative on this internal fight between the Stalinist
group of Communists and the Trotskyite group. Thomas Kirk, Don
Morton, John G. Honeycombe and Rena M. Vale were all former
members of the Communist Party.
Charles G. Bakesy had done considerable investigating as an under-
cover operator among the Communists in California and made a con-
siderable amount of information available to the committee.
Aubrey Blair, J. W. Buzzell, Edward Heim and L. C. Helm are all
A. F. of L. officials who have had a long experience fighting Communist
infiltration into the American Federation of Labor.
J. Frank Burke is the owner and operator of Radio Stations KFVD
and KPAS in Los Angeles County, a news-analysist and commentator
noted for his American progressiveness, tolerance and liberalism. He
testified concerning certain programs released over his radio station
KFVD conducted by Ed Robbin of the People's Daily World. (Vol-
ume I, pp. 267-272.) It has been Mr. Burke 's policy to make his
radio stations available to everyone, believing thoroughly in the right
of free speech and the right of individuals and groups to enjoy chan-
nels of public expression. He stated that Ed Robbin had begun to
broadcast some time in 1938 and that the broadcasts were partly paid
for by a tire company located at Twelfth and Main Streets in Los
Angeles. When Hitler and Stalin joined hands in 1939 Burke noticed
that Robbin followed along with the current Communist Party "line"
and Burke stated that he came to the conclusion that he was not
expressing his own opinions but merely echoing things he was ordered
to say. It was no longer a matter of free speech. When Robbin
defended Russia 's invasion of Poland, Mr. Burke ordered him off of his
station.
62 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Oliver Carlson testified as an expert on Communist strategy, Com-
munist history, activities and theory, and practical objectives. Mr.
Carlson is a writer and a research associate of the University of
Chicago in the Department of Political Science. He has traveled
extensively in Europe. He translated a book from German into
English by Chicherin, Foreign Minister for the Soviet Government.
He studied at the University of Berlin and attended the London
School of Economics. Mr. Carlson traced the history of the Com-
munist International and explained its methods and ideology in
detail to your committee. He outlined disciplinary methods and tech-
niques of the Communist International. He elaborated on the Com-
munist preparations to seize state power in all countries. He empha-
sized the intolerance of the Communist Party and its il-liberality
and non-progressiveness, contrary to self-proclaimed and advertised
virtues. He outlined the similarity between Naziism and Communism.
He described the various so-called "Internationals" set up by the
Communists for subtle indoctrination purposes, which included even
an international philatelic society. He told the committee of the
schisms within the Communist Party itself; of the Lovestonites and
the Trotskyites. He elaborated on the so-called Communist "party
line" and explained the causes and reasons for its changes. He testi-
fied of seeing the marriage bureaus and divorce bureaus maintained by
the Soviet Government in Russia. He told the committee that over the
door of the marriage bureau was the slogan, taken from the Communist
Manifesto: "Workers of the World Unite." The slogan over the
divorce bureau, also taken from the Communist Manifesto, was: "You
Have Nothing to Lose but Your Chains."
Many persons were called throughout the State to testify generally
on Communist Party activities in California and the committee's tran-
script of testimony presents a rounded picture of the insidious machina-
tions and plottings of this underground group of conspirators. The
committee's hearing briefs were designed in each case to draw out at
least a fragment of the truth from each witness and, by planning the
entire investigation to cover the State from San Diego to San Fran-
cisco, the pieces began to fit, and the jigsaw puzzle thus began to take
shape and form. The general, overall scope of Communist activities
in California is easily discernible through the mental fencing of many
of these witnesses. For the greater part, this group represents the
rank and file of Communist Party members and fellow travelers.
Mr. Carroll E. Hunnwell represents one of the missing pieces. He
testified before your committee in San Diego. (Volume VIII, pp.
2449-2464.) He stated that he was a member of Post No. 6 of the
American Legion. He is acquainted with Stanley Hancock, Vernon
Wahlenmaier, La Verne Lym, Bert Leech and Bessie Keckler. He
attended a number of functions for a drive to raise money for the
Communist paper, the People's Daily World. He denied ever having
affiliated with the Communist Party, but admitted that he had been
approached twice, "maybe," with the proposition of joining. He does
not think that the Communist Party is un-American. He stated that
he felt that "we should have a change in system" and that "the main
thing is to get something for the working class." In this connection,
the witness testified that this would be "pretty hard to do" with the
COMMUNISM 63
ballot. He concluded his testimony by suggesting that the need for
the Communist Party would disappear if the capitalist forces would
give up.
Mr. John A. Jones represents another fragment. He testified that
he became a member of the Communist Party in 1935 or 1936 but that
he severed connections with it in about 1941. (Volume VIII, pp.
2421-2432.) He knew Stanley Hancock, the Communist Party organ-
izer for San Diego County, Sol and Hermine Hilkowitz, Carroll Hunn-
well and Clara Stevenson. He admitted having attended the Lenin
Memorial Dinner in January, 1942, held either in the U. S. Grant Hotel
or Fraternal Hall in San Diego. One of his reasons for leaving the
party was that the work was too strenuous. He has continued to attend
meetings of the party since his alleged severing of connections.
Although he surrendered his party book he could not remember the
identity of the person to whom he gave it.
J. \\~. Thornton came into the Communist Party through the Indus-
trial Workers of the World (I.W.W.). He testified that he joined
this organization in 1913. (Volume I, pp. 131-145.) He joined the
Socialist Party in 1914 and remained a member until about 1921. In
1919 the I.W.W. sent delegates to a conference of the Third Interna-
tional of the Communist Party which was being held in Moscow. The
result of the conference brought about the merging of the I.W.W.
in the United States with the new Comintern organization, the Red
Trade Union International. Thornton joined the Communist Party
in Portland in 1921 and dropped out of its activities in 1924. In
1930 he again became active in the Communist Party and participated
in the formation of unemployed councils. He cooperated with Com-
munist Party fractions and groups in various activities, particularly
in fund-raising campaigns for the Tom Mooney Defense Committee.
In 1932 he met Sam Darcy and Elmer Hanoff and participated in the
Communist Party meeting in Sacramento on the occasion of a plea
to Governor Rolph for the unemployed through the Cooperative Relief
Association. In 1933 Thornton wTas expelled from the Communist
Party for collaboration with the Socialists.
Gene Hagberg, of Los Angeles, testified concerning both Nazi and
Communist activities in Los Angeles County. He told your committee
of beach parties in Santa Monica where white girls were used as lures
in recruiting Negroes into the Communist Party. He told of the "pros-
titution squad" of Communist Party girls who acted as lures in this
endeavor. He testified as to the method used by the Young Communist
League in luring Filipinos into the Communist Party by the use of
marijuana. He testified as to the activities of the Communists among
the Japanese and of the Japanese Communist section known as the
Doho Jin Sha and of a meeting held by this group May 23, 1941, in
Los Angeles at which Ed Robbin, Communist radio commentator for
the People's Daily World, was reported to have collected over $1,000.
He stated that Ed Robbin had donated $25 to Doho, the Japanese-
Communist newspaper in Los Angeles. Mr. Hagberg stated that the
Doho Jin Sha group worked with the German- American Bund during
the collaboration of Stalin and Hitler.
Mr. Thomas Kirk, a former member of the Communist Party, testified
before your committee at its Los Angeles hearing, August 1, 1941.
64 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
(Volume II, pp. 560-589, 590-591.) He told the committee that he was
an organizer for the Friends of the Soviet Union in 1930, and became
interested in the Communist Party through the American Civil Liber-
ties Union. He was active in the International Labor Defense and told
your committee of their meetings. He outlined the activities of the
Communist Party in the cotton strike at Pixley in 1933, of the activities
of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, the League Against War and Fas-
cism and the Pen and Hammer Club. He traced the activities of the
Communist Party in the Relief Workers' Protective Union and other
Communist front organizations such as the Unemployed Councils, the
Workers' Alliance, Labor's N on-Partisan League and others.
8
ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION
The technique, the organization and the operation of the Communist
Party in California and in the United States should be known to every
American* Far too few of our loyal Americans realize the intricate
and efficient organization of this subversive group. The success of the
Communist Party in certain trade unions and other mass movements is
directly attributable to the ignorance of responsible labor leaders and
the rank-and-file of both labor and other mass movements of Com-
munist organization, operation and tactics.
Your committee has studied the manuals of the Communist Party
and its textbooks, minutely cross-examined paid Communist function-
aries and through investigators working both inside the Communist
Party and in many of its front organizations have been able to ferret
out much of its intricate organization and operation.
The Communist Party itself has divided the United States into some
30 districts. California is designated in this division as District XIII.
Each district is divided into some 250 sections and these sections are
again divided into what they term shop, town, street, farm units and,
in California, in and during periods of open development, into Con-
gressional and Assembly districts. Each unit or division is known as
a unit bureau and is governed by a committee under which it operates
and organizes. Smaller subdivisions of the lesser units are called
1(1 fractions " and " cells." Fractions and cells are immediately created
in trade unions and other mass organizations wherever three or more
Communist members find themselves.
Communist fractions or cells are continually subdivided as recruits
are added to each cell or fraction. It is seldom that a fraction or cell
contains more than eight members. By this method the Communist
Party is enabled to spread its network of propaganda and influence in
factories, mines, on ships, in shops, and other mass organizations. It is
mandatory on Communist Party members to join the union in the place
where they work and cells and fractions must be organized immediately.
The Communist Party Manual provides that "Every party member
* * * must be a real organizer of mass struggles." This same
manual provides that the "task" of each fraction, cell or shop unit is
"to establish strong connections with all the workers in the factories"
in order that these workers be mobilized for "quick action when the
need arises." Every Communist member is mandated to prevent
COMMUNISM 65
exposure of comrades in their illegal work. For this purpose special
groups of Communists are trained. A group of this type is known to
the comrades themselves as the "Antiseptic Squad." The work of the
Antiseptic Squad is to defend Communists and Communism. One of
its most important jobs in recent years is the smearing and discrediting
of such committees as the Dies Committee and your Committee Investi-
gating Un-American Activities in the United States and California.
Don Morton, former Communist member, testified that during his
membership in the party he had charge of the League Against Yellow
Journalism. (Volume VI, pp. 1783-1794.) This activity of the Anti-
septic Squad was particularly organized to propagandize against anti-
Communist papers and magazines and, according to Mr. Morton, was
particularly anti-Hearst because the Hearst papers were most consistent
in their editorial attacks against Communism. Mr. Morton testified
that part of his duty was contributing approximately 500 cards a week
urging the people not to read the Hearst papers and that through his
supervision some ten to twelve thousand cards were distributed between
April and September of 1936.
Street fractions or cells are mandated to assist shop units in strikes,
picketing, street demonstrations and in the collection of strike relief.
To these fractions and cells is given the task of organizing people in
the neighborhood for the purpose of carrying on "mass work (street
meetings, house to house canvassing, etc. ) , and to win election votes for
the Communist Party." (Communist Party Manual, pages 49, 65
and 66.)
The Communist Party Manual, on page 25, states :
* one of the organizations of the Communist
Party is suitable for legal existence * * * and the
other for * * * underground, illegal existence/'
The manual mandates that Communist Party members organize and
lead the other Workers in order to safeguard the organization and
prevent its members from being discharged in any shop or factory
where they are caught agitating or propagandizing. It demands that
party members "must submit to the iron discipline of the party."
The manual commands that the Communist Party be "rooted in the
factories, mines, ships, docks, offices, et cetera," and demands that
its organization in these places be such that it will "best safeguard
the party members and other militant workers from bosses, stool-
pigeons and thugs." Shop units or cells are ordered to secure jobs
for party members and the manual commands that all Communists
work together in "a conspirative manner" to organize and lead the
workers.
The above briefly outlines the underground, secret and conspira-
torial organization and operation of the Communist Party in the
United States and California. In addition to this organizational sot-un.
which is particularly designed for the illegal work of the party, there
has existed for many years The Young Pioneers, the Young Com-
munist League, and the Communist Party itself, which may be either
open or secretive.
5— L-2275
66 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
The Young Pioneers is a Communist youth organization for girls
and boys of grade-school age. It is built along the same lines as the
Boy Scout movement, but dedicated, instead, to hatred of American
institutions and the American Flag. The Young Spark is one of the
publications for the Communist Young Pioneers. We quote from one
of its issues: "The Young Pioneers of America is a workers' children's
organization, and the Red Flag is their Flag. * * * We Pioneers
are proud to stand by the Red Flag. ' '
The following is an excerpt from Who are the Young Pioneers?, a
Communist publication (pages 26 and 27) :
"Then why do we say the workers' children should join
the Pioneers or the Nature Friend Scouts or the I. W. 0.
Juniors instead of the Boy Scouts? For this reason:
You can use all knowledge either for the working class
and against the boss class, or for the boss class and
against the working class. And the Boy Scouts teach
you to use your knowledge for the boss class. They teach
you to be 'patriotic.'
"And what does the 'patriotism' of the Boy Scouts and
the bosses mean? It means that when the bosses of this
country want markets for their goods and decide to go
to war to get the markets from other countries, YOU
should put on a uniform and go to war for those bosses
and their profits. * * *
"The 'patriotism' of the Boy Scouts and the bosses
means defending the government and the property of
rich and corrupt millionaires and their politicians and
preventing the workers from getting a living from their
labor by fighting against strikers and the unemployed
who demonstrate for relief."
We quote a poem from the April, 1935, issue of. the New Pioneer,
one of the publications of the Young Communists (page 18) :
"Our Leader"
"Lenin is leading the way
He won't let the capitalists lead us astray
'Away with Capitalism and the King!
'Lenin and Soviet Russia!'
The cry will ring.
Workers stop your toil!
Farmers, don't till the soil!
We march today under the blood stained red
We will fight to have our families fed.
We march amid mothers' and fathers' applause;
We will fight for a just cause.
Lenin is our leader today —
Under Lenin we can not lose the way.
We will destroy the capitalists;
They won't be able to resist,
Because we march under blood stained red,
And we have Lenin at our head."
COMMUNISM 67
This poem is not only interesting because of its revolutionary con-
tent but because it was written by a ten year old boy named Theodore
Lerner of Brooklyn, New York. Sufficient has been shown thus far
proving the foreign control of the Communist Party. Mr. Moore
testified (Volume 1, p. 16) that he had joined the Young Communist
League in 1934. He stated that the organization was an affiliate of
the Young Communist International with headquarters in Moscow
and that it was a training ground for Communists; that it partici-
pated in various non-Communist school and civic activities as well
as in trade unions, unemployed organizations, etc., in order to spread
Communism.
COMMUNIST FUNCTIONARIES
One of the most important witnesses on the subject of Communism
with authority to. speak was Jack Moore, the Secretary of the Com-
munist Party for Los Angeles County in 1941. The committee sub-
penaed Jack Moore at its first hearing held in the Assembly Chamber
of the State Building in Los Angeles on July 28th of 1941. (Tran-
script Volume I, pages 3 to 113, inclusive.) He was attended by
a stenographer and Leo Gallagher, whom he identified as his attorney.
Jack Moore is a paid functionary of the Communist Party with
offices at the Communist Party headquarters, located at 124 "W. Sixth
Street, in the City of Los Angeles. His wife was formerly Marion
Brooks, Young Communist League organizer, and one of the Com-
munists utilized by the party in mobilizing the Communists in the
Musicians' Union, Local 47, of Los Angeles. (Mrs. Marion Moore
was subsequently expelled from the Musicians' Union in Los Angeles
because of her Communist activities.) Jack Moore has a long Com-
munist record. He sponsored Pettis Perry for the Communist Party
nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of California in
August of 1934 and sponsored Harold J. Ashe for the Communist
Party nomination for Secretary of State at the same time. In 1936,
he was a member of the Young Communist League. He joined the
Communist Party in Los Angeles on October 23, 1936, and became
a member of the Relief Workers' Protective Union, International Labor
Defense and the League Against War and Fascism. He was a member
of the board of directors of the Communist Party Workers' School in
Los Angeles. In 1938 he sponsored Pettis Perry for the Communist
Party nomination to the office of State Board of Equalization and
Anita Whitney for the Communist Party nomination to the office of
Controller. He was a candidate for the Communist Party nomination
for the office of Assembly from the Sixty-fourth District in August
of 1940. In this same year, he sponsored Anita Whitney for the
Communist Party nomination for the office of United States Senate
from California. He registered as a Communist in Los Angeles County
June 15, 1940. He attended the Communist Party convention in San
Francisco May 12, 1940. On February 19, 1941, he filed as a candidate
for the City Council of Los Angeles from the Twelfth District. For
some time he headed the Los Angeles branch of the Young Communist
League and was the organizer of the Harbor Section for the Los Angeles
Communist Party. In 1942, he was again a Communist candidate for
the Assembly. For some time he handled Communist literature for
68 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the Workers' Book Shop located at 224 South Soring Street in San
Pedro. He was the secretary of the militant Fish Cannery Workers'
Union in Long Beach. He has a police record.
The committee found Jack Moore, as the titular head of the Com-
munist Party in the most populous county of the State, an unusually
frank witness. His testimony as set forth in the first volume of the
committee's transcripts is considered by many persons, not connected
with the committee, to be of vital significance. He explained the
physical structure and commented in detail on the doctrine and ideology
of the Communist Party of the United States of America. He admitted
the so-called "fraction" set up in unions and the Communist Party's
general infiltration into the California trade union movement by such
methods. He admitted the existence of Communist fractions in the
Workers' Alliance. He admitted that he was familiar with the Party
Organizer and familiar with plans set forth in this official Communist
Party publication for recruiting members into the party and the
technique used in penetrating trade unions.
He testified concerning the part played by the Communist Party in
unionizing the Ford plant. He told the committee of the indoctri-
nation of children as young as nine to 16 years of age ; how they were
taught the principles of world-revolution and class antagonism through
the Young Pioneers, and thereafter how these children were further
indoctrinated through the medium of the Young Communist League.
He told the committee of his work as a member of the Young Com-
munist League and his assistance in the organization of the Relief
Workers' Protective Union in Los Angeles County. He related his
work in organizing the A. F. of L. Fish Canneries Union and how he
and an entire group of Communists in the Union were finally expelled,
the charter of the Union being lifted by the Central Labor Council of
Los Angeles. He stated that the Communists had been the moving
force in organizing the C. I. 0. United Auto Workers' Union.
He admitted that Communist front organizations, such as Labor's
Nonpartisan League, Federation for Political Unity, the Motion Picture
Democratic Committee, the International Labor Defense and the Inter-
national Workers' Order took part in political elections. He testified
that the Communists in California and in the United States firmly
believe in the objectives of the party as enunciated by Lenin and
Stalin.
Miles G. Humphrey, a former Communist Party functionary, told
the committee under oath in San Francisco (Volume V, pp. 1616-1631)
that he knew Aubrey Grossman when Grossman was very active in the
Young Communist League and that he also knew him as a member of
the Communist Party. Humphrey stated that he joined the Commu-
nist Party in Oakland in 1924 and attended several beginners classes
in Communism in that city and later in New York City. He testified
that he taught classes in Communism in Oakland and that he became a
functionary of the party in San Jose in 1924 and that he was a unit
organizer for about a year. He made a trip to Russia in 1926, the
expenses of which were paid by the Soviet Union. He spent four
months in Siberia and four months in Moscow doing industrial work.
During his stay in Russia he contacted the Section Secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union in Siberia to discuss conditions
COMMUNISM 69
in industry. Before going to Russia, Humphrey testified, he contacted
an organization in New York called ( ' Kuqbas ' ' which preceded * ' Intour-
ist ' ' and his trip to the Soviet Union was arranged through this organi-
zation. He met a man in connection with "Kuqbas" by the name of
Golos whom he later saw in Siberia. He was acquainted with Robert
Minor, of the Communist Party of the United States and met him in
Russia. He discussed with Minor his transfer from the Communist
Party of the United States to the Communist Party of Soviet Russia
which was arranged through the Comintern. During this time, Hum-
phrey testified, Minor represented the Communist Party of the United
States in Soviet Russia in the Communist International. Humphrey
resided in New York City for some years after his return from Russia,
during which time he helped organize the International Labor Defense,
working through Communist Party channels. He was a member of
the Bronx section of the Communist Party while in New York City.
Upon returning to Oakland, he became the secretary of the Com-
munist Party for Alameda County and held this position for one year.
He met John Leech, Secretary and organizer for the Communist Party
in Los Angeles at that time. He knew Rudy Lambert as a party func-
tionary in charge of the Communist Campus Unit at Berkeley. Hum-
phrey stated that the Communist Party, during 1934, derived most
of its funds from donations. The Campus Unit at the University of
California paid its dues directly to a district or section organizer,
rather than risk exposure of membership through following regular
procedure. He knew Bert Hanman as a Communist Party member
and admitted that he attended the meeting at which Hanman was
expelled by the Communist Party Control Commission which then was
composed of Elmer Hanoff, Walter Lambert and 10 others, on charges
that Hanman had associated himself with the Trotskyites.
After this, Humphrey testified, he became a trade union organizer
for the Communist Party, which position he held for some time. He
met James Burford at Burford's apartment in Berkeley and attended
the meeting at which Burford joined the party in 1934 or 1935. He
testified that James Burford became a member of Unit Number 5 in
Berkeley. It was Humphrey, according to his testimony, who took
Burford's application for membership in the party.
Among others identified by Humphrey in his testimony were Dr.
Samuel Twain, Examining Physician for the International Workers'
Order in Oakland. Humphrey did not state that Dr. Twain was a
member of the Communist Party but stated that he was very close to it.
The International Workers' Order, testified Mr. Humphrey, was organ-
ized by the Communist Party to take over the members of a socialist
organization known as the Workmen's Circle. He stated that Dr.
Twain's brother is the Secretary of the International Workers' Order
in Oakland. (Your committee should report, at this juncture, that Dr.
Twain held a commission in the State Guard in 1942.) Humphrey
knew Signa Ludlow as a member of the Communist Party in Berkeley
and Roy Noftz as a member of the Communist Party in Oakland. He
stated that Noftz later became active in the Workers' Alliance, the
Communist Party having appointed him to a position in that front
organization.
70 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
People's Daily World
The People's Daily World is the successor to the Western Worker.
It is the official West Coast motor-drive for Communist Party transmis-
sion belts, although it has attempted to disguise its red character under
the cloak of labor. In order that its identity be thoroughly established
the committee has traced its genealogy. The hammer and sickle,
together with the statement "Western Organ of the Communist Party,
U.S.A., Section of the Communist International" appeared on the
masthead of the Western Worker until Monday, March 8, 1937. The
hammer and sickle disappeared from the masthead of the Western
Worker with the issue of March 8, 1937, and instead of the statement
"Western Organ of the Communist Party, U.S.A., Section of the
Communist International," appeared the slogan "People's Champion
of Liberty, Progress and Peace. ' ' In the notice of publication column,
however, the hammer and sickle, together with the statement ' ' Western
Organ of the Communist Party, U. S. A.," was carried. The hammer
and sickle still appeared in the official notice of publication column
until the issue of April 5, 1937.
The last edition of the Western Worker appeared December 30, 1937.
It was still listed as the "Western Organ of the Communist Party,
U.S.A.," however, and page 2 of this issue contained a full-page
advertisement announcing the "People's Daily World/' the new paper.
The first paragraph entitled 1 1 Farewell " is as follows : ' ' This is the
final edition of the Western Worker, as it makes way for the People's
World, its successor, which will make its first appearance on Janu-
ary 1st."
The first issue of the People's Daily World appeared January 1,
1938. At the head of its official notice of publication column, the
name "People's Daily World" is followed by the following slogan and
statement: "For Security, Democracy and Peace. Formerly Western
Worker, founded 1932."
On this same page appeared a group of greetings to the People's
Daily World. We quote the "greetings" "From the Communist
Party":
' ' This historic occasion, the publishing of the first issue
of the daily 'People's World,' marks the sixth anniver-
sary of the founding of the Western Worker in 1932. It
took six years of struggle since that first mimeographed
edition grew into a mighty people 's organ which will speak
not only for the Communist Party but for all those pro-
gressive forces that will constitute the American peoples'
front.
"The Communist Party could not have done it alone.
It took tens of thousands of workers, farmers, and middle
class people on the Pacific Coast to build a daily people's
voice. They have participated in a great historic event;
the inauguration of a new type of daily press, which will
serve the people of the West and all America. Together
with the 'Daily Worker' of New York and the 'Mid- West
Daily Record' of Chicago, the People's World will be a
part of a powerful chain of people 's daily papers that will
COMMUNISM 71
strike a telling blow against reaction and fascism, and for
Socialism.
"We want to take this opportunity to express our
thanks to all those who contributed their efforts to make
the daily 'People's World ' possible. New Years greet-
ings to all of its readers, party members and nonparty
members alike, from the California State Committee of
the Communist Party.
"(Signed) ANITA WHITNEY,
State Chairman,
WILLIAM SCHNEIDERMAN,
Secretary,
Communist Party."
Every effort was made on the part of the Communist Party sponsors
of the new paper, the People's Daily World, to disguise its Communist
character. Many labor leaders throughout the State were called and
asked to express an opinion on the desirability of a daily newspaper
devoted solely to labor news. Many legitimate labor leaders, unfamiliar
with the Western Worker or Communist tactics, were tricked into mak-
ing statements welcoming the appearance of a "real" labor paper.
Thus it was that certain labor leaders throughout California were later
embarrassed when learning that they had unwittingly offered congratu-
lations on the appearance of a Communist publication on the West
Coast.
Your committee called Bert S. Leech to testify at the committee's
San Diego hearing. (Volume VIII, pp. 2133-2213.) Leech, being a
well known Communist in the State of California, testified quite frankly
as to his Communist Party activities, although he stated that he was
registered politically as a Democrat. The committee learned that he
had worked for the State Relief Administration for approximately a
month in San Diego and had secured the position through a Mrs.
Wooster. Leech's testimony made the secret nature of the Communist
Party very clear. He had no hesitancy in admitting his own Com-
munist Party affiliation, even though he was registered as a Democrat.
He told the committee that there are ethical ties with the working class
in the United States and the working classes in other countries and that
no antagonism exists between the workers of different countries. He
stated that he was very familiar with the Official History of the Com-
munist Party of the Soviet Union, Soviet textbook, and that he had
taught it. He stated that it sets forth the ideology of the Communist
Party as well as the history of the Soviet Union. He could not remem-
ber the exact time when he became a member of the Communist Party,
and like most of his comrades, could not recall from whom he ever
received a party book. He admitted having been a member of the Com-
munist labor front infiltrating State, county and municipal govern-
ments, the State, County and Municipal Workers of America, C. I. 0.
He has missed few Communist Party State conventions. He admitted
that he was acquainted with the chief Communist Party functionaries,
such as William Schneiderman, Betty Gannet, Pettis Perry, Paul Cline,
Jack Moore and others. He likewise admitted being acquainted with
72 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Elaine Black of the International Labor Defense (who, for a time, was
evacuated to the Japanese Santa Anita camp with her Japanese
husband) and James Burford. He testified that he had used names
other than that of Bert Leech, being known in Communist Party work
as Bert Jackson. He told the committee that there was no conflict
between Communist Party ideals and orthodox religion. At one point
in his testimony, probably because your committee indicated its knowl-
edge of his activities by its questions, he interrupted himself to remark :
"I was just trying to place the stool-pigeon in this case." Once he
slipped in his testimony and mentioned the official capacity of the
Communist Party Control Commission (p. 2176). He stated that the
Control Commission kept track of the enemies of the Communist Party,
particularly in their movement from one county to another. He con-
cluded his testimony by explaining that Communist Party members
do not register as Communists because of their fear of economic
reprisals. He explained that actual membership in the Communist
Party entails a willingness to accept assignments and to undertake
responsibilities but did not elaborate on the nature of the assignments
or the responsibilities.
Mrs. La Verne Frances Lym testified that her husband was the chair-
man of the Communist Party in San Diego County. (Volume VIII,
pp. 2218-2256, 2362-2365). She stated that she had joined the Com-
munist Party during the Summer of 1939 and had received a member-
ship book but, again, like all other Communist witnesses, she failed to
remember to whom she paid her dues, although she later thought that
she might have paid them to Dan Taylor. She attended the Communist
Party Workers' School in Los Angeles taught by E-va Shafran. Mrs.
Lym stated that she and her husband ran the Communist Party book
store in San Diego, which is managed by the International Book Store
Committee and that her position with the store is merely that of acting
manager. She identified a photograph taken in Tijuana on May 18,
1940, of a May Day parade. The Communist Flag with the hammer
and sickle is displayed in the parade and Mrs. Lym identified herself
and stated that Dan Taylor was carrying the Flag of Soviet Russia.
William Schneiderman, the Secretary of the Communist Party of
California, testified at great length on the structure, organization,
theory and practice of the Communist Party in California. (Volume
V, pp. 1260-1342.) William Schneiderman was born in the Ukraine,
Russia, and came to the United States in 1908. He has been affiliated
with the Communist Party since 1924 or 1925 and prior to his joining
the Party was a member of the Young Communist League which was
known in those days as the Young Workers' League. The Communist
Party of California does not maintain files or documents in reference to
Party membership, and has kept no records since 1939. The committee
learned from Schneiderman that Party membership books have been
discontinued since about January of 1940 and the committee is in
possession of authoritative information that this statement is true. The
numerical strength of the Party in California is computed, according
to Schneiderman, by per capita tax receipts from the counties of the
State and it is the duty of the Financial Secretary of the Communist
Party of the State to make such computations ; to keep such records for
a few weeks and then to destroy them. Schneiderman 's rough esti-
COMMUNISM 73
mate of the membership of the secret Communist Party in California
as of December, 1941, was between five and six thousand.
The "fraction" and "cell" technique of the Communist Party,
according to Schneiderman, was discontinued in 1937 or 1938. The
fractions, he contended, had been frequently "a sort of friction" in
many organizations. He intimated that the Communists working in
labor unions presently, only participate in open caucuses attended by
non-Communist members. The committee is in possession of authorita-
tive information that this statement by Schneiderman is not completely
true. Small Communist fractions and cells still meet and plan strategy
for open caucuses with non-Communist members. Agendas and pro-
posed activities are worked out by the small fractions or cells and then
carried to caucuses where they are made to appear to be the action of a
sizable group, the majority of which, in most cases, is non-Communist.
Schneiderman testified that the Communist Party maintains a com-
mercial account in the Bank of America in San Francisco and that
they issue monthly statements. No books are kept and the statements
are not kept. These records are all destroyed when the financial
secretary finishes with them.
We learned from William Schneiderman that it was always cus-
tomary to close Communist Party conventions with the singing of the
Internationale.
Indicating the International aspect of the Communist Party, Schnei-
derman explained the use of party membership books and stamps.
International Solidarity Stamps, he explained, were used for anti-
Fascist organizations, especially in Germany against Hitler.
Pettis Perry has a long and active record as a Communist Party
member in Southern California. He was chairman of the Communist
Party County Central Committee in Los Angeles County during 1940
and still held this position at the time of his appearance before the
committee, February 23, 1942. (Volume IX, pp. 2640-2657.) Perry,
being a Negro, is utilized by the Communist Party in California for
the purpose of recruiting Negroes into the party. He has run for
public office on many occasions in Los Angeles County. He has spon-
sored such Communists for office as Samuel W. Jones, Leo Gallagher,
Louis Rosner, and others. He has associated with such known Com-
munists as Herman N. Steffens, James C. McLean, Mrs. Forrest G.
Thompson, Mrs. Adele R. Young^, Walter A. Martin, Jack Moore, Mrs.
Miriam Moore, Mrs. Viola M. Maddox, Mrs. Mary Butler, Mrs. Leona
Chamberlin, Mrs. Gertrude Betts, Helen Maloff, Edwin J. Nelson, Sam
Darcy, Elmer Hanoff, Dorothy Ray and many others.
Perry has done considerable teaching in the Communist Party
worker's schools, lecturing on such subjects as Marxism and the Wav,
History of the American Negro People, et cetera. He testified that he
knew James McGowan, Alexander Noral and other Communist Party
functionaries. He recalled meeting Sol Hilkowitz and Hermine Hilko-
witz in San Diego, as well as Bert Leech and Carroll Hunnwell of
San Diego. He admitted having spent some time at the Hilkowitz
ranch in Mission Valley near San Diego. He admitted that the Com-
munist Party had adopted the slogan "All Out Aid to the Soviet
Union, Great Britain and the Allies." He stated that there were less
than a hundred Negroes affiliated with the Communist Party in Los
74 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Angeles County and that, all together, there were between 1,500 and
2,000 members of the party in Los Angeles County.
Dr. Vaughn A. K. Tashjian, known as "Dr. Parker" in the Com-
munist Party, and many times a witness before committees investi-
gating subversive activities, was called before the committee in Los
Angeles, February 24, 1942. (Volume IX, pp. 2679-2691.) Dr. Tash-
jiaii's unique position as the disciplinary commissar of the Communist
Party in Southern California and his rather sinister appearance, makes
him always an interesting witness. As the head of the ruthless disci-
plinary control commission, his testimony might be unusually illumi-
nating were it possible to induce him to talk freely and honestly. He
is undoubtedly a thoroughly-indoctrinated Communist Party function-
ary, well trained in the iron discipline of the revolutionary class-
struggle. He is a practicing dentist in the City of Los Angeles and
has been a member of the Communist Party, by his own admission,
since 1932.
The committee is in possession of authoritative evidence that Dr.
Tashjian is actually a member of the Communist International. All
Communist International members are introduced to Los Angeles
County Communist Party functionaries through Dr. Tashjian and it
is known that he maintains contact with the Filipino Committee and
the Japanese Committee of the Communist Party and is in touch, at
all times,. with the OGPU of the Comintern. Rumors within the Com-
munist Party itself are to the effect that Dr. Tashjian actually heads
the OGPU in the Western Hemisphere. Authoritative information
in the hands of the committee places Dr. Tashjian in charge of the
underground activities of the Communist Party in the State and indi-
cates that he is a trusted contact man with the Comintern.
The present policy of the Communist Party is to deny the present
existence of the control commission. This was dutifully done by
several Communist Party functionaries testifying before the committee.
Dr. Tashjian told the committee that when he was the head of the
control commission, it was his duty to ' ' hear both sides ' ' of grievances
in the party, to investigate financial irregularities and to exercise dis-
ciplinary power ; to correct members who were ' ' pursuing an incorrect
attitude ' ' and to expel them when their attitudes could not be corrected.
Like all other functionaries of the Communist Party, he could not
remember from whom he received his party book and, of course, could
not remember to whom he paid dues. His memory almost > collapsed
entirely when questioned concerning the last meeting of the Com-
munist Party he had attended. He could remember that it was "last
Thursday" but could not, for the life of him, remember where the
meeting was held or who was present.
When the Communist Party constitutional provisions for the Control
Commission were read to him, contradicting his testimony regarding
the abolition of the Control Commission, he admitted the present effec-
tiveness and binding power of the provision, squirmed, and finally
stated that the Control Commission, the constitution to the contrary
notwithstanding, had been abandoned.
Archie Brown is a California Communist functionary of long stand-
ing. (Volume VI, pp. 1730-1758.) His Communist Party activities
began prior to 1929 or 1930 when he first affiliated with the Young
COMMUNISM 75
Communist League. Although he lived in Oakland, he did not belong
to the Berkeley unit of the party. His memory was very faulty as to
members of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League.
He could not remember the approximate number of members of the
Young Communist League in Berkeley; where he bought his Commu-
nist Party dues-stamps or the name of the person from whom he pur-
chased them. Although Brown admitted attending Communist Party
meetings about every two weeks, he could not remember where the
meetings were held or who attended them. His recollection of Young
Communist League and Communist Party activities in Oakland were
very vague. While he admitted going to 37 Grove Street and 121
Haight Street in San Francisco, he could not determine at which place
he bought his dues-stamps. Being pinned down he finally remembered
purchasing stamps at William Schneiderman 's office but couldn't
remember the name of the girl from whom he purchased them. He
finally stated that he merely knew her as ' ' Comrade. ' '
Being an open Communist Party functionary, running from time to
time on the Communist ticket for public office and with Communist
Party endorsements, Brown had no hesitancy in admitting his present
Communist Party affiliation. He admitted having spoken at a campus
meeting at Sather Gate of the University of California at Berkeley in
either 1932 or 1933. Although he had been a literature agent for the
Communist Party at one time his memory failed him in reference to
his duties in this position, and he claimed that, although he was the
agent for the literature of the party, he did not know very much about
the literature itself.
He has been a member of the International Longshoremen and Ware-
housemen's Union, Local 110, of San Francisco for about six years.
Although he attended various conferences held at the Communist Party
headquarters at 121 Haight Street in the City of San Francisco, he
does not yet know the exact purpose of the conferences. He is
acquainted with Jack Moore, Pettis Perry, Anita Whitney, William
Schneiderman, James Burford, but suffered lapses of memory in refer-
ence to other individuals.
He went to Spain with a man by the name of Yocum from California
and enlisted in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade at Mar se Mont Blanc,
Spain. He referred to John Gordon Honey combe as a "rat" for not
"fighting and dying with his comrades" in Spain. He admitted that
he had looked upon the present world conflict, prior to June 22, 1941,
as a "British Imperialist War" and had felt that President Roosevelt
was a "warmonger" but, at the time of testifying (December 3, 1941)
he had revised his entire opinion and ideas on the subject.
Archie Brown was a candidate for supervisor for the City and County
of San Francisco in 1941. The Communist Party's West Coast news-
paper, the People's Daily World of October 4, 1941, lists the sponsors
for Brown's candidacy for the office of supervisor. Among these spon-
sors the committee finds Tim Kelly, C. I. 0. Inland Boatman's Union;
Paul Orr, A. F. of L. Cook's Union, Local 44; Owen Kiernan, Marine
Cooks and Stewards ; Andy Harris, A. F. of L. Culinary Miscellaneous
Employees Union, Local 110 ; Clair Aderer, C. I. 0. Office and Profes-
sional Workers Union; Homer Mulligan, C. I. 0. American Communi-
cations Association, Local 9; Emile Rabin, A. F. of L. Cleaners and
76 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Dyers-, Walter Stack, Marine Firemen- Jack Smith, Marine Cooks and
Stewards ; Walter Lambert, Grace Partridge and Anita Whitney. The
People's Daily World of October 29, 1941, mentions three additional
alleged trade union leaders supporting Archie Brown for supervisor.
These supporters are named as Frank Dunn, president of the American
Can Local, Steel Workers9 Organizing Committee; George Lee, secre-
tary of the same organization, and Max Weitzner, a member of the
Furriers' Union Executive Board and a delegate to the C. I. 0. Indus-
trial Union Council. Carmelo Zito, the editor of Corriere del Popolo,
is also reported as publicly supporting the candidacy of Archie Brown.
Henry Schmidt, the former president of the C. I. 0. Longshoremen's
Union, Local 10; Alden Clark, president of the Industrially Unem-
ployed Workers' Union, and Wayne Canut, business agent of the A. F.
of L. Culinary Employees Union, Local 110, are reported in the People's
Daily World of October 31, 1941, as supporting Brown for supervisor.
He received a total vote in the election of 26,456 or 12.5 per cent of
the total votes cast.
9
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
Trade unions are particularly susceptible to Communist infiltration.
Small fractions are sometimes very successful in large and unwieldy
organizations. Because of the keen and fervent revolutionary spirit
indoctrinated into the members of the Communist Party, and because
most legitimate trade unionists are interested in their jobs and their
homes to the exclusion of other considerations, the small Communist
unit is enabled to dominate and control many large trade unions in
California and in America.
In this connection the committee wishes to observe that legitimate
trade unions will never be free of Communist domination and control,
or the menace of it, until they amend their constitutions and by-laws in
such a manner as will give every member of the union an opportunity
to pass on important questions that come before their respective organi-
zations. The committee has observed that where the membership is
large and unwieldy and the quorum is small in comparison to the
membership of the union itself, the Communist Party fraction is easily
able to dominate the policies of the organization. While it is not
within the province of this committee to recommend constitutional and
by-law changes to the trade union movement of California, it, never-
theless, suggests that elections and important proposals should be sub-
mitted by secret ballot to each and every member of the union by mail,
rather than permit bare quorums in weekly or monthly meetings to
determine policies and permit the election of officers by small active
groups which come to union headquarters on election day. The American
Labor movement might well protect itself from the Communist menace
of domination and control by providing that no important policy be
adopted or any officer thereof elected except by a majority vote of the
entire membership and not, as is done in many local unions throughout
California at this time, by those who merely attend meetings or who
cast their vote at the union headquarters between designated hours on
a designated election day.
COMMUNISM 77
The Communist Party conducts schools in the principal cities of the
State. These schools are known as Workers' Schools, but their Com-
munist Party character is readily recognized by their leaflets and
pamphlets setting forth the subjects taught and the names of the
instructors, as well as by the advertisements for the schools which
appear in the Communist Party press. These schools teach Marxism,
the history of Communism, labor tactics, and kindred subjects. The
names of prominent educators, as well as the names of individuals high
in State political circles, appear as lecturers in the courses offered by
these schools from time to time. The committee has collected many
of these circulars and pamphlets in which the classes and courses are
displayed together with the names of the lecturers and teachers.
Matthew G. Guidera (Volume V, pp. 1429-1447) testified that Dr.
Aaron Rosanoff was a lecturer for the Communist Party Workers'
School in Los Angeles in 1933. The committee is in possession of photo-
stats of the pamphlets of the Communist Party Workers' School in
Los Angeles advertising this fact.
Jack Moore, Southern California Communist functionary, shed con-
siderable light on Communist Party tactics in capturing the labor
movement. As an illustration of some of the tactics used your com-
mittee quotes from the testimony of Jack Moore beginning on page 31
of Volume I of the committee 's transcript :
"Q. I am going to read into the record a statement from
the Party Organizer, March and April, 1937, page 21,
and ask you if these things discussed in this paragraph
would comprise a part of your duties:
'As our first step, we communicated with every
County and Section and proposed the immediate estab-
lishment of recruiting committees, suggested that special
discussions be held in the Units, Branches and Fractions
on recruiting, on adoption of a plan of work, and a plan
for retaining new members. '
"Does that generally constitute a part of your activ-
ities?''
"A. (Moore) Yes, I think that is a pretty fair state-
ment of it."
"Q. I would also like to read another article, page 33,
entitled 'From Secret to Open Work,' by Vera Sanders,
and I quote :
" 'We decided to build up secret union groups of the
workers, functioning independently of one another, and,
of course, without the knowledge of the company. We
selected a number of workers as initial contacts. The
basis for this selection was their strategic positions in the
plant, their personal qualifications for leadership, and
their influence with the men. Three such men were picked
in the beginning, the comrades in the unit discussed the
matter of union organization with these men, and
arranged for the union organizer to visit them.
' ' ' These men, together with the party 's comrades in the
shop, set to work lining up for the union 's picked individ-
78 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
uals. Meetings of the union groups were held in private
homes of the workers once a week where needed, and once
every two weeks when found more desirable. The com-
rades in the units attended the various group meetings to
assure the leadership of the party.
"At the union group meeting which resulted, the com-
rades took leadership in discussing the necessity of build-
ing the union, and after the union organizer had given his
report, the comrades would go into the details of whom
to recruit to the union groups and how to recruit them.
General discussion was also initiated by the comrades on
the labor movement as a whole, and we began to have reg-
ular discussion periods at each of the union group meet-
ings, actively involving the workers with such questions as
the C. I. 0., the American Labor Party, Industrial Union-
ism, et cetera. It was constantly pointed out that ours
was an industrial type of union. We had to overcome the
result of an A. F. of L. sell-out some years ago, and point
out that we believed in practiced trade union democracy. '
Q. "Did you engage in such activities as are generally
set forth in this excerpt, Mr. Moore, in your fraction?"
A. (Moore) "In my experience in the fish canneries
in San Pedro, I and one other member of the Young Com-
munists' League were instrumental in organizing some
1,500 workers into a Fish Cannery Workers' Union. We
conducted a number of successful strikes and the conse-
quence was that within a period of one year, the pay of
the fish cannery workers was increased about $250,000."
In 1934 a considerable sum of money was sent from the then Soviet
Commissar for heavy industries to a Communist in Hollywood. This
sum was to be used for the purpose of creating an entering wedge
into the motion picture industry. No immediate effort was made at
that time to recruit movie stars into the party, and the entire attention
of the Hollywood Comrade was concentrated on capturing key trade
unions in the industry. This was the then mandated procedure laid
down by the Comintern and later set forth in the textbooks of the
Communist Party. Strong Communist fractions were planted and
maintained in nearly every Hollywood trade union that had juris-
diction over anything in the motion picture studios. The Communist
Party working in Hollywood wanted control over everything that
moved on wheels, sound trucks, camera platforms, transportation of
equipment and personnel to and from location, and even the tray-
dollys in the cafeterias. They soon moved Communist fractions into
the unions having jurisdiction over carpenters, painters, musicians,
grips, and electricians. To control these trade unions was to control
the motion picture studios.
Next in importance to the Hollywood trade unions working in the
motion picture industry, were the writers, script men and other pro-
fessionals having to do with the actual story writing and production
of motion picture plays. Representatives of your committee visited
the motion picture studios in Hollywood, conferred with studio man-
COMMUNISM 79
agers; with the heads of most of the important Hollywood trade unions.
Many of the leaders of these organizations were keenly aware of the
infiltration into their locals and in many cases felt themselves powerless
to stop it. The committee found most of these labor leaders loyal
Americans. J. W. Buzzell, secretary of the Los Angeles Labor Coun-
cil, Lew Blix, business representative for Local 495 of the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Aubrey Blair, an organizer for the Amer-
ican Federation of Labor, associated with the Teamsters' Union and
formerly a secretary of the Screen Actors' Guild in Hollywood and
many other A. F. of L. labor leaders were extremely helpful to the
committee in this phase of its investigation.
Representatives of the committee viewed and analyzed motion pic-
tures which had been allegedly treated with Communist propaganda.
Many individuals who were once highly paid technicians of unques-
tioned ability in the motion picture industry, were interviewed. We
learned that the Communist dominated unions and organizations had
a system of effective ' ' black-lists ' ' for members who had openly opposed
Communism or the Communist cliques, in the various unions. We
learned that many of these highly skilled individuals were unable to
secure employment because of this " black-list."
In this connection the committee reports that the Communist Party,
through both its control of certain trade unions and its systematic
method of "smearing" individuals who oppose them and who attempt
to expose them, have in the past, and are maintaining at the present,
the most effective "black-listing" in the history of the State. Opposi-
tion to Communism and to its comrades carries a persuasive economic
penalty in certain quarters in California, and particularly in some
phases of the motion picture industry.
Many fellow travelers working in close harmony with Communist
Party fractions in labor unions when called before the committee
blandly denied being members of the Communist Party, or of knowing
anything, whatever, about Communism and posed as "trade union
Progressives." Among this group were such witnesses as Samuel
Albert, Mischa Altman, Lee Gregovich, James Burford, Phillip M.
Connelly, Oscar Fuss, Jack Greenberg (not to be confused with Jack
Carl Greeriburg), Frederick Langton, Herbert K. Sorrell and B. Joseph
Zukas. Although these witnesses suffered from sudden lapses of mem-
ory and indicated little knowledge of the subject-matter of Commu-
nism, they were well acquainted with organizations such as Labor' 's
Non-Partisan League, Musicians' Democratic Committee, Motion Pic-
ture Democratic Committee, The People's Daily World and other Com-
munist Party front organizations and party literature, and in many
cases had a close working relationship with known Communists and
fellow travelers such as Don Healy, John Howard Lawson, Paul Cline,
James Burford, William Schneiderman, Pettis Perry, Dorothy Ray,
Herb Sorrell, Jack Moore, Bert Leech, Elaine Black, Oscar Fuss,
Aubrey Grossman, Leo Gallagher, Larue McCormick, and many others.
The committee has gathered voluminous evidence proving that the
Communist Party of California and in the United States is now taking
every advantage of the war and our concentration in winning it, to
infiltrate, not only into labor unions, but also the strategic positions in
Government. The committee reports that the Communists are making
80 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
great strides in this endeavor. In their own secret councils they are
frankly preparing for the time when the armed forces of our country
will be demobilized and economic and social readjustments will be
presenting a fertile field for furthering the revolutionary cause of the
Comintern. The Communist Party is making great headway in many
of California's trade unions. The top leadership in the Congress for
Industrial Organization in California is practically in the hands of the
Communist Party. Testimony under oath before the committee
unequivocally places Phillip M. Connelly, the State President of the
C. I. 0., in the Communist Party. Connelly, when he appeared before
the committee in December of 1942, denied that he had ever joined the
Communist Party, in spite of the sworn affidavit of Rena M. Vale and
the sworn testimony of others. It is rather significant that this same
Phillip M. Connelly, less than 30 days later, was attending a Com-
munist Party rally at -the Philharmonic Auditorium in the City of Los
Angeles, listening to a speech by America's Number One Communist,
Earl Browder.
In the latter part of the Third Period of Communist strategy in the
United States the Communists turned their attention to the lush field
for financial contributions to party causes and the powerful medium
for the moulding of public opinion which existed in Hollywood. The
effectiveness of Communist technique in such matters here manifested
itself. The story is told in full in the committee's transcripts and in
the correspondence that passed between Roy Hudson, a high Commu-
nist Party functionary in New York City and Jeff Kibre who led the
invasion into the Hollywood unions. The committee is in possession of
photostatic copies of this correspondence.
Early in 1937 the pattern of Communist intrigue began to be dis-
cernible (had there been anyone around who was familiar with the
pattern) in many trade unions connected with Hollywood's motion pic-
ture industry. Communist fractions in key unions such as the Inter-
national Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE), Studio
Carpenters, Musicians' Union, Studio Teamsters, Studio Painters and
others began to function in earnest and in the approved Communist
method indicated by the testimony of Jack Moore. Fractions and
cells, disciplined and agendized with resolutions, motions and steer-
ing-committees in secret caucuses expanded into meetings including
carefully selected non-Communist union members and proceeded to
offer their prepared agendas, resolutions and motions, all of which
were promptly and unanimously adopted by the unsuspecting non-
Communists present. In many cases the Communist members pushed
non-Communists members forward in such meetings so that the deluded
trade-unionist actually believed that he had cleverly originated many
of the motions and resolutions which, as a matter of fact, were care-
fully worked out months before by the Communist Labor Commission
itself. The members of Communists fractions in trade-unions made
their selection of the non-Communist members invited to the union's
"progressive" caucuses generally on the basis of such individual's per-
sonal grievance against some officer of the organization, fancied or real.
Through flattery and comradely back-slapping, praise and admiration,
the non-Communist "progressive" was induced to lead the general
onslaught on his own labor -union. This pernicious technique has
COMMUNISM 81
created 1 1 fellow- travelers " of a unique character. Many an ordinarily
decent loyal American trade-unionist, outraged at the racketeering
tactics of some labor leader, fired with a resolve to "clean up his own
union," flattered and ego-flated by the admiring urges of Comintern
comrades, whom he looked upon as good trade-unionists, has found
himself suddenly referred to as a "commie" and an agitator. Not
knowing anything about Communism and having never met a self-
admitted Communist, the uninformed, but otherwise loyal trade-unionist
finds himself dismayed and confused. The Communist fraction in the
enlarged caucuses make great capital out of such a situation. When
the appellation is properly applied to actual Communist Party mem-
bers of the group all of the non-Communist members are quickly
convinced of their staunch Americanism when it is pointed out that
"good old dumb John who always voted the Republican ticket" was
also called a "Communist."
Enlarged caucuses. Communist steered and organized, began to
function in Hollywood in 1937. Closed Communist fraction meetings
always preceded the meetings of the larger groups. Each Communist
member of the fraction was assigned 20 or more non-Communist mem-
bers of the trade-union and were held strictly accountable for the
conduct and attitude of the people assigned to them. The matters to
be discussed in the enlarged and mixed caucuses were carefully outlined
ahead of time in closed fraction meetings and the action to be taken
by the expanded group meticulously planned. Thus, the "progressive"
caucuses, as they were ultimately called, appeared to make decisions in
a democratic manner and the non-Communist members rarely suspected
that their decisions had been planned, in some cases, months ahead for
them. The average rank-and-file member of a labor organization has
little experience in public speaking or in parliamentary procedure and
his "meeting" activities are usually confined to voting in the approved
manner of his union's by-laws. The Communists, on the other hand,
have usually been trained in the Communist Party's Workers' Schools,
and have considerable knowledge of parliamentary procedure and can
talk extemporaneously for hours.
The decisions thus "democratically" reached in the "progressive"
caucuses are then carried to the floor of union meetings. A non-
Communist stooge has usually been selected at the ' ' progressive ' ' caucus
to present the planned resolutions and motions. The Communist steer-
ing committee sees to it that the stooge is supported by proper seconds
and the comrades themselves arise to speak if things appear to be going:
badly. Many trade-unions require comparatively small quorums and,
where the membership of the organization is large, meetings are poorly
attended. Generally the membership of the "progressive'' group is
an overwhelming majority in any such meeting and the decisions of the
"progressive caucus" which had been planned for them by the Com-
munist fraction, becomes the official policy or action of the union itself.
Several such enlarged caucuses, Communist dominated and controlled,
came into being in Hollywood in 1937. The first of importance was
the "I. A. Progressives" made up of members of the International
Alliance of Theatrical and Stave Employees (IATSE), an American
Federation of Labor affiliate. Another was the so-called "progressive"
6— L-2275
82 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
group in the Los Angeles "Musicians' Union, Local 47, of the Amer-
ican Federation of Musicians. This group, after the union organiza-
tion increased its quorum from 75 to 300, organized itself into the
Musicians' Democratic Committee, and affiliated with the Hollywood
Communist front organization The Motion Picture Democratic Com-
mittee. The "I. A. Progressives," failing in capturing the Hollywood
locals of the IATSE, ultimately became the nucleus of the United
Studio Technicians Guild (USTG), financed by Harry Bridges. This
organization, completely dominated and controlled by the Communist
Party, petitioned the National Lai) or Relations Board for an election
to determine the collective bargaining agency for the motion picture
industry. Had the Communists been successful in this election they
would have controlled Hollywood.
Among those examined in reference to the C. I. 0. Communist-domi-
nated United Studio Technicians Guild, the "I. A. Progressives" and
the IATSB were Aubrey Blair, Lew C. G. Blix, George E. Bodle,
Edward Heim, L. C. Helm, Herbert K. Sorrell and A. H. Webber.
Lew C. G. Blix, business representative for Local 495 of the Inter-
national Brotherhood of Teamsters in the City of Los Angeles, told the
committee of his acquaintance with Jeff Kibre during the time that
Blix was secretary-treasurer of Local 37 of the International Alliance
of Theatrical Stage Employees in Hollywood. Blix identified Jeff
Kibre 's handwriting and signature on various documents which had
been introduced in the record in connection with the Communist plot
to capture the Hollywood unions. He gave the committee the history
of the so-called "I. A. Progressives," headed by Kibre in 1937. He
also testified of having seen a photostat of Jeff Kibre 's application to
join the Communist Party under the name of "Barry Wood." In
this connection, it should be stated, that the committee read into its
transcript the minutes of the Third Annual Convention of the Com-
munist Party of Los Angeles, which was held April 29, 30, and May 1
of 1938. The minutes of this convention revealed that "Barry Wood"
was elected to the county executive committee of the Communist Party.
An affidavit of Ezra Chase, former Communist Party member, was also
read into the committee's record, in which Chase identified Jeff Kibre
as a member of the Communist Party.
Aubrey Blair, organizer for the American Federation of Labor, testi-
fied before the committee, detailing the attempt on the part of the
Communist Party to capture the motion picture industry. Photostatic
copies of letters of Jeff Kibre were introduced in connection with the
testimony of Blair, showing the background of an organization known
as the Conference of Motion Picture Arts and Crafts and generally
referred to as COMPAC. Blair also corroborated the testimony of
Blix in further detailing the Communist plot to capture the IATSE.
He told the committee of the Communist Party fraction work in the
"I. A. Progressives" and the creation of the United Studio Technicians
Guild (USTG).
Edward Heim, a member of Local 728, of the IATSE and formerly a
member of Local 37 of the IATSE, testified concerning the United
Studio Technicians Guild (Volume II, pp. 514-520). Heim had left the
IATSE and joined the United Studio Technicians Guild and for a
time acted as the office manager of that group. He saw bundles of the
COMMUNISM 83
People's Daily World, the Communist Party periodical on the West
Coast, in the office of the United Studio Technicians Guild which were
used for free distribution. He told of conferences in the office of the
organization between Jeff Kibre, Sam Goldblatt, Herb Sorrell and
others and stated that he knew Sam Goldblatt to be a member of the
Communist Party.
L. C. Helm, business representative of the Studio Utility Employees',
Local 742 (IATSE), also testified regarding the "I. A. Progressives"
and the activities of the United Studio Technicians Guild. (Volume
II, pp. 506-514.) He stated that this infiltration of Hollywood
motion picture unions began with the Studio Unemployment Confer-
ence in 1938 to which the IATSE and the Studio Painters affiliated.
Jeff Kibre spearheaded this organization and Herbert Biberman and
Frank Tuttle attended several of the Conference meetings. Helm tes-
tified that the Conference of Motion Picture Arts and Crafts
(COMPAC) grew out of the Studio Unemployment Conference and
that Jeff Kibre continued as its guiding spirit, although Herbert Sor-
rell was influential in it. He stated that COMPAC later became the
United Studio Technicians Guild under C. I. 0. charter. Helm with-
drew because of the Communist influence in COMPAC.
Similar situations were existing in other Hollywood unions. Organ-
izing had been going on in the recording industry and in radio. Many
of the early attempts at organization were undoubtedly legitimate and
as the Communist element more and more forged to the front for their
own particular purposes, many sincere American labor men were car-
ried along. A strike finally developed at Columbia, conducted by the
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, C. I. 0.
(UERMWA). The witnesses examined by your committee in reference
to this organization were Carl Brant, James H. Burford, Gene Hag-
berg and A. H. Webber.
Carl Brant, organizer for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers of America, C. I. 0. (UERMWA), admitted having been a
member of the Communist Party for "about two or three years."
Brant admitted being familiar with a play Formation Left by Jeff
Kibre and Mildred Ashe and another left-wing play Waiting for Lefty
by Clifford Odets and Peace on Earth by Albert Maltz. Although
Carl Brant was listed in circulars advertising a Communist Party
Workers' School as an instructor*, he denied that he had ever served
in such capacity.
The committee knew that Brant was in fact a member of the Com-
munist Party and that he was an educational director in one of Los
Angeles County 's Communist units. He did a great deal of organizing
work in the Workers' Alliance and in so-called Communist Cultural
Projects. He was a delegate to the California Federation of Govern-
ment Employees' Convention in 1937 in company with such well-
known Communists as Fred Franchi, Leona McGenty and Rena Vale.
A. H. Webber related to your committee his difficulties with Local
1421 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
(Volume II, pp. 357-387.) Webber had been employed for five years
at the Columbia Recording Studio in Los Angeles and had been dis-
missed about seven weeks before testifying, July 30, 1941. He stated
that he had assisted in organizing the union in the Columbia Recording
84 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Studio and had applied for an A. F. of L. charter which was refused
by Harold Smith, of the IATSE. He stated that a C. I. 0. charter
was accepted and that the union became known as Local 1421 of the
UERMWA. In his capacity as a member of the shop committee,
Webber always insisted on efficient workmen but the Communists
endeavored to run in their members regardless of ability. Because of
his protest against this tactic, charges were preferred against him and
he was finally expelled from the union and ousted from his position
in the Columbia Recording Studio. He has since been branded as
' ' anti-union ' ' and a ' ' red-baiter ' ' and has not been permitted to obtain
another position where the C. I. 0. influence is strong.
James H. Burford was subpenaed. There is no doubt that this
witness deliberately lied on many occasions under examination by the
members of the committee and its interrogator. The committee unan-
imously passed a resolution referring the matter to the district attorney
of Los Angeles County recommending that Burford be charged and
tried for perjury. In this connection, it must be said, that this was
the only recommendation made during the existence of the committee
in which a prosecution was not instituted.
Burford has been a consistent worker in Communist infiltration
activities for many years. As the secretary of the Young Democratic
fraction, which was composed of allegedly Young Democratic leaders
who were secret members of the Communist Party, Burford materially
assisted in the disruption and destruction of the organization of the
Young Democrats of California. Running the gamut of the usual
occupational shifts and changes, Burford was, at the time of testifying,
affiliated with the United Electrical, Eadio and Machine Workers of
America, C. I. 0. He admitted knowing and associating with notorious
Communists and Communist fellow travelers in California, such as
Velda Johnston, James Toback, Paul Johnson, Paul Cline, Jack Moore,
Rose Segure, Aubrey Grossman, William J. Plunkert, and William
Elconin.
Burford testified (Volume II, pp. 316-344, July 30, 1941) that he
had studied the Communist Manifesto in 1931 in San Diego State
College. He stated that he was opposed to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (F.B.I.) because they took "scabs" through a picket
line of the C. I. 0. United Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers' Union
(UMMSWU). He admitted that he had supported the Com-
munist candidate, Celeste Strack, running for Congress in the Thir-
teenth Congressional District against the incumbent, Congressman
Kramer, in 1940.
Don Morton, who joined the Communist Party in 1936 in Berkeley,
identified pictures of James Burford, and stated that he knew Burford
as a Communist Party member during his affiliation with the party.
(Volume VI, pp. 1783-1794.) Morton further testified that he
attended closed Communist Party meetings in Burford 's home and that
these meetings were gatherings of Unit Number 5, generally referred to
as the "Campus Unit."
Coordinating the general plan of the Communist Party for the cap-
ture of Hollywood unions, the Communist fraction of Local 47, Los
Angeles ' Musicians ' Union extended its closed fraction meetings to
selected non-Communist members of the association in the Fall of 1937.
COMMUNISM 85
These enlarged and mixed meetings soon became known as "progressive
caucuses" and the individuals as "47 Progressives." The committee
and its representatives have carefully examined the minutes of the
steering committees of this group. The minutes of the board of direc-
tors of Local 47 for January 9, 1940, contains several hundred pages
of the compiled activities of this group, together with photostatic copies
of the minutes of the Communist dominated expanded caucuses. It
is significant that, although the laws of the Musicians' Union in Los
Angeles provide for the publication of the minutes of the board of
directors in the official organ of the association, The Overture, the min-
utes of the board for January 9, 1940, have never been published.
The coordination of the over-all plan of the Communist Party for
its Hollywood offensive by the Communists within Local 47 of the
Musicians' Union of Los Angeles is clearly discernible in the resolu-
tions, motions and activities outlined in the official pages of the minutes
of the board of directors for January 9, 1940. Affiliation with many
front organizations was carried to the general meetings of the associa-
tion, such as Labor's Non-Partisan League, unemployed councils, etc.
Ambulances for Spain and participation in many Communist activi-
ties are clearly revealed. The election of Miriam Brooks or Moore,
the wife of Jack Moore, Los Angeles County Communist functionary,
after but a few months membership, as a delegate to the State Federa-
tion of Labor's convention in Oakland in 1939 is one of the amazing
achievements of the Communist element within this trade union asso-
ciation. (The membership of the Los Angeles Musicians' Union is
between seven and eight thousand.) The trials and expulsion of Com-
munist members such as Miriam Moore and Saul Posner are included
in the minutes of the board above referred to, and the order of dissolu-
tion of the Communist front, The Musicians' Democratic Committee,
is set forth, indicating the attempts of a beleaguered group of officers
fighting for the American maintenance of the union.
Julius Furman of Local 47 of the Musicians' Union testified July 29,
1941, regarding his previously sworn testimony contained in the min-
utes of the board of directors of that association above mentioned.
(Volume I, pp. 199-216.) Among those identified by Furman as
working secretly with Communist Party members for the control and
domination of Local 47 of the American Federation of Musicians were :
Mischa Altman, Sam Albert, IJaakon Bergh, Gerald Caylor, Lina
Di Fiore, Louis Kaufman, Stephen Mougin, Herbert Offner, Wayne
Ronka and Paul Eobyn, all of whom were listed on photostatic copies
of the minutes of the Musicians' Union's board of directors of January
9. 1940. Furman named Mischa Altman as the leader of the Commu-
nist faction in the association and gave an account of a pro-Communist
meeting held at the home of George Bassman, a member of the union.
Floyd Mathews, also a member of the Musicians' Union, testified as
to Communist intrigue and plotting in the association. (Volume I,
pp. 123-131.) He stated that one Eddie Gruen and Mischa Altman,
both members of the union, invited him to attend a Communist Party
school and that other members of Local 47, including Emerson Hara-
den, Eddie Gruen and Bernice Frazier, attended the Communist Party
School. Mathews testified that Gruen and Altman told him that they
were members of the Communist Party. Altman appeared to be the
86 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"big fish" of the Marxist school. Mathews stated that Altman had
told him that the Communist Party desired to place members of the
party in the police department and in the Army.
The Musicians9 Union of Los Angeles may be definitely said to be
under the control and domination of the Communist Party and is pres-
ently being used to carry out certain parts of the Communist Party
program.
Your committee called and examined many witnesses in reference
to Communist activities in the agrarian districts of the State. This
field is an important one in Communist strategy. It has not been over-
looked in the past by Communist agitators and will not be neglected
in the future, although large industrial centers are the chief and ever-
present targets. The Simon J. Lubin Society and UCAPAWA are the
Communist fronts in California agrarian penetration. The testimony
of Dorothy Ray, now Mrs. Don Healy, is typical of the activities of
Communist Party functionaries in this field. Miss Ray, by her own
admission, has been very active in Communist Party agitation in the
agricultural districts of California. She testified before the committee
December 2, 1941, in San Francisco. (Volume V, pp. 1639-1641,
1795-1806, and Volume VI, pp. 1818-1864.) She admitted knowing
many Communists and Communist fellow travelers, such as James Bur-
ford, Archie Brown, Lillian Monroe, Ted Rasmussen, Stanley Hancock
and others. She testified that she was born in Denver, Colorado, in
1914 and that her maiden name was Rosenblum.
The agricultural red fronts must first be examined. The Simon J.
Lubin Society was organized in the Fall of 1936. It took its name
from the late Simon J. Lubin who formerly headed the California
Division of Immigration and Housing. He was admittedly a member
of the I. W. W.
The organization was the work of Unit 104 of the Professional Sec-
tion of the Communist Party. This unit had been doing research work
for the agricultural activities of the party and Helen Horn (Hosmer)
and Dr. Soule, members of Unit 104, conceived the idea of forming a
club or society that would include non-party members. They persuaded
the Lubin family to allow them to name the organization after Simon
J. Lubin. The Lubins did not know the real purpose behind the
organization or that it was controlled by the Communist Party. (Dies
Reports, Volume 3, pp. 1997-8.)
After Unit 104 had organized the society, the leader of the profes-
sional section of the Communist Party widened its scope in 1936. With
the aid of Donald Henderson, National President of the United Can-
nery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America (UCA-
PAWA), who was visiting in San Francisco at the time, the future
activities of the society were worked out. It became the channel through
which the Communist Party conducts its fight against the farming
industry.
Aubrey Grossman represented the society in a legal action against
the Salinas Lettuce Growers.
The society appeared with the American League Against War and
Fascism as a joint sponsor for a meeting held in San Francisco on May
7, 1937, to discuss the cannery workers' strike in the San Joaquin area.
COMMUNISM 87
For a short time in 1937 the society occupied joint offices with the
Conference for Repeal of the Criminal Syndicalism Act.
On July 9, 10, 11 and 12, 1937, a National convention of agricultural
organizations was held in Denver, Colorado, presided over by Donald
Henderson. Henderson had formerly been on the faculty of Columbia
University but had been removed due to radical and Communist activi-
ties. UCAPAWA (United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied
Workers of America) came out of this convention and affiliated with
the C. I. 0. with Donald Henderson as its National president. Pat
Callahan and Dorothy Ray, both known Communists, became president
and vice president, respectively, of the organization in California.
Under Communist direction UCAPAWA gradually made itself
known in agricultural districts of California. Labor agitation and dis-
turbances were gradually accelerated.
Lauretta Adams, section organizer of the Communist Party in Kern
County, together with Clyde Champion, Communist candidate for
public offices, were organizers for UCAPAWA, as well as for the
Workers' Alliance and the Communist Party.
In February of 1940 a Field Workers' School, sponsored by
UCAPAWA, was held at Chino, California for the purpose of training
organizers. Revels Cayton, Negro Communist secretary of the San
Francisco local of the Maritime Federation of the Pacific, Amy Schech-
ter, formerly a student at the Lenin School in Moscow in 1939 and a
writer for New Masses, Communist magazine, and Carey Me Williams,
Chief of the California Division of Immigration and Housing, were the
instructors at the Field Workers' School.
Miss Ray's Communist activities carried her into many agricultural
unions. She stated that she had worked with independent and A. F.
of L. unions which preceded the United Cannery, Agricultural, Pack-
ing and Allied Workers of America, C. I. 0., (UCAPAWA), Compazi-
nos, a Mexican workers' organization and the Cannery and Agricul-
tural Workers' Union. She was the international representative of
UCAPAWA until 1938 or 1939.
Miss Ray described her difficulties in Imperial Valley and admitted
having served six months in the Imperial County jail as the result of
the lettuce strike in 1933-1934. Although she had been an active Com-
munist continuously for over 10 years, she stated that she had never
registered as a voter in the Communist Party. She stated that she
dropped out of the Communist Party and the Toung Communist
League work because she had become practically exhausted from her 10
years' strenuous labors. She stated that she had never subscribed to
the Western Worker or the People's Daily World but that she read the
Monthly Communist faithfully.
She identified a picture of herself taken on the fire escape of the
Communist Party headquarters in Oakland on Franklin Street in
which she held two placards, one carrying the slogan "Join the Com-
munist Party" and the other "Stop Police Brutality."
Your committee found Miss Ray an exceedingly clever witness. She
frankly stated that she would not indulge in "Communist-baiting" and
spoke from time to time of "We Internationalists." (P. 1842.) She
asserted that the Soviet Union had abolished the exploitation of man
by man and had set up a classless society. She believed that it was in
88 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the interest of the United States to defend the Soviet Union. She
stated that she did not believe the testimony of the " stool pigeons who
appear before these committees," and believes them to be pathological
liars. In speaking of the dictatorship exercised in Russia by Stalin,
she stated that "there is a distinction between good dictatorship and
bad dictatorship." She told the committee that she thought the com-
mittee desired her to "red-bait" but that she would protect the others
in the Communist Party with her. She did so meticulously.
In October of 1938 Miss Ray was sent to Bakersfield by the Inter-
national of UCAPAWA to handle the cotton strike in progress there
at that time. She spoke in Arvin, Palmo, Shafter, Button Willow and
other places. She was county organizer of Labors' N on-Partisan
League in Los Angeles County in 1939 though, paradoxically, she
stated that she was never a member of the league. As a further para-
dox, she testified, that she attended the Third Annual Convention of
Labors' N on-Partisan League held June 22, 1940, as an executive board
member. She spoke to the membership of Local 78, of the Orange
Pickers Local, in Orange County in July of 1940. She was in Orange
County on the vegetable strike in 1938 for UCAPAWA. She admitted
having participated in citrus strikes in Orange County in August,
1938, for UCAPAWA.
Miss Ray is a Deputy Labor Commissioner in San Francisco under
H. C. Carrasco. The head of this department is George C. Kidwell,
an Olson appointee. The committee learned that Miss Ray had secured
this position through a civil service examination. A quotation of hers
from the oral examination held for the position of Deputy Labor Com-
missioner, February 10, 1940, by the State Personnel Board was read
to Miss Ray, as follows: "Particularly in those years, 1934, Imperial
Valley was well known for lawlessness. I'm not ashamed of having
served a jail sentence. I didn't violate any law that I would recognize
as a law." Miss Ray examined this statement and said that she did
not recall testifying before the Personnel Board in such a manner.
She concluded her testimony by stating that her husband, Don Healy,
was now "organizing for a union."
It is quite evident, even from the foregoing brief outline of typical
examples, that the Congress of Industrial Organization is much more
susceptible to Communist Party penetration and control than is the
American Federation of Labor. Several reasons may be advanced
to account for this fact. First, the American Federation of Labor,
led for many years by loyal American working-men fully convinced of
the greatness of American democracy and its institutions, successfully
withstood the early shocks of the Communist assault. Experienced in
labor matters, the American Federation of Labor's leadership has gone
forward steadily along legal and democratic lines. Its broad objec-
tives are in accord with Constitutional Government and the traditions
of the United States. While it seeks better working conditions and
a higher standard of living it is vitally concerned with the preserva-
tion of the Government and the American system which has, in fact,
established the best working conditions and the highest standard of
living in the history of the world. The Congress for Industrial Organ-
ization, on the other hand, created by John L. Lewis in the midst of
the Nation's greatest economic depression, is young and inexperienced.
COMMUNISM 89
Lewis, while lambasting Communism and its attempts to capture labor
prior to 1935, did not hesitate to use Communist agitators and the
Communist Party in organizing his rival organization after his split
with the American Federation of Labor. The growth of the C. I. 0.
was an unhealthy one in its first few years of existence and largely
was a paper organization. Few of its recruits actually paid dues or
assessments. Being loosely-knit and arbitrarily thrown together in
the beginning, it was an easy matter for the Communists to control
many of its locals and councils.
The committee would not want anyone to believe that the rank-
and-file members of the Congress for Industrial Organization are Com-
munists or sympathetic to Communism. It is well known that the
great majority of the members of the C. I. 0. in California deeply
resent the Communist domination of the organization and that they
would like to correct the situation. This is a much more difficult task
than would be imagined at first glance. The C. I. 0. has many bar-
gaining contracts and the members are, in many cases, economically
silenced. Many illustrations might be given here of attempted "house
cleanings" in which the daring leaders of such a movement were
rewarded by expulsion from the union and their jobs. The cases of
Hugh Ben Inzer and A. H. Webber are set forth in detail in the com-
mittee 's transcripts of testimony and touched upon in this report.
In spite of the firm stand taken by American Federation of Labor
leaders in the past, your committee believes that the Communist Party
is making considerable progress in its penetration of certain of its
federations, its labor councils and its local unions. Certain staunch
old-time leaders still block the battered drawbridges of their trade
union citadels but the Trojan Horse is awaiting the moment when the
heavy guns of disguised Communist batteries blast them aside.
10
FRONT ORGANIZATIONS AND TRANSMISSION BELTS
We have detailed at some length the operation and organization of
Communist Party fractions in labor organizations and the clever tech-
nique used in expanding .closed Communist fraction-caucuses into larger
meetings to which carefully selected non-Communist Party union
members are invited. Such mixed meetings, carefully planned and
controlled, are usually called "Progressive Trade Union" meetings.
The non-Communist members, of course, are entirely unaware of the
fact that the decisions made by them in these "Progressive" meetings
were planned beforehand and cleverly "democratically" executed in
the so-called "Progressive" meetings. This same technique is used in
the creation of "front" organizations, or "transmission belts," as
they are referred to by the Communists themselves. In order to thor-
oughly to understand this technique, we outline the approved method of
the Communist Party in setting up a typical "transmission belt" or
front organization.
1. The Comintern strategists chart certain targets in capitalist econ-
omy and orders are issued for their destruction.
2. The strategy committees of the Communist Party scattered
throughout the world, acting on orders from the Comintern, search
90 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
about for a popular prejudice, a real or fancied abuse of the broadest
possible magnitude. Having once settled on a popular prejudice or
abuse behind which their real purposes may be screened, Communist
Party members everywhere are instructed to form appropriate organ-
izations. The popular prejudice, fear or economic condition readily
presents a variety of organizations purportedly designed to " remedy"
the particular situation. It may be fear of a world war, rise of dicta-
tors, an economic depression with attendant distress and unemploy-
ment or it may be a rising cost-of -living.
3. Closed Communist fractions all over the country discuss the orders
from the executive committee. The National executive committee has
usually set up a National organization, so that little is left to local
comrades, other than forming a chapter of the National organization
in order to give the entire movement the appearance of spontaneous
demand on the part of all the people. Resolutions, motions, proclama-
tions and activities are all ready-made for the comrades in the closed
Communist caucuses. Fellow-travelers, innocents, ambitious labor lead-
ers and politicians are contacted as petition-signers to call mass meetings
for the consideration of the formation of the movement. Real Com-
munist Party members meticulously refrain from affixing their sig-
natures as sponsoring the new movement.
4. A call for the first meeting is issued, signed by many fellow-
travelers, innocents and political-climbers.
5. The meeting is called to order at the specified hour and place,
usually by some well known person whose Americanism has never been
questioned, and who probably is, in fact, unconscious that he is being
used by a subversive group. He has been sold a bill of goods on the
movement.
6. Each member of the Communist Party caucus charged with the
responsibility of launching the organization, has been assigned a list
of non-Communist individuals whom he has invited to the meeting.
The Communist Party members spread themselves throughout the meet-
ing-hall and prompt non-Communist members with whom they have
struck up a friendship to make right motions and offer prepared
resolutions at the proper time. The most prominent non-Commu-
nist person present is usually selected beforehand as the one who will
be the chairman of the organization. The selection of the secretary,
however, is a very different matter. Only a trusted and disciplined
Communist may have this position. A Communist Party member is
always selected.
Thus, a new ' ' transmission belt front organization ' ' is launched. The
non-Communist members feel that they have contributed something
toward the general welfare of the community and the people by their
participation in the new organization. They are out to fight Fascism ;
they are on record against war and they are determined to preserve
democracy. Perhaps they have taken an active step toward combat-
ing Naziism and Hitler. It may be that they feel they have taken
an important step in drawing the divergent branches of labor into one
great organization for the betterment of all labor. Whatever the non-
Communist may believe and feel when he leaves such a meeting, the
result is always much the same. He makes financial contributions
COMMUNISM 91
from time to time to the organization and receives its bulletins, peri-
odicals and newspapers and more or less forgets about the whole thing.
He is too busy making a living to attend many of the subsequent meet-
ings. The officers and the board of directors take care of the details.
The board of directors is soon completely in the hands of the Com-
munist Party and the agitation is then carried on from that point for
the purposes of the Comintern.
With the invasion of Hollywood by the Communist Party came the
inevitable myriad front organizations, utterly controlled and dominated
by the Communist Party, but, in most cases, drawing into their mem-
bership lists pseudo liberals, parlor pinks, innocents and a great many
people who just simply did not know any better. We have elsewhere
related the history of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and its ubiqui-
tous V. J. Jerome. In addition, were the Pen and Hammer Club, the
Hollywood League for Democratic Action, the Hollywood League for
Women Shoppers, the Old John Reed Club, the Hollywood Theatre
Alliance, the Hollywood Mooney Defense Committee, the American
Writers' Congress, Hollywood Unit of the League Against War and
Fascism, Spanish Relief Committee, the League for Peace and Democ-
racy and many, many others. Pulling the strings and setting the policy
of all of these organizations were Communist individuals well known
to your committee as members of the Trojan Horse Cavalry. These
organizations, and many others, are listed and analyzed in detail in
the files of the committee, together with personnel, leaders and activities.
Hollywood is a veritable mecca for the Communist cultural clique.
Your committee has gathered voluminous information on this phase of
Communist infiltration.
"Our party members are to be found in the widest variety of mass
organizations," declared Earl Browder. "In the trade unions of the
A. F. of L., C. I. 0. * * * the National Negro Congress-, in the
farm, cultural, fraternal, religious, professional and other organiza-
tions, and those of National groups." (The Democratic Front, a report
by Earl Browder to the Tenth National Convention of the Communist
Party of the United States of America on May 28, 1938, page 69.)
The testimony and record of activities of Reuben W. Borough, left
no doubt in the minds of the members of your committee as to his
close Communist fellow-traveling proclivities. He may be termed an
ardent "Anti-Red-Baiter." He has been active in most Communist
front organizations in California. In 1937 he was vice chairman for
the Southern District of the California Committee for Political Unity.
In 1938, he sponsored a $60,000 drive for the People's Daily World,
Communist Party publication in California. In 1939, he was a sponsor
of the Second Annual California Model Legislature to be held in Sacra-
mento. This Model Legislature was a Communist-inspired youth move-
ment. He appeared, in 1939, on the list of subscribers to the People's
Daily World. In 1940, he was a sponsor of the Conference for Demo-
cratic Action which was held in Fresno. This organization is reported
as one to replace the former Communist dominated and controlled
American League for Peace and Democracy. He is presently com-
missioner of public works, appointed by Mayor Fletcher Bowron in the
City of Los Angeles.
92 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Borough admits having been a member of the Socialist Party and
having carried a "red card" in Chicago. He admits being a member
of the American Civil Liberties Union, and other Communist dominated
front organizations. He stated that he did not know and did not care
whether certain individuals were Communists or not and he denied
that the Communist Party had any purpose in the overthrowing of
the Government of the United States. He admitted knowing many
prominent Communists in Los Angeles and stated that they were not
a danger to our Democracy and more or less looked upon Communism
and the "labor movement" as synonymous. He knew William Schnei-
derman, State Secretary of the Communist Party, and admitted attend-
ing a testimonial dinner for the Communist attorney, Leo Gallagher,
in 1941. He told the committee that he had the "highest respect" for
the State, County and Municipal Workers of America, C. I. 0., a Com-
munist controlled C. I. 0. union for infiltration into governmental
positions.
When questioned as to a so-called "emergency conference to halt
the blackout of civil liberties in California" held Saturday, April 5,
1941 at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles, Borough at first
denied that he had acted as substitute chairman in place of Carey
Me Williams, who had been previously advertised as the chairman for
that meeting. (The so-called "Blackout of Civil Liberties" was a
protest meeting against Assembly Bill 271 then pending in the Assem-
bly, introduced by Assemblyman Lee T. Bashore, Assemblyman James
H. Phillips, and Assemblyman Jack B. Tenney, subsequently enacted
into the law and under which Robert Noble and Ellis 0. Jones and
others were convicted in Sacramento. ) Returning to the witness stand
later, Borough admitted having acted as substitute chairman for Carey
Me Williams at the time and place above stated. He admitted knowing
Jack Moore, secretary of the Communist Party of Los Angeles County,
Louis Goldblatt, of the C. I. 0., Carey Me Williams, James Burford and
Ramon Welch of the Spanish Speaking Congress.
The American Civil Liberties Union may be definitely classed as a
Communist front or "transmission belt" organization. At least 90
per cent of its efforts are expended on behalf of Communists who come
into conflict with the law. While it professes to stand for free speech,
a free press and free assembly, it is quite obvious that its main func-
tion is to protect Communists in their activities of force and violence
in their program to overthrow the government.
Ellis 0. Jones admitted being a member of the executive board of
the American Civil Liberties Union. (Volume III, pp. 744-760.) He
stated that he became a director of this organization in either 1933
or 1934. He did not know, at the time of testifying (Volume X, pp.
2489-2528), whether or not he still was a member of the Schneiderman-
Darcy Defense Committee, although he admitted having been a member
at one time. He believes that the civil liberties of Schneiderman and
Darcy have been violated. He testified that he had never met with
the committee but that he had seen several pieces of publicity of the
American Civil Liberties Union containing his name. He stated that
he had never received a communication from William Schneiderman
in reference to removing him from the Schneiderman-Darcy Defense
Committee. He could not recall an occasion on which the American
COMMUNISM 93
Civil Liberties Union interested itself in the civil liberties of members
of the German- American Bund or the organization itself.
The Communist International magazine for January of 1934 at page
78, declares : ' ' Our most successful application of the United Front has
been in the anti-war and anti-Fascism movement. We led a highly suc-
cessful U. S. Congress Against War. * * * which brought together
2,616 delegates from all over the country. * * * The Congress from
the beginning was led by our party quite openly. * * * The Con-
gress set up a permanent organization on 'federative basis called the
American League Against War and Fascism'.11 Naturally, the anti-
war aspect of the organization has been its greatest bait to peace-loving
Americans. It has permitted the representatives of the organization to
penetrate churches and fraternal groups and thus to align them
with the Communist Party. The usual technique of Communist
caucuses expanded into front organizations, constituting the transmis-
sion belt for Communist Party indoctrination is used in this organiza-
tion as in all others.
In November of 1937, the American League Against War and
Fascism suddenly was changed to the American League for Peace and
Democracy. It is significant that the Canadian League Against War
and Fascism almost simultaneously became the Canadian League for
Peace and Democracy. Out of the Comintern in 1932 came the Amster-
dam World Congress. The World Committee Against War came out of
the Amsterdam World Congress. In 1933 the World Committee
Against War gave birth to the American Committee for the Strug-
gle Against War. In September of 1933, the American Committee for
the Struggle Against War created a National Organizing Committee
for the First United States Congress Against War. In October of 1933.
the American League Against War and Fascism blossomed out of the
First United States Congress Against War.
The American Peace Crusade was organized during the Stalin-Hitler
collaboration, in June of 1940. The Los Angeles meeting was called by
the Los Angeles C.I. 0. Industrial Union Council, the California Youth
Legislature and the Hollywood Peace Forum and was supported by
Labors Non-Partisan League. (People's Daily World, June 6, 1940.)
The sponsors of this organization included the National Legal Confer-
ence, Workers Alliance, Labors Non-Partisan League, California Youth
Legislature, Joseph Curran of the National Maritime Union, Theodore
Dreiser, Jack McMichael of the American Youth Congress, Louis Gold-
blatt, Secretary of the California State C.I. 0. Industrial Union Coun-
cil, Herbert Biberman, and numerous other organizations and indi-
viduals. (People's Daily World, July 5, 1940.) A Nation-wide con-
ference of the American Peace Crusade was held in Chicago on August
31, to September 1, 1940. At this time a new organization was created
which became known as the American Peace Mobilization. It was then
announced that the American Peace Mobilization would take the place
of the defunct American League for Peace and Democracy.
The International Workers' Order is an important Communist front
organization. Philip Gardner, the executive secretary of the Los
Angeles Council of this transmission belt, testified before the commit-
tee February 24, 1942. (Volume IX, pages 2774-2790.) Gardner
admitted that he was a member of the Communist Party and that he
94 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
had been connected with the International Workers9 Order since 1932.
He admitted knowing Max Bedacht, National secretary of the Inter-
national Workers' Order and one time editor of the Monthly Communist
magazine. Gardner stated that there are 30 lodges of the International
Workers' Order in the southern California district and that most of the
lodges meet in public halls and hold benefits from time to time for the
People's Daily World, the official Communist Party organ on the West
Coast. He stated that the International Workers' Order is headed by a
general executive board and that Herbert Benjamin is a member of this
board. The requirements laid down for eligibility to become a member
of the International Workers' Order, Gardner told the committee, were
principally that the applicant be sympathetic to labor ; that anti-labor
individuals, " scabs," ' ' strike-breakers " or "Fascists" were not elig-
ible. Membership in a labor union, however, Gardner stated, was not
necessary. The "International" designation of the Workers' Order,
Gardner testified, had no relationship to other countries and only
referred to races. He stated that the International Workers' Order had
about 3,500 members in southern California. He admitted, under
examination, that he had joined the Communist Party in Seattle in
1937 but had not belonged to the Young Communist League. He
admitted having received a Communist Party book but stated that he
had not received his 1939 book and, like all Communist Party function-
aries and front men, he could not remember the person from whom he
received his book. The committee reports that there is no doubt what-
soever of the Communist domination and control of the International
Workers' Order.
Undercover information in possession of the committee indicates that
Philip Gardner is the president or chairman of the Los Angeles County
branch of the Communist Party.
George E. Bodle may be classed as one of California's so-called labor
attorneys. (Volume IX, pp. 2799-2808.) He is a graduate of Stanford
University Law School and was admitted to the California Bar in 1934.
His wife is Alice Ingraham. Bodle was not certain whether or not his
wife had taught in the Workers' School in Los Angeles, although he
did not believe that she had. Bodle had been associated with Henry
Melnikow in the Pacific Labor Bureau, San Francisco, from 1937 until
November of 1939. He met Melnikow through a San Francisco attor-
ney by the name of Robert Littler. The purported work of the Pacific
Labor Bureau was the gathering of economic and statistical informa-
tion for trade unions and representing them in negotiations. Bodle is
acquainted with Jeff Kibre and met him while he was associated with
the Pacific Labor Bureau. He also is acquainted with Norval Crutcher,
Sam Goldblatt, Carey Me Williams and he was associated with Charles
Katz in a trial in 1938. He has known Leo Gallagher since about 1938.
Bodle, at the time of testifying, stated that he was the attorney for
the Union Guild Council which had been formed from independent
Hollywood unions in 1940 or 1941. His work, in this connection, was
not for the council as such but as the legal representative for certain of
the Guilds which form the council. He is also the attorney for the
Screen Office Employees Guild, now a local of the Brotherhood of
Painters, Decorators and PaperJiangers of America. Local 644 is also
a Local of this Brotherhood. Bodle stated that he had known Herbert
COMMUNISM 95
Sorrell, business agent for Local 644, for two years. He was familiar
with the Screen Readers Guild, Screen Publicists Guild and the Screen
Writers' Guild. He admitted 'knowing Don Gordon, Ella Winter, Guy
Endore, Herbert Biberman and Viola Brothers Shore. He admitted
knowing Kenneth McGowan of the Screen Directors' Guild. He met
Frank Tuttle in 1938 when the Unemployment Conference of Craft
Unions was being set up in Hollywood. In the Screen Actors Guild he
knew Gale Sondergaard. He admitted knowing Dave Hilperman and
Charlottee Darling in the Screen Cartoonists Guild. He concluded hi>s
testimony by stating that he had never noticed or observed any Com-
munistic influence in any of the unions he represented.
Indicative of collaboration with the Communist Party and the faith-
ful fellow-traveling of certain alleged labor leaders, is Herbert K. Sor-
rell, who testified in Los Angeles July 31, 1941. (Volume II, pp. 452-
474.) He testified that he was the business representative of the Motion
Picture Painters, Local 644, of the American Federation of Labor.
The committee is in possession of a photostatic copy of Sorrell's appli-
cation to join the Communist Party in which he used the name Stewart.
Sorrell denied that he had ever used such name, although under close
examination, he admitted that his mother's maiden name was Daisy
Frances Stewart. He denied that he was a member of the Communist
Party and stated that he knew nothing of the Communist Party Con-
vention held in Los Angeles in April-May, 1938. He freely admitted
that he followed the Communist Party Line when he thought it was
"all right," although he stated that Paul Cline and Jack Moore came
to him at a time when he was trying to raise the per capita tax of
his union and told him that he was "going against the Communist
Party Line." (p. 471.)
The activities of Sorrell over a period of years is well known to the
committee. He has served as A. F. of L. "window dressing" for most
of Southern California Communist front organizations, such as Cali-
fornia Conference for Democratic Action, Labors' Non-Partisan
League, Motion Picture Democratic Committee and the American
Peace Mobilization. He has been a consistent subscriber to the
People's Daily World. His name is carried on the letterhead of the
Harry Bridges' Defense Committee. In 1940 he was the State Presi-
dent of Labors' N on-Partisan League. The letterhead of the Schneid-
erman-Darcy Defense Committee contained his name in January of
1940. In July of 1940 he appeared as an officer in the American Peace
Crusade. On November 2, 1942, he headed a committee of alleged
Democrats endorsing and supporting Mrs. La Rue McCormick, Com-
munist Party candidate for State Senate from the Thirty-eighth Sena-
torial District. There is no doubt in the minds of the members
of the committee of the close association and fellow-traveler status in
the Communist Party of Herbert K. Sorrell.
Helen Wheeler was elected a delegate from Local 91 of the State,
County and Municipal Workers of America (SCMWA) to the
advisory committee of the California Youth Legislature in 1937.
(Volume VI, pp. 1875-1882.) At that time, Miss Wheeler was a case
aide in the State Relief Administration in Oakland. She was
acquainted with James Burford and knew that he presided over the
sessions of the California Youth Legislature. Miss Wheeler has held
96 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
three positions in the California Youth Legislature, State Financial
Director, Legislative Chairman and finally the Northern California
Chairman. When testifying she was • still holding the position of
Northern California Chairman. She told the committee that the pur-
pose of the California Youth Legislature was to bring together all
types of youth for the discussion of mutual problems. She admitted
that the American Students Union was a participating organiza-
tion in the California Youth Legislature. She admitted knowing
Herbert Biberman, Philip Connelly, Louis Goldblatt, Carey Me Wil-
liams, Hubert Phillips and Wyndham Mortimer. She denied ever
having been affiliated with the Communist Party but admitted that
she knew that the Young Communist League was represented in the
California Youth Legislature and that there were some 12 delegates
from the Young Communist League at the 1940 Convention of the
Youth Legislature held in Los Angeles.
The People's Daily World of August 30, 1941, carried a story to
the effect that Helen Wheeler was one of the sponsors for a State-wide
conference on civil rights to be held in San Francisco, September 27,
1941, for the purpose of protesting the "Tenney Committee and the
Tenney Bill Outlawing the Communist Party. ' ' In the issue of August
10, 1940, the People's Daily World stated that William Plunkert had
shifted Miss Wheeler from the California Youth Legislature to the
Peace Mobilization, California Unit, for special work.
The American Peace Mobilization was a Communist front organiza-
tion created shortly after the signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact. About
this time the Anti-Nazi League of Hollywood and other anti-Fascist
front organizations of the Communist Party went out of business and
Peace Congresses throughout the country generally, and the American
Peace Mobilization in California particularly, came into being prac-
tically over night. Among the witnesses called to testify in reference
to the American Peace Mobilization were Reuben W. Borough, Fred-
erick Langton, Bert Leech, Jack Moore, William Schneiderman and
Helen Wheeler.
Mrs. Edward Suchman testified in Los Angeles July 29, 1941.
(Volume I, pp. 222-232.) Mrs. Suchman stated that Reuben Borough
had been elected the first president of the American Federation for
Political Unity, a Communist front organization, and that the Com-
munists in this group masqueraded as ' ' progressives. ' ' She stated that
Don Healy, of Labors' N 'on-Partisan League and Rube Borough were
the controlling elements in this front organization. Mrs. Suchman
flatly named the American Peace Mobilization as another Communist
front, completely following the Communist Party Line in the Spring
of 1941. She stated that Professor Norman Byrne, of Los Angeles
City College, was active in this group. She concluded her testimony
concerning Reuben Borough by stating that she had told him that he
had been taken over " boots and britches" by the Communists.
Strange as it may seem, the committee discovered that Ellis 0. Jones,
co-editor of the Friends of Progress, was also a member of the Amer-
ican Civil Liberties Union together with William Schneiderman and
A. L. Wirin, Los Angeles attorney.
Louise R. Bransten of San Francisco was subpenaed before the com-
mittee. She testified that she was a secretary of the Civil Rights
COMMUNISM 97
Council for Northern California. Prior to the calling of ^Louise R.
Bransten before the committee in San Francisco a pamphlet had been
distributed throughout the State by various mediums and particu-
larly with the distribution of the Communist Party's Pacific Coast
organ, The People's Daily World. The title of this pamphlet was
Your Rights Before the Tenney Committee. Louise R. Bransten
admitted having written part of this pamphlet with the assistance of
members of the Civil Rights Council, members of the Lawyers' Guild
and George Olshausen. The pamphlet was printed with donations
collected from members of the Civil Rights Council and similar front
organizations. Miss Bransten stated that the purpose of the pam-
phlet was to protect the unions, intimating that the committee was
concerned with breaking up trade unionism in California. The testi-
mony of Louise R. Bransten left no doubt in the minds of the members
of your committee as to her Communist Party relationship and of the
Communist domination of the so-called Civil Rights Council for North-
ern California.
Miss Bransten testified that the Civil Rights Council for Northern
California was a branch of the National Federation for Constitutional
Liberties with headquarters in Washington, D. C. She stated that the
purpose of the National organization branches was to protest against
and to bring pressure against the curtailment of civil liberties and viola-
tion of the Bill of Rights. She stated that the organization, in defend-
ing violations of civil liberties and the Bill of Rights, selected those
cases which it considered the most important.
She further testified that the organization was founded in 1936 and
was called, at that time, the Academic and Civil Rights Council of
California. It was started by Edward Gallagher and a group of
people in San Francisco to combat vigilantism such as existed, she
alleged, on the San Francisco waterfront in 1934. The Academic and
Civil Rights Council of California died out in 1937 and in 1938 Gal-
lagher and others attempted to revive it. In 1939 or early in 1940
initial meetings were held to create the present organization, Civil
Rights Council of Northern California, and Gallagher was elected
chairman and Miss Bransten, secretary. Its first activities were
directed toward combating the passage of a bill in the Legislature out-
lawing: the Communist Party. It was in behalf of this activity that
Miss Bransten first appeared in t Sacramento before the committees of
the Legislature deliberating on the outlawing of the Communist Party.
Miss Bransten 's maiden name was Rosenberg and under this name
she went to Russia in 1933.
William Schneiderman, secretary of the Communist Party of Cali-
fornia, testified (Volume V, pp. 1260-1342) that he did not believe
that the American Civil Liberties Union should rush to the defense of
* ' enemies. ' '
The Schneiderman-Darcy Defense Committee was created early in
1940 for the defense of William Schneiderman, California State Secre-
tary of the Communist Party, and Sam Darcy, the former district
organizer of the Communist Party in California.
Schneiderman became a naturalized citizen at the age of 21. At
the time of his naturalization, he was a member of the Communist
7— L,-227.r,
98 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Party and concealed this fact in his application and examination.
Subsequently his citizenship was revoked and he has appealed the case
to the Supreme Court of the United States. Senator Robert W. Kenny
acted as his counsel in Califorina and Wendell Willkie volunteered
his legal services for Schneiderman before the Supreme Court of the
United States.
Sam Darcy was a candidate for Governor of California on the
Communist ticket in 1934. At that time he swore that Sam Darcy
was his true name and that his place of birth was New York. Sub-
sequently Darcy was named a delegate to the Comintern Congress in
Moscow and when he applied for a passport, he made an affidavit to
the effect that he had been born in the Ukraine, Russia. His true
name was Samuel Dardeck. He was ultimately indicted for perjury
by a San Francisco grand jury and was sought throughout the United
States for several years. In 1938 he was an organizer for the Com-
munist Party in the State of Minnesota and was later located in Penn-
sylvania as the district organizer for the Communist Party in that area.
Extradition proceedings were instituted and he was returned to Cali-
fornia for trial. His case is also on appeal.
Among the sponsors of the Schneider man-Darcy Defense Committee
are George Andersen and Leo Gallagher, attorneys for the Communist
Party, Carey Me Williams, A. L. Wirin and other attorneys of similar
reputation.
The committee launched a drive for funds and sought to sell "Civil
Liberty Bonds" in denominations of $1, $5, $10, and $25.
The National Student League, the Farm Labor Party, American
Youth Congress, Anti-War Committee, Anti-R.O.T.C. Committee, Inter-
national Labor Defense and the National Lawyers' Guild are all Com-
munist front organizations. Many witnesses were examined concerning
these organizations, their officers and members, their ostensible purposes
and hidden objectives. Nearly every witness connected even remotely
with any of these organizations was closely questioned and committee
representatives secured much documentary material, pamphlets and
circulars issued by these, and similar organizations.
The National Lawyers9 Guild came into being early in 1937 and was
reportedly a lawyers' group in opposition to the American Bar Asso-
ciation. Many Communist attorneys in California and in the United
States assisted in the formation of this group and the American Civil
Liberties Union is also represented. Carol Weiss King, a former stock-
holder in the Daily Worker, the official Communist publication for the
East Coast, Leo Gallagher, who has represented the Communist Party
of California as well as many Communist defendants, Charles J. Katz,
sponsor of the Harry Bridges Defense Committee and the Hollywood
Anti-Nazi League, Loren Miller, Negro Communist and former staff
editor of New Masses, a magazine published by the Communist Party,
Aubrey Grossman and others are California members of the National
Lawyers' Guild.
On June 5, 1940, A. A. Berle, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State,
resigned from the National Lawyers9 Guild, charging that the leader-
ship of the organization is not prepared "to take any stand which
conflicts with the Communist Party Line. ' ' Many other attorneys have
resigned from the National Lawyers' Guild because of its Communist
COMMUNISM 99
domination and control. The Attorney General of California, Robert
W. Kenny, is serving his second term as the president of the National
Lawyers' Guild.
Among those subpenaed and carefully examined on these organiza-
tions, their origin, activities, expressed objectives and hidden motives
was Aubrey Grossman of the San Francisco law firm of Gladstein,
Grossman, Margolis and Sawyer. (Volume VII, pp. 2039-2043.)
Grossman testified that he had graduated from the law school of the
University of California in 1935 and from the University of California,
Los Angeles, in the Winter of 1932. He stated he was admitted to
the practice of law in May, 1936. He denied that he had ever affiliated
with the Young Communist League or the Communist Party or that
he had attended a Communist Party State convention at its head-
quarters in San Francisco or at any other place. He admitted knowing-
Miles Humphrey, James Burford and Leo Gallagher.
On May 3, 1941, Aubrey Grossman signed a petition addressed to
President Roosevelt and to the members of Congress urging them to
exercise their influence and authority in defense of the constitutional
rights of the Communist Party. Aubrey Grossman is a member of
the National Lawyers' Guild, a Communist front organization. He is
one of Harry Bridges' attorneys. He has been known by the aliases
of Aubrey Whitney Grossman and Aubrey Gross.
Grossman's record is a long and interesting one. In 1934 he
attended an anti-R.O.T.C. meeting at the University. He appeared as
the speaker at protest meetings held at Sather Gate at the University
in Berkeley. He was active in the so-called Students Strike at the
University, a strike which was sponsored and promoted by the Com-
munist Party working at that time, through the Communist National
Student League. On July 3, 1935, he participated in a meeting at
Sather Gate called to induce the students to proceed to San Francisco
to take part in the "Bloody Thursday" parade. John Delaney Shoe-
maker, a well known Communist, was also a speaker at this meeting.
The parade was held July 5, 1935. In 1936, Grossman was active in
the Farm Labor Party, sponsored, if not actually organized, by the
Communist Party of the United States and actively supported by all
Communist publications, including the Daily Worker and the Western
Worker. He was actively associated with most of the meetings spon-
sored by the National Student League, Student Rights Association,
Social Problems Club, American Youth Congress, Anti-War Committee,
and the Anti-R.O.T.C. Committee Youth Section, all of which organiza-
tions are well known Communist fronts. When Grossman applied for
admission to the State Bar of California, the American Legion filed
an official protest. The Western Worker, Communist West Coast pub-
lication (predecessor of the People's Daily World], of July 6, 1936,
announced Grossman as a member of the International Labor Defense,
a typical Communist front. He was one of the defense committees
for Earl King later convicted in Alameda County in connection with
the ship murder of Chief Engineer George Alberts. The minutes of
the Communist Party convention held in San Francisco May 14-15,
1937, report that Grossman was elected a member of the State com-
mittee of the Communist Party and that he pledged himself to recruit
10 new members into the party.
100 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Both Miles G. Humphrey (Vol. V, pp. 1616-1631) and Don Morton
(Vol. VI, pp. 1783-1794), former members of the Communist Party,
testified that Aubrey Grossman was a member of the Communist Party.
The Communist character of the American Youth Congress is well
established by the following authoritative quotations:
"Comrades of Young Communist League of the U. S., headed by
Comrade Green, went to the American Youth Congress and achieved
a great success. The Congress was ' transformed ' into a great united
front of radical youth. And when, somewhat later, a second general
Youth Congress was held, our young comrades already enjoyed a posi-
tion of authority in it. The Communists alone have been able to foster
the radicalization of the youth in the Bourgeoise organization." (Otto
Kuusinen, president of Red Government of Finland, in address to
Seventh World Congress of the Comintern at Moscow.)
"Before 3,000 delegates and visitors to the Second American Youth
Congress, Clarence Hathaway, Editor of the Daily Worker and repre-
sentative of the Communist Party, declared that the Communist Party
stands behind the Congress, will do everything in its power to build
its support and hailed the progress toward unity achieved by the Y.C.L.
and young Socialist leagues." (Daily Worker, July 8, 1935.)
11
CONSUMER FRONT ORGANIZATIONS
The People's Front was inaugurated by the Communist Interna-
tional (Comintern) in 1934 and was later ratified in 1935 by the
Seventh World Congress which was held in Moscow. The People's
Front was a technique designed to secure mass participation from the
so-called middle classes. As part and parcel of the People's Front
movement came organizations designated as Consumer Leagues, Con-
sumer Councils, Consumer Guilds, et cetera.
The first of these consumer organizations, Communist inspired and
therefore Communist dominated and controlled, was the so-called
League of Women Shoppers. While the League of Women Shoppers
was concerned with the consumer movement, its chief purpose was to
create mass feminine support in labor disputes. The former editor of
the New Pioneer, an official publication of the Communist Party for
children, Miss Helen Kay was the first secretary of the League of
Women Shoppers. She was assigned to the League of Women Shoppers
in Hollywood.
Among those identified with the Communist Party's Consumers'
Unions and Leagues are Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, Susan Jenkins,
Walter Trumbull, Robert Brady, Jerome Davis, A. J. Isserman, Kath-
ryn Mclnerney, Adelaide Schulkind, Goodwin Watson and A. Phillip
Randolph. Harry Bridges was among the sponsors of the West Coast
section of the Consumers9 Union when it was organized in 1938.
The consumer movement undoubtedly had its roots in legitimate
dissatisfaction, and developed during the last decade from the rather
vague interest of a few scattered women 's groups. During the years of
its early growth, the movement was primarily a medium of information
for the consumer. Nearly all of the original bona fide organizations,
COMMUNISM 101
long interested in consumer problems, continue in their sincere effort to
march toward goals originally set. With the establishment of Com-
munist People's Fronts the consumer movement presented an ideal
set-up for Stalin's agents. It was therefore an easy matter for these
conniving propaganda experts to carry the authority, the prestige and
the sanction of the respectable, legitimate and thoroughly American
consumer movement over to Communist design and purpose, thus
making Communist design and purpose respectable and acceptable.
The sudden growth and increase of ' ' consumer organizations ' ' gave the
entire consumer problem the impetus of a " movement. " While the
Communist Party Consumer Fronts are ostensibly for the purpose of
serving the interest of the consumer, they are, like all kindred fronts,
designed to further the Communist Party in its attack upon the Gov-
ernment and the present economy. Under the cloak of a legitimate con-
sumer movement the Communist Party consumer front organizations
are attempting to discredit and smear American business. The legiti-
mate consumer movement in the United States is a set-up for the Trojan
Horse Cavalrymen.
The Communist Party loudly proclaims its interest in collective bar-
gaining in order to expand its influence and to control trade unions.
In the United States the Communist Party hypocritically professes an
interest in peace and in democracy for the purpose of bringing mem-
bers of the middle class under the influence of the Comintern. By use
of these same tactics, the Communist Party expresses concern for the
consumer for the purpose of tearing down the institutions of capitalist
society and establishing in their places the dictatorship of the Prole-
tariat. All front organizations, as has been amply demonstrated by
evidence before the committee, and heretofore detailed in length in this
report, are composed of Communist and non-Communist members. In
most cases the majority of the members of a front organization are not
members of the Communist Party nor are they even Communist sym-
pathizers. We have heretofore detailed the technique used in guiding
and dominating the front organizations by Communist Party fractions.
The same technique is used in all front organizations. The non-
Communist members are drawn into such groups by the professed aims
of the organization and then directed by the Communist nucleus creat-
ing and guiding the organization into Communist Party activity and
purposes. The front organizations are referred to by the Communists
themselves as "transmission belts" and this term thoroughly describes
the purposes behind such organizations. Consumer groups particularly
attract women of the great middle class who are interested in the cost
and quality of the things they buy. Hence it is, particularly in these
groups, that the majority of the members are not members of the Com-
munist Party or even Communist sympathizers. They are attracted
to the movement by professed aims.
One of the now proved standard tactics of the Communist Party in
"transmission belt" front organizations is to place one of their most
trusted members in the office of the secretary of the organization. The
committee has learned that wherever the secretary of an organization
is a member of the Communist Party, or sympathetic to it, then the
organization readily falls into the category of "transmission belt."
102 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
All such secretaries are, of course, under the discipline of the Com-
munist Party.
The committee finds that the League of Women Shoppers in Cali-
fornia is a Communist front organization. It has been associated in
many meetings and demonstrations with such well known Communist
''transmission belts" as the American League for Peace and Democ-
racy, the American Friends of the Chinese People, and the Progressive
Women's Council. Among the directors and sponsors of the League of
Women Shoppers have been such well known Communist Party mem-
bers and fellow-travelers as Clarine Michelson, Louise Thompson, Leaiie
Zugsmigh and Tess Slesinger.
Prior to 1935 the Communist Party did not believe that the protest
of consumers against various abuses of the capitalist system was a true
revolutionary force, but, on the contrary, that it was merely a middle-
class movement of a wholly reformist character. Arthur Kallet stated
the matter very clearly: "Cooperation does provide a splendid escape
from participation in the day-to-day struggles against the capitalist
system; it permits a great many people to express their resentment by
* playing store. ' But the emphasis is not on ' tomorrow a new society '
but 'tomorrow maybe we'll be able to begin paying dividends.' As
Consumer-Cooperatives are generally run they are a business, not a
revolution. ' '
The Consumers' Union was set up by Susan Jenkins, Arthur Kallet
and Walter Trumbull. Miss Jenkins was formerly an employee of the
Daily Worker, Communist publication. Walter Trumbull was court-
martialed and sentenced to a term of 26 years as a Communist attempt-
ing to bore from within the United States Army, in 1925. He served
three years of this term. From the beginning, Arthur Kallet has been
the director of Consumers' Union. Other individuals connected with
the Consumers' Union are Leroy Bowman, Winifred Chappell, Malcolm
Cowley, Robert Dunn, Kate Crane Gartz, Elizabeth Gilman, Quincy
Howe, Mathew Josephson, Horace M. Kallen, Rose Schneiderman, Anna
Louise Strong, Osmond Fraenkel, John C. Packard, Louis Weinstock,
Michael Quill and Ben Gold.
The Consumers' Union has used numerous publications of the Com-
munist Party as a medium for advertising its reports and has always
worked through its other ' ' transmission belt ' ' organizations. The Inter-
national Workers' Order's official publication has carried articles by
some members of the Consumers' Union.
The Consumers' National Federation is an apparently harmless group
but it acts as a clearing house for the Communist interests in the con-
sumer movement. It is a paper organization created by the Communist
Party and used for the purpose of spreading propaganda in schools
and through women's clubs. It was first known as the Emergency
Council and was established as the Consumers' National Federation,
1937. No less a person than Earl Browder has named the Consumers'
National Federation as one of the Communist Party 's important ' ' trans-
mission belts. ' ' Miss Susan Jenkins 'is listed as a member of the execu-
tive committee of the Consumers' National Federation. The Con-
sumers' Emergency Council no longer exists, having been taken over by
the Consumers' National Federation, which emerged from it. Among
the organizations sponsoring the early conferences of the Consumers'
COMMUNISM 103
National Federation were the Consumers' Union, American Youth Con-
gress, League of Women Shoppers, Progressive Women's Council and
the Workers' Alliance, all well known Communist Party "transmission
belts." Miss Susan Jenkins is also the chairman for the Milk Con-
sumers' Protective Committee and Meyer Parodneck is vice chairman
of this committee. Rose Nelson, an avowed member of the Communist
Party, was one of the organizers of the Consumers' Protective Commit-
tee. Susan Jenkins and Meyer Parodneck are among the most active
leaders of the Consumer-Farmer Milk Cooperatives. Among the direc-
tors of this organization are seven representatives of the Consumers'
National Federation. Meyer Parodneck is president of this cooperative.
James P. Reid, International Workers' Order, Max Bedacht, general
secretary of the International Workers' Order, and Michael Quill, were
among the sponsors of the Consumer-Farmer Milk Cooperative. The
City Action Committee Against the High Cost of Living is another
Communist front "transmission belt" in Los Angeles.
The American Communist has as his ultimate aim in the consumer
movement the sabotage and destruction of advertising in America. He
believes that through the destruction of advertising the party will
be able to undermine and destroy the capitalist system of free-enter-
prise. Anti-advertising agitation is an important part of the frontal
attack of the Communist on free-enterprise. This influence has been
more and more reflected in Government circles as well as in large
sections of the population which are wholly unconscious of any influence
of Communist propaganda.
An investigation made by the Advertising Club of Los Angeles in
collaboration with the Pacific Advertising Association in reference
to certain "consumer books" revealed an amazing spread of Com-
munist propaganda in this field, either wittingly or unwittingly. As a
result of this investigation an effort was made to call the attention of
the librarians and teachers organizations to the fact of Communist
propaganda in this field. These works include such books as One Hun-
dred Million Guinea Pigs, Skin Deep, Counterfeit, Eat, Drink, and
~be Wary, Guinea Pigs No More, etc. The Advertising Club of Los
Angeles points out that business has certainly done many things sub-
ject to criticism and that no one is more aware of that than legitimate
business interests. Better Business Bureaus have been created by legiti-
mate business for the purpose of fighting fraudulent and misleading
advertising and all legitimate business stands for truth in advertising,
and has succeeded in placing statutes on the books of some 27 States
in order to protect the consumer against fraudulent and illegitimate
advertising. Of these books the Advertising Club of Los Angeles states :
* ' The temptation to exaggerate one 's own point of view
and to mislead is a human frailty, however, and is not
limited to members of the advertising profession. Quack
doctors disgrace the medical profession. The Bar Associa-
tion has to take action against shyster lawyers. Neverthe-
less, the action of certain individual members is not a
justification for an attack on the medical profession or the
legal fraternity. Nor is there any validity in an attack
on all business because of the derelictions of the few.
104 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"The guinea pig books have in themselves committed
the same sin of which they accuse advertisers — they have
misled the people, magnified small fragments of truth
until they were all out of proportion to the true picture,
deliberately misleading readers by statements which imply
that things did happen, although only stating that some-
thing might have happened — making it very difficult, if
not impossible, for advertisers to attain proper redress."
The Advertisers Club of Los Angeles points out that it is an almost
impossible task to expose the many exaggerations and untruths that
abound in these books. One Hundred Million Guinea Pigs, by Kallet-
Schlink is typical of this type of propaganda and is undoubtedly the
most widely read of all. The American Medical Association states : * * The
misconception of the authors relative to antiseptics are obvious to any
medically-experienced reader." Not only the material contained in
these books demands questioning but the motives which lie behind
their authorship must also be scrutinized. Fulton Oursler says : * ' What
is important to me is the real cause behind all this attack on advertising.
To put it very plainly, I believe it is only a camouflage for the real
objective — which is control of the means of production and distribu-
tion in the United States. When I think of advertising in relation
to this whole picture, I see it as only one battlefield in an enveloping
movement. It is an important battlefield because the elimination of
advertising would result in the collapse of our entire system of competi-
tion, and would end the existence of the unsubsidized press in Amer-
ica." The Advertising Club of Los Angeles further points out that
J. B. Matthews, who wrote the book Partners in Plunder, is a con-
fessed Communist, and that Arthur Kallet, author of Counterfeit and
co-author of One Hundred Million Guinea Pigs is also the executive
director of Consumers' Union and has been labeled by Dies as a "pro-
fessional Communist. ' '
COMMUNIST PARTY CONSUMERS COUNCIL
Early in 1942 your committee became aware of the public manifesta-
tion of Communist work in the creation of Consumers' Councils and
Leagues. Investigators of your committee had gathered considerable
evidence indicating that this particular move of the Communist Party
was under way. As an illustration of this plan of the Communist
Party, we herewith quote from the Communist, a monthly publication of
the Communist Party setting forth current Lines and Policy and the tac-
tical steps to be taken for the practical application of same. We quote :
"While it is true that spontaneous movements against
the high cost of living are developing here and there,
under the initiative of women's organizations, the imme-
diate problem before our party is to launch a powerful
campaign that will mobilize the toiling people of the city
and countryside — a campaign that must be developed on
a local and State scale, at the same time that forces are
set in motion nationally.
COMMUNISM 105
"The main issues and demands in the campaign must
be made clear, and the broadest actions developed around
them. These are, principally :
"1. That the purchasing power of the masses be
increased through adequate wages and hours legislation
by the Federal Government.
"2. That Federal and State administrations investigate
the sharks controlling the most essential articles of con-
sumption; that a legislative investigation be ordered of
the meat packers, of the bread and milk trusts ; that there
be Federal regulation of high prices of food stuffs.
"3. That the municipalities be pressed to establish
municipal milk stations, buying milk directly from the
farmers and selling it to the consumer.
"Such a campaign against the high cost of living in
every city should be brought to the workers in the shops,
in the trade unions, to the people in all neighborhood
communities. Such a campaign should unite for common
action workers and various middle class elements. It
should stimulate activity in rural areas.
"This places a great responsibility upon all party
organizations — in particular, the branches, . shop and
industrial units. A drive against the high cost of living,
to be effective, requires the mobilization of the party mem-
bership for concrete activity. The lower party organiza-
tions therefore become a major instrument for party lead-
ership in the campaign.
"What can our branches and units actually do? How
can our comrades participate?
"1. Call mass meetings in the neighborhood, special
meetings of housewives, to rally the people generally.
"2. Contact community organizations for the purpose
of calling community conferences or in other ways setting
up community consumers' committees to lead the fight
against the high cost of living. This issue affects every
one so vitally that it can become a most effective instru-
ment for united action.
"3. Issue leaflets, special appeals to the population.
"4. The street branches can issue neighborhood papers
and bulletins. The shop and industrial units should take
up this problem in their shop papers.
"5. Mobilize mass organizations for independent as well
as collective activity.
"6. Spread the Daily Worker and Sunday Worker, and
other party papers. Follow their lead in organizing activ-
ity for they will guide the campaign through editorials,
through articles that will examine the effect of the increase
of prices upon the standard of living of the masses, that
will expose the vicious aims of the reactionary forces and
the increasing profits of the trusts.
106 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
•'How can the campaign be developed? What methods
shall be followed?
" It is essential that the city, State, and Federal officials
be impressed strongly and boldly with the demands of the
people that immediate action be taken against the rise in
living costs, and to raise the purchasing power of the
masses. The trusts that sap the very life out of the people
by steadily increasing prices must be made to understand
that the people will resist their unrestrained profiteering.
"All of these proposals can be carried through; none
of them are too difficult to realize. It is up to our party
to take the lead! It is up to our party members to be
in the forefront of this campaign. It is up to our branches
and units to take up this issue immediately with energy
and concrete activities.
' ' The campaign against the high cost of living gives us
the opportunity to bring the party to the forefront. The
masses will see again and again that our party has the
welfare of the masses at heart. It will give us an oppor-
tunity to connect the campaign against the high cost of
living with other vital issues. It will help to develop the
political consciousness of the people. In this way we will
win new supporters, and will have greater opportunities
to increase the membership of our party."
Pursuant to the instructions above quoted, certain Los Angeles
Communists, working through an organization had been instru-
mental in electing Judge Fletcher Bowron mayor of the City of Los
Angeles, were enabled to bring sufficient influence on the mayor so that
he permitted his name to be used as "window dressing" for the crea-
tion of a "Consumers' Council" in connection with the Los Angeles
Council of Defense. Your committee was aware, of course, that the
mayor was acting in incontrovertible good faith and that he probably
had no knowledge whatsoever of the fact that his office, name, and posi-
tion as Director of Civilian Defense, were being used by the Communist
Party for their own nefarious purposes. When the committee 's investi-
gators learned that John M. Weatherwax was connected with this move-
ment, the situation received attention. The files of your committee
revealed that said Weatherwax was long an active member in the
Communist Party. Possibly no other investigation so clearly revealed,
by the incontrovertible evidence produced, the subtle tactics of the
Communist Party in organizing a mass group over which they would
be able to assume complete dominance and direction.
Communist Party fractions had been prepared for the launching of
the movement. The calling of the first meeting under the auspices
of the mayor of the City of Los Angeles, coupled with what was made
to appear "Civilian Defense" was the signal to the comrades to carry
coordinated support for the movement into trade unions and other mass
organizations. Communist fraction meetings were immediately expanded
into these organizations under the screen of war needs, and the crea-
tion of consumers ' divisions of this and that ' ' defense committee ' ' were
to be given the character of spontaneous "common people" upsurge.
COMMUNISM 107
Typical of the technique used is a notice appearing in the Overture,
the official publication of Local 47 of the Musicians' Union of Los
Angeles, under date of March 19, 1942, entitled "Consumer Prob-
lems":
* * Today, when war has been brought closer to the home
of every American than ever before in history, and when
we are faced with the task of defending America against
the Axis aggression and all it implies, everything that
impedes our defense effort, everything that threatens the
health and morale of our people — and thereby threatens
production — must be pushed aside.
"Everything we have been talking about must be put
into action faster and better, keeping in mind that the
living standards of the American people must be pro-
tected in order that we may all do our job to the best of
our ability. Hitler slogans of 'Guns Instead of Butter'
cannot be subscribed to by the American people — our
slogan will be ' Butter for the Sake of Guns!'
"How to buy, how and what to use, how to conserve,
how to deal with monopolists who, greedily seeking
greater and greater profit, would use the war as an excuse
to escape their share of the war burden, by endangering
our American standard of living — all these things we
must know, in order to help ourselves and our country to
achieve victory.
"Mayor Bowron, as Director of Civilian Defense, in
Los Angeles, called a conference which was held on
February 15th. Delegates from women's groups, educa-
tional organizations, and Labor Unions (in the majority)
attended. 'These people should not be told what to do,'
Mayor Bowron said. ' They should do it themselves. '
' ' As a large and important Union, Local 47 will follow
Mayor Bowron 's advice — we will do it ourselves.
"The Consumer Council of the Union Defense Com-
mittee, will hold a meeting in the near future to discuss
these matters, which are vital to the defense of our coun-
try. Members and their families are urged to attend, and
to put good intentions into action.
LINA DE FIORE,
Chairman,
Consumers Division,
Union Defense Committee"
The committee's files showed that John M. Weatherwax served as
a member of the Communist State Central Committee in 1936, having
been appointed to that office by Lloyd L. Harris, Communist Party
nominee to the office of Representative in Congress from the Sixth
District, Alameda County. He had signed the petition of Lloyd L.
Harris to this office on August 25, 1936. On October 30, 1936, Weath-
erwax was a special speaker in Berkeley at a Communist Party rally,
and the Western Worker of October 14, 1937 reported that John M.
108 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Weatherwax was the Membership Director for the Alameda County
Committee of the Communist Partj^. The records of the committee
reveal that he was a subscriber to the People's Daily World in 1938.
He registered as a Communist in Alameda County in 1936. So it was,
that your committee had no doubt of Weatherwax 's affiliation with the
Communist Party. He testified that he had registered as a Communist
in the City of Oakland in 1934 or 1936 but claimed that his registry
was merely a "protest."
He testified that the Consumers9 Council is a local organization and
admitted that he was a member of it. He named Thomas L. Pitts, of
the A. F. of L. Teamsters' Union, as chairman pro tempore of the
organization and Ernest Chamberlain (an employee of Clifford Clin-
ton) as secretary. The office of the Consumers9 Council, Weatherwax
stated, was located in the 800 block on Union Street in the Teamsters'
Hall in the City of Los Angeles and that another office was located
at 618 South Olive Street (Clifton's Cafeteria) also in the City of
Los Angeles. He stated that the membership records of the Con-
sumers' Council were kept at the latter address. He indicated that
he had considerable contact with the Motion Picture Cooperative Buy-
ers' Guild and that he was a member of this organization. It had
been established for about two years and was a buyers' pool-coopera-
tive. He stated that two delegates from the Motion Picture Coop-
erative Buyers' Guild were sent to the Consumers' Council. These
delegates were Rita Weir and Haskell Gleichman, the latter individual
being the husband of Viola Brothers Shore. He admitted knowing
George Hellgren, the husband of Nora Hellgren, and a member of the
Motion Picture Cooperative Buyers' Guild. He admitted being
acquainted with the publication known as Buy Ways and as being
familiar with a plan for a cooperative nursery school for the children
of working mothers.
The case of John M. Weatherwax (Volume X, pp. 3072-3088 ; 3098-
3115) was an interesting one. He testified that he was a writer and
had lived in Los Angeles for some four or five years. He had come to
Los Angeles from Oakland and had lived in Aberdeen, Washington,
previous to that time. He stated that he was the brother of Clara
Weatherwax (Strang), who won a prize from the John Day Company
and The New Masses in 1937 for a novel, Marching, Marching. He
knew John Broman, Miles G. Humphrey, William Schneiderman, Elmer
Hanoff, Samuel Darcy, Jack Moore, Elaine Black, Oleta O'Connor,
Lucille Ball, Tassia Freed, Leo Bigelman, Anita Whitney, Rudy Lam-
bert, Earl Browder, Clarence Hathaway, James Toback, John Leech,
Nora Hellgren, George Hellgren, Haakon Chevalier, Paul Radin, Ella
Winter, Donald Ogden Stewart, Albert Rhys Williams, Emil Freed,
Aubrey Grossman, A. L. Wirin, Titiana Tuttle, Frank Tuttle, Oscar
Fuss, Philip M. Connelly, Alexander Noral and Roy Noftz.
He claimed that he had never joined the official Communist Party.
He admitted having been to Communist Party headquarters at 121
Haight Street, in the City of San Francisco, and that he subscribed to
the People's Daily World. He read the magazine, The Communist, and
was familiar with the Communist textbook Official History of the Com-
munist Party of the Soviet Union. He was acquainted with the works
of Karl Marx, Frederick Engels and others. He gave his particular
COMMUNISM 109
interpretation of the difference between the Trotskyists and the ' * ortho-
dox" Communist. He stated that he considered the Trotskyists a
group who occupied themselves in fighting the leadership of the Soviet
Union. He denied any knowledge of the Communist Party's attempts
to get control of labor unions and the motion picture industry, adding
that it was outside his "sphere of knowledge."
He told the committee that he had attended some of the classes of
the League of American Writers but did not know whether he was a
member or not.
Mayor Fletcher Bowron appeared before the committee March 26,
1942. (Volume X, pp. 3088-3097.) He told the committee that he
had met John Weatherwax several times and had first made his
acquaintance about six weeks prior to giving his testimony. Weather-
wax came to the office of the mayor in connection with the work of
the Council of Defense. The mayor stated that Weatherwax was par-
ticularly concerned with consumer interests. The mayor later received
a petition signed by 12 or 15 persons complaining that the consumer
interest work in the Council of Defense was not sufficiently broad.
The mayor later talked to a delegation of the persons who signed the
petition and stated that Weatherwax took the most prominent part in
the discussion. Unfortunately the mayor was unable to locate the
petition above referred to. He was later induced to call a meeting at
the Polytechnic High School for February 15, 1942. John Weather-
wax presided over this meeting. The mayor estimated the number
of people in attendance at the meeting at about 200. The mayor
appeared at the meeting and made a statement which he described as
being "largely in the nature of a disclaimer" because the entire move-
ment had taken 011 an aspect that had not been anticipated by him.
He explained this statement by pointing out that the demand that was
being made was to force the Council of Defense to include representa-
tion from consumers' organizations and that the persons making the
demand claimed they were doing so for the "rank and file of the
people." The mayor stated that he detected at the meeting in the
Polytechnic High School a tendency of certain persons or groups to
dominate the consumer work. The mayor personally called the meet-
ing to order, made his statement and outlined a plan to permit the
general public's participation, but not as a meeting of the Council of
Defense. He then turned the 'meeting over to Weatherwax and left
the school. He has had no connection with this particular group since
that time. He did not know of Weatherwax 's connection with the
Communist Party at the time of calling the meeting but later heard
about it through newspaper reports. He recalled that Weatherwax had
claimed to represent a group known as Consumers ' United. The mayor
denied the statement which had appeared in the People's Daily World
of February 17th, which had stated that the City Council of Defense
was the organization calling the meeting in the Polytechnic High School
and stated emphatically that the City Council of Defense had no part
in calling the meeting.
Thomas L. Pitts, who was the chairman pro tempore of the Consumer
Council resigned that position as soon as he learned of the Communist
affiliation of John M. Weatherwax. Ernest R. Chamberlain, the
110 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
secretary, of the group, did everything possible to keep the organiza-
tion together. He issued a large four-page double-column pamphlet
under the title, He Who Gets Gypped, which purported to be "An
Answer and a Challenge to the Assembly Fact-finding Committee on
Un-American Activities in California of which Assemblyman Jack
Tenney is chairman. ' ' On the bottom of the front page appeared the
following, in large boldface type: "Are You Interested? Read and
Decide Whether — Assemblyman Jack Tenney, the Consumer's Council
or the Better Business Bureau is Promoting 'Better Business' For
You, The Consumer." Mr. Chamberlain then went on to point out
his astonishment that the committee should even indicate the Com-
munist background of the Consumers' Council. He uses the time-worn
tactic of stating "you might remember that thousands of Calif ornians
have been branded as 'Communists' or 'Communist sympathizers' in
the past decade." To cinch the argument, he then points out that
the chairman of the committee has also been referred to in the past as
"a Communist." Chamberlain traces the origin of the Consumers'
Council^ which outline, as a matter of fact, fitted in perfectly with the
steps laid down in the Communist Monthly, heretofore quoted. The
use of Mayor Fletcher Bowron, as "window dressing," together with
the names of perfectly honest and loyal citizens, tricked by Trojan
Horse tactics, rounded out the picture. Chamberlain manifested his
ignorance of Communist Party tactics, or his disregard of them, in
his pamphlet. The preparations taken for the meeting the mayor
was induced to call at the Polytechnic High School was typical in
every respect of the formation of other "transmission belts" of the
Communist Party. There is no doubt in the minds of the members
of the committee that the majority of people drawn to this meeting
and to activities of this character, are sincere and loyal American
citizens, little realizing that the entire project has been planned for
many years and that the particular organization was the result of
Communist caucuses expanded to trap non-Communist members and
innocents with the important question of consumer interest. There-
after, Mr. Chamberlain launched upon an attack of the Better Business
Bureau of Los Angeles and Mr. Robert Bauer. In his pamphlet
attacking the committee, Mr. Chamberlain hid behind the prestige
of Mayor Fletcher Bowron wherever and whenever it was convenient
or possible.
Ernest R. Chamberlain has been connected with the Clifford Clinton
organization and the CIVIC Committee of Los Angeles for some time.
It is the considered opinion of the committee that Mr. Chamberlain,
in his attack on the committee, was sincere and that he honestly
believed that the committee's investigation of the Consumer Council
was a reactionary attack on a group of loyal citizens who merely
desired to be of service to the buying public. Chamberlain represents
a large cross-section of American men and women who are readily used
as "fronts" for Communist Party machinations. A citizen, such as
Mr. Chamberlain, deploring certain obvious activities on the part of
fraudulent advertisers is honestly desirous of remedying the situation.
Such a person actually falls into the Communist Party 's contemptuous
category of "reformer." A "reformer" is one who desires to remedy
and cure existing ills. To the Communist, such a person is an obstacle
COMMUNISM 111
to the revolution, but as Stalin pointed out in Volume I of Leninism:
"The revolutionary will accept a reform in order to use it as a means
wherewith to link legal work with illegal work, in order to use it as a
screen behind which his illegal activities for the revolutionary prepara-
tion of the masses for the overthrow of the Bourgeoise may be intensi-
fied. " A crusading reformist like Mr. Chamberlain affords an
effective screen for Communist Party illegal activities. Mr. Chamber-
lain desires to protect the buying public and to remedy abuses he has
observed, or has imagined he has observed. The Communist Party
desires to destroy our entire competitive system and to smash the press
as important military objectives on the road to the dictatorship of the
proletariat.
12
STATE GOVERNMENT
Characteristic of the Communist Party policy of infiltrating those
media through which access can be gained to a group of antisocial or
embittered and distressed people, such as the unemployed, those on
relief, manual laborers, racial minorities and even the inmates of penal
institutions, your committee has found much evidence of such infiltra-
tion into the Department of Labor, the Department of Welfare, the
Department of Institutions, the Immigration and Housing Commission
and into one, at least, of the State penal institutions.
In the Department of Labor, your committee found Dorothy Ray,
a lifelong member of the Communist Party who had her Communist
training in the Young Communist League. Dorothy Ray testified that
she had been married to Lou Schneiderman, the brother of William
Schneiderman, and that she had later married Don Healey, whose
record as a Communist and agitator in California is well known.
Dorothy Eay (or Mrs. Healey) is employed as a Deputy State Labor
Commissioner in the City of San Francisco. She joined the Young
Communist League the instant she attained the age of admission. She
admitted having a police record, having been arrested as an agitator
in Imperial County and having served a term in jail there. She had
been employed, for a time, by the Works Progress Administration in
Los Angeles, where she associated with known members of the Com-
munist Party. Miss Ray's former brother-in-law, William Schneider-
man, secretary of the Communist Party in California, is now facing
revocation of citizenship because of his Communist affiliation. The
current husband of Miss Ray, as above stated, is Don Healey, who
registered as a Communist for a time and who was the guiding light
and power of Los Angeles County's Labor's Non-Partisan League.
Your committee learned that Mrs. Frances Moore Plunkert was also
employed in the same department with Dorothy Ray in San Francisco,
under the name of Frances Moore. She is the wife of William Plun-
kert, former Assistant Relief Administrator for California's State
Relief Administration. There is no doubt of the Communist affilia-
tion and activities of Mr. William Plunkert. She testified that she
was a Research Technician on Economics and Statistics on Labor,
Division of the State Labor Commission under H. C. Carrasco and
that she was employed under the name of Frances Moore. (Volume
112 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
VI, pp. 1870-1875.) She testified that she had met Dorothy Ray when
she came to work for the division and that Albert A. Shanks was
working in the law enforcement section of the same office together with
Irving Shore and Robert Muir. She testified that she had met Samuel
Kalish, who was employed in the Los Angeles office. She denied ever
having been affiliated with the- Young Communist League or the Com-
munist Party.
The maneuvering and machinations of the Communists in California 's
State Relief Administration is a black page in the social history of
the State and it is liberally smeared with red. A report has been
made on the activities of the Communists in the State Relief Admin-
istration and in the Communist controlled and dominated Workers'
Alliance by an Assembly Committee of 1940 under the chairmanship
of Assemblyman Samuel W. Yorty. Your present committee sub-
penaed certain people who had been connected with the State Relief
Administration during 1940 and caught up the loose ends of the
former investigation. Among those called was Branislaus Joseph
Zukas, who had denied his Communist affiliations when the Yorty
Committee questioned him in Visalia in 1940. The Communist affilia-
tion of Zukas was established by documentary evidence.
Branislaus Joseph Zukas and some 23 others were convicted of con-
tempt of the committee in Visalia and Stockton. The then Governor,
Olson, interfered in the penalties imposed by the court in these cases
and before going out of office in 1942, pardoned all of these individuals,
even though they had been convicted of a misdemeanor.
Mr. Clinton T. Duffy, Warden of San Quentin Penitentiary, was
present in the Advisory Pardon Board meeting when pardons for
Zukas, and the other defendants convicted of contempt of the Yorty
Committee, were recommended by the vote of the board. (Volume VI,
pp. 1806-1818.) This occurred on or about June 30, 1941, and Mr.
Duffy stated that he voted in favor of the pardons. (It must be
remembered that Zukas and the others had been convicted of a misde-
meanor.) Duffy stated that the reason he voted for the pardon of
these defendants was that "they were county jail cases and had served
a portion of their time in jail." He did not, however, recall recom-
mending a full pardon for Zukas on October 30, 1941.
The committee made a long and thorough investigation of the
activities of B. Joseph Zukas. He was an exceedingly impudent and
hostile witness. (Volume I, pp. 145-164.) He came to California from
Jamaica, New York, having been employed in that city in some capacity.
Soon after arriving in California in December of 1937, he organized
the State, County and Municipal Workers of America, C. I. 0., at the
Los Angeles General Hospital. In November of 1938 he became
affiliated with the State Relief Administration in Stockton and was
sent to Tulare in December of 1939 where he was instrumental in
organizing Local 204 for SCMWA in the State Relief Administration
in Tulare County. He became the secretary of Local 204.
In March of 1940, Zukas was subpenaed at Visalia before an
Assembly Committee investigating un-American activities in the State
Relief Administration. He refused to bring in certain documents of
the SCMWA Communist front organization and was finally convicted
of contempt of the Assembly Committee. He was defended in this
COMMUNISM 113
case by A. L. Wirin, of the law firm of Gallagher, Wirin and Johnson.
Selma Michael assisted Wirin in the contempt trial. The decision of
the Visalia court was appealed to the District Court of Appeals and
the decision was upheld. Zukas resigned from the State Relief Admin-
istration and applied for a position as junior custodian at McNeil
Island. He did not secure this position. He then went to Tacoma
and from there to New York City where he remained for a brief time.
A photostatic copy of a letter received from Zukas' cousin, Frank
Detke, addressing Zukas as "Dear Tovarich" (which means "Comrade"
in Russian) was introduced into the record after Zukas had denied
ever having received such a letter. (Volume I, pp. 151-152.)
From September, 1940, to May, 1941, Zukas worked for the Brooks
Walker family in Piedmont. In May of 1941, he received a civil serv-
ice position as junior interviewer with the State Department of
Employment at $130 per month in the Business and Professional
Department of that State agency in the City of San Francisco. He
later resigned from this position to become the organizer for Local 246
of the State, County and Municipal Workers of America in Los
Angeles.
Frederick Langton was called before the committee October 14, 1941.
(Volume I, pp. 277-284.) He testified that he was an addressograph
operator in the Accounting Division of the Department of Public
Works in the City of Los Angeles. He admitted being a member of
Labors' N on-Partisan League since 1938 or 1939 and stated that he was
a member of Local 246, of the State, County and Municipal Workers
of America, a C. I. 0. Communist front labor organization. He
admitted being present when Herbert Biberman spoke for the Ameri-
can Peace Mobilization on the Los Angeles City Hall steps Decoration
Day in 3941. He admitted subscribing to the Communist Party paper,
the People's Daily World, but denied being affiliated with the Young
Communist League or the Communist Party.
Miss Pearl Ossman, employed as a typist-clerk in the State Depart-
ment of Employment and a member of Local 246 of the State, County
and Municipal Workers of America, C. I. 0. (SCMWA) typified the
hostile Communist fellow-traveling witness. (Volume I, pp. 272-277.)
Although she admitted attending People's World Forums conducted by
Ed Robbin, Communist radio-commentator for the People's Daily
World, and attending Communist Party Workers' Schools in 1939,
subscribed to the People's Daily World and was a member of Labors'
Non-Partisan League, she emphatically denied that she was a member
of either the Young Communist League or of the Communist Party
and stated that she had no acquaintance whatsoever with Communists.
13
STATE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
In its study and investigation of Communism in our State public
school system, its colleges and universities, your committee has enjoyed
the fullest cooperation of university administration and is especially
indebted to Mr. James Corley, comptroller, and Captain Walter Lee,
in charge of campus police at the University of California at Berkeley.
8— L-2275
114 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Most of this investigation has been conducted quietly, as indeed, has
been the major part of the committee 's investigation in the Communist
field since June of 1941. Many witnesses were interrogated and a great
volume of documentary evidence has been examined. As a result of
this investigation, your committee is convinced that Communism is
not being taught in the universities, or in any of our public schools
throughout California. Your committee, however, is convinced, that
although Communism is not taught in our public school system, its
colleges or universities, there are a considerable number of instruc-
tors and faculty members who are either active members of the Com-
munist Party or whose positions relegate them to the role of "fellow
traveler." We have heretofore explained the distinction, if any,
between a Communist Party member and a fellow traveler. A ' ' fellow
traveler ' ' may be more dangerous in an educational institution than an
out-and-out Communist Party member. Your committee found that
there is a Communist book store operating within a block of Sather
Gate of the University of California in Berkeley. We also found that
there exists at the University of California in Berkeley what is known
as the Campus Branch of the Young Communist League. A number
of typical Communist front organizations are also active in and around
the University. Your committee found a similar condition existing at
Stanford University and at the University of California in Los
Angeles and at some of the smaller colleges scattered throughout the
State. The situation, in the opinion of your committee, is one that can
be best handled by the Legislature rather than directly by the Univer-
sity itself.
William Schneiderman admitted that the Campus Branch of the
Communist Party was located in Berkeley. He likewise stated that
he had met Haakon Chevalier and his wife at a banquet held in the
Whitcomb Hotel, in San Francisco, for Theodore Dreiser, by the Civil
Liberties Union. (Vol. V, pp. 1260-1342.)
The committee has gathered considerable evidence and information
in connection with the Communist infiltration into the student groups
at the University of California at Berkeley. A meeting of students at
Sather Gate at the University was called early in July of 1935 to
stimulate interest in a San Francisco parade to be held in commemora-
tion of ' ' Bloody Thursday, ' ' July 5th, of that year. This meeting was
called under the auspices of the American Student Union, a Communist
youth organization. John Delaney Shoemaker, a member of the Inter-
national Longshoremen's Union and a Communist Party member, was
one of the speakers.
The Communist infiltration into the University of California at
Berkeley probably began late in 1930. The first Communist group was
organized in January, 1931, and was called the Social Problems Club.
It held its first meeting in Stiles Hall, Y. M. C. A. Whatever its actual
origin, it was soon taken over by the Young Communist League and
such speakers as Louis Goldblatt, Communist secretary of the San Fran-
cisco C. I. 0. Council, James Branche, Canadian Communist, since
deported, Sam Darcy, now facing cancellation of citizenship and
deportation because of his Communist affiliation, and many other com-
rades, were invited to speak. In the Spring of 1932, the Social Prob-
lems Club became a chapter of the National Student League and this
COMMUNISM 115
organization, in due course, became the American Student Union.
Aubrey Grossman was active in this group through its history. In
1936 the American Student Union sponsored a meeting at Sather Gate
of the university at which James W. Ford, Communist candidate for
Vice President, was the main speaker. This meeting prominently dis-
played the slogan "Communism is Twentieth Century Americanism"
and also displayed the Soviet flag bearing the hammer and sickle.
Mr. Miles G. Humphrey (Volume V, pp. 1616-1631) testified before
your committee that in 1934 he accompanied Rudy Lambert, whom
Humphrey knew as a Communist Party functionary in charge of the
Campus Unit at Berkeley, to the home of Professor Haakon Chevalier
where a Communist Party meeting was being held. Humphrey stated
that Chevalier was the Unit Organizer and the secretary of the Uni-
versity unit which was composed of professors and teachers at the Uni-
versity of California. Mr. Humphrey testified that Aubrey Grossman
was then very active in the Young Communist League and that he was
also a member of the Communist Party. Mr. Humphrey testified that
Mr. Grossman, then a student of law in the University, held unit meet-
ings of the Communist Party in the law library on the campus and that
they used the law department mimeographing machine to get out
leaflets for Communist Party propaganda.
Don Morton, a former member of the Communist Party, testified
that Aubrey Grossman was a member of a Communist committee for
the defense of King, Conner and Ramsey, Alameda ship murder
defendants, which grew out of Communist Unit 5, known as the
"Campus Unit" in the late Summer of 1936. (Volume VI, pp. 1783-
1794.) Morton told your committee that Grossman contacted the
faculty members of the University of California for legal assistance
and collected funds for the defense of the defendants in this case.
Morton also testified that he assisted in fighting the American Legion 's
attempt to block Aubrey Grossman's admission to the California State
Bar and that, in conjunction with the Communist Party, he helped
carry on an intensive propaganda campaign in Grossman's behalf,
contacting members of the faculty at the University of California,
prominent attorneys, Congressmen and Senators.
There can be little doubt in the mind of any person familiar at all
with any of the facts that the American Student Union is a Communist
Party front organization for the indoctrination of American students
in colleges and universities in the United States. The American Fed-
eration of Teachers is likewise a Communist front organization for the
teachers of America. The Communist for May of 1937 states: "The
American Student Union and American Federation of Teachers, as
well as other teacher and student groups, must be led to undertake joint
activities. The American Student Union should advance slogans and
undertake struggles in the interest of teachers and the American Fed-
eration of Teachers, in the interest of students * * * the task of
the Communist Party must be first and foremost to arouse the teachers
to class consciousness and to organize them into the American Federa-
tion of Teachers, which is the main current of the American labor
movement. ' '
The Communist for February, 1937, pp. 144-145 states: "The one
year's existence of the American Student Union has fully justified its
116 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
founding. During that year it led a student's peace strike of half a
million students. It played an important part in mobilizing student's
support for the American Youth Act, and in winning the continua-
tion and extension of the National Youth Administration. It has begun
serious work to organize high school students. ' '
Dr. Max Radin is a professor of law at the University of California
in Berkeley. In 1935, Dr. Radin was a sponsor of the American League
Against War and Fascism. In January of 1936 he spoke on the same
platform with Lorine Norman in San Francisco. In November of
the same year he attended the Western Writers' Congress in the City
of San Francisco. He was a member of the advisory committee of the
San Francisco Theatre Union in 1939 and sponsored the San Francisco
League of Women Shoppers.
Dr. Max' Radin testified before your committee December 3, 1941, in
San Francisco. (Volume VI, pp. 1768-1783.) The professor stated
that he was born in Kempten, Poland, and that he came to the United
States in 1884 and has derivative citizenship as his father was natural-
ized in 1889. He has been teaching at the University of California
since 1919. He was aware of some Young Communist League activity
at the University but the only man connected with the Communist
Party that he had ever known was Kenneth May. His recollection of
Young Communist League work was "very inaccurate." Young Com-
munist League meetings were frequently announced by posters to be
held at Sather Gate. The professor told your committee that he did not
know what a "front organization" was but did recall the Social Prob-
lems Club in which Communists and non-Communists gathered to study
the problems of society. There are a number of Young Communist
League members at the University as students and he stated that this
fact was not at all concealed. The professor concluded by denying that
he had ever been a member of the Communist Party and claimed that
he had no sympathy with the Communist Party.
14
CONCLUSIONS
From the evidence, exhibits and material in possession of the com-
mittee plus the reports of its investigators up and down the State of
California, your committee concludes that the Communist problem
in the State of California is far more serious than any member of the
committee might have believed at the outset of the investigation. The
committee is convinced that the Communist Party in California and
the United States is directly controlled by the Comintern in Russia.
The facts herewith reported show an amazing infiltration of the Com-
munist Party into the Trade and Industrial Unions in the State of
California. There are Communist units operating in our State Penal
Institutions and many Communists are still being carried on the pay
rolls of the State of California. These individuals should immediately
be dismissed.
The most cursory reading of Communist literature demonstrates
incontrovertibly that the American Communist has two objectives.
The first and ever-present objective activating Communists in Cali-
fornia and the United States is the defense of Soviet Russia. The
COMMUNISM 117
second is its basic objective and upon which premise the entire super-
structure of Communism rests — world- wide revolution against all
capitalist governments. Although this basic objective of world-wide
revolution against capitalist governments is soft-pedaled and postponed
from time to time, as the foreign policy of the Comintern directs, it is
always present and ultimately menacing. The ruthless, forcible and
utter destruction of all States, clearing the way for the Soviet dictator-
ship of the proletariat is ultimately ordained.
Your committee believes, and therefore recommends to the Legis-
lature, that only the continuation of a committee authorized and
empowered continually to investigate the changing policies and activi-
ties of the Communist Party in California can effectively block the
maneuverings and conspiratorial plottings of this subversive group of
people for the destruction of our Government and the American way
of life.
15
AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN G. HONEYCOMBE
BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON
UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
AFFIDAVIT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 1
>ss.
County of Los Angeles
John G. Honeycombe being first duly sworn on oath does say : That
he is a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the
City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, State of California. He
joined the Los Angeles section of the California Division of the Com-
munist Party of the United States, an affiliated branch of the
Communist International, known as the Third International of Com-
munist Parties of the World whose headquarters, presidium, executive
committee and general secretary maintain headquarters in Moscow,
Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. He was accepted as a member
of the Communist Party of the United States on or about June, 1934,
and received his party membership book therein commencing as of that
date. That following his acceptance as a member he was assigned to
the Worker's School, located at the Cultural Center, No. 224 S. Spring
Street, Los Angeles, California in a building which housed the head-
quarters of the Los Angeles section of the Communist Party of Cali-
fornia, southern division. That affiant attended the classes held in
Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, and agitation and propaganda and
revolutionary tactics; that the purposes of the schooling therein were
as follows : Training and adaptation in applying the Marxian theories
of economics to the relationships of the existing capitalistic economy
of the United States for the purpose of exposing and contradicting the
theories existing under the exploitative objectives of the system of
economy prevailing in the United States ; training for the purposes of
advocating the theory of the Socialistic economy of abundance as prac-
ticed in the U. S. S. R., that is the theory of equality of production,
118 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA .
distribution, consumption, according to the ability of each in methods
of production and to each according to their needs; training in the
science of agitation among labor unions and members of organized labor
by demands for a greater share in the profits of production in the form
of wages and wage increases; by demands for better working condi-
tions; by demands for the control of the hiring and firing of employ-
ees under the sole jurisdiction of the labor unions; by the exposure of
collaborationist union leaders who fail to go along with the above
demands upon the employers; by compelling the employer in self -pro-
tection to call out law enforcement agencies, the police, militia, in order
to point out the use of such police powers by the employers against the
workers, thereby creating and fomenting bitterness and disrespect for
both employers and law enforcement; by training the members of the
Communist Party in the art of subtle penetration into the unions and
the taking of an active part in the initiative policies of unions in
employers' affairs with respect to employer competitors; by carrying
out the directives of the Communist Party line with relations to union-
ism and their political direction and affiliations ; by pointing out to the
members of the unions that in the Soviet Union (the U. S. S. R.) that
the unions own and control the machines of production, regulate its
production, and distributes that production on an equitable basis among
the producers, that is the workers and operators of the machines of
production; by pointing out the role of the agents of industry here in
the United States, that is, the elected representatives of American big
business, the Members of the Congress of the United States, the House
of Representatives and the Senate, as being the mouthpieces of the
exploiting capitalists, industrialists, landlords of the owning classes;
by pointing out the usages of the militia against the workers by the
employers under the orders and directions of State Governors, who
under the State regime operate in the interests of the employers and
owners of the machines of production and the large landowning com-
binations known as the Associated Farmers an association of absentee
landlords; by directing the workers and members of unions to form
defense squads to protect their interests against the arrayed forces of
the State and Nation who are created to protect the system of exploita-
tion maintained by the employers to protect the ownership of private
property, the capitalistic economy of the profit system, and preserve
the continuation thereof ; by training the members in the tactics of the
revolution as exemplified by Lenin in his successful overthrow of the
Kerensky Regime of Russia during the year 1919 after the desolation
of the Russian forces as a result of World War I; by requiring a
thorough study of the writings of John Reed's book under the title of
"Ten Days That Shook the World"; by quoting excerpts of John
Strachey's book, "The Coming Struggle for Power"; by discussing and
analyzing R. Palm Dutt's book, "Fascism and Social Revolution"; by
reviewing the current struggles of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union against the capitalistic world ; by pointing out the role that the
Communist Party of the United States and all Communist parties must
follow in order to secure the safety and security of the Soviet Union,
the Fatherland of Socialism and Communism, in that through the
preservation of the Soviet Union we could look forward with greater
confidence in the eventual liberation from and overthrow of our own
COMMUNISM 119
capitalist classes and landlords, the bosses and their agents ; by bring-
ing before the American workers and the people generally the rapid
strides made by the people of the U. S. S. R. under the leadership of
Lenin and Stalin and the vanguard of the working classes, the Com-
munist Party in order to condition the minds of the American working
class and the people for the eventual overthrow of the existing order
of society and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat under the
direction of and control of the Communist Party of the United States.
By our training we were prepared to enter under instructions from the
Communist Party every occupation where we could carry on our task of
agitation and propaganda to further the revolutionary development of
the American working classes and the organized unions ; by joining all
occupational associations, organizations, unions, which represented the
various occupations in which we fitted by either training or experience ;
that on or about July, 1934, I became actively attached to the organiza-
tion set up by the Communist Party of the United States known as the
"Friends of the Soviet Union/' an organization organized for the pur-
pose of agitating the American people living under a capitalistic
economy by pointing out the merits and social well-being of the people
who lived under the economy of socialism under the dictatorship of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union as against the impoverishment of
millions of the American people living under and through the ruling
class capitalistic depression, who resorted to their capitalistic Messiah
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the demagogue, who was to lead them out of
the economic jungle of capitalism during the year of 1934; that the
Friends of the Soviet Union, a mass organization created by the Com-
munist Party of the United States for the purpose of obtaining recogni-
tion of the Soviet Union by the Roosevelt Administration, realizing
fully the impossibility of accomplishing this under the open and avowed
leadership of the Communist Party of the United States, who at that
time were eyed with a great deal of suspicion by the American people ;
that on or about October, 1934, under the directives of the Communist
Party fraction which formed the Executive Committee of the F. S. U.
we received instructions from the National Executive Committee of
the Communist Party through a member of the National committee of
the F. S. U. to arrange for the publication of the Anti-Hearst Exam-
iner, with which to reply to and combat the editorials of the Los
Angeles Examiner in which they continued their attacks on the Soviet
Union ; that at or about this time we organized a picket line before the
offices of the Los Angeles Examiner with the aid and direction of the
Los Angeles Section of the Communist Party in order to intimidate
and boycott the issues of the Los Angeles Examiner which agitated
for public expression in disapproval of any form of recognition of the
Soviet Union by the American Government ; that your affiant together
with the representative of the National Executive Committee of the
Friends of the Soviet Union, one Theodore Bayer, by name, and
Dr. James C. Coleman, district organizer and others whom I can not
at this time recall, arranged and ordered printed 300,000 copies of the
Anti-Hearst Examiner for distribution to the following organizations
and societies : Utopian Society ; End Poverty in California organization
headed by Upton Sinclair; Humanist Society of Friends; Unitarian
Church society; all labor organizations and old age pension groups;
120' UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that the organizer and director of the F. S. U., Los Angeles branch,
Dr. James C. Coleman, was at that time a member of the Los Angeles
Section of the Communist Party; that Theodore Bayer, member of the
National Committee of the F. S. U., was at that time a member of the
Communist Party of the United States; that on or about June, July
and August, 1934, your affiant and others of the F. S. U. and members
of the Communist Party assisted in the raising of money through
organized meetings to support the strike of Longshoremen at San Pedro
and San Francisco as well as the Seaman 's Tanker strike of that period ;
that on or about 10 days after the settlement of said strike, your affiant
joined the Sailors Union of the Pacific, a branch of the International
Seaman's Union of the American Federation of Labor; that on or about
October 14, 1934, affiant sailed for the Orient on the S. S. President
Coolidge, completing two round trips to Manila, P. I., and return via
Japan and Shanghai, China; that on the first trip your affiant visited
the Russian Embassy at Shanghai, on or about November 1, 1934,
located at Broadway and Wangpoo Road opposite the Astor Hotel;
that after presenting my credentials I was entertained cordially by the
staff and treated in a comradely and revolutionary manner, by an
exchange of views concerning events in our respective countries and
their revolutionary problems; that during the period consumed on two
voyages to the Orient commencing on October 14, 1934, and ending
January 15, 1935, your affiant carried on both agitation and propa-
ganda activities among both the union and other crew members,
licensed and unlicensed personnel; that on or about December, 1936,
affiant turned in his Communist Party membership book to the Unit
Organizer of Unit A I Los Angeles Subsection of the Communist Party
of the District of California; that on or about August 1, 1937, affiant
volunteered his services to the recruiting agent of the Communist
Party, Los Angeles Section, for service with the American Section of
the International Brigades for the Republic of Spain ; that the offer of
service was accepted; that the recruiting organization was the Com-
munist controlled and directed committee known as the North American
Committee to Aid Spanish Democracy; that he arrived in Spain on or
about September 7, 1937, via France; that on or about September 15,
1937, at Albecete, Spain, he among many others, volunteers of many
nationalities, were addressed as follows: "Comrades, you are here as
the vanguard of your revolutionary working class brothers and com-
rades, of the unions, and the oppressed of all races. Your first duty
here is to defeat Fascism ; to smash the forces of the landlords and their
agents, the Church of Rome and their puppet Franco. Comrades, your
second duty is to prepare yourselves here under revolutionary and civil
war conditions, for the coming struggle back home against our own
oppressors, our own landlords and the capitalist classes of America.
You will be the cadres of the revolution in America when the time is
ripe for the assault of the oppressed against the exploiters of the work-
ing classes. We must win here in Spain, as eventually we must win
in the revolution to come back home in America." * * * (end
quote) ; that on or about November 7, 1937, at Albarez, Spain, following
action of the Lincoln-Washington Battalion at Fuentes de Ebro and
during a reorganization period we received orders from the Brigade
Commissar, Dave Doran, instructing all party members to carry out
COMMUNISM 121
the directives of the Communist Party of Spain, under the Leadership
of Jose Diaz, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain, as
recommended by the Political Bureau of the War Commissariat of
Moscow, from the offices of the General Secretary of the Comintern,
the Third Communist International, Georgi Dimitroff; that orders of
the day concerning these wishes of the Comintern were carried out to
the letter by command ; that they automatically provided for the trans-
fer of membership from the Communist Party of the United States to
the Communist Party of Spain, compelling attendance to directives and
obedience thereof ; that the political commissariat, of which group, your
affiant was elected to the political post of Political Commissar of the
Battalion Staff; that your affiant was instructed in meetings to relay
to the members of the battalion through their company commissars, all
directives and instructions of the Spanish Communist Party with
respect to the direction and aims of the civil war and the carrying out
of the Comintern Party line in our propaganda and agitation in our
communications with organizations, friends and relatives at home in
America; that the following named men composed the International
Control Committee ; all representatives of the Comintern ; Andre Marty,
representing the Republic of France and the French section of the
Communist Party of France ; Jose Diaz, representing the Spanish sec-
tion of the Communist Party of Spain ; Gen. Rubilao, representing the
U. S. S. R. and the contingent of instructors of the Red Army of the
Soviet Union; Robert Minor, representing the Communist Party of
the United States; Gen. Gomez, Chief of the Russian Secret Police,
commonly known as the OGPU, with headquarters at Albecete, Spain ;
that on or about February 27, 1938, Earl Browder, General Secretary
of the Communist Party of the United States, appeared before the
members of the Fifteenth International Brigade, in the vicinity of
Moro Station, following our relief from action at Teruel, Spain, and
addressed the men as follows : i i That they were free to leave Spain if
they were no longer able to fight or were physically incapacitated and
therefor were of no use to the cause of the people of Spain. He further
stated that no further repatriations would be permitted until the end
of the war and the victory had been won for the Spanish people's
cause, which he likened to our own cause which we would face in
America. He explained the lack of fighting equipment to the failure of
the State Department of the IJnited States and the Foreign Office of
both Britain and France for the continuation of the Non-intervention
Committee and for the prevention of the lifting of the Embargo on
arms to the Republic of Spain; he stated that many thousands of
Americans were donating both their time and money to assist us in our
struggle to win victory for the Spanish people. That the Communist
Party of the United States and throughout the world were directing
every effort to the end that the cause of the working classes of Spain
might be victorious. He explained that only the Soviet Union under
the leadership of the Communist Party and Joseph Stalin had come to
the aid of the Spanish working classes. That victory for the working
class of Spain would be the signal for revolt of the working classes
throughout the world to overthrow their oppressors and establish the
dictatorship of the proletariat. That we of America must set an exam-
ple of revolutionary discipline and courage for the workers of Spain,
122 UN-AMEEICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
as well as for our own working class at home in America. That the
day would surely come when we would be the cadres of the revolution,
the leading vanguard of the working class in their struggle to over-
throw the capitalists and capitalistic system and establish the dictator-
ship of the proletariat. That we must emulate our heroic leaders of the
revolution, Lenin, and Stalin * * *" (end quote). That on or about
March 13, 1938, at Barcelona, Spain, affiant visited the offices of the
Ministry of War and was informed by the aide-de-campe to the min-
ister, that under no circumstances could he or would he authorize any
repatriations of the American members of the International Brigades
without the consent of the International Control Committee named
previously herein ;
Affiant further herein states that the Communist Party of the United
States is a branch of the Communist Third International, is accredited
and delegated and affiliated to and with the Comintern, subscribes
to, conforms to and obeys the decisions of the Communist Third
International, as do all affiliated Communist Parties throughout the
world. That membership in the Comintern (Communist Third Inter-
national), is predicated on subscription to and conformity with
Comintern directives.
[SEAL]
JOHN G. HONEYCOMBS.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this thirtieth day of September,
1942.
EARL BLODGETT,
Notary Public in and for the County of
Los Angeles, State of California.
16
AFFIDAVIT OF RENA M. VALE
BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON
UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA— AR 277
AFFIDAVIT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ]
j>ss.
County of Los Angeles J
Rena M. Vale being first duly sworn deposes and says :
That my full name is Eena Marie Vale; that I presently reside at
1247| Huntley Drive, Los Angeles, California; that I was born in
Arizona in the year 1898 ; that I graduated from the Northern Arizona
Normal School in Flagstaff, Arizona, in the year 1918; that I taught
school in Arizona two years; that I have lived almost continuously in
California since 1920 and in Los Angeles since 1924; that since 1924
I have followed the writing profession, doing ' ' free-lance " work for
various newspapers and journals as well as reporting, short story writ-
ing, motion picture scenario writing, radio writing and publicity
writing; that in 1928 I won a prize of $5,000 in a scenario writing
COMMUNISM 123
contest staged by Paramount Studios and Photoplay Magazine; that
in 1929 I was director of publicity for Pickwick Airways, and for
several years following, I engaged in aviation writing ; that my present
occupation is that of writer;
That since 1913 I have followed very closely the developments of
labor, Socialist and Communist organizations;
That since 1924 I have read the literature of the Communist Party,
that is the Masses, the New Masses, the Communist magazine, the Com-
munist International magazine, together with the International Press
Correspondence INPRECOR, and many brochures, pamphlets,
speeches and books published both in the United States and in the
Soviet Union; that I discussed the policies and purposes of the Com-
munist Party from time to time with persons who identified themselves
to me as Communist Party members;
That although familiar with the so-called Communist International
and Communist Party ' * line, ' ' I was in disagreement with it from 1924
until 1935; that the reason for my attitude toward the Communist
Party "line" was that I disagreed with the idea of violent revolution
in any country and in particular in the United States ; that I disagreed
with the idea of offending the majority of the people of United States
by attempting to impose upon them a form of government and a culture
which was totally foreign to the political and cultural trends of United
States; that, in other words, I believed that whatever changes and
improvements were to be made in the United States political, economic
and cultural affairs, should spring from the needs of the people in this
country and should be made according to the democratic traditions
of United States;
That when I read the speech of Georgi Dimitroff given to the Seventh
World Congress of the Communist International in August, 1935, and
the discussions of it in the various Communist Party publications I
have heretofore mentioned, I formed the opinion, which I now know
to have been erroneous, that the Communist International intended to
permit each and every country to work out its own salvation by demo-
cratic processes and that the Communist International would assist,
encourage and lead in such processes of democratic reform as sprang
up in every country ; that, in other words, the Communist International
had abandoned the old policies of Lenin and Trotsky of creating world
revolution, and had decided to« cooperate with, instead of oppose, the
democratic organizations and governments of the world ;
That because of this misconception of the Communist International
intentions, due to the Oriental subtleties used by said Georgi Dimitroff,
I felt I was willing to work with the Communist Party;
That at that time, in 1935, I was working in Universal Studios in
the capacity of secretary to various writers; that I discussed my
changed attitude toward the Communist Party with such writers as
Samuel Ornitz, Aben Kandel and Boris Ingster, with whom I had
contact in my work ; Samuel Ornitz identified himself to me as a Com-
munist Party member and discussed at considerable length the inten-
tions of the Communist Party in Hollywood and especially in relation
to the motion picture industry;
That in the latter part of 1935 I was working on the motion picture,
"Show Boat," and in that work met the Negro singer, Paul Robeson
124 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
and his wife, Essie Robeson; that said Paul Robeson identified himself
to me as a Communist Party member and urged me to affiliate with the
Communist Party;
That in the early spring of 1936 I made contact through Hugh Mac-
Beth, Negro attorney, with Dr. Fabian Garcia, a former attache to the
Cuban Embassy in Washington, D. C., and that said Dr. Garcia identi-
fied himself to me as a Communist Party member and stated he was
working within United States toward the end of overthrowing the gov-
ernment of Cuba, which he labeled ' ' Fascist ' ' ; that I worked with said
Dr. Garcia in the Cuban Committee, and attended several meetings of
that group where I heard the fact mentioned that the Communist
Party guided the policies of said Cuban Committee;
That in these meetings of said Cuban Committee, I met with such
persons as Clifford Odets, the playwright who had become the darling
of the Communist Party for writing the play, "Waiting for Lefty,"
used by said party as a propaganda medium ; Lionel Stander, who had
recently come to Hollywood from the New York stage; Rose Dreher
and her husband, Dave Dreher, who was employed in the Sound
Department of R. K. 0. Studios; and Herbert Biberman, who called
himself a motion picture director; that in these aforementioned meet-
ings I heard all these people discuss the matter in which the Cuban
Committee could serve the general interests of the Communist Party
in Southern California;
That in the summer of 1936 I was unemployed and Etta Durning,
member of the Utopian Society and of the Women's Committee of the
American League Against War and Fascism, referred me to a Mrs.
Nora Helgren, whom Mrs. Durning said could help me obtain employ-
ment;
LEAGUE OF WOMEN SHOPPERS
That I called on Mrs. Helgren at her home in a bungalow court, at
1757J North Ivar, Hollywood, and after several discussions, Mrs Hel-
gren informed me that she was a Communist Party functionary, and
that she had been given the job by the Communist Party in New York
of organizing in Southern California the League of Women Shoppers,
which Mrs. Helgren informed me was under the complete control of
the Communist Party. Mrs. Helgren urged me to join the Commu-
nist Party and stated that providing I did so she would put me in
charge of the Los Angeles office of said League of Women Shoppers;
in the meantime, while I was considering the matter of affiliation with
the Communist Party, Mrs. Helgren gave me some preliminary organi-
zation work to do for the League of Women Shoppers. She gave me
a list of names and instructed me to contact these persons, saying I
had been sent by her; she informed me that these persons were sympa-
thetic to the Communist Party and thought I could obtain from them
donations to begin the work in Los Angeles of the League of Women
Shoppers. The names she gave me were :
Gale Sondergaard, screen actress and wife of Herbert Biberman;
Tess Slesinger Davis, screen writer and wife of motion picture pro-
ducer, Frank Davis ;
Katherine Kilbourne (later an official in State Relief Adminis-
tration) ;
COMMUNISM 125
That I made contact with Tess Slesinger Davis over the telephone,
but did not call on her ; however, I discussed the purpose of the League
of Women Shoppers and she expressed herself as sympathetic ;
That I called on Mrs. Katherine Kilbourne in her home on Los Feliz
Boulevard and discussed the purpose of the League of Women Shop-
pers with her, and she said she would think over the matter of making
a donation;
That about that time— the fall of 1936—1 met a woman at the home
of Mrs. Helgren whose name was Mrs. Nan Tolins, wife of I. Bibb
Tolins, and who was also known as Nan Golden, who informed me
that she was a Communist Party member of long standing and that she
was going to take the position as paid secretary in the office of the
League of Women Shoppers in Los Angeles; therefore, I turned over
my literature and my contacts to Mrs. Tolins, who, as she stated,
became the secretary in the Los Angeles office of the League of Women
Shoppers ;
That by that time I had extended my efforts as a Communist fellow
traveler, and was working in an office in the American Bank Building
on the same floor as the offices of Gallagher and Johnson on the Com-
mittee to Prevent the Disbarment of Leo Gallagher ; that this committee
was made up of attorneys who were endeavoring to prevent the disbar-
ment of Leo Gallagher by the California State Bar ; that on this com-
mittee were: J. Allen Frankel, Spencer Austrian, Saul Klein, Grover
Johnson ;
That J. Allen Frankel and Spencer Austrian informed me they were
Communist Party members and Grover Johnson stated he was not a
member of the Communist Party but that he followed all suggestions
by the Communist Party;
That it was through this said Committee to Prevent the Disbarment
of Leo Gallagher that I came in contact with the International Labor
Defense, 127 South Broadway, Los Angeles; Rose Chernin was in
charge of the office of the International Labor Defense; Miss Chernin
informed me that the International Labor Defense, for which Leo Gal-
lagher was attorney, was a branch of the Communist Party, and that
all persons who worked in confidential capacities in or for that organi-
zation must be members of the Communist Party and under its
discipline ;
That through Julia Walsh, a typist in Leo Gallagher's office, and who
made frequent trips to the office of the International Labor Defense, I
made application to join the Communist Party ; that I saw my applica-
tion card pass into the hands of Rudy Lambert, a Communist Party
functionary whom I met in the International Labor Defense office;
Mr. Lambert informed me that my application would be checked by
the Communist Party and that I would be notified if I was accepted;
That after several weeks, and after the hearing of Leo Gallagher
before the State Bar Board, I had not heard from my application for
membership in the Communist Party, and assumed that I had been
rejected because of my -previous opposition to that party, particularly
in the unemployed cooperative organization where I had frequently
taken the floor and denounced those I thought to be Communists ;
That I again contacted Mrs. Nora Helgren and informed her of the
opinion that my past opposition to the Communist Party had caused
126 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
my rejection for membership; she urged me to sign another applica-
tion card and assured me it would go through ; that I did so and saw
Mrs. Helgren hand that card to Nan Tolins to be sent through regular
channels ;
That Mrs. Helgren then made another effort to get employment for
me through Communist Party channels; that she introduced me to
Albert Keene, whom she informed me had been an official in the office of
Intourist, Soviet travel bureau, in Los Angeles, and that he was estab-
lishing an office in the Consolidated Building, Los Angeles, where he
would book travel for the Soviet Union ;
That on a number of occasions I discussed the relationship of the
Communist Party members in Los Angeles with the Soviet Union with
Albert Keene, Mrs. Helgren and her husband, George Helgren, their
opinion being that Communist Party members in Los Angeles, as else-
where, must look to the Soviet Union as their ' ' fatherland ' ' ;
That on several occasions I called 'on Albert Keene in his office in
the Consolidated Building, but that I never obtained employment in
his office. I have since heard that Albert Keene 's differences with
officials of the Intourist Bureau resulted in his expulsion from the
Communist Party and from all contact with the Communist Party ;
That I was in quite desperate financial straits and confided my
plight to a social worker, Faiga Fram, whom I had known for some
time ; Miss Fram informed me that she was a member of the Communist
Party, and stated that if I joined the Communist Party she would
arrange through other Communist Party members working in the
State Emergency Relief Association for that organization to certify
me for relief; I informed Miss Fram that I had applied for member-
ship in the Communist Party, and she instructed me to call Eve Solatoy,
a supervisor on the State Emergency Relief Administration, and to use
her name; I did this and was certified almost immediately. I later
discovered that the social worker whom Miss Solatoy sent to investigate
my case, Eva Lubell, was a member of the Communist Party; that is,
I encountered her in a closed meeting of the Professional Section of
the Communist Party sometime in 1937 ;
That on or about November 7, 1936, I attended a celebration of the
founding of the Soviet Union, and there encountered Faiga Fram
again, as well as Rose Chernin, Rudy Lambert, and a number of other
persons whose names I have forgotten; after the meeting, I went with
Miss Fram and several other persons to Ernest Dawson's book store,
and found Ernest Dawson in the process of making out reports to
Booknega, the Soviet publishing concern, which he stated he repre-
sented in Los Angeles ; we discussed Communist Party affairs informally
for a time, and I was given to understand that I had been ''accepted"
by the Communist Party social set ;
WPA HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY
That on or about the twenty-third of December, 1936, R. Frederick
Sparks, Supervisor of the WPA Historical Records Survey, a sub-
division of the Federal Writers Project, in Los Angeles, requisitioned
me from the State Emergency Relief Administration, and put me on
the WPA pay roll as his secretary ;
COMMUNISM 127
That immediately after January 1, 1937, when project workers
returned from a vacation (through which I had worked in Mr. Sparks '
office), Velda Johnston, one of the workers on the Historical Records
Survey, approached me and asked me if I belonged to the Communist
Party. She used the term ' * church, ' ' and after some difficulty I under-
stood her to mean the Communist Party, and I explained that I had
made application twice. Here I wish to explain that the method used
by Miss Johnston in sounding me out on the matter of the Communist
Party is general usage in the Communist Party ; because of the pervad-
ing air of conspiracy and secrecy within the Communist Party no
member would think of being direct in his approach to another per-
son ; certain esoteric Communist Party terms are used, as for instance,
"the church," to mean the Communist Party, or a term like "direc-
tive," meaning an order, or "org" meaning "organization"; thus
a Communist Party member can ascertain another person's affiliation
or sympathy without exposing himself as a member of the Communist
Party ;
That Miss Johnston informed me that the Communist Party had a
special interest in the WPA Historical Records Survey, and that Com-
munist Party members in control of that program requested that those
in key positions be members of the Communist Party, and that in order
to retain my position as secretary to the supervisor of the project,
I would have to get my membership in the Communist Party straight-
ened out ;
That I therefore contacted the aforementioned Nan Tolins, whom I
knew had taken charge of my second application for membership in
the Communist Party, and requested that she assist me; Mrs. Tolins
invited me to attend a meeting of her Communist Party unit and there
make application ; I attended a meeting of a Communist Party unit of
the Hollywood Section; about 10 persons were present, but the only
person other than Mrs. Tolins whose name I remember is that of Dr.
M. H. Braden, a Hollywood chiropractor ;
That at that meeting I signed the third application for membership
into the Communist Party, and used the name Irene Wood as a party
name;
That the strain of unemployment and uncertainty had caused my
health to begin to fail, and I mentioned this matter to Mrs. Helgren,
whom I continued to contact ; 'Mrs. Helgren advised me to consult Dr.
Leo Bigelman, which I did, and in the course of the examination, Dr.
Bigelman discussed the matter of the Communist Party with me, and
when I told him I had joined it, he revealed himself to me as a Com-
munist Party member ; later I saw Dr. Bigelman at general membership
meetings of the Communist Party ;
That within a few days after my third application to join the Com-
munist Party was made, I received a notice to attend a meeting on
North Ogden Drive, Hollywood ; although it was a typed, unsigned note,
merely requesting my presence at the address at 8 o'clock in the even-
ing on a given day, I knew it was the long-awaited notice to attend
Communist Party new members classes ;
That on arrival at this address I found several others present; an
elderly man informed us that we were the guests of the screen actress,
Lucile Ball, and showed us various pictures, books and other objects to
128 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
establish that fact, and stated she was glad to loan her home for a
Communist Party new members class ;
That the instructor introduced himself as Sidney Martin, but I later
knew him by the name of Sidney Davidson, which he stated was his
true name ;
That there were about seven or eight other members of this class,
but the only names I recall are those of Herb Harris, an actor, whom I
encountered from time to time within the Communist Party, and who
took part in the play "The Blackguard/' which ran for several years
in Los Angeles around 1938 and 1939; and Libby Jacobson, who, in
1939, was active in consumer cooperatives in Los Angeles ;
That in this new members class, which continued for eight weeks,
meeting weekly, we were taught the fundamentals of Stalinist-Leninism-
Marxism, that is, Lenin had ' ' interpreted ' ' Marx to suit the conditions
of Russia between the years 1900 and 1917, and Stalin had "inter-
preted" Lenin to suit the political and diplomatic needs of the Soviet
Union after the expulsion of Trotsky from the Communist International
Executive Committee (called E. C. C. I. — Executive Committee, Com-
munist International) in about 1927; therefore, what we actually
learned in the new members class was Stalinism, but we were told it
was Marxism ; we were given a heavy course of reading on the history
of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union, of Lenin's works as well
as a study manual dealing with a simplified course in economics, which
explained wars as the outgrowth of imperialism, and "Fascism" as the
last stage of imperialism ;
That. I began to have misgivings about the genuineness of Georgi
Dimitroff's "Popular Front" speech as I listened to these patently false
teachings — everything was oversimplified and slightly warped — but I
felt I should give the Communist Party apparatus time to adjust to the
new policy ;
That during the time I was attending these new members classes, I
was accepted on the Historical Records Survey and Federal Writers
Projects (which were housed together at 751 South Figueroa Street) as
a Communist Party member, and met in fraction meetings with these
other Communist Party members to plan Communist Party control of
both projects ; other members of this Communist Party fraction were :
Walter McElroy, who later became supervisor of the WPA Federal
Writers Project in San Francisco ;
Robert Herrick, on the Historical Records Survey ;
Velda Johnston, mentioned previously ;
Paul Johnson, assistant supervisor on the Federal Writers Project,
later (prior to McElroy) supervisor of the Federal Writers Project in
San Francisco ;
Tillie Lerner, who came to the Federal Writers Project soon after-
ward, and whose employment on that project was regarded as a Com-
munist Party "victory";
AMERICAN WRITERS' UNION
That the first business of this Communist Party fraction on the Fed-
eral Writers and Historical Records Survey Projects, to which I
belonged, was to attempt to resuscitate the dying American Writers
Union, a Communist Party-controlled organization on a Nation-wide
COMMUNISM 129
basis, but which was not accomplishing the purposes for which the
Communist Party had set up the local chapter of it in Los Angeles ; it
was supposed to attract non-Communist writers, free-lance fiction
writers as well as motion picture writers; but beside the Communist
Party leadership in the Los Angeles chapter, there were only a few
apathetic stragglers; I was urged to join this union and take part in
its activities; this also meant meeting with the Communist Party frac-
tion thereof; we met two or three times in the home of William B.
Holther and George Bertholon, on North Toluca Street in Los Angeles,
and that fraction consisted of the aforementioned persons belonging to
the Communist Party on the Federal Writers and Historical Records
Survey, and William B. Holther, who stated he was a member of the
Young Communist League ; he since broke away from that organization
and has given testimony against it;
That other persons who took part in affairs of this aforementioned
American Writers Union were Carey Me Williams, who gave an impas-
sioned speech at one of the meetings held in the Unitarian Church,
corner of Eighth and Vermont, Los Angeles, and which was generously
sprinkled with words and phrases that were pleasing to Communist
ears, but which did not serve the purpose of reviving the moribund
organization; Beryl La Cava, chairman of the Women's Committee
of the American League Against War and Fascism, who spoke at
one of the meetings, and Edna Silverton, who accompanied Mrs. La
Cava, and who, in turn, made a plea to this weak-kneed organization
to help her establish a "progressive" book store in Hollywood. She
later opened the Twentieth Century Book Store on Western Avenue
near Melrose and handled only Communist Party and Communist
approved literature;
That on one occasion the Communist Party fraction of the American
Writers Union met jointly with the Communist Party fraction of the
American Artists Union, and at which meeting, held in a small room in
the Unitarian Church, Los Angeles, we laid down the program of joint
action between Communist Party members on various WPA cultural
projects toward forming a union which would encompass all these
cultural projects; besides the aforementioned Communist Party frac-
tion of the American Writers Union, there were, representing the
American Artists Union, likewise Communist controlled:
Grace Clement, employed on the WPA Federal Art Project;
Fred Franchi, who had been employed on the Federal Art Project
and whose only claim to "art" was his membership in the Communist
Party;
Hugh Mason, a worker on the WPA Federal Theatre Project, who
spoke in the name of the moribund Contemporary Theatre, likewise
a Communist-controlled organization;
Edward Biberman, brother of Herbert Biberman, an artist and
leader in the American Artists Union;
Walter Herrick, employed on the Federal Art Project ;
That some time in February, 1937, Walter McElroy called together
members of the Communist Party on the Federal Writers Project and
Historical Records Survey for a week-end meeting in his home, 120
North Douglas Street, Los Angeles, for the purpose of meeting
9— L.-2275
130 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
with Percival (Pete) Fry, a Communist Party member from San
Francisco ;
That those who attended that meeting besides Fry and McElroy,
were myself, Paul Johnson and Robert Herrick, aforementioned. Mr.
Fry stated that the State Executive Committee of the Communist
Party had worked out a program for the unionization of white collar
WPA projects, said program to be initiated by the Communist Party,
and that he, Mr. Fry, was sent to Los Angeles by Frank Spector, Com-
munist Party functionary on the said State Executive Committee, to
meet with various Communist Party fractions and individuals to get
this union project under way; he stated that the Communist Party
officials had decided that the American Writers Union was to be dis-
carded as a possible union for the Communist Party to use to control
the Federal Writers Projects; likewise, the American Artists Union
and the Contemporary Theatre were to be discarded as respective
rallying points for the Federal Art and Federal Theatre Projects;
that we Communist Party members must set up on the aforementioned,
and all other cultural and professional projects in Los Angeles, the
American Federation of Government Employees, and that when organ-
ized, the California chapters would apply for a National charter in
this, an American Federation of Labor, organization; that even if the
charter wasn't granted by the National headquarters, we would have
a Communist-controlled organization which had derived sufficient
benefit from the respectable name of the American Federation of Labor
to give it an organizational impetus, and that gradually we Communists
would lead this organization through various stages into the Workers
Alliance, but that it was decided by the Communist Party officials that
the Workers Alliance, whose Communist control was well known, did
not have sufficient prestige among professional and white collar workers
to gain membership at that time ; in other words, he laid down a pro-
gram of deception by which the Communist Party hoped to gain control
of non-Communist members on the WPA professional projects in
California; that plan was followed as laid down at that time by Fry,
but by the time the WPA workers had been led through the necessary
organizational changes, they had dwindled to Communist Party mem-
bers and sympathizers;
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
That several Communist Party fraction meetings were held to lay
plans to start the American Federation of Government Employees in
Los Angeles ; I recall one that was held in the home of Betty Arden,
a worker on the WPA Federal Theatre Project and one of the guiding
lights in the Contemporary Theatre in Los Angeles; present at that
meeting were, besides myself and Betty Arden :
Eli Jacobson, a member of the County Committee of the Communist
Party in Los Angeles;
Fred Franchi, aforementioned ;
Al Lane (Lewis), then organizer of the Professional Section of the
Communist Party in Los Angeles, and several others whose names I
do not know;
That at that meeting we laid plans for the graceful demise of the
American Writers Union, the American Artists Union and the Con-
COMMUNISM 131
temporary Theatre; we were to announce to the project workers who
had been faithful to these organizations that they were "just as
important as ever" and that they would continue, but that the Ameri-
can Federation of Government Employees would fill a "long-felt
need"; then we Communists were to withdraw from active work in
the aforementioned doomed organization, and we knew that the non-
Communists could not continue their existence;
That I thus learned, before my graduation from the new members
class, that Communist Party leadership in American organizations
depended solely upon deception; had it not been for the job control
which I discovered the Communist Party exercised over the WPA
projects, I would have dropped out of the Communist Party at that
point ;
COMMUNIST UNIT 131 PROFESSIONAL SECTION
That upon my graduation from the new members class, I was
assigned to Unit 131, Professional Section, which was newly organized ;
it was comprised of Communist Party members on the Federal Writers,
Federal Art and Historical Records Survey, and was split off from
Unit 130 (to which it again went) ; since it was necessary for a unit
in the Communist Party to consist of six or more persons, this unit
could not begin to function until I was ready for unit work, that is,
until graduation from new members class ; at that point the Communist
Party book is issued;
That members of Unit 131 were as follows:
Walter McElroy, organizer;
Robert Herrick, educational literature director;
Myself, membership director and dues secretary;
Velda Johnston, aforementioned;
Walter Herrick, aforementioned;
Chandler Weston, a photographer on the Federal Art Project, who
graduated from another new members class about that time ;
That the three first mentioned comprised the "Euro" of this unit;
we had special duties and special contacts within other divisions of
the Communist Party; for instance, Walter McElroy was a delegate
to the Section Committee (Professional Section), and I was, by virtue
of the fact that I collected dues in the unit, a member of the Dues
Secretaries Commission of the Professional Section, which body met
about once a month to devise methods of raising money within the
Communist Party;
That in accordance with Communist Party rules of procedure, each
unit or branch, when organized, had to make a pledge to the party
promising certain accomplishments, and it must also designate a "con-
centration point," or field of operation — this for the purpose of
preventing conflict of Communist Party units in any given field;
Unit 130, the parent unit, was pledged to concentrate on organization
and cultural guidance in the WPA white collar projects in Los
Angeles ; Unit 131, our new unit, took this same pledge for the Federal
Writers, Federal Art and Educational Projects, leaving the Federal
Theatre and Federal Music Projects to Unit 130;
132 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
That, in keeping with the unit pledge to guide the policies of the
WPA projects in which the members thereof worked, the unit decided
that R. Frederick Sparks must be removed from the Historical Records
Survey in order that he might be replaced by a Communist Party
member; in order to accomplish this purpose Velda Johnston com-
municated with Communist Party contacts in San Francisco, urging
that Communist Party leadership in the Historical Records Survey
send someone to Los Angeles ; thereupon Sven Skaar, Field Supervisor
of the Historical Records Survey in California, arrived in Los Angeles ;
Velda Johnston introduced him to me as a Communist Party member ;
Mr. Skaar informed me that the Historical Records Survey was in a
position to perform a very vital work for the Communist Party; that
workers on that project, in line with the requirements of the project,
catalogued Federal, State, county, city, church and labor union records,
and that much highly valuable information could thus be obtained for
the Communist Party; in addition, workers, if they were Communist
Party members, could obtain vital information on the functions of
various cities and other branches of government, pending the time the
Communist Party took over the reins of government in United States ;
also these workers had contact with various officials, some of whom
might be won over to the Communist Party ; he stated that Mr. Sparks
was not sympathetic to the Communist Party and must be removed;
he instructed me to keep careful note of all Mr. Sparks' activities and
also to make extra carbons of all letters he wrote and to forward these
reports to him in San Francisco ; This I did, and before long Mr. Sparks
was called to San Francisco and discharged by Thelma Ziemer, State
Director of the Historical Records Survey, who later revealed to me
that she was a Communist Party member;
That Sparks was replaced by James Toback, a Communist Party
member who had been on the Historical Records Survey in San Diego,
and whose transfer I handled within the Communist Party, making
him a member of Unit 131; this was in the Spring of 1937;
That shortly thereafter, Mr. Toback employed Seema Matlin, a Com-
munist Party member of long standing, and put her in charge of
Historical Records Survey work in Huntington Library, much to the
evidenced displeasure of the officials of that library;
That about that time, in the Spring of 1937, Unit 131 was increased
by the graduation from new members class of Bee Burke (mother of
Katherine Burke, a motion picture actress), who worked on the Federal
Art Project; Fred Franchi also came into our Unit 131, in order to
work more closely with other members of the Communist Party fraction
of the American Federation of Government Employees;
That during this time my Communist Party assignments by no
means ended with (1) Unit Buro work; (2) membership in the Com-
munist Party fraction of the American Federation of Government
Employees; (3) member of the Professional Section Dues Secretaries
Commission; and (4) member of the Communist Party fraction of the
combined Federal Writers Project and Historical Records Survey; I
was requested also to assist the (5) Communist Party fraction in the
League of Women Shoppers ;
COMMUNISM 133
That in regard to that latter assignment, I met in closed Communist
Party fraction meetings with —
Nan Tolins (Nan Golden), executive secretary;
Davida Corey Franchi (Mrs. Fred Franchi) ;
Libby Jacobson, mentioned in new members class ; and
Elf Scharlan, an attorney ;
That it developed that the League of Women Shoppers had taken in
a number of liberal and labor-minded women in the community who
understood the organization was for the benefit of Los Angeles, and
who wished to have a say in the affairs of the organization; from a
Communist Party standpoint these women presented a serious prob-
lem, because the organization was designed, organized and operated
exclusively for the benefit of the Communist Party; these aforemen-
tioned fraction meetings were called for the purpose of devising means
to meet this problem without isolating the enthusiastic women who did
not understand the true purpose of the organization ;
That Elf Scharlan stood alone in this fraction against Davida Corey
Franchi and Nan Tolins, with Libby Jacobson and myself following
the lead of the Franchi and Tolins women; Elf Scharlan was "put
straight" on the true purpose of the organization and instructed not
to permit any democratic expression within the organization, even if
it caused membership to drop away ;
That I was shocked at this high-handed and autocratic rulership of
an organization which I understood came within the scope of the
so-called Popular Front which the Seventh World Congress of the
Communist International had instituted by accepting the speech of
Georgi Dimitroff in August, 1935; I realized that to deceive and to
dictate to the public was no proper means of bringing about world
betterment; but I was too puzzled and frightened to protest; I sud-
denly found myself in the midst of exactly the opposite from what
I had desired and expected when I joined the Communist Party, but I
did not know how to turn back ;
That I cautiously discussed some of my misgivings with my comrade
Walter McElroy, and he assured me that things would straighten
themselves out as soon as older comrades within the party understood
the true meaning of the Popular Front; and he explained away the
actions of others by saying they were "undeveloped";
DUES SECRETARIES COMMISSION
That in the Dues Secretaries Commission of the Professional Section
there were the dues secretaries of all the Professional Section, com-
prising two units of school teachers, one of newspaper workers, one
of doctors, one of lawyers, two of social workers, one of pharmacy
workers, one unit of architects and engineers, one of WPA Theatre
Project (and Music Project) workers, one so-called "hash" unit com-
prised of a "hash" of professions, our Unit 131 comprised of WPA
Federal Writers and Federal Art Projects workers ; that this commis-
sion met once a month, never with full membership present, in the
home of Ann Howe, Dues Secretary of the Professional Section to
whom we turned over our moneys, at 3224 Beverly Boulevard, a house
which had been rented by the Communist Party for the moribund
134 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Contemporary Theatre; Jay Moss, a Negro Communist Party member
in the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, also lived at that address ;
That, besides persons whose names I did not know, Ann Howe, and
myself, this commission comprised :
Martin Irons, (husband of Urcel Daniel of the Los Angeles News-
paper Guild), Dues Secretary for, I believe, a social workers unit;
Sid Burke, Dues Secretary for the Newspaper Guild Unit ;
Luba Fox, Dues Secretary for the Federal Theatre Project Unit;
Marcia — — , a Negro school teacher, for one of the teachers'
units ;
Marge Comey (she had another name also which I do not know) ;
That aforementioned Martin Irons generally drove me home from
the meeting, and on one occasion told me he was leaving the Dues
Secretaries Commission to take a job organizing in the CIO in Douglas
Aircraft, and then outlined to me the Communist Party program in
relation to aircraft plants, pointing out that they occupied a strategic
position in war industry and that in order to gain control of the
country the Communist Party must control such bottlenecks of war
industry; that his success in that field is unknown to me, because the
next I heard of Martin Irons, he occupied an important position in the
California State Department of Motor Vehicles ;
That on one occasion my comrade and coworker Seema Matlin
invited me to sit in on a Communist Party fraction meeting of the
Women's Committee of the American League Against War and Fas-
cism, which about that time was changing its name on Communist Party
order to the American League for Peace and Democracy; that this
order was the main topic of discussion at the aforementioned meeting,
and likewise the subjects of coordinating so-called "mass organiza-
tion" work of the Communist Party was discussed; present at this
meeting, besides several whose names I do not know, were :
Seema Matlin, one-time paid secretary in the office of the American
League Against War and Fascism ;
Beryl La Cava, chairman of the women's committee of said organ-
ization :
Eose Dreher, mentioned previously in relation to the Cuban Com-
mittee, and with whom Seema Matlin was at that time living ; and
Davida Corey Franchi, who was known to the general membership of
the American League Against War and Fascism as "Davida Corey,"
while she used "Davida Franchi" for her work in the League of
Women Shoppers, thereby, as she explained to me, avoiding the likeli-
hood of detection as a Communist Party member (though I must say
this line of reasoning did not convince me) ;
COMMUNIST PARTY FRACTION
That the Communist Party effort to organize the American Feder-
ation of Government Employees was proceeding apace with all the
other aforementioned work during the spring of 1937 ; the Communist
Party fraction of this organization which acted as a "steering com-
mittee, ' ' met weekly at my home, 1323 W. Fourth Street, Los Angeles,
and was made up of Communist Party members and Young Communist
League members of the various cultural and professional WPA projects
COMMUNISM 135
in Los Angeles; the work of this fraction consisted not only in organ-
izing and controlling said union for the WPA projects, but in coordi-
nating this work with the Communist Party's work in the Los Angeles
Newspaper Guild, in the local chapter of the American Federation of
Teachers, with the CIO Federation of Architects, Engineers and Tech-
nicians, and even with the CIO Industrial Union Council in Los
Angeles; also we had to consider the eventuality of merging with the
Workers Alliance, and coordinate our work with that organization,
which was completely under Communist Party control ; also considera-
tion was given to Communist Party work in such mass organizations as
the National Negro Congress, the aforementioned American League for
Peace and Democracy and its Siamese-twin organization in Hollywood,
the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League ;
That while it is impossible to describe the vast network of interlocking
Communist Party fractions, commissions, committees and special com-
mittees which harmonized and coordinated the extensive undertakings
of the Communist Party and so directed the work that the energy of one
person could be as effective as the energy of one hundred or more
uncoordinated individuals, this aforementioned example of one small
and relatively insignificant Communist Party fraction might serve to
illustrate the extensive and intricately balanced machinery of the secret
Communist Party in United States;
That while this aforementioned fraction fluctuated, those in regular
attendance were, as I recall them :
Carl Brant, organizer of a dying organization on the WPA Federal
Theatre which must be replaced by the aforementioned American Fed-
eration of Government Employees; (This is the same Carl Brant who
is at this writing a representative of the CIO United Radio, Electrical
and Machine Workers of America on the War Manpower Commission
in Oakland) ;
Mary Virginia Farmer, supervisor of the Southwest Unit of the
WPA Federal Theatre Project, a personal friend from Vassar College
days of Hallie Flanagan, National Director of the Federal Theatre
Project ;
Ben Goodman, a singer on the WPA Federal Music Project ;
Fred Franchi, then employed on a WPA Educational Project ;
Walter McElroy ;
Robert Herrick ;
Walter Herrick; brother of Robert;
Martha Herrick ; sister of Robert and Walter ;
Another Herrick sister, twin — both these girls were on the WPA
Music Project;
Betty Arden, who left early in 1937 for the Northwest ;
Donald Murray, member of the Southwest Unit, Federal Theatre ;
Dorothy Rodin, sister of Emil Freed, organizer of the Hollywood
Section, Communist Party ; an actress on Federal Theatre ;
Leona McGenty, a teacher on the Federal Theatre Project ;
Rowland Chamberlain, an actor on the Federal Theatre Project (he
has since become the manager of the Communist Party's Progressive
Book Store on W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles) ;
James Toback, aforementioned;
Seema Matlin, aforementioned ;
136 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Velda Johnston, aforementioned ;
That among those who were invited to sit in for one or more con-
ferences in order to coordinate special work in other branches of Com-
munist Party endeavor, were :
Samuel Kalish, teacher, then trying to hold together a dying Teach-
er 's Union, in, opposition to the American Federation of Teachers, into
which I understand he later went — and who at present writing is an
examiner in the California Labor Commission in Los Angeles ;
Eli Jacobson, leader of some underground cultural work in Holly-
wood, active in the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, and paramour of
Beryl La Cava, former wife of the motion picture director, Gregory
La Cava;
Sid Burke, of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild and a member of
the staff of the publication for the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, N.
0. W.;
That the plan for establishment of a Communist controlled union to
lead WPA cultural and professional project workers into the Workers
Alliance by a series of deceptive processes was successful; the Com-
munist Party fraction aforementioned established the American Feder-
ation of Government Employees on the WPA cultural and professional
projects in Los Angeles ; Fred Franchi was president ; Walter McElroy
was secretary, I was treasurer, and several non-Communists were drawn
in for other, less important union positions;
COMMUNIST CONTROL OF UNIONS
That before continuing with the progress of this union development
I wish to cite an instance typical of the manner in which the Com-
munist Party retains control of unions ; Florence Artman, a member of
the publicity staff of the Federal Theatre Project, took an active part
in the organization of this union, but she opposed the election of Fred
Franchi as president. Inasmuch as he was the Communist Party choice
it was necessary for every Communist to put forth all effort to elect
him and to elevate him in prestige with the project workers, therefore
Florence Artman 's opposition was given serious consideration by the
Communist Party fraction, aforementioned; it was the fraction deci-
sion, and therefore binding upon every Communist Party member in
that union, to utilize a process of discrediting her in the eyes of all
project coworkers and the community at large; the Communists
announced, by decision of said fraction, that they would "isolate,
expose and expel " Florence Artman, as an "enemy of the working
class ' ' ; with Leona McGenty and Fred Franchi as the mental geniuses
in this program, a plan of malicious gossip was devised; we Commu-
nists were to tell everyone who would listen that Florence Artman was
"mentally and emotionally unstable," that she was a sexual pervert
and that she was "in the pay of the Merchants and Manufacturers'
Association." As planned, our gossip brought her near the point of
nervous collapse ; other Communist forces caused her dismissal from her
position on the project, and with each outbreak of hers against wThat
she felt to be injustice, we derided her for "hysteria"; until at last,
few project workers would listen to her stories against Fred Franchi ;
and as an offshoot of that campaign, a friend and coworker of Florence
Artman at that time, Louise Young, committed suicide ;
COMMUNISM 137
That this fiendish calculation to destroy the reputation, the mind and
the ability of a person to make a living revolted me and preyed upon
my mind, and I remonstrated privately with Leona McGenty for
instigating, sanctioning and even compelling other Communist Party
members to indulge in that inhuman practice ; Mrs. McGenty merely
laughed at me and stated, "We must destroy our enemies by whatever
method we can; we must regard a lie as a tactical maneuver." She
went on to state that, according to official teachings of the Communist
Party, that Communist work was to be conducted as a war, and that
4 'all was fair" in war;
That our union, the American Federation of Government Employees,
was denied a charter by the International headquarters of that organi-
zation, which was an old American Federation of Labor union for
government workers, on the grounds that WPA workers were not
eligible for membership in that union; that this was foreseen was evi-
dent from the mention by Percival Fry when he brought our Commu-
nist Party fraction word to start organizing this union; he had made
it clear the Communist Party had chosen this particular union because
it was a foregone conclusion they would not accept WPA workers,
therefore, the membership would be satisfied to accept "the next best
thing," which would be a step nearer the Workers' Alliance; we put
up a sham battle in order to impress our membership, then recom-
mended as a "next best thing" that we call ourselves the California
Federation of Government Employees; the next step was to apply for
a C. I. 0. charter, which Communist Party contacts through Fred
Franchi and Al Lane (Lewis) informed us was not coming through, on
Communist Party orders to and through C. I. 0. channels; when the
C. I. 0. turned down a charter, we led our membership, still unsuspect-
ing of our trickery, into a State-wide organization of WPA white collar
workers, and the name was changed to conform to the name used in
San Francisco, to The Cultural and Professional Projects Association ;
this name change took place in June, 1937, convention in San Francisco
which I attended ; at the next State-wide convention, held in 1938, this
group became the white collar section of the Workers' Alliance,
officially, but as stated before the membership had dwindled by that
time ;
SAN FRANCISCO CULTURAL AND PROFESSIONAL FRACTION
That the Communist Party fraction of the San Francisco Cultural
and Professional Projects Association, to the best of my recollection,
with whom I met in that city at the time of the aforementioned con-
vention, were:
Percival (Pete) Fry, elected president of the State-wide organiza-
tion ; from Federal Writers Project ;
Dorothy Sawvelle, who had been Secretary of the San Francisco
American Federation of Government Employees, and who had been
dismissed from the Federal Writers Project;
Herbert Nugent, Federal Writers Project ;
Lawrence Estavan, Federal Writers Project;
Helen Cross, Federal Theatre Project;
Ada Clement, from Oakland;
Dr. Henry Scholtz, Historical Records Survey, San Francisco;
138 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Walter Matlin, brother of Seema Matlin, and a worker in a State
Relief Administration project;
That this is less than half the number of Communist Party members
with whom I met at that time, but I do not recall the other names;
That also, on the occasion of that trip to San Francisco, I met in
Communist Party fraction meetings with members on the San Fran-
cisco Historical Records Survey, who were:
Thelma Ziemer, State Director;
Sven Skaar, State Field Supervisor ;
Dr. Henry Scholtz, aforementioned;
Norah Follman, Secretary of the Project in San Francisco ; and two
or three others whose names I have forgotten;
That on that occasion I called on Paul Johnson who had been trans-
ferred from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Federal Writers Project
in a supervisorial capacity; he introduced me to another Federal
Writers Project supervisor, Robert Muir, informing me in the intro-
duction that Muir was "a comrade"; I discussed Communist Party
affairs with Muir at that time, and later he called on me in Los Angeles
(sometime in the Spring of 1938) and informed me that he had been
sent to Los Angeles as an official of the National Labor Relations
Board; I read in the newspapers that Muir handled the balloting of
the United Studio Technicians' Guild (C. I. 0.) against the Inter-
national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (A. F. L.) for col-
lective bargaining rights in the motion picture studios in 1939 ;
That while I was in San Francisco at that time, namely, in June,
1937, I contacted persons with whom I had had correspondence in the
New Theatre League on Green Street in San Francisco, and in dis-
cussing theatre matters with the secretary, Frances Burge, discovered
it was a Communist Party project; I made my membership known,
and was invited to sit in on the Communist Party unit meeting of this
group; there were about 10 members of that unit, all active in the
production, "Bury the Dead/' an antiwar play by Irwin Shaw; and
I learned from the business of the unit that the play was selected
because it expressed the current Communist Party line; when the
curtain rose, I encountered Robert Muir in the audience, and again
spoke with him ; Helen Cross, aforementioned, was a member of this
theatre group and director of the play, "Bury the Dead," although she
was an employee on the Federal Theatre Project at that time ;
That, returning to the affairs of the Historical Records Survey and
Federal Writers Project in Los Angeles in the Spring and Summer
of 1937, James Burford was employed on the Federal Writers Project
early in the spring of 1937 and met with our Communist Party fraction
of the combined Federal Writers Project and Historical Records
Survey, of which I had been elected secretary; said James Burford,
by reason of his employment on the Federal Writers Project, was
eligible for membership in our Unit 131 for Communist Party mem-
bers of that project, but he neglected to attend unit meetings ; however,
he purchased Communist Party dues stamps from me, as dues secretary
of the unit;
That an event which stands out in my mind was the furtive planning
in which our Communist Party fraction of the Federal Writers Project
COMMUNISM 139
and Historical Records Survey engaged in order for said James Bur-
ford to get a leave of absence from the Federal Writers Project in
order to attend the May 1, 1937 National Convention of the Young
Communist League in New York; we arranged alibis so that he could
pretend to be ' ' ill, ' ' and when he returned around the middle of May,
we Communists jokingly urged him to "look as pale as possible";
REMOVING NON-COMMUNISTS
That the Los Angeles director of the Federal "Writers Project, Hugh
Harlan, was not sympathetic in any way with the Communist Party,
and one of the main orders of business of our aforementioned fraction
was to effect his removal from that project ;
That every possible complaint was launched against him with Henry
G. Alsberg, National Director of the Federal Writers Project and
whom, we were informed through Communist Party channels, was
friendly to Communists ;
That eventually said Henry G. Alsberg sent one of his national field
representatives, Claire Laning, to Los Angeles to investigate conditions
on the Federal Writers Project, and that our Communist Party frac-
tion, composed of Walter McElroy, Robert Herrick, Tillie Lerner and
myself, called on said Claire Laning, as ' ' representatives of the union, ' '
and after a certain amount of parrying, found him sympathetic to
Communists ; we then proceeded to fill his ears with grievances against
said Hugh Harlan, most of which were about his "reactionary"
attitude ;
That our efforts were successful was proven when Harlan was
dismissed from the Los Angeles Federal Writers Project by the
National office in the latter part of 1937, and he was replaced by a
regime friendly to the Communist Party (of which there will be
more later) ;
That some time in the early Spring of 1937, Dr. Paul Radin, of
University of California and one of the State sponsors for the His-
torical Records Survey, dropped in at the Los Angeles office; Sven
Skaar was present, and introduced me to Dr. Radin as " a comrade ' ' ;
Dr. Radin launched into a long discussion of the possibilities of the
Historical Records Survey for doing useful work for the Communist
Party, of which he readily admitted himself to be a member;
That Dr. Paul Radin stated he was planning to leave very soon for
China and other points in the Orient ostensibly to do anthropology
research, but that he was going to attend to certain matters (which he
did not elaborate on) for the Communist Party; at that time he made
the statement there should be an Historical Records Survey Project
in Manila, operated, of course, by Communist Party members, in order
to provide certain facilities for coordinating Communist Party work
in the Orient with that in the United States ;
That several months later and without any reference to Dr. Radin 's
remarks, Thelma Ziemer, State Director of the Historical Records
Survey, on one of her trips to Los Angeles, informed me she planned
to establish branches of the California Historical Records Survey in
both Honolulu and Manila, and that she was counting on me for the
Manila project ; this plan did not bear fruit, to which fact I probably
owe my life ;
140 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"LOYALIST" SPAIN
That in the Summer of 1937 the Communist Party was carrying on
an extensive campaign to assist the Loyalist government of Spain in
its war against Francisco Franco ; all Communist Party members were
required not only to read a vast amount of literature giving the Com-
munist Party version of this war, but to take part in the campaign of
raising money, recruiting volunteers to go to Spain to fight, and to
proselyte the public about the cause of Loyalist Spain ; in my capacity
as Dues Secretary of Unit 131, I was instructed to make certain collec-
tions from the unit members for this cause, which moneys I turned
over to Ann Howe, Professional Section Dues Secretary;
That there was general recognition within the Communist Party
that the North American Committee to Aid Spanish Democracy and
the Medical and Technical Aid to Spain were Communist Party organ-
izations; in fact, I received a letter from Beulah Kashins (Kay), a
secretary in the National headquarters in New York for the Medical
and Technical Aid to Spain in which she mentioned her Communist
Party membership and the fact that the organization was under Com-
munist Party direction; I had known Beulah Kashins (Kay) at Uni-
versal Studios, prior to the time either one of us had joined the
Communist Party;
That in keeping with that program to aid the Loyalists in Spain, I
interceded on behalf of Alpheus Pro well, a Negro Communist Party
member who belonged to Unit 130, Federal Theatre Project Unit of
the Professional Section with Communist Party officials in the Los
Angeles County headquarters requesting that they speed up the
transfer of said Alpheus Prowell from the Communist Party of United
States of America to the Communist Party of Spain so that he might
join the International Brigade in Spain; said Alpheus Prowell left
some time in the Summer of 1937, and has since returned to California;
it is my understanding he fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade,
the American section of the International Brigades of Spain;
NEGRO COMMISSION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
That I was "co-opted" (a Communist Party term meaning drafted)
for duty in the Negro Commission of the Communist Party in Los
Angeles some time in the Summer of 1937, and attended one meeting
of said Negro Commission, held in the home of Al Bryan (Ryan), a
county functionary of the Communist Party and teacher in the Workers
School ;
That those present at that meeting besides Al Ryan and his wife,
Maureen Ryan, were :
Leona McGenty, previously mentioned;
Olga Kreuger, an actress on the Federal Theatre Project and member
of Unit 130, Professional Section;
Jay Moss, Negro, who spoke in behalf of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi
League, and two or three others whose names I have forgotten ;
That the purpose of this Negro Commission was to coordinate agita-
tion among the Negroes and for the Negroes within various mass
organizations controlled by or influenced by the Communist Party ; as
an illustration: Jay Moss would take decisions of this Commission to
COMMUNISM 141
the Communist Party fraction of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League,
resolutions and proposals would be drafted by that fraction and
introduced at regular meetings of that organization; then, when
passed — as all Communist-controlled organizations always pass the
fraction resolution — these resolutions would be given publicity in
the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League publication, N. 0. W., and in
turn picked up as "vital news" by other Communist-controlled
publications to attempt to delude the public into believing that this
resolution was a spontaneous matter with the Hollywood Anti-Nazi
League, and so on, all the way through the organizations which the
Communists influenced, until after a few weeks the proposals drafted
by our Negro Commission, which of course must hew to the current
Communist Party line on Negro work, would fan out to look like they
were the wishes of many thousands of people; such is the power of
Communist Party coordination;
COMMUNIST PARTY TRADE UNION SCHOOL
That I attended a Communist Party Trade Union week-end school
in the Summer of 1937, which combined the work of unions within the
Professional Section to which I belonged, and the Harbor Section;
unions of the Professional Section represented were: Los Angeles
Newspaper Guild, with Jay Moss and Sid Burke as representatives:
the Social Workers' Guild, which at that time was transforming itself
into the State, County and Municipal Workers of America, C. I. 0.,
represented by two young women whose names I have forgotten; the
Teachers' Union, referred to previously as in a dying condition, repre-
sented by Marge Comey; the California Federation of Government
Employees, represented by Fred Franchi and myself ; from the Harbor
Section the International Longshoremen's Association was represented
by a man whose name I do not remember, and the American Communi-
cations Association was represented by another man whose name I
do not recall; the Harbor Section of the Communist Party was repre-
sented by Jack Moore, Organizer ; the Trade Union Commission of the
Los Angeles County Communist Party, the official body set up to
coordinate all trade union fraction work, was represented by John
Sargent, business agent for the A. F. L. Culinary Workers and Bar-
tenders' Union; and Communist Party officials who conducted these
coordinated classes were Al Bryan (Ryan), County Educational Direc-
tor for the Communist Party and Al Lane (Lewis), organizer for the
Professional Section;
The purpose of the aforementioned week-end school was to instruct
the white collar unions, through the Communist leaders thereof, in the
ways and means of conducting labor struggles along true Communist
lines, as exemplified by the strikes conducted on the Pacific Coast by
the Maritime Federation of the Pacific; the strikes of 1934 and of
1936 conducted by that organization and its component unions were
regarded officially by the Communist Party leadership as perfect
samples of "class struggle" activities, and there were no punches
pulled as to the revolutionary goal of strikes of that sort; they were
designed to lead to revolution, and revolution along Marxist-Leninist-
Stalinist lines, with the Communist Party in the "vanguard"; our
142 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
white collar unions were important to the unions in production and
transportation bottlenecks in that said white collar unions could allay
the fears of the populace by propaganda, assist in organizing sympathy
strikes, and paralyze resistance against Communist-led general strikes ;
That in these classes at said week-end Trade Union School no men-
tion was made of the rosy promises of "collaboration" with non-
Communist labor and liberal organizations, as given by Georgi Dimi-
troff in his speech to the Seventh World Congress ; and it was therefore
not difficult for me to ascertain that these promises which I had mis-
taken for sincere desire were naught but camouflage to conceal the
Communist International intentions to create world revolution;
MEANING OF "POPULAR FRONT"
That it troubled me sorely that I had so completely deceived myself
about the Communist Party; I was chagrined and baffled, and cau-
tiously discussed the Popular Front policies with various Communist
leaders such as John Sargent, Fred Franchi, Walter McElroy, Al Lane
(Lewis), Leona McGenty and others, and gained from them the infor-
mation that the Popular Front tactic was "a means to an end," and
along the lines of revolutionary strategy laid down by Lenin, and the
ethics of such deception were summed up in Lenin's words that "the
end justifies the means";
That I then understood that the abandonment by the Communist
International in the Seventh World Congress of 1935 of the old policy
of ' * world revolution ' ' by violence, ' ' rum, riot and rebellion, ' ' as voiced
by Communist orators in United States, was merely suppressed in
propaganda and oratory in order to deceive, and that it existed in a
much more deadly form in the secret teachings of the Communist Party ;
That this shame and disillusionment caused me to lose interest in
Communist endeavors, and I began looking for a way to get untangled
from the Communist network; and that from that point on, my Com-
munist Party work was half-hearted, as I vacillated between a desire
to ' ' make the best of a bad bargain ' ' and to find a means of escape ;
That at this point I wish to describe the method by which an inno-
cent person is trapped within the Communist Party ; in the first place
when he joins, he is instructed to "burn his bridges behind him"; he
must cease relationship with former friends and even family unless
they are sympathetic or susceptible to Communist teachings ; he is given
a course of training which is designed to cause him to discard all his
beliefs in morals and ethics; he is taught to regard persons only from
the standpoint of their usefulness to the Communist Party; that there
is no wrong except a wrong to the Communist Party, be it deception,
robbery or even murder ; that the democratic form of government, as it
exists in United States, was but an expression of capitalist exploitation
and therefore must be abolished with capitalism ; that religion was but
an opiate of the people ; that there was no truth except that voiced by
Joseph Stalin and the Communist International ;
That I had disregarded these teachings in the New Members Class
because I regarded them as silly hangovers from the "Third Period,"
or that period of Communist history which preceded the Popular
Front, and felt they would be abandoned when the Popular Front
theories seeped through the world Communist apparatus ; but I found
COMMUNISM 143
they were basic and that they must be revered as orthodox teachings,
and to doubt them would be to reveal heresy;
That it was the prevailing fanaticism, the religious fervor and
unreasoning devotion of my comrades that alarmed me as much as the
diabolical network of espionage which is woven around a Communist
Party member ; I knew that to break from the Communist Party would
bring down upon one's head the most fiendish sort of punishment that
could be devised by these fanatics — and in which they dared to indulge ;
That a Communist Party member is pledged to carry out all orders
of the party in a military manner; that he is given occupation for all
his leisure hours, meetings almost daily, and thousands of other tasks,
that he is in constant, even hourly touch with his squad leader, and
therefore has no opportunity to slip away and think things out; that
wherever possible, persons who are losing faith in the Communist Party
are forced to live with faithful members, or a member of their family
or close circle is assigned to spy on the suspect's every movement, to
report all persons he contacts, and especially to note all his reading
matter and the manner in which he spent any scraps of leisure time ;
That there is also the matter of involvement in illegal activities ; the
Communist Party member is constantly reminded, by word and deed,
that he is engaged in illegal work and that if he doesn't want to go
through with his bargain he can be turned over to authorities.
Undoubtedly many members are assigned to illegal tasks, but those
who are engaged in routine work which is entirely legal from any
standpoint, are made to believe they are engaged in ' i dangerous under-
ground work," and therefore kept in fear of betraying Communist
Party secrets ; and also Communist Party members are constantly ham-
mered with the idea that all agents and agencies of government, from
police officers to the Supreme Court, are "enemies," and are to be
treated as such; the Communist Party member is impressed with the
idea that agencies of government are to be held in contempt; that he
need have no respect for an oath or a law ; that no law is sacred but that
of the Communist International ;
That, therefore, few Communist Party members have the ingenuity
or the courage to break out of the trap ;
COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERSHIP COMMISSION
That at the point where I was becoming aware of these things, my
comrades devised schemes to involve me in new work ; in the first place
I was invited by the Professional Section Membership Director, Jane
Howe (no relation to Ann Howe) to attend the Membership Commis-
sion meetings, which were held in the quarters of Ethel Holmstock in
the Pacific Art Institute Building, now torn down, on the corner of
Vermont and Wilshire ; this commission was composed of, besides Jane
Howe and Ethel Holmstock, the following:
Dr. Samuel Marcus, Communist Party "psychiatrist," who is at
present a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Alienists and a
superior court psychiatrist ;
Dr. Leo Bigelman, aforementioned;
Joseph Aidlin and his wife,
Mary Aidlin ;
Donald Murray, from Unit 130, and
144 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Norman Byrne from a teachers' unit; this is the same Norman
Byrne who became so active in the American Peace Mobilization in
Los Angeles ; he is an instructor at Los Angeles City College ;
Others whose names I do not recall ;
That in the meetings of said Membership Commission, we discussed
the psychology to use on new members in the Communist Party, whom
and how to recruit members from the so-called " bourgeoisie, " or gen-
eral society which had not been indoctrinated by Marxism, Socialism or
Communism; in fact, the Membership Commission composed an essay
which was incorporated into a pamphlet and sold throughout the Com-
munist Party in California entitled "Whom and How to Recruit,"
most of which dealt with the methods of deceiving ordinary Americans
into thinking "Communism is Twentieth Century Americanism/' and
how to hold them in the party once they began to lose their illusions —
though of course such frank terms were not used in the discussion ;
That after several discussions with Dr. Samuel Marcus about the
psychology of Stalinism-Leninism-Marxism I came to a much fuller
understanding of the profound depths of intrigue, conspiracy and
treachery to which the Communist International descended in its
struggle for world power, and I owe a great deal to Dr. Marcus for
giving me a basic understanding of this apparatus, which understand-
ing I am using, and intend to continue to use, to expose this sinister
and inhuman political machine; that needless to say, however, Dr.
Marcus gave me this instruction apparently in the hope I would wax
enthusiastic over this thorough and scientifically exact method of
conquest ;
WORKERS' ALLIANCE FRACTION
That at this period of which I speak, around July, 1937, our Unit
131 lost its organizer, Walter McElroy when he was transferred to
San Francisco by the WPA and Unit 131 then merged with Unit 130,
thus bringing together in one unit the entire fraction of the California
Federation of Government Employees; and that said fraction had
established contact with the fraction of the Workers Alliance in order
to better coordinate Communist Party work within the unions on WPA,
and that at various times I met in fraction meetings with such
Workers Alliance leaders as:
Alexander Noral, State President of the Workers Alliance;
Pat Calahan, Los Angeles Organizer of that organization who soon
left it to take up work in the C. I. 0. United Cannery Agricultural,
Packing & Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA) ;
John Clifton, who had emerged from jail for some Communist Party
work and therefore had to be "taken care of" by the Communist
Party (which discussion I sat in on) ;
Al Heltness, who turned over the reins of organizational work to
Oscar Fuss, whom I heard referred to as a member of the Communist
Party, but with whom I did not meet ;
That the aforementioned Unit 130 was composed of the following
persons, some of whom were transferred and some of whom came in
at a later date :
Leona McGenty, Organizer;
Donald Murray, Membership Director;
COMMUNISM 145
Carl Brant, Educational Director;
Dorothy Rodin, sister of Emil Freed, Organizer of the Hollywood
Section; Dues Secretary;
Theodore Pezman, Press Director (People's Daily World.) ;
Rowland Chamberlain, Literature Director;
That this was the Euro of said unit at the time of merger, but the
composition of which changed shortly thereafter ;
Sharley Simpson, an actress on the Federal Theatre Project ;
Hugh Mason, who was soon transferred to the Hollywood Section
to work with Jeff Kibre in the International Alliance of Theatrical
Stage Employees, Local 37;
Alfred Grant, Negro; now a screen actor;
Beatrice Newport, actress on the Federal Theatre Project;
Darby Jones, Negro dancer, then on Federal Theatre Project, now
in motion pictures;
Evelyn Jones, wife of Darby Jones, who claimed to be a maid in
the home of Marion Davies;
Barney Brown, actor on the Federal Theatre Project ;
Earl Faullin, actor on the Federal Theatre Project ;
Pearl Greenbaum, actress on the Federal Theatre Project, who used
the name Katherine Allen ;
Lor en Gage (Lor en Finch Gage, also Lor en Gage Eigenmann),
actor, who, I have been told recently, is now a commissioned officer in
the United States Army;
Bee Burke, aforementioned;
Fred Franchi, aforementioned ;
Roth Reynolds, Federal Art Project;
Seema Matlin, aforementioned;
James Toback, aforementioned;
Velda Johnston, aforementioned; •» 'i
Mary Virginia Farmer, aforementioned;
William Gordon, Negro, singer, Federal Theatre Project;
Kenneth Patterson, actor, who was later featured in the Hollywood
Theatre Alliance production, "Meet the People"-,
Walter Worden, actor, who, in 1941, was employed at Douglas Air-
craft in Santa Monica ;
Betty Falawn, common-law wife of Earl Faullin;
Olga Kreuger, aforementioned;
Walter Herrick, aforementioned;
Charles Maddox, Federal Art Project ;
Luba Fox, dancer;
Bella Lewwitski, dancer;
Nathan Kirkpatrick, dancer, who, I have been told, is an officer in
the United States Air Corps in Hawaii;
Ben Goodman, aforementioned; frequently his wife, Betty Elwell,
who did office work in Communist Party headquarters, sat in Unit
meetings ;
That not long after this merger the dancers formed a separate unit
with other Communist Party dancers in Los Angeles County, some of
whom were said to compose the Horton Dance Group, among whom
were Letitia Tnnes, wife of Sid Burke, whom I met as a Communist
10— L.-2275
146 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
comrade; also Jacobina Caro, wife of Sid Martin (Davidson), belonged
to the Communist Party fraction on the Federal Theatre Project but
joined the Dancers' Unit instead of 130;
That with respect to said Jacobina Caro, the Communist Party frac-
tion on the WPA cultural projects, aforementioned, conspired to get
said Jacobina Caro on WPA by faking qualifications; she was
instructed to use the address of Ann Howe, aforementioned, 3224 Bev-
erly Blvd., to pretend to be destitute and thus to pass through State
Relief Administration for WPA;
COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERSHIP DRIVES
That at that time, Summer of 1937, Paul Cline had taken office as
Secretary of the Communist Party in Los Angeles County, and in
keeping with the Popular Front tactics, endeavored to widen the scope
of Communist Party activity in Los Angeles County ; recruiting drives
were organized, new members were taken into the party who would not
have been considered qualified a few months previous ; general member-
ship meetings were held, and activity was extended in every manner;
That I had several meetings with the wife of Paul Cline, whose name
I believe was Clara Stevens (now, 1942, said to be the common-law
wife of Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian) ; and that said Clara Stevens outlined
to me and others present, among whom I recall Leona McGenty, plans
for a women's commission within the Communist Party to coordinate
work of such organizations as the League of Women Shoppers, the
fractions of the women's auxiliaries in various trade unions, the
Women's Committee of the American League for Peace and Democ-
racy and in general to attempt to reach the housewives of Los Angeles
with Communist influence;
That Al Lane (Lewis) was sent East by the Communist Party and
his place as organizer of the Professional Section was taken by Robert
Cole (Cohn), a former social worker, and whom I have been reliably
informed had been a functionary in the Communist Party in Alameda
County ;
COLLECTIVE PLAYWRITING
That Mary Virginia Farmer reported to said Unit 130 that the
National fraction of the Federal Theatre Project, of which she was a
member, had decided that in order to advance Communist Party cul-
tural endeavors, the Federal Theatre Project in each locality over the
Nation would set up a unit to deal with history, as interpreted by the
Communist Party, of that particular locality ; Miss Farmer informed us
that the National Director of the Federal Theatres, Hallie Flanagan,
was a Communist Party member and was in agreement with that Com-
munist Party decision; be that as it may, the Communist Party frac-
tion of the Federal Theatre Project in Los Angeles organized the South-
west Unit of the Federal Theatres composed entirely of Communist
Party members and sympathizers, with the exception of the secretary
thereof, who, I have since learned, was keeping a very careful record
of Communist activities in the Southwest Unit at that time ; correspon-
dence with National officials of the Federal Theatre Project, which I
saw, indicated that Hallie Flanagan was in complete agreement with
the idea of the Southwest Unit of the Federal Theatre; later, in the
COMMUNISM 147
late Fall of 1937, Miss Flanagan together with Mrs. Ellen Woodward,
National Director of Women's and Professional Work in the WPA,
called on the Southwest Unit and voiced perfect satisfaction with its
work, despite the fact said unit was not only writing Communist propa-
ganda into the play it was preparing, but also rehearsing and conduct-
ing schools of the theatre along the accepted Communist Party lines,
that is, the Stanislavsky method, which originated in Moscow ;
That in August, 1937, said Mary Virginia Farmer requested me to
join the Southwest Unit in order to assist in the writing of a play
about migratory workers which was to give dramatic expression to the
current Communist Party line on the floods of ' ' Okies ' ' who were over-
running California;
That, in accordance to Communist Party decision, upon which I
acted, I requested transfer from the Historical Records Survey to the
Federal Theatre Project of the WPA, and overcame protests of Thelma
Ziemer, aforementioned, who had plans of sending me to Manila for the
Communist Party;
That from August 25, 1937, to July, 1938, I was involved in writing
Communist Party propaganda into play form, and the result, "Sun
Rises in the West/' which was produced by the Federal Theatres at
the Mayan Theatre and later at the Greek Theatre, was by no means
worth the effort ;
That the birth and upbringing of the Southwest Unit of the Federal
Theatres was a tremendous Communist Party ceremony in that it was
the first of its kind in United States, namely a government theatre in
the hands of the Communist Party ; Robert Cole, Paul Cline and other
Communist Party functionaries envisioned a vast network of such
theatres, like there was in Russia: Mary Virginia Farmer, Donald
Murray, Theodore Pezman, Carl Brant, Kenneth Patterson, Rowland
Chamberlain, Loren Gage, (Eisenmami) ; Leona McGenty and others
envisioned themselves becoming famous theatre personalities decorated
with the American Communist Party equivalent of the Order of Lenin ;
That in fact everyone was so dazzled by the possibilities of this great
future Communist Party state theatre, that they couldn't get down to
the humdrum task of writing and producing a play; the greatest part
of the time was taken up in ' ' discussing theory, ' ' which was a neat way
of saying "collective pipe dreaming"; after the first bubbling enthu-
siasm subsided, the Communist Party fraction of the said Southwest
Unit of the Federal Theatre, and which was the ruling force in that
government project, were :
Mary Virginia Farmer, Director ;
Donald Murray, Assistant Director, and writer ;
Theodore Pezman, writer and Publicity Director ;
Myself, writer;
Barney Brown, actor;
Earl Faullin, actor;
Rowland Chamberlain, actor;
Betty Falawn, actress;
Walter Worden, actor ;
Carl Brant, actor ;
Dorothy Rodin, actress ;
148 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Lillian Sidery, actress, a fellow traveler who didn't join the Com-
munist Party until around 1938 ;
Beatrice Newport, actress, who came into the Communist Party in the
latter part of 1937 ;
Sharley Simpson, who found herself counted out of parts in the
play, "Sun Rises in the West";
Kenneth Patterson, and
Loren Gage (Eisenmann) met with the fraction, but were unable to
retain their WPA status because WPA authorities discovered they were
not in financial need;
That in the throes of playwriting, John Howard Lawson, and a
Professor Lewis met with our fraction to assist in the problems of con-
verting Communist propaganda into play form; that these so-called
experts in the dramatic field offered no concrete suggestions in so far
as I could see; they merely ranted about our responsibilities as Com-
munist Party members ;
That the fraction secretary of the Southwest Unit, Theodore Pezman,
was instructed by Robert Cole (Cohn) to communicate with the frac-
tion secretary of the Simon J. Lubin Society in San Francisco to
obtain research material which that organization had turned over to
John Steinbeck for his book (then unnamed) "Grapes of Wrath," and
which material Steinbeck had returned ; it was tacitly understood that
the Simon J. Lubin Society was completely under the domination of
the Communist Party; when this aforementioned material arrived, I
examined it carefully and found notes in handwriting signed by John
Steinbeck which appeared to be field notes on migratory workers ;
That the writing team consisted of Theodore Pezman, Donald A.
Murray and myself, although Mary Virginia Farmer quibbled over
every line; then the entire Communist Party fraction had to arrive
at a decision by discussion and vote; then the said fraction had to
present its decision before a meeting of the Southwest Unit in order
to convince the few non-Communists therein; and the entire process
was complicated by the fact the actors had to choose their own parts
and "improvise" them, according to the best Stanislavsky methods;
and that somewhere in the process I became so disgusted I failed to
record the silly antics of my comrades;
That a screen actor, J. Edward Bromberg, who was called "Joe,"
appeared at rehearsal hall several times to "assist," and who met as
a Communist Party member with our aforesaid fraction; from con-
versation I learned that said J. Edward Bromberg had been associated
with Mary Virginia Farmer in the New York theatre, and he frankly
stated he regarded the Stanislavsky method, for writing a play, as
stupid ;
That from time to time Mary Virginia Farmer had me telephone
Viola Brothers Shore to arrange Communist Party fraction meetings,
and that I discussed with both Miss Shore and Miss Farmer other
members of that fraction as Tatiana Tuttle and her husband, Frank
Tuttle, the motion picture director; that Mary Virginia Farmer
reported to our Southwest Unit fraction that she belonged to the Holly-
wood Cultural Commission, of which the aforesaid persons were mem-
bers, and that she was "coordinating" the work of the Federal
Theatres with that of the motion picture colony ;
COMMUNISM 149
That Margarete Clark, then a member of the Los Angeles Board
of Education, since appointed head of the Women's Division of the
Industrial Welfare Commission of California by Governor Olson, called
several times to see Mary Virginia Farmer and expressed an interest
in the work of the said Southwest Unit and otherwise indicated her
sympathy for Communist Party work; Miss Farmer referred to her
as a Communist fellow traveler;
That during the time I was involved in writing the play, ''Sun Rises
in the West/' my other Communist Party work was somewhat reduced,
in that the Communist Party officially recognized the composition of
that play as Communist Party work; however, I remained active in
the California Federation of Government Employees which had been
transformed into the Cultural and Professional Projects Association
(some times called Clerical and Professional Projects Association) ;
That also those of us who were recognized by the Communist Party
as writers were requested to join the Western Writers Congress of
which Harry Carlisle was the head in San Francisco, and which organ-
ization soon evolved into the League of American Writers;
That the League of American Writers sent out form letters sometime
in 1937 requesting " members " (I had never joined the organization,
but had filed an application with the Western Writers Congress) to
give a summary of why they believed in the cause of Loyalist Spain ;
I failed to reply, in the press of my playwriting duties; later, I was
presented with a booklet, "Writers "Take Sides" through Unit 130 of
the Communist Party, which met at the Twentieth Century Book Store
(founded by Edna Silverton) on Melrose near Western Avenue, which
booklet was included in unit literature;
That much to my surprise, I discovered my name listed among a
hundred or more writers as having written a favorable letter to the
League of American Writers on the matter of Loyalist Spain; I was
informed by Jane Wallace (Wilson), then organizer of the Profes-
sional Section, that all Communist Party writers' names had been
submitted to the League of American Writers by the Communist
Party, and that my name would have been included as replying ' ' favor-
ably ' ' even though I had written any other sort of letter ; I noted that
among the other names in that list were those of
Carey Me Williams; Harold J. Salemson; Samuel Ornitz; Paula
Walling — all of whom I had met within the Communist Party as Com-
munist Party members ;
That, while on the subject of Loyalist Spain, I am reminded of an
incident that took place sometime in December, 1937 ; I was browsing
around in the Twentieth Century Book Store aforementioned, waiting
for the meeting of Unit 130 to be called to order, when I encountered
William Coif ax ("Bill") Miller, whom I had known for several years
and who had been connected with the Film and Photo League in
Hollywood and who had revealed his membership in the Communist
Party to me; said Miller and I discussed Communist Party affairs a
few moments, then he told me he was leaving soon for Spain, but
cautioned me not to repeat that information even to other Communist
Party comrades, saying he was going on a very "special" mission for
the Communist Party; I later heard through Hank Bazazowsky, who
returned from Spain disillusioned, that this same W. Colfax Miller
150 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
was attached to the G. P. U., or Communist International special police,
in Spain ; in 1940 I read in the New York New Leader that W. Colfax
Miller was sought by Mexican authorities for complicity in machine-
gunning the home of Leon Trotsky, prior to Trotsky's murder;
That here I might add that within the outer realms of the Communist
Party such as I belonged to, there was no discussion on the use of
assassination as a Communist Party tactic, but I noted that persons
assassinated by what appeared to be the G. P. U., such as Sedov Bron-
sten, son of Leon Trotsky, who met his death mysteriously in a Paris
hospital, were piteously excoriated by the Communist Party press, and
thus their death made to appear a " blessing "; likewise, such con-
victed killers as Earl King, Ernest G. Ramsay and Frank Conner, who
had been convicted of complicity in the murder of George Alberts,
were referred to, both in the Communist Party press and in meetings,
as " labor martyrs";
DISILLUSIONMENT
That by around March 1, 1938, I was so disillusioned, disgusted and
weary of Communist Party bickering, especially over the play, "Sun
Rises in the West/' that I was near physical collapse; that I arranged
with the Buro of Unit 130, namely Leona McGenty, Howland Chamber-
lain, Theodore Pezman and Donald A. Murray that I would continue
my work as a Communist Party duty on the play, "Sun Rises in
the West/' but that I must be relieved of full time work on said play;
That I arranged, through Communist Party contacts, to transfer
from the Federal Theatre Project to the Federal Writers Project, which
was at that time headed by Leon Dorais, who had replaced Hugh
Harlan; Robert Brownell, a Communist Party fellow traveler whom
I had known since 1935 and who had formerly contributed to the
publication "Pacific Weekly" published in Carmel by Ella Winter and
W. K. Bassett, was Dorais' assistant; said Brownell informed me that
he would be glad to have a Communist Party member to assist him in
getting out the History Essay for the Los Angeles ' ' Guide, ' ' which was
the purpose of the Los Angeles Federal Writers' Project; I trans-
ferred to the Federal Writers' Project and took up my duties as
editorial assistant to said Robert Brownell, and devoted my after-work
time to the play, "Sun Rises in the West"-,
That this transfer involved me in a new line of Communist Party
work; at a meeting held at the home of Mary Virginia Farmer, 1350
Montana Street, and attended by Leona McGenty, Jacobina Caro,
Howland Chamberlain and myself, plans were laid to form another
Cultural Commission to better coordinate the work of the aforemen-
tioned Hollywood Cultural Commission and other Communist Party
cultural work in Los Angeles County; at this meeting Leona McGenty
requested me, in the name of the Professional Section Executive Com-
mittee to which she belonged, to prepare a full report of personnel on
the Federal Writers' Project, that is, those who were friendly to the
Communist Party, those who might be won over and any who were
outspokingly unfriendly; also she requested me to make a report of
union activities on that project, since there were no members there
who belonged to either the Workers' Alliance or the Clerical (or Cul-
tural) and Professional Projects Association, and to make a recom-
COMMUNISM 151
mendation as to what course the Communist Party should follow to
unionize the Federal Writers' Project — of course said union to be
controlled by the Communist Party;
That by that time the "defection" virus had taken hold of me and
I was looking forward to the day when I could escape from the Com-
munist Party toils, and in that state of mind, which might be termed
"semi-Communist/' I made a very un-Communist type of report and
recommendation ; I reported that the Workers ' Alliance was in complete
disfavor with workers on the Federal Writers Project because of its
Communist taint, and that no one on that project was in the least
interested in the Cultural and Professional Projects Association, which
was indeed the truth; that the majority of workers on that project
because of their writing backgrounds wanted to consider themselves
a part of the writing world and that they favored the American News-
paper Guild (Los Angeles Newspaper Guild), but that the unit of
that organization was small on the project because members were
restricted to professional newspaper workers; I recommended that the
Communist Party control over the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, which
I knew to be a fact, permit the workers on the Federal Writers Project
to join that organization, despite constitutional restrictions, and in
that way the Communist Party could control the workers on the Federal
Writers Project;
That much to my surprise, my recommendation was accepted by the
Professional Section Committee; Charles H. Garrigues, known as
"Brick" Garrigues, whom I had known for a number of years, and
who was at that time executive secretary of the Los Angeles Newspaper
Guild, arranged to meet me ; he informed me that he was a member of
the Communist Party Professional Section Committee, and that he had
persuaded the said section committee executive board to accept my
recommendation; that I was authorized by said section committee to
inform the Chairman of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild Unit on the
Federal Writers Project, a fellow traveler, Hubert Kotterman, that
constitutional restrictions were to be waived and that all project
workers were to be accepted into the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild;
That I duly informed said Kotterman of this decision by the Com-
munist Party with respect to the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, and
informed him whence it came, and he agreed to take all comers into
the project unit of the Guild;
That Guild organization boomed for a time on the Federal Writers
Project, and the unit grew from about six members to over 30 within
two or three weeks ;
That the only other Communist Party member on the Federal
Writers Project at that time beside myself was Veld a Johnston, afore-
mentioned; that soon Dolph Winebrenner joined the project for a
short time before he became the editor of "Light." Young Democrat
publication financed by J. Frank Burke; that Philander Street
requested to join the Communist Party and I signed him up ; thus we
had a Communist Party fraction on the Federal Writers Project (the
requirement is that three Communist Party members must be present
on a job or in an organization to form a "fraction") ; that because of
Velda Johnston's indolent nature and Philander Street's lack of
development within the Communist Party, I was in charge of said
152 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
fraction, and I was rapidly growing anti-Communist; therefore, our
fraction decisions emerged as strange hybrids;
That likewise my advice to Robert Brownell, who had stated to me
he wished to follow Communist Party suggestions and who relied on
me to make those suggestions, was of a nature not in keeping with
Communist Party program; I advised him to hire persons whom I
knew to be enemies of the Communist Party, namely one Theodor
Robinson, who had been excluded from the Federal Theatre Project by
the Communist fraction thereof because of so-called ' ' Trotskyist ' '
leanings; (I later learned this was merely a Communist Party slander
on him; he was not a Trotskyist) ; nevertheless, Kenneth Patchen and
Harvey Breit were members of the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party,
and I assisted them not only to get onto the project but also into the
Newspaper Guild Unit on the project (which act, if discovered, would
have been grounds for expulsion from the Communist Party) ;
That my "sins" of sabotaging the Communist Party from within
soon caught up with me (but my expulsion did not follow until some
time later) ; I assisted Ward Moore and Joseph Rabinowitch to obtain
employment on the Federal Writers Project; Ward Moore was an
outspoken Trotskyist, sold pamphlets and books by Leon Trotsky on
the project and sneered partisanship criticism at the "Stalinists,"
as he called those of us who were members of the Stalinist faction
of the Communist Party; said Joseph Rabinowitch was the son-in-law
of Rabbi Mayer Winkler who had consistently fought the Communist
Party in Hollywood, and who had been assisted frequently by said
Joseph Rabinowitch ; it happened that Harold J. Salemson, member of
the Communist Party fraction of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild
(with whom I later met in fraction meetings), discovered that said
Joseph Rabinowitch was not only on the Federal Writers Project but
was making application to join the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild;
he sounded the warning within the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild
fraction, and the resultant Communist Party decisions in relation to
the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild can best be described as a "free-
for-all";
LOS ANGELES NEWSPAPER GUILD
That applications of 26 Federal Writers Project workers for
membership in the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, two of which turned
out to be those of Communist Party members, namely, John Sherman
and Allan Woodward, were summarily turned down by the Los Angeles
Executive Board without so much as an excuse; that these applicants
were even more eligible under the Guild Constitution than the 25 or 30
project workers who were previously accepted under my recommenda-
tion ; this threw the Federal Writers Project into an uproar ;
That two Communist Party "faithfuls" were assigned to work on
the Federal Writers Project, namely Rose Boyd (Busch) (Visschner),
former secretary to Earl Browder and one of the charter members of
the Communist Party of United States, who had been business man-
ager for the C. I. 0. Industrial Unionist, publication of the Los Angeles
C. I. 0. Council, and Hyman Elliot Wax, member of the C. I. 0. Inter-
national Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union in Los Angeles
(1942, he is now a paid organizer in that union) ; these two aforesaid
COMMUNISM 153
members of the Communist Party began a strict supervision of my
activities and gave me orders from higher Communist Party bodies;
I was whipped back into line, temporarily ;
That also aforementioned John Sherman, who I discovered was a
Communist Party member when Donald A. Murray of the Federal
Theatre Project communicated with me and asked me to assist him
in facilitating Sherman 's transfer to the Los Angeles Communist Party
from the New York branch of the party; Allan Woodward, Negro,
and Jay Moss, Negro, who had been employed on the Federal Writers
Project, as well as said Velda Johnston and Dolph Winebrenner all
assisted in keeping me from committing further un- Communist acts;
later, John Henry Keese joined the project and became friendly with
the Communist fraction thereon, but did not reveal himself to be a
Communist Party member until several months later when he identi-
fied himself to me as a member of the disciplinary group of the Com-
munist Party associated with Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian; thus I was sur-
rounded and spied upon ;
That after my transfer to the Federal Writers Project from the
Federal Theatre Project, I was also transferred from Unit 130 to
Unit 140 of the Professional Section; said Unit 140 being made up
of Communist Party members of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, as
follows :
Herbert Klein, Organizer, (he called himself a screen writer, claimed
to have worked at Paramount Studios, and in 1941 was listed as Los
Angeles correspondent for PM of New York) ;
Morrie Smolan, Membership Director; (he was, the last I knew of
him, 1941, Circulation Manager for the People's Daily World in San
Francisco) ;
Charles Judson, Assistant Membership Director; he was then and
still is (1942) an editor on the Los Angeles Daily News; he lived at
717 Maltman Avenue, Los Angeles, and several unit meetings were
held in his home while I was in the unit ;
Marvin Carter, Dues Secretary; he was then on the Los Angeles
Daily News, then went to the "Ham and Eggs" publication in Holly-
wood, then back to the Daily News;
George Shaeffer, Press Director; he is now, as then, with the People's
Daily World in Los Angeles ;
Tom Cullen, Literature Age*nt; at that time he was working on the
C. I. 0. Industrial Unionist; later he became Secretary of the Amer-
ican Peace Mobilization in Los Angeles, and is now (1942) employed
on the People's Daily World;
Charles H. ("Brick") Garrigues, Political Campaign Director; this
is the same Charles H. Garrigues who was at that time Executive Sec-
retary of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild ; he was formerly in charge
of publicity in San Francisco for the King-Eamsay-Conner Defense
Committee ;
Urcel Daniel, Fraction Secretary, for the fraction of the Los Angeles
Newspaper Guild, which was composed of the membership of Unit 140
with a few exceptions;
The foregoing comprised the Euro of Unit 140, and the following,
besides myself, were members :
Marion Shire, former employee of the Los Angeles Examiner;
154 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Rose Boyd (Buseh-Visschner), aforementioned;
Lou Seligson, People's Daily World employee;
Ed Bobbin, Los Angeles Editor of the People's Daily World;
Lou Amster, member of the so-called " Free-Lance Unit" of the
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild ;
Sid Burke, former editorial staff member of the. Hollywood Anti-
Nazi League publication, N. 0. W ;
Minna Klein, wife of Herb Klein who was Professional Section
Membership Director ;
Dolph Winebrenner, aforementioned editor of "Light," Young
Democratic Club publication which followed the Communist Party
line as religiously as does the People's World; he was, for a time, editor
of The Voice of the Federation, publication of the Maritime Federation
of the Pacific, which publication merged with the Pilot, of the National
Maritime Union (C. I. 0.) ;
Shugi Fujii, Japanese, Editor of Doho, Japanese language so-called
"labor" publication; last heard of at Santa Anita Japanese internment
center ;
Two other Japanese whose names I do not know;
Karl Schlichter, former employee on the Hollywood Citizen-News;
William E. Oliver, Dramatic Editor of the Los Angeles Herald-
Express ;
And belonging to the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild Communist
Party fraction, but not to said Unit 140, were :
Harold J. Salemson, correspondent in Hollywood for Paris-Soir,
in Paris;
Elliot Wax, aforementioned ;
Jay Moss, aforementioned; Moss was said to be on leave of absence
from the unit at that time;
Lillian Jones, Negro, worker on the Federal Writers' Project;
That during the time I was attached to Unit 140 the principal busi-
ness of that unit and of the Communist Party fraction of the Los
Angeles Newspaper Guild was to conduct the strike of said Guild
against the Hollywood Citizen-News along Communist Party lines; to
elect Communist Party delegates to the International Convention of
the American Newspaper Guild in Toronto, Canada, and to establish
proper Communist Party connections for them with Communist
National leaders of said Guild ;
That during the aforementioned strike against the Hollywood Citizen-
News, two new members were signed up for the Communist Party,
their application cards presented by Morrie Smolan, membership direc-
tor, to Unit 140, and they were voted into said unit as of the time
their training in the Communist Party would be completed ; they were :
Roger Johnson, formerly employed on the Hollywood Citizen-News,
later on State Relief Administration, staff member, and at present an
appointee on the Los Angeles City Housing Commission; and
Philip M. (Slim) Connelly, then President of the Los Angeles
Chapter of the Newspaper Guild, now President of the California
C. I. 0. ;
That members of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild who were referred
to as Communist sympathizers and on whom the Communist Party
fraction placed its confidence, were :
COMMUNISM 155
Tom O'Connor, now of PM in New York;
Mel Scott, who also became a State Relief Administration staff
member ;
Andy Barrigan of the Los Angeles Daily News •
H. R. (Hubert) Kotterman, Chairman of the Guild Unit on the Los
Angeles Federal Writers' Project; and
John Cohee of the Los Angeles Daily News ;
James Francis Crow, Dramatic Editor of the Hollywood Citizen-
News^ and who later criticized the 'Communists severely ; however, dur-
ing his period of favor with the Communists he became President of
the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild ;
That, in short, I discovered that the Communist Party exercised
complete control over the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, and only
those high in Communist Party favor or Communist Party members
could hold office in it;
That Morgan Hull, International Representative of the American
Newspaper Guild, who left Los Angeles to take that position in either
1935 or 1936, had informed me, when I was a fellow traveler, that he
was a member of the Communist Party, and that after the Guild victory
in the Hollywood Citizen-News strike, I again encountered Morgan
Hull, and he congratulated me on joining the Communist Party and
discussed Communist Party affairs with me;
That because the Communist Party had branded aforementioned
Theodor Robinson as a ' ' Trotskyite ' ' that the Communist Party frac-
tion of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild determined to oust him from
Guild membership, no matter what the cost to the union ; he had joined
at a time when the Communist Party fraction was in the heat of the
Hollywood Citizen-News strike; my comrade, Rose Boyd (Busch-Vis-
schner) stated to me that said Robinson was not to be allowed to func-
tion in the union and said in anger, "Go and see Dr. Parker and ask
him how far Robinson is to be allowed to go in the Guild ! " ;
That this clearly revealed to me that the Communist Party was
operating the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild instead of its membership ;
That I did consult said Dr. Parker (Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian) on sev-
eral occasions, but each time I was either sent or called into his office ;
he was then chairman of the Los Angeles County Control Commission
of the Communist Party ; that said Dr. Tashjian stated to me in refer-
ence to Robinson's membership in the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild,
"It is better for 85 workers (the number then on the Los Angeles Fed-
eral Writers' Project) to be without union representation than to
allow ONE Trotskyite to remain in the union. ' ' ;
That I learned that this attitude toward the so-called ' ' Trotskyites "
—mostly a bugaboo term used by the Communists to designate those
who intelligently oppose Communist Party domination of unions or
mass organizations — was caused by the pervading sense of guilt from
which all Communists individually and collectively suffer; they are
constantly in fear of being exposed for what they are, and anyone who
calls them by their right names is designated a "Trotskyite" and
f ouqrht with blind, fanatical fury ;
That as a result of this domination by the Communist Party of the
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, and because of my rift with the Com-
munist Party, 11 members of the Guild Unit on the Federal Writers
156 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Project, including myself, were expelled from the Los Angeles News-
paper Guild, and our expulsion was upheld by each successively higher
body of the American Newspaper Guild, including the last court of
appeal, the International Convention; and that all along the line,
during our trial in Los Angeles, during our appeals, and throughout
the entire affair, the dominance of the Communist Party of that
organization became more and more evident; that the attitude of the
members of the American Newspaper Guild who were likewise Com-
munist Party members was well expressed by Charles H. ("Brick")
Garrigues when he was discussing with me my differences of opinion
with the Communist leadership of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild;
he stated, "It is not the Guild that's important; it's the Communist
Party.";
That long before my rift with the Communist Party widened into
an open break, Communist Party members around me, as I have stated
before, sought to counsel me, intimidate me, wheedle me, bribe me and
lure me back into the fold; when one method failed, they would try
another; that during the early Summer of 1938, a Communist Party
member sought and obtained employment on the Federal Writers'
Project, whose presence there I have never been able to satisfactorily
explain; he was Eugene Schachner, former Daily Worker correspond-
ent in Spain, who, according to his accounts, shuttled around over the
world on Communist Party orders; he was a repulsive, over-bearing,
prize-fighter type, and immediately started to become friendly with
me; he invited me to go out with him socially, and I accepted once,
then in the company of Velda Johnston and Dolph Winebrenner; as
soon as the opportunity arose, he began to bully me about my associa-
tion with aforementioned Theodor Kobinson, the so-called "Trotsky-
ite"; he implied darkly that I would be in for a terrible time, friend-
less, jobless, hounded from place to place, ridiculed and persecuted,
if I persisted in my opposition to the wishes of the Communist Party ;
my answer was to throw a glass of water in his face and tell him to
"do his damnedest"; shortly thereafter, he departed from the Federal
Writers' Project, saying he was returning to Spain; I next heard of
him in Mexico City early in 1942 ;
That among the Communist Party fraction decisions made in meet-
ings I attended which I recall at this time was one to ' ' skip ' ' a payment
of $100 to "Comrade Carey Me Williams" for legal services, because,
as a Communist Party member, Me Williams would be willing to let
the fraction use this money to send delegates to the Toronto convention
of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild; another was a decision to bring
the aforementioned Communist Party member, Sam Kalish, into the
Guild to teach non-Communist Guildsmen parliamentary law ; this was
done, and I attended some of the Guild meetings at which Kalish held
forth;
That I attended a meeting of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild held
at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in September, 1938, and had an
opportunity to observe the manner in which the Communist Party
fraction of that organization ruled it completely; the matter of an
appeal to the Executive Board on the acceptance of the aforementioned
26 project workers into the Guild was one order of business, and in
accordance with the Communist Party fraction decision, of which I
COMMUNISM 157
had been officially apprised, the Executive Board ruling, which ruling
was presented by the Chairman, James Francis Crow, was to the effect
that the project workers were not eligible for Guild membership in
accordance with the Constitution; at that same meeting the matter of
acceptance of the managing editor of the Hollywood Reporter came
before the meeting; according to the Constitution of the American
Newspaper Guild, of which I possessed a copy, a clause specifically
stated that no person in position to hire and fire workers would be
eligible for membership; however, the Communist Party fraction has
discussed the usefulness of this particular person, Jack Cartwright,
to the Communist Party at meetings I had attended, in view of the fact
he was either a fellow traveler or Communist Party member and in
view of the fact that he was to be used by the Communist Party to
organize the Screen Publicists Guild in Hollywood, which organization
was planned to be launched as an offshoot of the American Newspaper
Guild; at the aforementioned meeting, the Executive Board ruling in
relation to Jack Cartwright 's membership was that he was eligible in
spite of the Constitution "because he was sympathetic to labor"; and
the membership, apathetic and dazed by the tactics of the Communist
Party fraction, duly voted to reject 26 workers on the grounds of
ineligibility and to accept one man who hired and fired workers
"because he was sympathetic to labor "; in exactly that manner the
Communist Party mocks the basic principles of labor unionism ;
COMMUNIST PARTY POLITICAL COMMISSION
That during the Spring of 1938 while I was in the throes of severing
my connections with the Communist Party, all manner of inducements
were held out to me in order to entice me to remain within it;
Charles H. ("Brick") Carrigues, whom I had known for a number
of years, took special interest in my case and sought to iron out my
grievances and to keep me in the Communist Party; he knew of my
interest in local politics, and, as a member of the Professional Section
Committee, "co-opted" me for work on the Professional Section Politi-
cal Commission of which he was chairman; it might be explained here
that the word "co-opted" is derived from a Russian word meaning to
draft, or to command, and has become accepted in the Communist
Party of United States; I discovered that all important positions are
filled in the Communist Party by ' ' co-option ' ' rather than by election ;
That membership in said Professional Section Political Commission
Avas (beside myself) :
Charles H. ("Brick") Garrigues, Chairman;
Miriam Holtz, Secretary (she later became one of the correspond-
ence secretaries for Governor Culbert L. Olson in Sacramento, and I
have seen her signature on letters for the Governor) ;
Norman Byrne, aforementioned professor of anthropology at Los
Angeles City College and American Peace Mobilization leader in
1940 and 1941;
Naomi Childress, common-law wife of said C. H. Garrigues;
Dr. Simson Marcus, brother of aforementioned Dr. Samuel Marcus;
his present business address is 314 North Fairfax, Los Angeles;
Dolph Winebrenner, aforementioned editor of "Light," Young
Democrat publication;
158 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Jane "Wallace (Wilson), then organizer of the Professional Section;
That the purpose of said commission was to educate the membership
of the Professional Section to carry on work in the various " bour-
geois " political institutions of California without being detected as
Communists; for instance, those Communists sent into the Young
Democrats and into the Democratic Party proper, could not afford to
risk detection by using Communist vocabulary in speech, the use of
such a term as " functionary ' ' for "official/' for instance, might
expose them; therefore this Commission prepared educational papers
to be used as a manual within the Professional Section ; also Garrigues,
Byrne and myself arranged to appear before each unit of the Profes-
sional Section, each one taking several units, and to conduct this
' ' educational ' ' on methods of camouflage, as it were ;
That, for instance, I recall that Garrigues conducted the sample
educational first for said Professional Section Political Commission,
then again in Unit 140; I obtained a list of names of Unit organizers
from Jane Wallace (Wilson) and from Jane Howe, then understudy
organizer of the Professional Section, and made arrangements to at-
tend the unit meeting to give the educational; the units I attended
were the "Hash" Unit, of which Grace Brown was organizer (she was
at that time the common-law wife of Sven Skaar, who had left the
Historical Records Survey) ; the Architects and Engineers Unit, of
which members of the CIO Federation of Architects, Engineers and
Technicians, who were Communist Party members, belonged; besides
several whose names I do not recall, I remember the following persons
as members of that Unit:
Jules Kievits, later a Regional Director for the State Relief
Administration ;
Paul Williams, Negro architect;
Dr. Lao Self rid, then an instructor in chemistry on WPA said to
have gone to Mexico ; Dr. Selfrid informed me that he was from Austria
originally and that he had spent much time in Mexico working in oil
refineries ;
Paul Pinsky, now CIO State Research Director;
That I also attended the meetings of the two social workers' units,
but in view of the fact the Communist Party policy is to conceal, rather
than to reveal names, I did not learn the names of those persons;
NEVER are comrades within the Communist Party introduced to each
other with last names; occasionally party names are used even for
first names; only when the comrades are apt to meet in the non-
Communist world, which was the case with those mentioned above, are
true names used; I might interject that this air of stifling secrecy
lends to the Communist Party the atmosphere of dark, devious, under-
ground illegality; it appeals to the infantile romantics whose egos are
bolstered by lawbreaking, but I found that most persons of American
background and training were disgusted with it;
That in addition, I contacted Carey Me Williams, whose name was
given me by Jane Howe as organizer of the Lawyers' Unit (and to
which, I was told, Communist Party members of the National Law-
yers' Guild belonged) ; and, after I explained the nature of my busi-
ness, he informed me that their unit meeting would be held on a certain
night in the home of J. Allen Frankel on South Orange Drive, Los
COMMUNISM 159
Angeles; however, I was unable to attend, and called Leo Gallagher
asking him to give the ' ' political educational, ' ' which he agreed to do ;
it is almost needless to say that this is the same Carey Me Williams who
is now California Immigration and Housing Director and a leader
in the National Lawyers' Guild;
That another order of business before said Professional Section
Political Commission was to endeavor to correct the organization status
of Oliver Thornton and his common-law wife, Elenore Bogigian
within the Communist Party ; it appeared that Paul Cline, Los Angeles
County Organizer of the Communist Party at that time, was consult-
ing Oliver Thornton on political matters, and that other functionaries
of the party did not feel Thornton was sufficiently disciplined as a
Communist to merit such trust; our commission therefore obtained
his Communist Party Book (in what manner I do not know, as it
was brought to the meeting by Garrigues) and, upon inspecting it,
noted he was behind in dues ; the Commission therefore decided I was to
present this book to Paul Cline and urge Cline to speak to Thornton
about getting his dues paid up, and other technical organizational mat-
ters; that this would serve as a double rebuke, impressing upon Cline
the matter of his own laxness as a Communist, and of getting Thornton
back into the Communist Party disciplinary range ; it is my recollection
that I sidestepped this assignment, however ; I do not recall discussing
the matter with Cline;
That at a period a few weeks later than the organization of aforesaid
Professional Section Political Commission, the Los Angeles County
Political Commission was set up by the Communist Party ; Emma Cut-
ler was the first chairman of this commission, but she soon left Los
Angeles for the San Joaquin Valley, and this chairmanship was turned
over to Al Lane (Lewis) ; both the foregoing were " co-opted " by the
Los Angeles County Executive Board of the Communist Party; I was
designated as the representative of said County Commission for the
Professional Section Political Commission ;
That other members of said Los Angeles County Political Commis-
sion, which met in the home of Al Lane (Lewis) at 3989 Denker
Avenue, Los Angeles, were (beside Lane and myself) :
Jane Wallace (Wilson), Professional Section Organizer (here I
might say that she admitted to me she was the sister of John Broman
(Wilson), columnist on the People's Daily World) ;
James Burford, then employed by the Los Angeles Community Chest
and active in the Young Democrats, Inc. ;
Joseph Ayeroff, likewise active in the Young Democrats, Inc.;
Dr. Lao Self rid, aforementioned;
Lou Baron, representative of the Trade Union Commission;
Al Bryan (Ryan), County Educational Director for the Communist
Party;
Barney Brown, representative of the County Cultural Commission of
the Communist Party;
Allan Mathews, active in the Democratic Party ;
Jules Kievits, aforementioned, also active in the Democratic Party;
Emil Freed, organizer of the Hollywood Section of the Communist
Party;
160 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Philip Dunne, screen writer and representative of the Motion Picture
Democratic Committee, sat in one meeting, and
Robert Tasker, screen writer, partner and brother-in-law of John
Bright, attended another meeting as the representative of the Motion
Picture Democratic Committee;
That this aforesaid commission assumed responsibility for the Com-
munist Party participation in the recall of Mayor Frank L. Shaw and
the election of a "Popular Front" candidate to replace him;
That this commission also assumed the responsibility for the much
greater task of electing a "Popular Front" slate to State offices, and
indorsed Culbert L. Olson for Governor, Ellis E. Patterson for Lieuten-
ant Governor and various other candidates for lesser offices;
That said commission assumed responsibility for the conduct of the
campaigns of such persons, designated as Communist Party members,
as: LaRue McCormick, then Secretary of the International Labor
Defense in Los Angeles, which office she still holds ;
Rose Segure, who was running for an Assembly seat ; later she became
a high official in the State Relief Administration;
Ellis E. Patterson, designated as a "comrade," but whose campaign
this commission endeavored to make appear as non-Communist (in
fact, one order was transmitted from this commission through Com-
munist Party channels as follows: "Tell the comrades to stay out of
Comrade Patterson's campaign headquarters, as it may expose him if
we congregate there." ) ;
Ernil Freed, member of the commission who was running for office on
the Communist Party ticket;
That said commission decided on Communist Party "plants" to be
installed in the campaign headquarters of various Democrats; I recall
in particular the decision to send Larry Buchanan, whom I had met
as a Communist Party member on several occasions, into the office of
Frank Scully in order to insure Communist Party domination of that
campaign ;
That one of the main orders of business of said commission was to
manipulate the Young Democrats, Inc., throughout California by giving
directives on strategy to James Burford and Joseph Ayeroff, fractional
leaders of the Young Democrats, Inc. This organization and its publi-
cation, "Light," which was in Communist Party hands through the
editorship of Dolph Winebrenner, were used by the Communist Party
to "carry the load," as it were, of Communist Party program in the
1938 elections in California;
That along that line, said commission transmitted through Com-
munist Party channels various decisions in regard to the Young Demo-
crats, Inc., to Claudia Williams, said to be the Communist Party frac-
tion secretary of that organization in San Francisco ;
That also similar directives were directed to Charles Saphirstein
(whom I had also met through James Burford as a Communist Party
comrade), and who at that time was active in the Young Democrats,
Inc., somewhere in the San Joaquin Valley area; likewise, directive
was sent to Al Shanks, also in the Young Democrats, Inc. ;
That along that line it was interesting to me to note that after
the pact between Russia and Germany and hence the Communist Party
line changed, persons with whom I had had contact in the Communist
COMMUNISM 161
Party and who belonged to the Young Democrats, Inc., withdrew from
that organization and formed the Democratic Youth Federation in
California, which organization turned back to the Young Democrats
after Germany attacked Russia, thus changing the Communist Party
line back to collaboration with democratic forces; in that manner, the
direction of all organizations under the domination of the Communist
Party indicates that they serve as foreign agencies for the Soviet Union ;
That the aforesaid Los Angeles County Political Commission had
full control of the policies of the Motion Picture Democratic Committee
of which aforementioned Philip Dunne was Chairman, and Melvyn
Douglas another prominent official; our commission made all decisions
on policy and direction of this organization, planned resolutions for
it and transmitted same to that organization through either the repre-
sentative present or through Communist Party channels, directed, it
was announced in meeting, to Maurice Murphy, a "comrade," who
was Executive Secretary of the Motion Picture Democratic Committee ;
it is worthy of note that said Maurice Murphy later became the Execu-
tive Secretary of the aforementioned League of American Writers,
Hollywood Chapter, which I know of my own knowledge to be a Com-
munist Party-controlled organization;
That our said commission discussed ways and means of influencing
various prominent persons in the Democratic Party — I recall in par-
ticular Walter Ballou — and frankly discussed the past record, weak-
nesses and stupidities of such persons with a view toward controlling
them; one of the tactics most frequently planned as a method of con-
trolling a political figure was to invite him to a Communist Party
fraction meeting, planning on revealing to him after he had been lured
into the meeting, that he was sitting in an "open" fraction meeting,
and giving him to understand that this fact would be used against
him unless he did the bidding of the Communist Party ;
That at that time I realized that few Americans who had been
reared to believe the best in their fellowman could withstand such
Machiavellian cynicism in politics, and realized full well that such
scheming, unprincipled political manipulators would be very successful
in politics; at that moment I realized the true meaning of Georgi
Dimitroff's "Popular Front" speech; he MEANT that the Communists
could accomplish more by devious indirection than they could by
standing on a soap box and shouting for revolution, as they had in the
past ; but by that time I also realized that there was no hope of finding
honesty or frankness within the Communist Party; heretofore I had
put down much of the things with which I was dissatisfied to ' ' lack of
development" and to the "wrong interpretation of the. Communist
Party line ' ' ; now T knew that the higher one went, the worse the
corruption ;
That the fates of many political figures were decided at meetings
of aforesaid commission, in view of the fact the Young Democrats,
the C. I. 0., a large bloc of the motion picture colony as well as of the
Democratic Party itself could be manipulated by these Communist
schemers; our commission had the facilities to reach every one of
the supposed 3,000 Communist Party members in Los Angeles County
with directives — ' ' musts ' ' — and these individuals, in turn, because each
11— L-2276
162 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
one of them was as active or more so than myself, influential in several
organizations, could multiply his influence by several hundred; thus
our Los Angeles County Political Commission of the Communist Party
was determining a large part of the policies of Los Angeles City and
County and the State of California ;
That we sent suggestions and directives to Robert W. Kenny who
was running for State Senator and he was regarded as one amenable
to suggestions, that is, either a Communist Party member or a close
fellow traveler;
That we sent directives to William ("Bill") Mason, chairman of
a large Democratic Club in Santa Monica, who was referred to as a
Communist Party comrade ;
That we sent directives to Don R. Healy, Secretary of Labor's
Non-Partisan League of Los Angeles County, which, in turn, influenced
a large bloc of votes in the C. I. 0. ; and through Lou Baron and the
facilities of the Los Angeles County Trade Union Commission of the
Communist Party, we designated the best possible means for Com-
munist Party members within the A. F. of L. to present Communist
Party program within their unions; Herb Sorrell, Business Agent for
the Studio Painters ' Union, was regarded as the only Communist Party
comrade in an A. F. of L. Union in Los Angeles who could put over the
entire ' * Party line ' ' in his union ;
That the Unemployed Conference of Studio Unions which later
became known as the "COMPAC" was referred to by our said Com-
mission as an organization which could be "counted on" to put over
Communist Party program; said Herb Sorrell, as well as the afore-
mentioned Frank Tuttle were active in that organization ;
That individuals who were ' ' liberal ' ' merely because of their humani-
tarian impulses could be brought under the Communist Party political
influence through such organizations as the United China Relief and
the Friends of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade ; that Jewish people could
be influenced through their hatred of Nazis through the Hollywood
Anti-Nazi League; that Mexicans could be influenced through the
Spanish Speaking People 's Congress ; that Negroes could be influenced
through the National Negro Congress and the Japanese-American voters
through the publication, DOHO ; women, especially housewives, could
be reached through the League of Women Shoppers ; and so on, to say
nothing of the 21-year-old youth which the Communist Party tried to
reach through the youth assemblies, which later became the California
Youth Legislature, member of the National Communist controlled
American Youth Congress ; that I know from Communist literature and
from official Communist statements that all the foregoing organizations
were at that time controlled by the Communist Party ;
That we discussed some briefly, some at length, the role, in relation
to Communist Party program, the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, the
National Lawyers Guild, the Screen Writers Guild, the Screen Actors
Guild, the Screen Directors Guild, the Teachers Union, the International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Progressive Caucus headed by
Jeff Kibre; the C. I. 0. Council, the Musicians Union, the Culinary
Workers Union, as well as the Workers Alliance and the new-born
Communist coordinating body for WPA, the Arts Unions Council ;
COMMUNISM 163
That those were our implements; our methods were described pre-
viously as basely cynical; the coating of idealism which was wrapped
around Communist Party plans when they were handed down to the
more tender comrades with whom I had previously associated was now
left off; without so much as a reference to the Communist Party
' 'enabling act/' that is, Lenin's statement that "the end justifies the
means," this commission plunged into the California political field to
build a secret, camouflaged, efficient political machine ;
That we probably had less than a thousand active Communist cadres
(a Communist Party term to indicate a human unit, which is a "thing,"
not a being, in Communist thought) in the entire southern California
area who were adept enough in parliamentary tricks, smooth enough to
camouflage the Communist Party line, daring enough to face and bluff
out attacks, cynical enough to proceed on orders without idealistic
justification, and who were tied, hand, brain and hide, to the Com-
munist Party. We had to juggle them around, give each many roles to
play, coordinate all work in order to make the Communist Party
camouflaged machine sound like a million votes. It required more than
training or even long experience in even the cleverest and slipperiest of
American type political maneuvering. We had access to, and drew
from, the Communist Party's Asiatic form of intrigue; the use of
teamwork in a combination of brazen effrontery and sly, psychological
tricks. Al Lane (Lewis) claimed he spent a number of years in Mos-
cow, and he laid claim to knowing how to maneuver "scientifically";
I believe he does, and the history of California during the Olson
regime has proven that Al Lane and others of his kind were successful ;
That beside those persons previously mentioned as having obtained
State appointments, others whom I knew to be Communists or fellow
travelers who received appointments from Olson were :
William J. Plunkert, in the State Relief Administration ;
Alice Orans, of whom I heard in the Social Service Units of the
Communist Party ;
Allen Metcalfe, "Young Democrat" to whom the Communist Party
members referred as ' ' comrade ' ' ;
Esther Sapiro, whom I met on one occasion within the Communist
Party;
Frank Taylor, who identified himself to me as a Communist Party
member; "in/1
Al Shanks, aforementioned;
Sam Kalish, aforementioned;
James Burford, aforementioned;
Jules Kievits, aforementioned;
Miriam Holtz, aforementioned;
Katherine Kilbourne, aforementioned ;
Rose Segure, aforementioned;
Carey McWilliams, aforementioned;
Martin Irons, aforementioned;
Marguerite Clark, aforementioned;
Elenore Bogigian, who received an appointment to an administrative
position on WPA as Herbert Legg's secretary;
Claudia Williams, aforementioned;
164 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
That undoubtedly there were many other Communist Party members
who received important California State positions with whom I had
contact, but whose real names I did not learn;
That it should be mentioned here that spreading over all like a pro-
tective canopy was the Communist Party press, the People's Daily
World, in California; all Communist Party members must subscribe
to it; all must donate a day's pay to it; all must read it and believe
it; and all must take part in compiling- information for its "news'7
columns; it was looked upon as the "voice" of the camouflaged Com-
munists in California, and like the Communists, it denied its Com-
munism ;
COMMUNIST PARTY CULTURAL COMMISSION
That simultaneous with my membership in the aforementioned said
political commission, I was drawn into the Los Angeles County Cultural
Commission as a representative from the political commission; that this
commission was organized to fill the need expressed by Mary Virginia
Farmer, mentioned previously : To coordinate the work of the Los
Angeles County apparatus of the Communist Party with that of the
underground, darkly secret Hollywood Cultural Commission, which in
turn was part of the Communist Party apparatus in Hollywood, which,
according to Communist knowledge generally, dealt directly with the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the United States rather
than with the local apparatus ; therefore, this form of coordination
was highly necessary from an organizational point of view ;
That members of said Los Angeles County Cultural Commission,
beside myself, were :
Miriam Brooks, now wife of Jack Moore, 1941 Los Angeles county
secretary of the Communist Party; she was then a member of the
Musicians Union, A. F. of L., and worked on the WPA Music Project
in Los Angeles ; meetings were held in her home on North Coronado ;
Leona McGenty, aforementioned, who represented the Communist
Party fraction on the Federal Theatre Project;
Howland Chamberlain, member of Actors Equity;
Darby Jones, member of Screen Actors Guild :
Barney Brown, in charge of Communist Party theatrical work;
also co-representative with me from the political commission;
Charles Maddox, member of the Artists Congress and a worker on
the WPA Federal Art Project;
Roth Reynolds, Artists Congress, unemployed, who has since
become chairman of a downtown "Forum" in Los Angeles;
Kenneth Patterson, actor;
Dr. Lao Self rid, aforementioned;
Sid Davidson (Martin), member of the Los Angeles County Edu-
cational Commission;
Marvin Carter, member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild;
Sonora Babb (who also used another name), member of the League
of American Writers;
Several others whose names I do not know;
That the tasks of this commission were to devise means of coordi-
nating Communist Party work in the "arts"; to assist with theatrical
entertainment containing Communist Party propaganda for labor
COMMUNISM 165
unions, for meetings of various mass organizations and for political
rallies ;
That this commission organized the Arts Unions Council, supposed
to act as a coordinating body for various WPA unions ; in other words,
it was a Communist prop to bolster the failing Cultural and Profes-
sional Projects Association which had now reached its goal and was
part of the Workers Alliance; since project workers on the cultural
projects rejected this union, the Communist Party devised the Arts
Unions Council, supposedly a delegated body, and took in dele-
gates, which in most cases were the Communist Party fraction mem-
bers from the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, Federal Writers Project
unit; the A. F. of L. Musicians Union of which a number of members
were on the music project; Actors Equity, of which a number of
members were on the Federal Theatre Project; the Artists Congress
of which members were on the Federal Art Project, and of course,
the Workers Alliance; said Arts Unions Council later became the
nucleus of a Nation-wide organization to "Save the Federal Theatre
Project" after exposures of Communist Party manipulation of said
project made it neccessary for Congress to abolish it;
That this said cultural commission also coordinated work of the
League of American Writers, both in Hollywood and among free-lance
writers throughout Los Angeles ; I do not know if any non-Communists
belonged to this organization, I never knew a member of it who was
not active in Communist Party work;
That there was considerable time spent in said cultural commission
plotting a method whereby the Communist Party fraction within the
Musicians Union in Los Angeles, of which said Miriam Brooks was
a member, could gain control of that organization;
That also considerable discussion dealt with setting up a Com-
munist-controlled art center in Los Angeles to offset the so-called
"reactionary art" sponsored by the late General Otis and Harry
Chandler ;
That, inasmuch as this said commission was composed solely of
Communist Party members, a great deal of time was spent speculating
on the bugaboo, Trotskyism; I gathered from the childish, frightened
statements of my comrades that they feared the influence of Leon
Trotsky would envelop the field of art ; and that a great part of said
fear apparently was engendered by the fact that I was collaborating
on a play with aforementioned Theodor Robinson, whom the Com-
munist Party had branded a ' ' Trotsky ite " ; ... ffr^f/.^ .
That I- recall in particular one two-hour lecture by- Sid Davidson
(Martin) which reminded me of the children's scare phrase^ "The
goblins will get you, if you -don 't watch -out!"- this was -all done to
impress and frighten me and to cause me to cease work with Robinson,
but it had the opposite effect; I laughed at my comrades, who were
frightened white by the "scare tale" of what Trotskyists do to "art,"
and after that I was "too busy" to attend said Cultural Commission
meetings ;
That I was by that time violating Communist Party discipline with-
out regard for consequences; in fact, I hoped I would be expelled;
166 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that would be a way out ; however, my comrades continued to pull me
into other Communist Party work, evidently in the hope I would "see
the light ' ' and wax enthusiastic once more ;
TROTSKYISM IN WRITING
That one such meeting which may or may not have been staged for
my benefit, but which had for its main topic of discussion ' ' Trotskyism
in Writing" was called by the aforementioned Sonora Babb, though
she was not present, and held in her home in Hollywood ; the avowed
purpose of that meeting was to stimulate interest in the League of
American Writers in Los Angeles; those present beside myself were:
Theodore Pezman, aforementioned writer on the play, "Sun Rises
in the West" and present employee in the United States Employment
Service ;
Harry Tarnoff, who called himself a writer, but who showed no
ability at that meeting ;
George Shaftel, who is well known in Los Angeles for his membership
in writers ' organizations, but whose writings are unknown ;
Betty Rosenhouse, who laid no claim to writing ability but who
frankly stated she intended to become an official in the League of
American Writers ;
Several women whose names I do not know;
That as stated previously, the entire topic of discussion was the
cataclysm of "Trotskyism" in writing; I gathered that this meant
exposure of the Communist Party in writing, and I believe it was on
that occasion I decided to use what ability I had as a writer to do
just that;
That the foregoing is an example of the Communist Party member's
approach to art, writing and the theater; they are mediums through
which to express Communist Party propaganda; they are fields to
monopolize, nothing more ;
That by this time, Summer of 1938, the matter of layoffs on WPA
which always hit at the end of the fiscal year, June 30th, had the Fed-
eral Writers Project in a broil; due to the fact that so many project
members had been rejected by the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild and
because the Cultural and Professional Projects Association had no
hold on the Federal Writers Project, workers turned to another form
of union expression and eventually evolved an independent union, the
Federal Writers Project Union, but in the throes of its organization
the Communist Party fraction on said project created much to-do ;
for one thing aforementioned Elliot Wax and Lillian Jones attended
the organizational meeting of the aforementioned Arts Unions Council
as representatives of the Federal Writers Project (without the knowl-
edge or consent of anyone on the Federal Writers Project except the
Communist Party fraction thereof), then attempted to force upon the
Federal Writers Project the commitments they had made in this
organization ; needless to say, there was much fuss over that point ;
That about that time Rose Boyd (Busch-Visschner) who had set
herself up as dictator of the Federal Writers Project, called meetings
of said project into which outside Communists would be called; I
recall Leona McGenty was called into one ; another time Mrs. McGenty,
then organizer for the Workers Alliance on the Federal Theatre
COMMUNISM 167
Project, sent Al Haieg, a new recruit into the Communist Party, as her
representative ; another time aforementioned Paul Pinsky was inveigled
to take a bow; another time Lew Michener, who attended our Com-
munist Party fraction meeting, and who was then C. I. 0. Council Secre-
tary in Los Angeles, participated; that all I recall this accomplished
was to make non-Communist project workers very bitter against the
Communist Party;
COMMUNIST PARTY COMMISSIONS
That before passing to a more personal phase of this account, I wish
to make the point that the aforementioned COMMISSIONS, of which
there were many, were used as a superstructure, coordinating apparatus
to by-pass the more ponderous process of so-called " Democratic Cen-
tralism," which was nothing more than a process of dictatorship; by
this process, orders from Moscow were supposed to come to the Com-
munist Party National Central Committee in New York where they
would be interpreted and policy for the Nation worked out in accord-
ance ; then they proceeded down the line to the unit, the basic structure
of the Communist International, then the unit was supposed to evolve
means of implementing the orders (never on whether or not it would
accept the order), and pass this decision on to the fractions which this
unit controlled, and then the fractions would take the decision into
unions or other organizations as "individual" opinion; the aforesaid
COMMISSION cut much of this red tape, enabled the Communist
Party fractions to get orders from the Commission to which the secre-
taries thereof were attached without waiting for a unit meeting ; there
were many other ways the COMMISSIONS cut red tar>e of the old
Peters Manual (a manual of organization of the Communist Party) ;
That I attended the Professional Section Convention and also the
Los Angeles County Convention of the Communist Party, the latter
being held around May 1, 1938, the other about two weeks earlier;
that I recall at the Professional Section Convention it was brought out
there were two hundred ten (210) members of that section; work
of the section has been outlined previously and unions under its con-
trol indicated;
That at the Los Angeles County Convention of the Communist Party,
held at 121 W. Eighteenth Street, Los Angeles, I encountered a number
of comrades who have been mentioned previously; I recall that Herb
Sorrell was doorman at the session I attended, and accepted my creden-
tials; that the membership of the Communist Party was estimated at
around 3,000 at that time; that plans were discussed for developing a
more efficient political pressure machine, on which subject Paul
Cline spoke;
That some time during the Summer of 1938 I met forementioned
Hu.Q-h Mason at a Communist Party social gathering; he informed
me that he was a member of the Communist Party fraction of the afore-
mentioned Conference of Studio Unions which was at that time called
"COMPAC," and that Charlotte Darling, a worker at Disney's Studio,
was the secretary of said fraction ; that he advised me to get in touch
with said Charlotte Darling in order to establish a closer contact
between aforementioned Los Angeles County Political Commission of
the Communist Party and the Communist Party fraction of COMPAC ;
168 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
I telephoned Miss Darling and on several occasions discussed Com-
munist Party affairs with her, and noted that decisions from afore-
mentioned Political Commission were very quickly transformed into
action within COMPAC, according to news reports of same ;
CONTROL COMMISSION
That during the time I was in disagreement with the Communist
Party's line and tactics, that is, from the Spring of 1938 through the
Summer, Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian telephoned me many times commanding
my appearance at his office; the first time I went before Dr. Tashjian
(Dr. Parker) in his official capacity as chairman of the Los Angeles
County Control Commission of the Communist Party, was when How-
land Chamberlain, then Membership Director of Unit 130, to which
I was attached until about March, 1938, escorted me to Communist
Party headquarters at 124 W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles, to interview
"Dr. Parker" about the so-called ' ' Trotskyite, " Theodor Robinson;
on that occasion Dr. Tashjian, whom I instinctively distrusted,
informed me that Robinson had been branded officially by the Com-
munist Party as a "Trotskyite" and that I was to break off all rela-
tions with him; that from that moment forward 1 had no respect
whatsoever for the decisions or impassioned ravings of my comrades
with respect to said Robinson; that I ascertained to my own satis-
faction, after examining correspondence and documents, some of which
were signed by said Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian, that said Robinson, who
stated that he had been friendly to the Communist Party in 1933 when
he was in college at Los Angeles, had loaned to said Dr. V. A. K.
Tashjian the sum of $500, for which said Dr. Tashjian had given
his personal note, which note I saw; that said Robinson informed
me that when he attemped to collect that sum of money, Dr. Tashjian
had screamed that it was a donation; that Robinson had pressed the
claim unsuccessfully, from Chicago, where he then lived, and that
thereafter the members of the Communist Party to whom he had been
friendly began to shun him ; that I had in my possession at one time
a letter on the stationery of the Communist Party of Illinois to
Theodore Pezman, fractional secretary of the aforementioned South-
west Unit of the Federal Theatres, signed by the Illinois State Secre-
tary of the Communist Party, saying that Theodor Robinson was to be
prevented from obtaining employment in Los Angeles because he was
a "Trotskyite"; Pezman presented me with that letter ordering me to
show it to Robert Brownell, aforementioned supervisor on the Federal
Writers Project, in an effort to dislodge said Robinson from his position
on said project; this command I disobeyed/ and the* letter wras finally
turned over to Federal authorities; that then and there I learned -how
f ' Trotskyites " are manufactured -by the Communist Party.; -•;•;."
That in about July of 1938, by which time I had grown completely
contemptuous of Communist Party commands, that a Mollie Prager,
of whom I had heard much in the Communist Party, appeared at the
Federal Writers and stated flatly that she was ready to move into
my flat at 1323 W. Fourth Street and that she would live with me;
my only response was, "Like hell you are, and if you want to run into
a hornet's nest, just try it.";
COMMUNISM 169
That I had heard much discussion within the Communist Party of
that method of whipping recalcitrant members back into line ; that I
had heard that not infrequently members of the opposite sex were
ordered to make love to the backsliding member and to report inti-
mate conversations to the Control Commission ; that after I had resisted
the advances of aforementioned Eugene Schachner, I came to the con-
clusion that the Control Commission had resorted to the next best thing
by sending said Mollie Prager to me;
That the last I heard of said Mollie Prager was in 1939 when she
was a stenographer in the office of the Los Angeles Board of Edu-
cation ;
That the aforementioned John Henry Reese, who had appeared at
the Federal Writers Project under peculiar circumstances, in that he
had not gone through regular WPA channels to obtain his employment,
pretended to be a Communist Party fellow traveler, and constantly
flitted around the vicinity in which I was working on the project ; he
became very friendly with Velda Johnston, who, in turn, remained an
associate of mine, and frequently said Reese invited me to go out
socially with Velda Johnston and himself, which I did ;
That on the morning of August 4, 1938, said John Henry Reese
entered the office I shared with Robert Brownell, and with an apolo-
getic laugh, stated : * ' The time has come when you must choose between
your comrades and that Trotskyite, Ted Robinson. ' '
That I asked, "What do you mean?" and he began, "Dr. Parker
says "
That he got no further. I interrupted, saying, ' ' Go back and tell
Dr. Tashjian that my Communist Party book will be in the mail
tonight/' That in accordance with that threat, I mailed my Communist
Party book, which was in the name of Irene Wood, and which dues were
paid up through June, 1938, to the Professional Section Membership
Director, the aforementioned Minna Klein, at the Professional Section
post-office box in the Hollywood Substation Post Office ;
That said John Henry Reese departed from said Federal Writers
Project very soon thereafter, and I heard he was working in the office
of Ellis E. Patterson; that I encountered him some time in the fall of
1938 on the street, when he ordered me to accompany him to Dr. Tash-
jian's office; I refused; that this same John Henry Reese is now
employed in the United States Department of Internal Revenue, which
fact I established some time hi January, 1942, by calling that depart-
ment on the telephone; said Reese answered and attempted to discuss
the matter of my 1941 income tax with me ; that the last time I saw said
John Henry Reese was at noon on February 24, 1942, when the Assem-
bly Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities recessed- for
lunch,- and- immediately- -afte-r hearing the testimony of .Dr, .V. A. .K.
Tash j ian, aforementioned ;
That said John Henry Reese was standing alone in the corridor out-
side the hearing room in the State Building, Los Angeles; I left the
room ahead of the crowd and evidently surprised him at his post; he
carried papers of the Internal Revenue Department in his hand; he
asked me what Tashjian had said, but I did not reply ;
That shortly after I returned my Communist Party membership book
•to Minna Klein, the aforementioned C-. H. ("Brick") Garrigues called
170 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
on me at my residence, then 1247 Huntley Drive, Los Angeles, and
pleaded with me to return to the Communist Party; he informed me
that it was the decision of the Professional Section Committee that I
could continue my writing collaboration with said Theodor Robinson, if
I wished, and that I could have any assignment in the Communist Party
which I might want; I informed him I wanted no assignment within
the Communist Party ; that I wanted to forget my association with it ;
That the aforementioned Walter McElroy, who was then Supervisor
of the Federal Writers Project in San Francisco, came to Los Angeles
and called on me at 1247 Huntley Drive, and stated he could arrange
my transfer in WPA to San Francisco if I desired, that he could put
me in touch with William Z. Foster, General Chairman of the Com-
munist Party of United States, who was resting in California, and that
I could arrange to work directly with Foster if I desired ; I told McEl-
roy that I had no desire to meet William Z. Foster or any other Com-
munist Party official ; that I wanted to be let alone to go my own way ;
That shortly after I returned my membership book in the Communist
Party, Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian called me by telephone and commanded
me to come to his office in the Hillstreet Theatre Building (2d Floor,
815 South Hill Street), which I did; he escorted me into his dentist
chambers and there alternately cajoled and threatened me and
endeavored to discover how much I knew of Communist Party secrets ;
he stated that I could take an assignment in the Communist Party to
report direct to him, if I wished, which assignment would be spying on
other Communist Party members; he stated that if I persisted in my
hostile attitude to the Communist Party that I would be expelled from
the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild (which expulsion process had not yet
started) and that I would be deprived of an opportunity to make a
living in Los Angeles; my arguments came to naught with him, he
would not listen to my criticism of the Communist Party ;
That said Dr. Tashjian formed the habit of calling me by telephone
at such hours as two or three o'clock in the morning, and would say in
a voice full of mystery, ' ' I want to see you, comrade. ' ' That on every
occasion he telephoned me I agreed to talk to him in his office after
working hours, but that each interview was a repetition of the last one;
on one occasion I recall that we were discussing the dishonesty of the
"Popular Front" program of the Communist Party, and Dr. Tashjian
replied that "We trained revolutionaries know that bourgeois govern-
ments must be overthrown by force"; that I knew he meant also the
Government of United States because it is always mentioned in Com-
munist Party literature as a ' ' bourgeois ' ' government ; that I then and
there ceased argument with Dr. Tashjian;
That some time in October, 1938, said Dr. Tashjian requested my
appearance in his office ; I went, and he informed me that my activities
in the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild in opposition to the desires of the
Communist Party fraction therein indicated that I was a " Trotskyite " ;
he did not inform me 'that I would be, or was, expelled from the Com-
munist Party, but I later heard him testify under oath that he had
expelled me from the Communist Party for "Trotskyite" activities;
That shortly thereafter, Robert Brownell, who had been extremely
friendly and deferential to me during my membership in the Commu-
nist Party, informed me that I was no longer his editorial assistant on
COMMUNISM 171
the History Essay of the Los Angeles Guide, and that I must move my
desk out of his office, which I did; that I was put on the most menial
sort of research work; that my research notes were frequently "lost"
at the project, and that all manner of obstacles were thrown in my
path at work; that my salary was reduced from $94 monthly to $85
monthly by Brownell, and that I was assigned to work under the Negro
woman, Lillian Jones, a former Communist Party comrade ; that during
my association with said Brownell he informed me that he had acted
as Secretary to Harry R. Bridges in San Francisco ;
That Communist Party members whom I had known within the party
hounded my footsteps, both at wrork and during my leisure time ; wher-
ever I went, I would look up and there would be a former comrade
staring at me; sometimes it would be Donald A. Murray, sometimes
Theodore Pezman, sometimes Leona McGenty, but more frequently, as
I worked at research in the Los Angeles Public Library, I would see
Eugene Linder, former member of Leo Gallagher 's office staff, watching
me from a corner in the room; this childish form of hide-and-seek did
not particularly annoy me, although I knew it was intended to do so ;
That one Ramon Welch obtained employment on the Federal Writers
Project and attempted to draw me out on my opinion of the Communist
Party, but I noticed that he made contact with Leona McGenty and
other Communist Party members who frequented the Los Angeles
Public Library, and therefore I did not become friendly with said
Welch ; this is the same Ramon Welch who is now Secretary of the
Spanish Speaking People's Congress in Los Angeles, which I know to
be a Communist organization;
That some time in the Spring of 1939, one Maurice ("Jerry")
Kaplan, sports writer on the People's Daily World, whom I had known
slightly within the Communist Party, approached me at my work in the
Los Angeles Public Library; he first made a reference to my opposi-
tion to the Communist Party fraction of the Los Angeles Newspaper
Guild, then stated that he would "hate to see anything happen to me";
I drew him out, and he stated he meant he would hate to see me meet
with a fatal accident, but that such might be the case if I persisted in
my opposition to the Communist Party;
That I was somewhat taken aback, mainly because this death threat
followed so closely the pattern used by the underworld during the days
of bootleggers, not because Kaplan was threatening my life; it then
dawned on me suddenly that the Communist Party bore many striking
resemblances to the gangs of Al Capone, "Bugs" Moran and others,
and that many Communist Party members were true "gangster" types,
including Maurice ("Jerry") Kaplan; that realization probably shaped
my reply;
That I said to Kaplan: "You've got a powerful mob, pal, thousands
of devoted mobsters, hundreds of venal politicians who'll play your
game, a powerful press, and a hold on a lot of unions —
That he agreed with me gleefully, apparently under the impression
that I realized I could not combat such a force, then I shot at him :
"Well, roll out your artillery, boy, there's going to be a war!";
That there was a war between myself and the Communist Party,
and that my slogan is "never surrender";
172 . UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
That the so-called ' ' party line ' ' is taught to members of the Commu-
nist Party in new members class in such a way as to instill in the
novitiate Communist a mystical awe of the "word from Moscow" and
in such a way that the Communist Party member will never dare to
question its wisdom ; for instance, the new member is told immediately,
as soon as he signs the application card to join the Communist Party,
by the person who recruits him, that he is placing himself in the hands
of the Communist Party, that he must accept its judgments and rely on
its wisdom, that he must obey Communist Party orders as he would
military command, for he is entering an army that is in a war, that he
is dedicating himself, his brain as well as his hands, to a cause for
which he must be willing to give his life if necessary; that there are
special Communist Party terms to convey these meanings, but which
terms are incomprehensible to the uninitiate;
COMMUNIST SCHOOLS
That in the first new members class I attended, aforementioned Sid
Davidson (Martin) explained the foregoing matters to the assembled
class, whose names are mentioned previously, that is, he informed us
we had joined the Communist Party and that meant we had dedicated
our lives to the cause of said party; that we were subject to the disci-
pline of said party and that we must obey all party decisions as con-
veyed to us through official party channels without question, and that
we must put implicit faith in the decisions of said party leaders because
they were better informed than we on what our activities should be ;
That in said new members class we novitiate Communists learned
from our official manual and from our teacher, Sid Davidson (Martin)
that the Communist Party of United States of America is an integral
part of the Communist International with headquarters in Moscow ;
that all. major decisions, that is those pertaining to world policy, are
made by the Central Committee of said Communist International
(COMINTERN) and that said decisions are relayed through official
channels to each Communist Party of each country throughout the
world, and that in the instance of United States, the National Central
Committee in New York met and decided on how to apply the particu-
lar mandate within United States, and that this National decision was
passed to -the State committee of each State (or District) of the Com-
munist Party of United States, and that the process of determining- the
most efficient manner of putting such mandate into practice was decided
upon by said State Committee, which decision was passed to the next
lower body, that is the various county committees throughout .California,
and that the -process .was there repeated, and that such decisions of the
county committee as were made therein were passed on to the'-yario.us
sections.. in -Los Angeles .Cpimty,.such as. the Professional Sections/the
Harbor Section, the Industrial Section, the Goodyear Section, the Pasa-
dena Subsection, the Hollywood Section and Santa Monica Subsection
thereof and so on ; that then the process was repeated and that decisions
of the section were in turn passed on to the units of said section where
asrain the process was repeated; that is, since the unit is the basic
structure of the Communist Party to which each and every member of
the -Communist Party must belong, in the unit each member of the
Communist Party had an opportunity "to '"dis'cuss democratically " the
COMMUNISM 173
means which members of that unit should use in order to put said
Communist Party decisions into practice, and that this was the extent
of Communist Party democracy, because members had no right to
question the decision of a higher body, and that once a unit as a whole
arrived at a decision this must be carried out without further discussion
by each and every member thereof even though he had disapproved of
said decision; that each member had a right to appeal a decision to
the next higher body of the Communist Party, but that during such
appeal he must carry out the mandate ;
That said Sid Davidson (Martin) informed the aforementioned new
members class that the Communist International arrived at its con-
clusions by studying digests of reports from all over the world, and
that whatever decision it made, was made with a view toward benefiting
the Communist Party on a world-wide basis; that in order to compile
these reports each member of the Communist Party must turn over all
information of the nature he was instructed by his unit to gather to
said unit, which turned it over to the next higher body and so on up to
the Comintern ; that each body digested such material as was submitted
to it and sent its report to the next higher body, and so on ; v
That, after I went out into general Communist Party work I learned
from official mandates that much espionage was carried on by the entire
membership of the Communist Party; that material desired by the
Communist Party officially was : ( 1 ) All available information on labor
unions and the members thereof, especially with respect to their atti-
tudes, individually, toward the Communist Party and members thereof ;
(2) all possible information on enemies of the Communist Party,
especially those who had obtained secrets about the Communist Party;
(3) any possible information that could be obtained about the operation
of industrial plants, such as processes, machinery and transportation
facilities to and from said plant; (4) any possible information that
could be obtained about government bureaus and personnel thereof;
(5) any possible information that could be obtained about political
figures, preferably that which could be used to "bring them to terms,"
as it were ;
That during the time I was in the Communist Party and from my
official party contacts, I never learned the exact operation of this
espionage system; that no specific instructions were given, that while
reports were made within the units to which I belonged, I do not know
of the progress of these reports to or within higher bodies ; that I formed
the conclusion that this so-called "mass espionage" was conducted
more for the purpose of "activating" members, that is, giving them
something to do in which they felt a sense of importance, rather than
for the purpose of obtaining a mass of detail on, for instance, the
operation of the Works Progress Administration;
That during the time I was in the Communist Party and attached to
official units thereof, the so-called ' ' party line ' ' was transmitted to unit
members through what was termed an * * Org ' ' letter, or a mimeographed
letter supposedly compiled in the county headquarters of the Com-
munist Party in Los Angeles and sent to all the unit organizers thereof ;
That during my attendance, such "Org" letters were read to Unit
131 at each meeting thereof by Walter McElroy, the organizer of that
Unit, to Unit 130 at each meeting thereof by Leona McGenty, the
174 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
organizer thereof, and to Unit 140 by Herbert Klein, the organizer
thereof ;
That during the time I was in the Communist Party as a full-fledged
member, that is, from January, 1937, to August, 1938, that the general
" party line" for the world was "collective security," that is, the
collaboration of all governments and agencies within countries who
could be persuaded to enter such an arrangement, against Nazi Ger-
many and Fascist Italy;
That within United States, according to official Communist Party
literature which I read and according to the aforementioned "Org"
letters, the application of the " collective security" line meant: (1) Boy-
cotting German-made merchandise as well as, for a while, boycotting
Japanese-made goods, especially silk stocks; (2) any and all possible
assistance to Loyalist Spain in its fight against Franco; (3) all possible
propaganda vituperation against these aforementioned indicated ene-
mies at any and all times by all members of the Communist Party, in
writings, in speeches, in conversations with individuals; that these
"smear" terms were handed down to us as official terminology by
which to refer to not only the aforementioned governments but also to
other enemies of the Communist Party whom the Communist Party
officially wished to link with these governments and ideologies; for
instance, to apply the term ' ' Fascist " to an individual did not mean to
a Communist Party member that the person so titled was a member of
the Fascist Party of Italy, but that he was a person who was to be "iso-
lated" from general society and that the use of that term, which had
been officially smeared by the Communist International would mean the
social destruction of the individual ; that the same was true of the term
"Nazi" or "Hitlerite";
That there were many, many ramifications of the application of said
1 i collective security ' ' line of the Communist Party, but that this serves
to illustrate the manner in which the Communist Party operates within ;
COMMUNIST OATH
That at the time I took the oath of membership into the Communist
Party said oath was very vague in terminology and that I had no idea
of what would be required of me by my signature to it ; that as I recall
it I agreed merely to abide by the discipline of the Communist Party
and to accept its decisions;
That at a later date during which time I was a member of the Com-
munist Party, I attended a general membership meeting of the Commu-
nist Party of Los Angeles County at the Embassy Auditorium in Los
Angeles and heard about 200 new members take the oath, and that
in said ritual these new members swore with upraised fists (in the
Communist salute) that they would consider the Soviet Union their
country and that they swore full allegiance to said Soviet Union;
That throughout the time I was in the Communist Party all teachings
were slanted in such a way that a member could not possibly believe
the allegiance of the Communist Party officially was to any country or
government other than the Soviet Union; that the aforementioned
Soviet Union, as a government, as the headquarters of the Communist
International,, as the originator of both political and cultural ideology,
COMMUNISM 175
was the sacred country of the world; that all other governments were
criticized, labelled as " Fascist," "imperialist" or "bourgeois"; that
the latter term was most frequently applied to the Government of
United States;
That in New Members Class Sid Davidson (Martin) gave us the
explanation that all "capitalist" governments must be overthrown
eventually before a world Soviet government could be established ; that
his wording was vague and his meaning unclear, and that only after I
became aware of the operations and the terminology of the Communist
Party did I understand his meaning; that he explained that within
United States the "progressive" forces were in a position to capture
key Government positions during the Roosevelt regime, and that such
"progressive" forces must defend their "progressive" government
against "reaction," by arms if necessary; that it was not until my
aforementioned conversation with Dr. V. A. K. Tashjian with refer-
ence to the aims of the Popular Front and at which time he informed
me that Communist Party members of long standing understood the
Government of United States must be overthrown, that I fully compre-
hended the meaning of the terms used in New Members Class by Sid
Davidson (Martin) ;
That I have formed many conclusions about the nature of the Com-
munist Party, none of which are favorable to it; but that I realize
from observation that it is a powerful force within the United States
for the reason that it attracts not only the social misfits of the "gang-
ster" type, but a large per cent of unassimilated Europeans and Asiatics
for which people in the United States have the deepest sympathy and
respect, and also that it so cleverly couches its propaganda that it wins
the devotion of many honest Americans who have not the educational
background and mental balance to think for themselves ; that it attracts
opportunists, satellites and sycophants because of its strength, and that
it presents one of the major problems of the United States today.
Dated this twenty-third day of November, 1942.
RENA M. VALE
[SEAL]
Subscribed and sworn to before me this twenty-third day of Novem-
ber, 1942.
J. H. GOSLING
Notary Public in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of Cali-
fornia.
PART II
THE KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE
On November 28, 1941 three men, who were serving a minimum
sentence set by the California Prison Board of Terms and Paroles, of
20 years, were suddenly and unexpectedly paroled from San Quentin
Prison. These men were Earl King, Frank Conner and E. G. Ramsay.
On the day the men were released, a statement by the Attorney
General, Earl Warren, appeared in most of the daily newspapers in
California. The statement of the Attorney General is as follows:
' * The release of King, Ramsay and Conner is an outrage
to public decency and a blow against the security of
human life in California. These men initiated the brutal
murder of a law abiding citizen without provocation and
while he was peaceably engaged in earning a living for
his wif e and three babies. They didn 't give him a chance
for his life. He was beaten with blunt instruments and
hacked with knives until he was dead in his own living
quarters on the Steamship Point Lobos where the assas-
sins laid in wait for him. King, Ramsay and Conner were
fairly convicted by a jury, sentenced by the judge, their
conviction affirmed by the appellate courts and now their
guilt is vouched for by the very parole board that today
released them after only four years and some months of
imprisonment. Human life has indeed been cheapened !
The murderers are free today, not because they are reha-
bilitated criminals, but because they are politically power-
ful Communistic radicals. Their parole is the culmina-
tion of a sinister program of subversive politics, attempted
bribery, terrorism and intimidation which has evidenced
itself in so many ways during the past three years."
This statement by the Attorney General of the State of California,
emphatic and certain, brought the matter under the jurisdiction of the
committee. Public hearings were immediately opened in the Civic
Auditorium in the City of San Francisco December 1, 1941, and ended
with the examination of certain prisoners at San Quentin Prison,
December 6, 1941.
Witnesses subpenaed and examined in this investigation are as
follows :
George E. Bodle Clinton T. Duffy
Louise R. Bransten Frank P. Foisie
Archie Brown Booth B. Goodman
Manuel Cabral Aubrey Grossman
John E. Chadwick Matthew G. Guidera
C. L. Doose Ralph E. Hoyt
(176)
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 177
Miles G. Humphrey Dr. David G. Schmidt
Don Morton William Schneiderman
John Mustak Dr. Leo Stanley
Victor Nelson J. H. Stephens
W. D. Nelson George Wallace
Mervyn Rathborne Earl Warren
David Rodgers
LEGAL HISTORY OF THE CASE
Earl King, E. G. Ramsay, Frank Conner and George Wallace were
indicted by the Grand Jury of Alameda County as principals in the
murder of George W. Alberts.
The grand jury indictment against King, Ramsay, Conner and Wal-
lace, charging them with murder, was returned October 21, 1936, and
the trial ended January 5, 1937. Sakovitz and four unidentified sailors
from the S. 8. Arctic, were named in the indictment but were never
apprehended.
King, Ramsay, Conner and Wallace were tried before a jury in
Alameda County and all four were found guilty of murder in the
second degree. King, Ramsay and Conner appealed from the indi-
vidual judgments of conviction and from orders denying each a new
trial. Wallace did not appeal. The judgments of conviction, and the
orders appealed from were, in each case, affirmed by the District Court
of Appeal, First District, Division One, December 28, 1938 and a
rehearing was denied January 12, 1939. A hearing was denied by
the Supreme Court of California January 26, 1939.
George W. Alberts was chief engineer on a steamer known as the
Point Lob os. He was killed in his stateroom on Sunday morning,
March 22, 1936.
LABOR BACKGROUND
At the time of the killing of Chief Engineer George W. Alberts,
King, Conner and Ramsay were connected with the Marine Firemen,
Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Union. King was the secretary
and chief executive officer of the union; Ramsay was a patrolman of
the union; and Conner, an oiler on the ship Point Lobos, was the
union's delegate on the ship. George Wallace and Sakovitz were
active members of the same union. It should be noted that there
were no labor difficulties on the waterfront at the time of Alberts'
death.
COMMUNIST BACKGROUND
Matthew G. Guidera was a delegate for the Marine Ships, Cooks
and Stewards, A. F. of L., on the Point Lo~bos in 1936. Speaking of
Earl King, Guidera testified (Volume V, pp. 1429-1447) : "Mr. King
has been known on the waterfront for a period of years, regardless of
anything you may hear from others, as an official spokesman and
representative of the Communist Party." Manuel Cabral, according
to Guidera, was a member of the Communist Party and at one time
solicited Guidera to join the party. Revels Cay ton, a member of the
Communist Party, also attempted to induce Guidera to join the
12— L-2275
178 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
party. Guidera stated that lie had discussed Communism with Earl
King on a number of occasions and had from time to time discussed
the Communist Party line on the waterfront with him, Cayton, and
Paul Boyles. Cayton was the Communist fraction leader of the
group. Guidera was acquainted with Ben Sakovitz and knew him as
" Wimpy " Sakovitz. Guidera stated that Sakovitz was introduced
to him as a member of the Communist Party.
New needs, ambitions and policies of Soviet Russia had come into
being in 1935. The Trojan Horse cavalrymen were riding. More
than ever before the Communist Party was desirous of controlling
shipping and transportation. The general strike of 1934 had dem-
onstrated the power of the Communist Party on San Francisco's
waterfront. Communist Party members had made great inroads
into the waterfront unions, and Guidera was certain that his own
union, the Marine Ships, Cooks and Stewards, was controlled by the
party members in it.
Attorney General Earl Warren, who was district attorney of Ala-
meda County at the time King, Conner and Ramsay were prosecuted
and convicted for the murder of George Alberts, testified at length.
(Volume VI, pp. 1643-1693.) He stated that there had been innu-
merable people beaten within an inch of their lives on the waterfront
during this period. They were labor union men who disagreed with
King and his crowd. Many of these men disappeared and were never
found. Some were found, one or two weeks later, floating in the
San Francisco Bay. One man was found floating in the bay, wrapped
up and manacled in a chain just two weeks before King, Ramsay and
Conner were indicted for murder. The Attorney General observed
that after King, Ramsay and Conner were tried and convicted, the
beatings and drownings of men in the bay area discontinued almost
entirely. He stated: "In my humble opinion, it was due to the
conviction of those men."
The Attorney General offered a photostat of a copy of a letter
written by Earl King to Paul M. Sorensen, chief engineer of the
steamship Malama. The Attorney General, in his presentation of the
letter to the committee, stated: "It shows the attitude of Mr. King,
not only toward this man Alberts, but toward other chief engineers,
who were perhaps in a similar position to him. It is a rather vitriolic
letter, and one that shows extreme arrogance ; and there are innumer-
able 'threats — veiled threats — contained in it."
The letter presented to the committee by the Attorney General was
on the letterhead of the Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Water-
tenders and Wipers Association, 58 Commercial Street ; Kearny 3699 ;
and is dated August 13, 1936. The letter is as follows :
"Paul M. Sorensen, Chief Engineer,
8. S. Malama,
Matson Navigation Company,
Pier 32,
San Francisco, California.
"DEAR SIR : We have had a great many complaints about
your attitude toward firemen's ship delegates. We are
putting your name on the blackboard permanently as a
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 179
troublemaker. Our firemen's delegates are supposed to
work in the interest of the Firemen's Union aboard ship,
to see that they get the proper overtime, and proper work-
ing rules, as provided in the award.
"We have had numerous complaints about you, that
you individually take it upon yourself to break our work-
ing rules, and conditions that we are supposed to get
under the arbitration award. When you got into the last
trouble with our men, we asked our firemen to get off the
ship, rather than cause friction between the Engineers
Association and our association. However, we are putting
your name on our blackboard so that we will remember it
at the next violation of our working rules that you try to
impose on your members.
"One more violation and our members will refuse to
sail with you on any ship on the Pacific Ocean that you
happen to be on, and we discover you on this ship. This
is official, so please be governed accordingly if you have
any desire to keep harmony between the Engineers Asso-
ciation and in the Maritime Federation. Any more viola-
tions and we will print your name to be circulated up and
down the coast, as a disrupter of union unity and we will
ask all of our members on any ship that you go on to give
you plenty of noncooperation. We will see to it that your
name is associated with a common cur dog, of the female
variety.
"If you think the Firemen's Union is going to be dic-
tated to by a lunkhead like you, just try one more
violation of our award. We will be delighted to have
you do it, as we would be glad to reduce such ilk as
yourself. I understand that now that you have become a
chief, you have lost all touch with the idea that you
belong to the working class, and you think that you are
a God Almighty. We hope you have pleasant thoughts
along these lines, because you will soon be deflated from
your bombastic opinion of yourself.
"If you want to fight with the Firemen's Union, we
will be glad to give it to you. If you want to pull in your
haunches and be a good member of the Maritime Federa-
tion, conduct yourself like a gentleman, you will find we
will be willing to do the same. Continue to act as you have
and no fireman will sail with you. I don't know whether
you are a 'fink' or not, but you certainly have all the
actions of one.
"Yours truly,
"EARL KING, Secretary."
GEORGE W. ALBERTS
As we have said, George W. Alberts was the Chief Engineer on
the Steamer Point Lo'bos. He was about 37 years old at the time of
his death, in excellent physical condition and stood about six feet in
180 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
height and weighed around 200 pounds. Matthew G. Guidera told
the committee that the chief engineer was very vehement and emphatic
in his opposition to Communism and that he had heard Alberts express
himself on many occasions against Communism and Communist
activities.
From Guidera the committee learned something of the last trip made
by the Point Lobos prior to the murder of its chief engineer, Alberts.
During the trip to the East Coast considerable difficulty developed
with the crew. There were several stoppages of work on the gulf and
Guidera stated that all of these stoppages and difficulties were inspired
by Frank Conner, the delegate for the Marine Firemen, Oilers, Water-
tenders and Wipers Association. Most of these difficulties were between
the engine force and the Chief Engineer, Mr. Alberts. In Mobile, Ala-
bama, the loading of the cargo was stopped at the instigation of
Frank Conner. Trouble also developed in New Orleans. On the way
home, Guidera stated, there was a meeting on board the ship of the
three delegates for the deck, engine and stewards' departments. It
should be remembered that Guidera was a delegate on board the
Point Lobos for the Marine Ships, Cooks and Stewards. The question
before the meeting was in reference to activities of the respective unions
when the Point Lobos docked on the West Coast. Guidera stated
that "nobody trusted the 'deck department' too well-' and that the
discussion did not go into detail for that reason. Apparently Chief
Engineer Alberts' antagonism to the Communist Party and its mem-
bers in shipping and on ships had been discussed. Frank Conner, at
that time, told Guidera that he would "have to get rid of Alberts."
In the jargon of ships, shipping and the waterfront, "to get rid of a
man" was to finish him completely, "not just dump him — there was
no such thing as ' dumping' mentioned." Guidera explained that by
"dumping" a man was meant "beating him up and letting him live a
little while." He stated that Connor said, " 'I suppose we will have
to get rid of Alberts.' I know Conner; and I know he meant what
he said; and I knew, when he said it, he had the connections to carry
out what he said. ' '
When the Point Lobos arrived in San Pedro, Guidera sought out
Chief Engineer Alberts and told him that he ought to leave the ship,
relating to him what he had heard from Conner. Alberts laughed at
him. Guidera, however, told Captain William D. Lion, who was at
that time the Operating Superintendent for the Swayne and Hoyt
Steamship Company. Guidera testified: "I told Captain Lion he
should have Mr. Alberts removed because, if he didn't, Mr. Alberts
would not sail with the ship. He paid no attention to me. ' '
From the uncontroverted facts of the case the committee learned
that on Saturday morning, March 21, 1936, Conner telephoned King
at the office of the union in San Francisco, telling him that Alberts
had discharged one Edward Widmer, a member of the engine-room
crew and a member of the union, without paying him all of his over-
time money due and asked King to send a patrolman over and get the
matter fixed up. George Wallace was at the union headquarters at
about the time Conner telephoned to King. King saw Wallace and
asked him if he wanted to go on a job, to which Wallace replied that
he did not and walked away. Ramsay and "Wimpy" Sakovitz met
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 181
Wallace a short time after and told him that he had better come back
to King's office as King wanted to see him. Wallace returned to
King's office with Ramsay and Sakovitz.
Once in the office, Ramsay said to King: "That God-damned fink, he
belongs to some company union and he needs a lesson. ' '
There was some further discussion and King said: ''Go over and
beat him up."
Thereafter King went to the outer office of the union where A. M.
Murphy, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the union, was located.
King directed Murphy to give Ramsay $30 and Murphy did so, after
King told him that the money was to be used for an "expedition
across the bay."
A bludgeon was secured by Sakovitz from the janitor of the build-
ing and given to Wallace. This bludgeon was described as one-half of
a printing roller about 18 inches to two feet long and about four or
five inches in thickness. Ramsay, Wallace, Sakovitz and a sailor
whose name is not known, then proceeded to the Howard Terminal in
Oakland where the Point Lobos was docked. They arrived on the dock
about noon and remained there until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
During this time Ramsay twice left the group and boarded the Point
Lobos. Upon his first return he remarked: "That God-damned fink,
I talked to him and I could not get him off." Conner later joined the
group on the dock. Ramsay boarded the ship a second time, and upon
leaving said to the others: "I'm going aboard the ship and try to get
him to come ashore." Upon rejoining the group, Ramsay stated:
"The only way to get him is to go aboard the ship." Ramsay left the
group a third time, going in the direction of the ship, but came running
back saying: "He is coming." At this juncture a police officer in
uniform appeared on the dock. Alberts, with a companion, had left
the ship and, upon crossing the dock, entered an automobile and drove
away. Upon Ramsay's warning that "You had better beat it," the
men separated.
During the night the Point Lobos was moved to Encinal Dock in
Alameda. On the morning of Sunday, March 22, 1936, Wallace and
Sakovitz met in San Francisco. With them was the unknown sailor
who had accompanied them the previous day. Sakovitz declared:
"Well, I have to go over and get that God-damned fink." Wallace
said that he did not want to go but Sakovitz warned him that he "had
better come over if you know what is good for you. ' ' Thereupon, the
three, Wallace, Sakovitz and the sailor, proceeded to the dock in Ala-
meda. Sakovitz here gathered up two more sailors from the Steamer
Arctic. Conner joined the group. Sakovitz undoubtedly took charge
of the entire expedition and ordered Conner to go aboard and see if
he could locate Alberts. At the same time Sankovitz explained to
Conner and the rest of the group where each should station himself
should Conner find Alberts aboard. They all then went aboard the
ship and took their stations as planned. ^ Wallace went to the starboard
side of the ship near the passageway in which Alberts' stateroom was
located, and was later seen with his hand on the knob of Alberts' state-
room door. Sakovitz went to the forward end of the passageway close
to Albert's door, facing Conner, and the others took various positions
about the deck of the ship.
182 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
George Alberts came aboard the ship with Captain Odeen. He went
immediately to his cabin, laid his cap on the pillow of his bunk and
removed his coat, preparing, perhaps, to change to more seagoing
clothes, as the ship was about to sail. Conner immediately gave a
signal with his hand to Sakovitz. In a few minutes a noise came from
the chief engineer's stateroom, which was later described by Wallace
as sounding like "Ugh, ugh, ugh.'7 In a mere matter of seconds
Sakovitz emerged with blood on his hands and told Wallace: "You
had better beat it. ' '
The deed was done. Alberts lay dead on the floor of his tiny cabin
in a pool of his own blood.
We saw and studied the pictures of Alberts' cabin taken but a few
minutes after his death. We saw the pictures of Alberts' mutilated
body and heard the report of the physicians who scientifically — in cold,
impartial, professional language — told of the wounds found upon the
dead engineer's body and the cause of his death. The committee has
never heard of a more cold-blooded, ruthless and unwarranted slay-
ing of a human being. A hard and telling blow with a metal instru-
ment had crushed the flesh from the back of Alberts' head. The
pictures revealed hard and heavy blows behind each of the engineer's
ears. A knife had been thrust into his neck, chest and shoulder. A
powerful thrust carried the blade of a knife through both walls of
Alberts' abdomen. And, as if this were not enough, the knife was
thrust with terrific force into Alberts' thigh, in the rear, and then
ripped downward toward the knee-joint some nine and a half inches,
severing the great artery. The engineer had entered his stateroom at
about 11 o'clock Sunday morning. At about 11.20 a. m. the ship's first
engineer opened the door of Alberts' stateroom to call him and found
him dead. The killing had been accomplished and the escape of the
assailants from the scene of the crime had been effected in about 15
minutes.
Upon hearing of Alberts' murder, Guidera immediately went to the
district attorney's office in Alameda County and told them what he
knew of the case. He promised to assist in any way desired.
CAMPUS UNIT NUMBER FIVE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
Shortly after the commission of this revolting crime, a meeting was
in progress of Campus Unit Number 5 of the Communist Party in an
apartment occupied by James Burford on Channing Way, near College
Avenue, in the City of Berkeley. (Volume VI, pp. 1783-1794.) About
18 members of the unit were present. The meeting was interrupted.
We will permit Don Morton, testifying under oath before the commit-
tee, to describe what happened:
"Well, there was a knock loud enough — we were in the
center of the apartment; there's a room between where
the meeting was held and the hall — we heard the knock,
in the second room; and Mrs. Burford then called Jim —
that's her son — and said there was someone who wanted
to see him. He says, 'Is it important?' And she whis-
pered— we could hear the whisper; and he said, 'Yes.'
Then he brought these two men in * * * He said.
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 183
'Comrades, two friends are here from downtown
He didn't say they were comrades or mention their
names ; but that we would have to take up a collection to
help a certain comrade in trouble out of town — that was
all that was said."
Morton testified that a collection was immediately taken up and
the two men thanked everyone and left the apartment in a hurry.
About a week later Morton asked a Mrs. Eastman, one of the commu-
nist members of Unit Number 5, about the collection that had been
taken and she told Morton that it was for one of the boys who was
being kept under cover at her place in San Francisco, a chap by the
name of "Wimpy." Mrs. Eastman was very secretive about the whole
affair but told Morton that the underworld knew about the trouble
and that there were four or five involved.
FLIGHT
Sakovitz, Wallace and the unidentified sailor fled to Salt Lake City
and from Salt Lake City to Chicago and from there to New York.
Sakovitz told Wallace that he had friends who would secure passage
for them to Russia. Nothing was done about this plan as far as
Wallace was concerned and he returned to San Francisco.
Ramsay had returned part of the $30 which Murphy had given to
him the day before the killing at King 's request. Ramsay told Murphy
at that time that he was "hot." Murphy, at a loss as to how to
enter the money in the books, took the matter up with King, who told
him he would discuss it with him later.
Immediately upon his arrival in San Francisco, Wallace went to the
union and talked to Murphy. He told Murphy he wanted to see King,
but Murphy informed him that King was away.
The following morning Ramsay met Murphy and Wallace in Wal-
lace 's hotel room. Ramsay turned pale upon seeing Wallace and said :
"For God's sakes, what are you here for?" Wallace replied: "I am
here to find out what the score is." Ramsay stated that he did not
believe the police were wise and that nobody knew who did the job,
because he, Ramsay, had been thoroughly questioned by the police.
King remained absent from the city. Something had to be done.
Murphy made an appointment with Lawrence Ross, the editor of the
Communist West Coast paper, the Western Worker. Ross suggested
that Wallace return to the east and keep in touch with Murphy under
an assumed name. Ross also suggested that Wallace's union member-
ship book be "phoneyed" so that Wallace could secure employment on
East Coast ships. In accordance with Ross' suggestion, Murphy made
out a new union book for Wallace under the name of ' ' George White, ' '
with a notation showing the payment of all dues to July, 1936. It was
then arranged that Wallace communicate with Murphy under the name
of Albert Diekman. Wallace then, for the second time, left San Fran-
cisco for New York.
Wallace, in desperation, wrote to King, first under his own name
and later under the name of George White. King failed to answer
anv of Wallace's letters.
184 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
On August 1, 1936, Wallace again returned to San Francisco and
went immediately to King's hotel. He told the clerk his name was
Wallace and that he wanted to see King. The clerk told him that
King was not at home. A man by the name of O'Neill gave Wallace
$50 and told him to keep off the streets and avoid being seen by
anyone. O'Neill also told him that Lawrence Ross tried to make
arrangements for him to go to Russia but apparently had been unable
to do so. He then suggested that Wallace go to Mexico.
King returned to San Francisco shortly after Wallace's second
arrival and learned that Wallace was again in town. Wallace's union
book was then stamped ahead to April, 1937, and Wallace was instructed
to attempt to escape into Mexico.
Wallace went to El Paso, and from there to Del Rio and then on to
Brownsville, Texas. While in Brownsville, he attempted to go to
Mexico City, but not having sufficient money to get across the border,
he wrote a letter to Murphy under the name of Albert Dickman,
requesting that Murphy give the letter to King and that King write
to him in Brownsville, Texas. Upon receipt of the letter Murphy
told King about it and King said he would take care of it, but failed
to do so,
Matthew G. Guidera, returning from Australia on the 8. S. Mari-
posa early in July of 1936 was elected to negotiate for the Marine
Cooks and Stewards on the Pacific Coast, preparatory to the 1936
waterfront strike. During the time that he served on this committee
he occupied rooms at the Terminal Hotel located at 60 Market Street
in the City of San Francisco with A. M. Murphy, the Assistant Sec-
retary and Treasurer of the Marine Firemen's Union. Thus it was
that he learned of Murphy receiving a letter from George Wallace,
under the alias of "George White." The letter was postmarked "Del
Rio, Texas" and Wallace told Murphy to tell King that he needed
more money to get across the border into Mexico. Guidera immedi-
ately contacted the district attorney's office in Alameda County and
arranged with George Hard, one of the inspectors of the office, for a
dictaphone to be set up in Guidera 's room in the Terminal Hotel. The
dictaphone was set up between 3.30 and 4 in the evening and Guidera
then called King and asked him to come over to the hotel. King com-
plied and met Guidera in the lobby. They both went to Guidera 's
room and Guidera showed King the letter from Wallace.
"You sent those birds over to make a bungle of a job," Guidera
said to King. (Volume V, p. 1435.)
Guidera testified that "King sat and crumpled the letter * * *
crumpled and wrinkled the letter. I said, 'What are you getting
nervous about, Earl?' He said, 'I am not nervous; I'm not nervous
at all.' Later, I asked, 'Why exactly did you send them over to kill
Alberts?' He said, 'I sent them over, all right.' He paused — for a
minute, he paused — he said, 'Forget about it all for a while. Now,
let's forget it'."
Apparently King was suspicious of Guidera. "The night before,
however," Guidera testified, "after I had the meeting with King in
my hotel room, I attended District Council Number 2 of the Marine
Federation of the Pacific Coast, which was being, at that time, held
at 32 Clay Street, known as the 'Recreation Center for the Waterfront.'
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 185
During the meeting, Mr. King approached me and asked for a key to
my hotel room ; which I gave him so that he could arrange to get those
letters. A few minutes afterward, he talked with Harry Bridges and
Rathborne and others * * * I saw him talking to Harry Bridges,
Rathborne and a couple of others. He came back, and handed me the
key; and said. 'It might be a frame up.' I said, 'If you're that
way, 0. K'."
The arrest of King, Conner, Ramsay and Wallace followed.
COMMUNIST CAUSE CELEBRE
Conner immediately confessed his part in the entire affair. (Sep-
tember 3, 1936.) Attorney General Earl Warren told the committee
about Frank Conner's confession. Mr. Warren stated:
"Well, the first thing that developed was the statement
that Mr. Conner made to me, in my office, concerning his
participation in this affair. The statement itself was
made to me about the third of September — a day or two
after he was brought down here from Seattle; and he
told me, at that time, that all of these men mixed up in
this affair, other than himself, were Communists; that
King was a Communist ; that Ramsay was a Communist ;
and that Wallace was a Communist ; and he said that it
was apparent to him that these fellows — referring to
King and Ramsay — were going to take care of them-
selves,, and going to throw him to the wolves; and he
said, 'They're not going to do that with me; I know too
much about them. That's the way these Comicals do.'
He referred to them in that slang phrase as 'Comicals.'
He said that he, personally, did not know that they
intended to kill Alberts when they went in there; he
thought they were just going in there to give him a very
severe beating; and, had he known they were going to
kill him, he wouldn't have consented and helped them
and directed them to Alberts' stateroom at the psycho-
logical time to accomplish this beating. He said there
were a few hundred Communists on this coast who were
running many thousands of good labor organization
men; and they were doing it by terror and intimidation;
and he said, to me and to Mr. Hoyt, after the formal
confession he made, that no matter what happened to
him in this trial — he said, '111 never sail on another
ship with as many as one Communist on the ship,
because,' he said, 'when there is as many as one on
there, it's trouble, trouble, trouble all the time you're out
at sea.' He said, 'They are arrogant; they'll tell you to
do something; and, if you don't do it, then they'll wait
for you and you'll get it on the beach.' He said, 'You'll
get dumped' — which means when they are ashore, they
will have something happen to them, as happened to
George Alberts in this case ; and he told us how that situ-
186 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
ation had worked all over the world; he told how it
worked here on the Pacific Coast; and we knew, of our
own knowledge, of innumerable cases of men — many,
many of them labor organization union men — who were
beaten within an inch of their lives just because they
wouldn't respond to this so-called leadership of Earl
King and his crowd; men who wouldn't dare to come
forward, or go to the authorities, to complain, for fear
the thing would be repeated the next time they went on
a job. You couldn't get any witnesses to testify for
them if they did, because people were terrorized; and
Frank Conner detailed to us that system which was in
vogue; and he said there were only a few hundred of
those people, in fact, but they were keeping — these aren't
the words he used — but he said they were keeping in
bondage hundreds of fine labor organization people on
this coast, who had no sympathy with the thing at all —
and I sincerely believe that is true — the average man
who works on the waterfront — the average labor union
man there — is as fine a citizen as you will find any place
in this country — good law-abiding, family men; but
they have been dominated and persecuted themselves
by Earl King and his kind."
The Attorney General stated that George Alberts was murdered
because he "was a courageous man * * *. He would not tolerate
the domination of King or any of his Communistic elements, and he
refused to take dictation from him. In an effort to prove, to not only
Alberts but everyone else who was similarly situated, that it was a
very dangerous thing to do, Earl King sent these fellows over to do
this job, * * * that's the sum total of the reason."
The Attorney General stated that the Western Worker, Communist
West Coast publication, the very day the defendants were arrested and
before anyone knew the nature of the charge against them, started a
campaign of abuse and vilification against Warren, who was then the
District Attorney of Alameda County. This campaign has continued
from that day to the present time by the Communist Party and its
, publications. (Volume VI, pp. 1643-1693.)
The indictment of the men was attacked by Lawrence Ross as a
"labor frame-up."
Defense attorneys were soon secured for the defendants, with the
exception of Wallace, who refused to accept the counsel selected for
him. He fully confessed his participation in the crime. George
Andersen, who usually represents the Communist Party in California,
represented Earl King. Herbert Resner represented Frank Conner.
Miles G. Humphrey, former member of the Communist Party, knew
Herbert Resner when Resner was the editor of the "Daily Calif ornian,"
campus paper at the University of California at Berkeley. (Volume
V, pp. 1616-1631.) Aubrey Grossman had referred to Resner, in the
presence of Humphrey, as a Communist Party member.
The State, in its prosecution of the defendants, carefully avoided the
issue of Communism. It was the attornevs for the defendants who
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 187
emphasized this point. George Andersen and Herbert Resner par-
ticularly utilized it in their challenges to veniremen. Attorney General
Earl Warren testified that Andersen and Resner asked "whether or
not the jury would be influenced or prejudiced by the fact that the
defendants might be known as Communists or might be proved to be
Communists." (Volume VI, p. 1659.)
Ralph E. Hoyt has been the District Attorney of Alameda County
since January of 1939. (Volume V, pp. 1543-1573.) He was formerly
the chief assistant district attorney to Earl Warren when the latter
was the district attorney. Hoyt had been with the district attorney's
office since 1919 and participated in the trial of King, Ramsay, Conner
and Wallace.
He recited the details of the murder of George Alberts. The chief
engineer had been discovered by a brother officer at about 11.20 a.m.,
Sunday, March 22, 1936. Hoyt stated that the chief engineer was
found seated in a pool of his own blood ; that his skull was fractured ;
that he was disemboweled, and that a long, deep gash had been inflicted
on the back of one thigh. He introduced exhibits and pictures of the
corpse into the committee's records.
King, Ramsay, Conner and Wallace had been found guilty by a jury
in Alameda County of second degree murder. Hoyt recounted the
voluntary statement of Frank Conner made prior to the trial in which
Conner had told of the difficulties he had had with the Communist
Party and of his fear of being abandoned by them in his difficulty.
Hoyt recited the testimony of A. M. Murphy, concerning the Com-
munist Party and its connection with the murder. He told of Mur-
phy's statements concerning Lawrence Ross, Communist Party func-
tionary and editor of the Western Worker, and how Ross had been
contacted concerning money for Sakovitz and Wallace. Ross had told
Murphy that it would be necessary for him to get in touch with the
Soviet Union before passage could be provided for the murderers
and that "there had to be certain underground things done." Ross
had suggested to Murphy that Wallace's union membership book be
' ' phoneyed up " so that Wallace could secure work in the east. Murphy
had agreed to provide money for Wallace and Sakovitz to travel to
New York City.
Hoyt read passages from the Western Worker published during the
trial of the men, showing the strong Communist interest in the case.
The Western Worker branded 'the entire prosecution as a "frameup
by shipowners." Matthew Guidera was branded as a "stool pigeon,"
et cetera, by the Communist sheet.
The district attorney related Wallace's confession and the attempts
made to bribe Wallace into accepting Communist Party choice of attor-
neys. Wallace had refused to let the Communist Party trap him.
Despite precedence and contrary to the usual procedure in reference to
defendants who turn State's evidence, Hoyt pointed out that George
Wallace was still incarcerated in San Quentin, while King, Conner
and Ramsay were paroled. He also presented copies of the Western
Worker and the People's Daily World as evidence of the Communist
Party's campaign to free King, Ramsay and Conner.
Every important witness against the defendants was a member of
a bona fide labor organization.
188 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Matthew G. Guidera, after the expose of the ship murder, was
expelled from the Marine Cooks and Stewards Association. He was
accused of being a ' ' stool pigeon ' ' and a ' ' frame artist. ' ' He testified
that he was expelled without the benefit of a trial. The trial committee
consisted of five members, Guidera stated, and at least three of them
were known to be members of the Communist Party and the other two
"as questionable." Manuel Cabral was named by Guidera as one of
the Communist Party members.
Cabral denied that he had ever been a member of the Communist
Party. (Volume VI, pp. 1729-1730.) He admitted, however, knowing
Ernest G. Ramsay, having made a trip around the world with him in
1935 on the 8. 8. Monroe. He stated that Ramsay had never discussed
Communism with him.
Conner, in his confession, stated that King, Ramsay and Wallace
were all members of the Communist Party. (Volume VI, pp. 1643-
1693.)
When Wallace had confessed he was immediately accused by the
Communists in San Francisco as being a "labor spy." Later they
offered him $5,000 if he would accept one of their attorneys and Wal-
lace refused. The defense attorneys for the others then claimed that
Wallace had no right to the public defender as he had means (which
they had offered him) to employ private counsel. This point delayed
the trial and it had to be decided by the court. It was decreed that
Wallace had a right to the public defender. (Vol. VI, pp. 1643-1693.)
In the late summer of 1936 defense committees for King, Ramsay
and Conner began to mushroom out of closed Communist Party cau-
cuses. (Volume VI, pp. 1783-1794.) Four or five Communist mem-
bers of Berkeley's Unit Number 5, grew into larger committees. The
original members were Herbert Naboeseck, James Burford, Glen May-
field, Aubrey Grossman and Don Morton. Naboeseck was assigned to
contact the unions and gathered a list of 95 members with addresses in
the East Bay area (Marine Firemen's Union) ; Mayfield was assigned
to contact public speakers and to supply them with information ; Gross-
man was assigned to collect funds and to contact faculty members at
the University of California for legal assistance; Burford was put in
charge of education and propaganda and Don Morton was assigned to
writing up the necessary material for these activities. Don Morton
told of a meeting at Mrs. Eastman's home on Derby Street in Berkeley
some time in July of 1936 when Aubrey Grossman reported that he had
collected funds from some 20 or 25 faculty members at the University
of California and that these sums averaged $15 to $20 apiece.
John Gee Clark, immediately after being appointed to the Board of
Prison Terms and Paroles by Governor Olson, took steps to parole
King, Conner and Ramsay. The Attorney General stated that the
Advisory Pardon Board staged a big demonstration for the felons in
May of 1940 and that they crowded in all the Communists they could
find. Lieutenant Governor Patterson cast the only vote for their pardon
at that time. (Volume VI, pp. 1643-1693.)
Mervyn Rathborne denied ever having been a member of the Com-
munist Party or of the Young Communist League. (Volume VII, pp.
2008-2024.) He is secretary of the San Francisco C. I. 0. Council and
a member of the American Communications Association, Local 9. He
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 189
knew Archie Brown and Ben Jones as members of the Communist
Party. Rathborne subscribed to the People's Daily World and knew
Harry Bridges "very well.'*
Rathborne is a member of the King, Ramsay, Conner Defense Com-
mittee. He presented the committee with copies of resolutions passed
by the San Francisco C. I. 0. Council calling for the release of the men.
He also submitted a photostatic copy of a check for $1,500 from the
Steel Workers' Organizing Committee which was signed by David J.
McDonald and Phillip Murray. Rathborne was a member of the execu-
tive committee of the King, Ramsay, Conner Defense Committee along
with Miriam Dinkin, V. J. Malone and George Hardy. He stated that
the committee did not work for the release of George Wallace. He
stated that he did not know if King, Ramsay or Conner were members
of the Communist Party. He stated that the defense committee had
received evidence which established the innocence of King, Ramsay and
Conner uncovered by Aubrey Grossman and Herbert Resner. He did
not know if Grossman or Resner were members of the Communist
Party. He concluded his testimony by stating that he believed the
three men had been framed by the Employers' Group.
The Board of Prison Terms and Paroles and the Advisory Pardon
Board under the Olson administration up to the appointment of Booth
Goodman, who replaced John Gee Clark when he was appointed a
Superior Court Judge in the County of Los Angeles, made little head-
way in either securing a pardon or a parole for the felons. Governor
Culbert L. Olson, after having spent a day with King, Conner and
Ramsay in San Quentin Prison, announced that he had come to the
conclusion that these men did not look like murderers and that he
regarded the evidence against them as flimsy and very largely
impeached and that he was considering a pardon for them. This
announcement on the part of the Governor came shortly after the
Communist Party was excluded from the ballot by action of the Cali-
fornia Legislature. On Friday, October 11, 1940, Miss Anita Whitney
made a broadcast over the National Broadcasting Blue Network in
which she said :
"I would like to ask Governor Olson: When you met
in your own home with the leaders of the Communist
Party in 1938, and accepted our assistance and support
for your election, you did not think we were subversive or
un-American then, did you? When you were elected
Governor with the help of Communist votes, you did not
think that we were anything but good Americans, did
you? But today, Governor Olson, you have gone over so
completely to reaction that you are eating your own words
of 1938. You have found it necessary and expedient to
do this, since you have gone over to the war camp, which
wishes to drag America into the imperialist war,
"The Governor's speech on the radio was hypocritical
and revealed a guilty conscience. He admitted there was
a large section of public opinion opposed to his signing
the anti-Communist bill. He practically admitted there
is grave doubt, expressed to him by some of his own
190 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
attorneys, as to whether the bill is constitutional. He
admitted that the Communist Party is neither illegal nor
is it outlawed by this bill. He admitted that the bill dis-
criminates against the Communist Party, by depriving
it of the election rights that other parties have. He
admitted all these things, and yet he signed the bill, and
wants the people to believe there is nothing undemocratic
about his action."
The Governor had signed the bill outlawing the Communist Party
early in October of 1940. It was about three days later, without con-
sulting Mr. Hoyt, District Attorney of Alameda County, or the Attor-
ney General or anyone who had had anything to do with the investiga-
tion and prosecution of the King, Conner, Ramsay case, that the Gov-
ernor made the trip to San Quentin Prison above-mentioned and spent
the better part of the day with the three prisoners, King, Conner and
Ramsay. (Vol. VI, pp. 1643-1693.)
Governor Olson's contemplated pardon of the three felons met with
a storm of public indignation. Shortly thereafter, he appointed Booth
Goodman to the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles, replacing John
Gee Clark. Archie Lyons had been on the board for about two years
and the Governor, with the appointment of Booth Goodman, had a
majority of the three members. Almost immediately after Goodman's
appointment to the Board, Lyons and Goodman voted for the parole of
King, Conner and Ramsay; Stevens, the other member of the board
voting against parole.
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AT SAN QUENTIN
Clinton T. Duffy, Warden of San Quentin Penitentiary, was ques-
tioned at length concerning the conduct and the alleged special
privileges granted King, Conner and Ramsay while confined in the
prison. (Volume VI, pp. 1806-1818.) Duffy was appointed to the
position of Warden of San Quentin Prison by the State Pardon Board
of Prison Directors on September 1, 1940, and had been acting warden
since July 13, 1940. His position as warden automatically made him
a member of the Advisory Pardon Board. The other members of this
board were Lieutenant Governor Ellis E. Patterson, Warden Clyde
Plummer of Folsom, and Mr. Stone of the Bureau of Identification.
Earl King, Ernest G. Ramsay, Frank Conner and George Wallace
were incarcerated in San Quentin Prison when Duffy became warden.
Duffy stated that he did not know of any special privileges granted
them. King had certain specific duties on the waterfront of the prison
which, Duffy stated, gave him an opportunity to contact persons on
incoming barges. Such contact, Duffy explained, would, of course,
be under the supervision of an officer of the prison. This particular
officer had charge of all prisoners engaged in unloading barges and
sometimes two or three officers supervised the work, depending on the
number of prisoners so engaged. Duffy added : * ' We place some trust
in our inmates."
King was permitted to sleep outside the prison walls because he
was on duty at a donkey-engine 24 hours a day. All of King's pre-
decessors in this assignment had slept outside the walls. Duffy con-
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 191
sidered King capable and trustworthy for this position. Assignments
for such jobs outside the prison walls, Duffy explained, were made
by a committee of the officers of the penitentiary. Only some 12 or
15 prisoners are permitted to sleep outside the walls, out of the 4,000
inmates in the institution. Duffy did not consider this to be a special
privilege although he admitted that permitting the men to sleep out-
side of cell blocks was so considered. He knew of no contraband
brought into the prison while King was on the waterfront.
Ramsay had worked outside the prison walls in the fire department
for a short time.
C. L. Doose, a Lieutenant of the Guard at San Quentin Prison for
about seven months, in charge of the reception of visitors at the prison,
was questioned concerning the visitors who called at the penitentiary
to see King, Ramsay, Conner and Wallace. (Volume VII, pp. 2078-
2083.) Doose identified many visitors' slips and explained the manner
in which they were filled out. He stated that visitors were allowed to
stay one hour which was an invariable rule, although the slips showed
that the visitors stayed a much longer time with King, Ramsay and
Conner. Doose admitted that he had permitted the members of the
King, Ramsay and Conner Defense Committee to interview these
prisoners in his office instead of in the usual visitor's room. He had
become acquainted with the members of the defense committee but
could not remember their names. The only member of the King, Con-
ner, Ramsay Defense Committee remembered by Doose was Miriam
Dinkin. He stated that he did not know of any defense committee
for Wallace. Wallace had to greet his visitors in the regular visiting
room. Doose stated that he only permitted attorneys to see prisoners
in his office and that he only gave this permission on other occasions
for special business, such as the members of the King, Conner, Ramsay
Defense Committee.
Victor Nelson is a Sergeant of the Guard at San Quentin and has
been employed at the penitentiary for 13 years. (Volume VII, pp.
2074-2078, and 2084.) He is a guard on the waterfront at night
and his watch starts at 4 p.m. and finishes at midnight. No barges
unload during his watch. He testified that King cooked his own meals
in a cabin on the waterfront and secured his food from the com-
missary. Ernest G. Ramsay, Mr. Nelson testified, relieved King for
one night outside the wall.
EMPLOYMENT FOR PAROLEES
Your committee was interested in learning why King, Conner and
Ramsay had been released without having immediate employment. It
is generally understood that the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles
never parole convicted felons unless the board is assured that bona fide
employment awaits them upon their release from prison. For this
purpose, among others, the committee subpenaed John B. Chadwick,
a State parole officer since September of 1940. (Volume V, pp. 1631-
1639.) Chadwick stated that it was quite true that the Board of
Prison Terms and Paroles must be assured, in every case, that released
felons will immediately be employed. Chadwick had personally ascer-
tained that King and Ramsay had employment before they were
released from San Quentin. He stated that Earl King had been offered
192 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
a job by two C. I. 0. Unions, one as a longshoreman and the other
as a maintenance man in a union building on Golden Gate Avenue.
King had accepted the latter position and had reported for work.
Ramsay had furnished bond and was released to the immigration
authorities for deportation and the entire matter was referred to the
Attorney General's office. Meanwhile, Ramsay was " working on the
waterfront" handling freight. He was employed by the C. I. 0.
Warehousemen's and Longshoremen's Union in a classification of
employment which was not subject to the approval of the Employers'
Association. Conner was in the Stanford Hospital under the care of
a Dr. French for mental and emotional instability.
Chadwick stated that he had found the unions reliable in placing
men in employment when they agreed to do so upon their parole from
prison. Some unions were very reliable in placing released convicts,
such as the Marine Firemen's Union and others were very uncoopera-
tive such as Local 47 of the Musicians' Union in Los Angeles.
In probing the matter of the alleged employment of King, Conner
and Ramsay upon their release from San Quentin Prison, Frank P.
Foisie, the President of the Waterfront Employers' Association of San
Francisco, was examined. (Volume V, pp. 1342-1349.) Foisie had been
president of the association since 1938 and presides at all of the board
and membership meetings. He stated that no one can obtain a job on
the waterfront unless that employment is considered by a joint com-
mittee of the Longshoremen's Unions and the Waterfront Employers'
Association. He personally examined the records of the association and
found no indication there of an application for employment of Earl
King, Ernest G. Ramsay or Frank Conner for work on San Francisco 's
waterfront. He submitted minutes of the last meeting of the association
to the committee. He concluded his testimony by stating that he knew
the Defense Committee for King, Ramsay and Conner was organized
by the Communists on the waterfront and in the waterfront unions to
secure a pardon for the prisoners.
The subterfuge used here should be obvious without comment. The
board had no assurance that the men would receive legitimate employ-
ment. They were released to certain unions which, according to Chad-
wick, were to secure employment for them.
THE PAROLE BOARD
The committee made every attempt to subpena Archie Lyons of the
Board of Prison Terms and Paroles but was unable to serve him.
Booth B. Goodman, the chairman of the board, testified December 2,
1941. (Volume V, pp. 1573-1616.) Goodman, in addition to being Chair-
man of the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles, was also a Director of
Penology for the State of California, and had been appointed to both
these positions by Governor Culbert L. Olson. He had been appointed
to the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles October 14, 1941. He
admitted that he had no experience with penology before accepting
this appointment.
He presented a picture of a kindly gentleman, befuddled and con-
fused ; caught in a morass of plotting and intrigue. The weakness and
flimsiness of his own position fluttered through his testimony from time
to time like loose papers caught in a wind. It was apparent to the mem-
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 193
bers of the committee that Goodman was continually fitting arguments
and fictions to the board's decision in the case, rather than applying the
facts to the decision. He stated that he had voted for the parole of
King, Ramsay and Conner after a prolonged study of the case. George
Wallace had not been paroled because, stated Mr. Goodman, George
Wallace had fled the scene of the crime and, therefore, was more apt
to be guilty than King, Ramsay and Conner, who had remained in San
Francisco or its environs. Goodman recognized the public interest
in the matter and had heard it said that the case against the men was a
''frame-up." His examination of the testimony had revealed conflict-
ing evidence to him. He wondered why Murphy, who had helped Wal-
lace and Sakovitz escape, had never been prosecuted. He considered
this "reprehensible conduct" and therefore was inclined to disregard
Murphy's testimony.
At one point in his testimony Goodman stated that he was not claim-
ing that the men were not properly convicted although he had so indi-
cated at another point. He believed that the men had started out to
commit a simple assault, and therefore should not have been held respon-
sible for the murder of the Chief Engineer of the Point Lolos. He did
not recall Matthew Guidera's testimony in reference to the plot to
"get" Alberts when the Point Lobos was on its way up the West Coast.
Goodman disclaimed any knowledge of Communist pressure for the
pardon or parole of King, Ramsay and Conner. He emphatically denied
that Governor Olson had ever discussed the case with him. He knew
of no pressure on the Governor for the pardon or parole of the convicts.
Although, in the beginning of his examination Goodman had stated that
he had been appointed to the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles on
October 14, 1941, he became confused later in his testimony and stated
that he had been chairman of the board for 18 months.
He believed that the prison records of King, Ramsay and Conner
were good. He believed that their past records were good. He stated
that George Wallace had a record of previous arrests and that his testi-
mony and statements conflicted on occasion. He did not believe in a
"spirit of revenge" in penology and personally believed that the con-
tinued incarceration of King, Ramsay and Conner belonged to that
category. He did not believe that the murder of George Alberts could
be properly termed "cold-blooded." He distinguished between men
who struck blows and men who 'planned such an assault, although he
believed the evidence in this case did not show any "planning." He
later admitted that there was evidence of a plan to have Alberts "beat
up." Under examination, he later admitted that Conner and Ramsay
did have previous records of arrests, bail-forfeitures, et cetera, as well as
George Wallace. He reasoned that if convicts such as King, Conner and
Ramsay were held in prison unnecessarily they might become martyrs.
He believed that a man like Earl King had been punished sufficiently
by the time served because he had not planned to murder the chief engi-
neer. He concluded his testimony by stating that he did not read or pay
any attention to the mass of letters, telegrams and communications
which had poured into Mark Noon's office in San Quentin, urging the
release of King, Ramsay and Conner.
13— L-2275
194 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Mr. J. H. Stephens, veteran member of the Board of Prison Terms
and Paroles, testified at length concerning the efforts made to parole
the men. (Volume V, pp. 1471-1494.) He stated that Warden Clinton
Duffy of San Quentin Prison took exception to the members of the
Board of Prison Terms and Paroles in making investigations of
prisoners coming up for parole. He stated that this had been the
procedure followed by members of the board for many years. In spite
of Warden Duffy's objections, Stephens investigated the King, Conner,
Eamsay case. He ascertained where each prisoner was working in the
penitentiary, and learned that King had been working on the water-
front and sleeping outside of the prison. Ramsay was also working
on the waterfront and Conner was a sweeper in one of the cell blocks.
King was operating a donkey engine, as was Ramsay, and both
prisoners had ample opportunity to contact people on incoming boats.
Stephens stated that King, Ramsay and Conner first came before
the board after serving approximately two years. At that time, John
Gee Clark was the chairman of the board and desired to parole the men.
Mr. Escola, third member of the board at that time, felt that the men
should receive a minimum of 20 years. Escola and Stephens voted
for a 20-year sentence and Clark, the chairman of the board, voted
"no." The minimum time to be served under a 20-year sentence
would be 12 years and 8 months.
Stephens told of the $10,000 bribe offered to Archie Lyons, present
member of the board, to vote for the parole of the convicts. After
Paul Yarrimain, the man accused by Lyons of offering the bribe, was
acquitted, and after Booth Goodman had been appointed to the board,
the case was again brought up and Lyons voted for the parole of the
men. Stephens stated that they had served only four years and seven
months. He stated that Lyons and Goodman denied Wallace a parole
"because he had a former record," and that this procedure was con-
trary to the action of the board for a period covering some 10 or 11
years. Stephens also stated that King and Ramsay had been released
from San Quentin without the usual investigation concerning jobs,
places to live, and other important matters. The parole officers had
announced that "some one had telephoned" who said that the men
would be given jobs.
MENTAL CONDITIONS OF MEN
The committee was interested in learning the mental and physical
condition of King, Ramsay, Conner and Wallace. It had been stated
that Wallace was mentally inferior to the other three, although it was
known at the time of the hearing that Conner was being hospitalized
in San Francisco. For this purpose the committee examined two of
San Quentin 's physicians.
Dr. Leo L. Stanley has been a physician at San Quentin for some
28 years. He had examined George Wallace and was acquainted with
his physical and mental condition. (Volume VII, pp. 2067-2071.)
He stated that Wallace had shown a pronounced "anxiety neurosis"
at a time when he had refused to see George Andersen, attorney for
the Communist Party of California, Herbert Resner, attorney for
Conner and another chap by the name of Karse, on January 16, 1939.
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 195
Dr. Stanley also testified that Wallace had been struck by an inmate
of the prison, on October 15, 1940, by name of Daban.
Dr. David G. Schmidt is the Chief Psychiatrist at San Quentin
Penitentiary. (Volume VII, pp. 2045-2067.) The usual procedure
with prisoners was followed in the case of Earl King, Ernest G. Ram-
say, Frank Conner and George Wallace when they entered San Quentin
Prison. Dr. Schmidt made the entry examination and his subsequent
contact with prisoners is at such times as they are confined in the
prison hospital or when their mental conditions seem to warrant a
further examination. He also has an opportunity to examine prisoners
when disciplinary problems arise in relation to them. It is the duty
of the chief psychiatrist to make a check on the prisoners when they
are scheduled to appear before the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles.
He testified that Wallace was not mentally active, that he had an
inferiority complex and that his intelligence was retarded. Wallace
had been hospitalized in 1937 suffering with an " anxiety neurosis."
He appeared to have "vague delusions" of persecution and believed
that he was being framed by Communists. The doctor stated that
Wallace had told him that the Communists were interested in King,
Ramsay and Conner but that they were not interested in him; that
they wanted to injure him and were keeping him in San Quentin. The
doctor stated that worry over the Communist situation appeared to
be the chief cause of Wallace's "instability." He admitted that "an
average man" would, in all probability, crack up in the same way
under the same circumstances. He believed that the fact that Wallace
has received poorer treatment than those he helped to convict has
tended to "retard" him.
The doctor stated that Wallace is in dread fear of bodily harm from
the prison inmates and believes they are influenced by Communists.
(The prison records show that Wallace was hospitalized for a wound
inflicted by an inmate by name of Daban (No. 60,069) whom Wallace
accused of once being a bodyguard for Harry Bridges.)
Frank Conner, in contrast to George Wallace, according to Dr.
Schmidt, is "emotionally unstable," which is to be distinguished from
"mentally unstable." The doctor said that Conner felt as though
he had been used as a "catspaw" in the case. Doctor Schmidt stated
he believed Wallace and Conner were not equal in responsibility; that
Conner was of a very simple mind, but a thoroughly satisfactory
worker, while Wallace was of marked "mental instability" and there-
fore not reliable.
It should be stated here that Dr. Schmidt had once classified Conner
as a "moron" in the prison records, and although the questions of
your committee were directed toward bringing out this point, Dr.
Schmidt appeared to evade the issue.
JOHN MUSTAK
John Mustak, a prisoner in San Quentin Penitentiary, was called
before the committee at the request of George Wallace. He stated that
he had been doing undercover work for the American Legion, con-
nected with Post 347 of this organization, located on Mission Street
in San Francisco. He stated that he reported his undercover work
directly to Stanley (Larry) Doyle and Harper Knowles and that they
196 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
had picked him for this work because of his experience in the Military
Intelligence during the World War. In connection with the work,
he became acquainted with Earl King, whom he met at the Terminal
Hotel in San Francisco in 1931, and again at the Communist Party
State Headquarters in the latter part of 1935. He also knew Ernest
G. Ramsay, Frank Conner and George Wallace. His activities in con-
nection with his work for Doyle and Knowles was to investigate Com-
munism. He joined the Longshoremen's Union and was sent to
San Pedro.
Lawrence Boss, a Communist functionary and the Editor of the
Western Worker, selected Mustak as the Communist Party member to
help in sabotaging the Merchant Marine. Ross introduced Mustak to
Harry Bridges and Earl King and was told to take his orders from
them. He stated that Earl King was introduced to him as " Com-
rade " and as a member of the Communist Party. Mustak had taken
the name of "Merich" in the Communist Party and had turned his
Communist Party book over to Knowles. In the Communist Party
meetings he attended, he heard the names of Ramsay and Conner from
time to time as accepted members of the Communist Party, but stated
that he had no personal knowledge of their membership.
He stated that he believed the Communist Party "smelled a rat"
along toward the last of his activities. Although he had fooled them
for some nine months, he stated that they finally kidnaped him and
marched him at the point of two guns to the office of George Andersen,
the attorney for the Communist Party of California. He did not
prosecute his kidnapers on advice of the American Legion. Although
he believed that the Communist Party suspected the true role he was
playing, nothing was done about it at the time. He believes, however,
that they laid the trap into which he ultimately fell and for which he
is now serving time in San Quentin.
In July of 1939 plans were laid to hold up a grocery store in San
Pedro in order to raise funds for the Harry Bridges Defense Com-
mittee. Mustak stated that the grocer was supposed to be in collusion
with the plan and that the money was to be turned over to the men
without a struggle for the use of the Communist Party in its defense
of Harry Bridges. The grocer was to be reimbursed by the Insurance
Company. Mustak stated that he was assigned by the Communist
Party to participate in the holdup and that other Communist Party
members drove him to the scene of the robbery and left him there alone.
Following instructions, Mustak took $1,600 from the grocer, was
arrested and charged with the robbery and convicted.
He stated that Knowles and Doyle failed to come to his rescue and
that he was advised to protect the American Legion and ''take the
rap.'/ He had never been convicted of any crime before. He con-
cluded his testimony by submitting letters from Harper Knowles of
the American Legion and the Chief Investigator of the La Follette
Committee.
GEORGE WALLACE
George Wallace seems to be the forgotten man in the King, Ramsay,
Conner case. He is still in prison. Certainly, if King, Ramsay and
Conner deserved to be paroled, so did George Wallace. The committee
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 197
examined the previous records of all four men and reports that Wal-
lace's record was no worse, in any respect, than the others. We saw
and questioned him at San Quentin Penitentiary December 6, 1941.
(Volume VII, pp. 2099-2112, 2114-2128.) We believe that he has real
cause to be in fear of bodily harm from members of the Communist
Party, regardless of Dr. Schmidt's estimation of his mental condition.
We believe that there is a real reason, and not an imaginary one, for his
' ' anxiety neurosis. ' '
Wallace first met "Wimpy" Ben Sakovitz in January of 1936 at the
Union Hall of the Marine Firemen. Wimpy told Wallace that he was
a member of the Communist Party. After the murder of George Alberts,
Wimpy induced Wallace to accompany him to New York to see Roy
Hudson. Earl King also told Wallace and Sakovitz to see Hudson in
New York City. Wallace stated that he went to New York with Sako-
vitz and there met Roy Hudson. Wallace stated that Hudson would do
nothing for them and referred them back to Harry Bridges in San
Francisco. This occurred about one month after the Point Lobos mur-
der. Hudson gave Sakovitz some money and Wallace and Sakovitz
parted. Wallace subsequently returned to San Francisco.
Harry Bridges paid Wallace a visit in San Quentin Prison and Wal-
lace stated that Bridges told him that as long as he was against Com-
munism and Communists that Bridges would see to it that the Com-
munists in San Quentin Prison "undermined" him. Wallace feels that
the Communists in the prison have followed these instructions. He
believes that Earl King exerts considerable influence over the party
members within the prison walls. He stated that his life had been threat-
ened because he refused to subscribe to the People's Daily World and
other Communist Party publications which, he claimed, are circulated
within the walls of the Prison. Herbert Resner had called to visit him
but he had refused to see him. He stated that George E. Bodle, an
attorney, wrote to him expressing an interest in his case. Miriam Din-
kin, of the King, Conner, Ramsay Defense Committee, came to see him.
He stated that Miss Dinkin "used to hang out here" and that she was
very popular and had dinners at the prison. When Miriam Dinkin
came to see him she tried to induce him to accept her judgment in the
selection of an attorney but he refused. He stated that he told her that
he was not a Communist and never would be.
George Bodle testified before the committee (Volume IX, pp. 2799-
2808) in Los Angeles, February 24, 1942. He stated that Wallace had
communicated with him. He went to San Quentin to see Wallace but
never represented him. He stated that he had no connection with the
King, Ramsay, Conner Defense Committee.
At the time of his trial, Wallace stated, a Robert Cole offered to
secure an attorney for him if he would place his entire case entirely in
the hands of the attorney selected. Wallace refused to accept this offer
saying that he believed the attorney selected by these people would sell
him out. Robert Cole offered to spend $5,000 for an attorney for Wal-
lace, but did not offer him the money. Cole stated that the Marine Fire-
men would raise the money. Wallace did not know that Robert Cole
was a member of the Communist Party.
Rena M. Vale, former member of the Communist Party, (Volume
VII, pp. 2112-2114) testified that she knew Robert Cole as a member of
198 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the Communist Party in Los Angeles in 1938. She stated that his real
name was "Cohn" and that he was the organizer of the Professional
Section of the Communist Party in Los Angeles. He was known by both
names, although he had asked the Communist Party to drop his real
name because he did not want to involve his family.
Testifying regarding his previous record, Wallace stated that he had
never been convicted of any crime prior to his conviction in this case.
He had waited four months in a county jail in New York for trial on a
misdemeanor charge but was released.
He told the committee of being attacked by a man by the name of
Daban in the Prison.
He concluded his testimony by presenting a sheaf of letters written
and received by him during the time that he had been in the peni-
tentiary. He stated that he felt that he had been discriminated against
by both the prison authorities and the parole board. He concluded by
stating :
' ' I referred a question to the last record of this board —
referring to this ; I was an American citizen, and came
into this board, and I respected justice ; but I did not get
justice; I did not have any Communist influence; and I
still have in my mind — that's the reason I didn't get no
break, which I deserve. ' '
CONCLUSION
All of the testimony taken by the committee in reference to the King,
Ramsay, Conner case, together with the uncontroverted and established
facts of the case, brings the committee to the conclusion that the murder
of Chief Engineer George Alberts on the Point Lobos was Communist
inspired and planned. At least King and Sakovitz were members of
the Communist Party. Wallace was merely a tool used by the others.
Conner, undoubtedly, was under the influence of King and the group
with whom he worked and was possibly friendly to the Communist
element on the waterfront. There is no doubt of the guilt of all four
men. Both Conner and Wallace confessed, although Conner later
attempted to repudiate his testimony. The logic of the law governing
such cases is hard to attack and possibly has never been attacked here-
tofore in the many, many similar cases scattered throughout California's
high court decisions. So that the record is complete in this instance, we
quote from the opinion of the appellate court, 30 Cal. App. (2d) 185
(85 Pac. (2d) 937:
"In the present case there is presented no question of
death resulting from the commission of a simple assault or
occurring in the commission of a misdemeanor. There is
here a death resulting from the use of a deadly weapon
which the appellants say they never intended. Such
weapon was, however, actually used, and by one who
joined with them in the plan to beat up the deceased,
which plan they counseled. The question is whether the
use of such a deadly weapon upon the person of Alberts
and his resulting death was a natural or probable conse-
quence of the plan or agreement among the actual assail-
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE 199
ants and for which the appellants may be held liable,
two of them, Ramsay and King, not being present.
The character of the plan is of great importance.
Here, several men set out to beat up another. In the
words of King, he 'sent them over to tamp the chief.'
Preparations were made for trouble. It was known that
he was vigorous and strong. One, at least, prior to set-
ting out on the expendition, equipped himself with a
bludgeon. At the scene of the expected trouble others
were asked to stand by. Not being able to get at the
victim the first day, the majority returned the second
day and proceeded to the victim's place of abode aboard
ship. They prepared and were prepared, to meet force
with force and to overcome resistance at any cost. The
natural and probable consequence of such an undertaking
is homicide, and the homicide here committed by one of
the conspirators is nothing less than murder. All who
combined to commit the unlawful act of violence are
equally guilty. The law makes no distinction between
them and each is responsible for the act of any other
of the party in the prosecution of the original design.
All joining in the enterprise are as guilty of murder as
the person who actually caused the death."
The participation in the case of Lawrence Ross, Communist Party
functionary and the Editor of the Western Worker, should leave little
doubt in the mind of anyone regarding the design of the Communist
Party to make the King, Ramsay, Conner case a celebrated one. The
cry of ' 'frame-up" on the part of Communist publications re-echoed
only in those labor organizations controlled and dominated by Com-
munist Party fractions and expanded "progressive" caucuses. Com-
munist pressure and influence was strong enough to find its way into
the State Government of California. There is no doubt in the minds
of the members of your committee but that this pressure was exerted on
the Chief Executive of this State. The committee concludes that King,
Ramsay and Conner are free today merely because the Communist
Party had obtained great influence in the political arena of the State
of California. George Wallace is still in San Quentin because he
refused to program with the Communist Party.
PART III
SINARQUISTAS
Since the middle of 1941, your committee and its representatives
have been gathering information in reference to the so-called Sinarquist
movement in Mexico and its spread into the southwestern part of the
United States, including California. During December of 1942 the
public became acquainted with this organization through the efforts of
the Communists. The investigation of the Sinarquist and its leaders
and members in California is continuing but, at the writing of this
report, the committee has not come to specific conclusions concerning it.
Data received from Mexico has not been sufficiently checked for obvious
reasons. The leaders and members of the movement in California
have not yet been subpenaed and examined. Because of the anti-
Communist character of the Sinarquist movement, the Communist press
has vigorously and viciously attacked it. The methods of the Com-
munists in attacking every movement that is anti-Communist is well
known and the subject of such attacks are to be given reasonable doubt
in the beginning of any investigation. These attacks, however, can
not be ignored in view of the present world conflict and the present
needs of Soviet Russia. Anti-Communist movements, unchecked,
uncontrolled and in irresponsible hands gravitate rapidly into Fascist
organizations. If history has taught us anything during the last
decade, it has taught us this. Mussolini's Black Shirts were anti-
Communist and Hitler's crusade in Germany was directed against the
Communists. Just as the Socialism of Karl Marx seems to demand
a dictator and a ruthless totalitarian government for its progess and
achievement, anti-Communist movements likewise, wittingly or unwit-
tingly, move toward a totalitarian dictatorship for the crushing of
Communism.
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Your committee is in possession of several confidential reports on the
history of Sinarquism in Mexico, its origin, leaders and objectives.
The committee is also in possession of some of the publications of the
movement, both in Mexico and in the southwestern United States and
California. Communist Party publications containing articles on
Mexico's Sinarquist s and reports in general on the activities of the
organization, have been carefully examined and checked as far as possi-
ble. Many of the Communist articles are obviously vehicles for subtle
libel of the Catholic Church.
Certain facts appear to be well established. The leader of the Sinar-
quismo in Mexico is Salvador Abascal. He is reported to be a man
about 32 years of age. He is a lawyer and was a district judge in a
village in the State of Guerrero.
In 1936 a German engineer by the name of Oscar Schreiter, teaching
at a college in the State of Guanaguato, is reported to have organized
a movement called the Centra Anti-Communist a. Abascal and two of
(200)
SINABQUISTAS 201
his lawyer friends, Manuel Zeremeno and Jose Urquizu, joined
Schreiter's Centra Anti-Communist a. In 1937 Centra Anti-Commu-
nista became the Union National Sinarchista. Jose Urquizu became
the first Chief — El Jefe. It is reported that Urquizu was killed in a
running gun-battle with a government man. Manuel Zeremeno suc-
ceeded Urquizu and Abascal finally succeeded Zeremeno August 15,
1940.
As far back as the Summer of 1941, the Communist press in the
United States asserted that the Sinarquist movement was being
financed by the Nazis. The German origin of the movement appears
to lend some authority to this statement. The articles of incorporation
of the Centra Anti-Communist a under the laws of the State of Guana-
guato was signed by Oscar Hellnudh Schreiter, Adolfo Maldonado and
Isaac Guzman Valdivia. Otto Gilpert and Friedrich Heim are
reported to have assisted Schreiter, in establishing the Centra Anti-
Communista.
The organization is reported to have been semi-military from its
inception. The Communist press charges that the military instructor
of the organization in Mexico is a Spaniard, a member of the Falange,
by the name of Bilbao. The Sinarquist uniform is described as
very similar to the one worn by Nazi storm-troopers. An armband
worn on the left sleeve of the uniform is said to be red bearing a white
circle in which is contained a green map of the country of Mexico.
The flag of the organization is said to be a red banner with a white
circle, also containing the green map of Mexico. The salute of the
Sinarquistas is made by crossing the left arm diagonally over the chest.
The Sinarquistas in Mexico are reported as proclaiming: "Our
leader is chosen by God; this is the keystone of our unity and dis-
cipline. " The official organ of the movement, El Sinarquista, in its
issue of November 7, 1940, declares: "The Sinarquists carry firmly
engraved this truth because it is the cornerstone of our unity and of
our discipline : the Jefe is imposed by God. ' '
The proof of the Fascist tendencies of the Sinarquistas is expressed
in El Sinarquista for September 28, 1939 : ' ' The members of the same
trade or professions unite, constituting corporative groups. Above
these professional groups or corporations there must exist a superior
power charged with ordering their mutual relations and direct them
to the good of the collectivity.' Similar professional corporations must
unite among themselves and must submit to a supreme authority which
is incorporated in the political structure of the Nation. " Certainly,
there is a close similarity in this language of Sinarquism with Musso-
lini's corporate State.
Authoritarianism is indicated in the following, from El Sinarquista
of June 18, 1940: "Among ourselves we do not discuss about what to
do with our strength. Take away our discipline, take away our loyalty
to the Jefe, and Sinarquism is nothing."
SINARQUISM IN THE UNITED STATES AND CALIFORNIA
Your committee has secured a list of the members of the Sinarquistas
in southern California together with the names and addresses of its
leaders and officers. We have learned that the organization contains
branches at San Fernando, Oxnard, San Bernardino, Ontario, Azusa,
202 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Pomona, La Verne, Pacoima, and Watts. The general membership is
apparently made up of middle-class Mexicans. Some of the principles
of the movement, examined by the committee and its representatives,
appear contradictory, and, therefore, demagogic. The movement osten-
sibly stands for religious freedom and the right of religious worship
and is frankly anti-Communistic.
The Communist press carried quotations from El Sinarquista of
October 16, 1941, indicating Sinarquista activities in California. We
quote from El Sinarquista as reproduced in the Daily Worker of
November 24, 1941 :
"Noticias de Toda la Republica
" United States — California — Los Angeles. For 10
days Felite Navarro visited the Sinarquist centers which
function in this region, which less than 100 years ago
formed part of the Mexican Republic. He reports:
September 21, meeting of the chiefs. Participating:
Pedro B. Villasenor, Regional Chief Los Angeles; Por-
firio Rivera, Regional Chief of Northern California; the
members of the Regional Committee of Los Angeles and
the municipal chief of the region. Rivera, Villasenor
and Navarro spoke, explaining the extent of the coloniza-
tion work of Baja, California. A plan of work laid out.
Sinarquist song.
"San Fernando, September 22. Consecration of the
flag. Regional chiefs and Navarro speaking. Local Chief
Jose Macias received them. Oath of loyalty. Showing
of movies. Enormous rejoicing. Confidence, faith and
love. Rivera, Arroyo and Navarro left for the north.
They slept briefly at Baker sfield and continued to - — .
"Fresno, September 23. Meeting in the house of Chief
Piedad Atilano. Sinarquists from various places par-
ticipated. Great soldiers. Movies. Songs. September
24, run to San Francisco by way of Pittsburg and
Antioch. Preparations of meetings at these places and
return to Antioch this week.
"Bakersfield, September 26. Fiery morning. Mag-
nificent group like all those of California. Children have
a disciplined group. All hearts desire the Sinarquist
fatherland. September 27. Invitation to speak at the
party for Iturbide, organized by the Mexican colony.
Triumph. Showing of movies. Sinarquist song.
"Los Angeles, September 28. Sinarquist concentra-
tion. Chief and soldiers of the entire region are present.
Women, who fight for Mexico. Everything to work for a
Sinarquist Mexico. Fight for it from there. Iturbide is
being exalted. Vivas to Mexico, filled with praise. Mexico
ardently palpitates in all those men. Affectionate saluta-
tions for Chief Abascal. And for all the Sinarquists.
Mexico will save herself!
' ' The Fatherland is joyful over its good sons who fight
for it from the other side of the frontier. Viva Mexico ! ' '
SINARQUISTAS 203
In April of 1942 the Vichy Government announced that Jacques
Leroy-Ladurie, Chief of the French Sinarquists had been appointed to
the Cabinet of Pierre Laval.
The above facts, out of a morass of propaganda, Communist Party
venom and confidential reports, investigations and checks possible in
California, together with the examination and translations from the
Sinarquist publication available, definitely bring this organization
within the jurisdiction of the committee.
"ZOOT-SUIT" CRIMES IN LOS ANGELES
The Communist Party press and its members began an intensive agi-
tation against the Sinarquistas in Los Angeles in the Fall of 1942. A
number of Mexican boys had been arrested and charged with various
crimes, including murder, and because of their peculiar manner of
dressing, became known as the "Zoot-Suit Gang." This appellation
was suggested by the style of dress effected by certain of the Mexican
colony's boys and some of the Negroes in the eastern part of the City
of Los Angeles. It consists, generally, of more or less baggy trousers,
drawn tightly and cuffed at the ankles. When coats are worn they
are of an extremely long cut, closely fitted at the hips and reaching in
many extreme cases to the knees. A pomaded hair dress with the hair
grown long and brushed toward the back forms what has become known
as the "duck tail" hairdress.
The first publications of any consequence regarding the Mexican
situation in Los Angeles consisted in a series of articles run in the
People's Daily World, Communist West Coast publication, signed by
Tom Cullen. The first of these articles appeared in the issue of Octo-
ber 3, 1942. Cullen quotes Guy T. Nunn as stating that the Sinar-
quista's principal weapon against Democracy "is to discourage all war
efforts in every way. Their seeds are sown in fertile soil among the
boys and girls brought up on the east side of Los Angeles." Guy T.
Nunn is an employee of the War Production Board in the Minorities
Division.
In the issue of the People's Daily World for October 5, 1942, Carey
Me Williams is reported to have stated that the Mexican boy gangs are
the result of an economic situation and he accuses police officers of
attaching razor blades to sticks for the purpose of ripping the peg-top
trousers and "zoot-suit" coats off the Mexican boys. In the issue of
October 8, 1942, Tom Cullen cites newspaper articles and statements
by certain individuals charging Fascist influence on the Mexican youth
of Los Angeles County. In the issue of October 14, 1942, Cullen
charges that the fifth column of Fascism is working among the Mexican
population, egging on the Mexican youth. In the October 20, 1942,
issue of the Communist paper Mrs. La Rue McCormick labels Assembly-
man* Jack B. Tenney as a "Fascist" and urges the purging of Nazi
agents whom she asserts are operating in the Los Angeles Mexican
community and inciting racial antagonism. In the issue of the same
paper for October 22, 1942, Tom Cullen states that Mrs. La Rue Mc-
Cormick is engaged in investigating the Sinarquistas as the central
point in her campaign for State Senator.
The following chronology of agitation is taken from the columns of
the People's Daily World. (The date of issue is appended in paren-
thesis. )
204 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
La Rue McCormick is reported as stating that Assemblyman Jack B.
Tenney is attempting to blow down the Fascist fifth column working
among the Mexican boys of Los Angeles County. Mrs. McCormick
initiated a committee of 14 to defend Mexican youth and to expose the
fifth column elements using the Mexican boys as dupes. Mrs.
McCormick was elected secretary of the committee, representing the
Spanish-Speaking People's Congress. (October 24, 1942.) On Octo-
ber 26, 1942, Philip M. Connelly is reported as stating that " Crime
waves are turned on and off by newspapers like water in a spigot and
when the city editor is short of news he orders police reporters to round
up attack cases and if the sheriff 's office is not deliberately participating
in the fraud, it is being duped." On October 28, 1942, Philip M.
Connelly, Leo Gallagher, Carey Me Williams, La Rue McCormick, Jesse
L. Terry, George Shibley and Mart Cazares are reported making a call
on the District Attorney of Los Angeles County charging that the
district attorney's office is prejudicing the rights of the Mexicans 011
trial. This delegation requested the district attorney to permit the
"zoot-suit" boys to get their hair cut and to tidy themselves up while
on trial. About the same time Congressman Vito Marcantonio is
reported as having sent a wire to Mrs. La Rue McCormick, stating that
the Sinarquistas are responsible for the situation and are undermining
the morale of America. On November 2, 1942, Mrs. La Rue McCormick
is reported as quoting a Mexican attorney regarding the outbreak in
Los Angeles County, comparing it with a similar outbreak in Mexico
among Mexican youth : ' ' The fault lies, not with the Mexican boys but
with the fifth column working in our midst."
The issue of the People's Daily World for November 17, 1942, carries
a picture showing Mexican youths in the office of the California Eagle,
Los Angeles Negro newspaper, writing a letter to Vice President Wal-
lace, contending that they have no playground to play on. Ed Robbin,
Communist commentator, is reported on November 19, 1942, quoting
an article by Clem Peoples, of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office. Rob-
bin claimed that the Mexican youth is being terrorized by police and
the sheriff's office.
On November 30, 1942, the People's Daily World reports a committee
appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to investi-
gate the Mexican youth problems. Monsignor Thomas J. O'Dwyer is
reported as the chairman of the committee.
On December 4, 1942, Orson Welles, John Bright, Guy T. Nunn,
Carey Me Williams, and others are reported as holding a meeting 011
behalf of the Mexican youth. Guy T. Nunn is reported as stating that
unless the Mexican boys now on trial are given a fair trial that this
case will set back the entire work of the War Man Power Commission
on Minorities.
The issue of the People's Daily World for December 10, 1942, indi-
cates a change in the Communist Party line. This and subsequent
issues indicate a new line of attack, claiming that the cause of the
disturbances among Mexican youth is because of discrimination against
minority groups. The Sinarquista attack appeared to have been aban-
doned for the moment.
SINARQUISTAS 205
On October 23, 1942, an article appeared in the Tidings under the
title "Public Mass Meetings to Be Called in Challenge to Red Anti-
Sinarquistas in Los Angeles." The entire article follows:
"Los Angeles, October 26 —
"Plans for a series of public mass meetings which will
inform the American public of the true character of the
organization known as Sinarquistas and refute the charges
made by Communists, communist newspapers and fellow
travelers that crimes committed by youth gangs in the
east side of Los Angeles are the result of Sinarquista
influence have been made by executive leaders of the
Catholic Industrial Conference.
"The Industrial Conference, organized here early this
year under the leadership of Mr. Thomas 0 'Dwyer of the
Catholic Charities Bureau, has aims which are similar in
scope to those of the Sinarquistas in Mexico, who seek
social justice in the Christian manner and are striving to
stem the spread of communistic influence there. The
Sinarquistas is a purely lay organization, whose name
translated means "without anarchism."
' ' Impetus to a smear campaign by which the Communists
seek to link the Sinarquistas with first the Falangists of
Spain and then with Fascism and Nazism was given in a
series of articles in the People's World, Communist daily
newspaper published in San Francisco and Los Angeles,
which quoted Guy T. Nunn, an official of the United
States War Manpower Commission for the minority
groups, with offices in Los Angeles, as a principal author-
ity for its charges. These were followed by the importa-
tion from Mexico of an alleged anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi
leader, who, while not speaking English, was reported in
the Los Angeles Times to have for his purpose the organi-
zation of meetings and groups that would seek to curb
Sinarquism here. He was introduced locally by Commu-
nist leaders.
"The charges made by Mr. Nunn were emphatically
denied by Rev. Manuel Canseco of the Church of Our
Lady of Guadalupe, who, while not a member of the
Sinarquists responded to an appeal of La Opinion, Span-
ish language daily newspaper, to vindicate the Spanish-
speaking Catholics.
"Mr. Nunn's original statements were published in the
Los Angeles Herald Express and widely republished by
newspaper wire services.
' ' When interviewed he first maintained that he was mis-
quoted but when asked for a correct statement of his
charges averred that he did not want to engage in any
newspaper controversy.
' ' Subsequently Nunn declared that in making his origi-
nal charges he was under the impression that he was talk-
ing with a publicity representative of the government,
explaining that the Manpower Commission had only
206 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
recently moved into its offices, and he was not familiar
with his surroundings or the personnel.
"This allegation was scoffed at by the Herald Express.
"That the Communistic leaders and the Communist
newspapers should seek to smear the Sinarquistas and dis-
credit them as American citizens and in Mexico is evi-
dence of chagrin and humiliation they have felt and still
feel over their unsuccessful attempts to invade Spain and
their defeat at the hands of General Franco.
' ' Their present line is apparently to seek to delude the
public into the belief that those who opposed them in
Spain and who oppose their efforts in Mexico are enemies
of the United States war effort.
"First plans for the mass meetings in which the
Catholic Industrial Conference will seek to meet these
attacks were made last week.
* ' ' We will seek, ' said a spokesman for the organization,
'to provide every public opportunity for any person,
government official or otherwise, to prove any charges
made. We will call upon all public officials of Los Angeles
County and of the State to take cognizance of these
charges and if they cannot be proved will request that
these persons and newspapers responsible for them pub-
licly to repudiate them as in decency they should'."
In view of the agitation raised as quoted above your committee
decided to hold a hearing on the matter December 16, 1942. Resolu-
tions had been passed by the C. I. 0. Council in Los Angeles demanding
an immediate investigation of the situation. It was not felt that sub-
penas were necessary in this case, in view of the demand for the
investigation. The chairman of the committee, therefore, invited Mrs.
La Rue McCormick, John Bright, Josephine de Bright, Oscar Fuss,
Philip M. Connelly and Guy T. Nunn to testify. The committee met
in the State Building in Los Angeles at 10 o'clock in the morning,
December 16, 1942. Not a single individual invited put in an appear-
ance. The letter of invitation sent to each of the above-named persons,
is as follows:
' ' It has been called to the attention of the Fact-Finding
Committee Investigating Un-American Activities in Cali-
fornia, that you have recently demanded an investigation
of an organization known as the Sinarquistas. It is further
publicly reported that you have alleged that the recent
gang disturbances by Mexican youths in the County of
Los Angeles have been instigated and fomented by this
organization. It is further reported that you have pub-
licly declared that the so-called Sinarquistas movement
is in fact 'an Axis fifth column in our midst, under-
mining the morale of American-Mexican boys charged
with murder, and the recent arrest of nearly 200 Mexi-
can youths on felony charges have been stage-managed
by Hitler's fifth column/
SINABQUISTAS 207
"If you have any information or evidence to substan-
tiate these or similar charges, the Assembly Fact-Finding
Committee on Un-American Activities in California is
most anxious to receive same. Therefore, the committee is
inviting you to appear before it in Koom 706 of the State
Building, located at First and Broadway in the City of
Los Angeles, at the hour of 10 a.m., Wednesday, Decem-
ber 16, 1942, and there lay before it such information and
evidence as may be in your possession. The committee is
not issuing subpenas at this time on this matter, feeling
that your responsibility to your State and Nation in this
critical time will be all sufficient for the assurance of
your prompt appearance. "
The above-named individuals sent telegrams and letters stating in
substance that they were not accepting the committee's invitation
because it was "understood" all information had been turned over
to Federal agencies, and that the OWI (Office of War Information)
believed publicity attending the hearing would be inadvisable. Philip
M. Connelly wired in detail:
"I understand all available evidence regarding Sinar-
quistas activities is now in hands of Federal agencies also
that the FBI is conducting official inquiry therefore I
believe it inadvisable and possibly dangerous to war effort
to respond to your invitation to participate in public
hearing on same subject matter further understand OWI
feels hearing such as you propose is inadvisable I agree
with this view believing that Sinarquistas and other
Fascist elements might well utilize publicity attended to
your proposed hearing to stir up additional unrest and
create new strain in relation between Mexican- Americans
and Anglo-Americans who must be thoroughly united in
order to effectively win war."
Although Guy T. Nunn of the War Manpower Commission was
appearing at meetings throughout the County of Los Angeles in
reference to the Mexican youth situation and was reported to have
been making statements concerning the situation, he wrote the com-
mittee that he had been instructed by the chief of his agency that it
would be inadvisable for him to accept the committee's invitation.
A motion was then passed by the committee for the issuance of
subpenas for Mrs. La Rue McCormick, John Bright, Josephine Fierro
de Bright, Oscar Fuss, Philip Connelly, Guy T. Nunn and such other
people as might be necessary, and the committee continued the meeting
until December 19, 1942, at the hour of 10 a.m. in the State Building.
Pursuant to the order of the committee, all of the above-named indi-
viduals were subpenaed for the December 19, 1942, hearing. In addi-
tion, a number of the officers of the Sinarquistas in Los Angeles County
were subpenaed. The representatives of the committee were only able
208 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
to serve Philip M. Connelly, Oscar Fuss and Mrs. La Rue McCormick.
Prior to the hearing the committee issued the following press release:
"The Mexican people and Americans of Mexican origin
are not under investigation by the committee investigat-
ing un-American activities in California. So that there
can be no doubt in the mind of anyone, the committee
wishes to emphatically state its position in this regard.
Mexico and the United States are allies in this present
world struggle and the members of the committee investi-
gating subversive activities hold Mexico, its people, its
government and the Americans of Mexican origin in our
community, in the highest esteem and with the greatest
affection. No doubt of the loyalty of the Mexicans or
Mexican-Americans exists in the minds of anyone
acquainted with these splendid people.
"It is rather significant that the agitation and turmoil,
heard for the past several months in Southern California,
has been raised by American Communists and close fellow
travelers. It is this group that has continuously
demanded an investigation of the so-called Sinarquista
movement, alleging that recent disturbances among Mexi-
can-American youth in Los Angeles are the result of the
Sinarquistas. This same group, headed by a known Com-
munist, La Rue McCormick, has continuously alleged that
the Sinarquistas are dominated by, linked with, financed
and stage-managed by Hitler's Nazis. It is further sig-
nificant that this same group refused to testify volun-
tarily before the committee last Wednesday, when invited
by the committee to do so, and as an excuse for failure to
testify, attempted to hide behind the FBI and OWI (Office
of War Information), on ground that a public hearing
might strain American-Mexican relations.
"Recent articles in the public press quote outstanding
citizens, whose patriotism can not be questioned as charg-
ing that American Communists are attacking the Sinar-
quista movement solely because of its anti-Communist
character. Some of these leading Americans have stated
that the Sinarquista movement is one that merely seeks
social justice and strives to weaken Communistic influence.
"The Fact-Finding Committee on un-American Activi-
ties in California is therefore interested in but one phase of
this matter. We are desirous of learning:
"(1) Is the Sinarquista connected with, dominated,
controlled or directed, in any way, by Hitler or his fifth
column in this hemisphere, or
" (2) Is all the hullabaloo and shouting merely another
smear campaign raised by American Communists for
their own sinister purposes?
"Our neighbors and allies, the Mexican people, both
here at home and below the Rio Grande, are just as much
concerned with this question as are the loyal and patriotic
SINARQUISTAS 209
American citizens of California and the United States.
The Fact-Finding Committee on un-American Activities
in California intends to determine the facts. ' '
The committee met in executive session and Mrs. La Rue McCormick
was the first witness called. The Communist Party background and
activities of Mrs. McCormick were read into the record. (Volume
XIV.)
Mrs. McCormick proved to be a very hostile and non-cooperative
witness. Her memory was vague on most Communist matters and,
although she admitted having made similar statements to those quoted
in the People's Daily World, her recollection of them was very inac-
curate. She believed most of her statements to be true, but could not
give the committee factual bases for any of them. The following is
typical of Mrs. McCormick 's testimony on the Sinarquista matter
(Volume XIV, pp. 3744-3745) :
"Q. Well, we have some disturbances here among the
Mexican youth and people are killed or injured, and
Mexican youths are arrested and then you state that you
believe that those activities are the result of a fifth column.
Is that just your opinion?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) I think that is stating it a little
wrongly.
"Q. I don't want to put words into your mouth; you
state it.
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) I might state this : I think such
things are being utilized by the fifth column in order to
convince the Mexican people that the abuses and injustices
from which, I think, they have suffered for many years
here, should cause them to withdraw from any participa-
tion in the war effort and I think also that there are many
instances in which they are able to utilize such as the mass
arrests of Mexican youth in order to prove to them the
American people are not sincere in their desire to have
Pan-American unity.
"Q. Well, have you any information with reference to
any individuals who have been carrying on that type of
work?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) No, I don't.
' ' Q. Then your entire approach to the matter is clearly
one of your own inner conviction or thought and belief
in the matter?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) That is right.
"Q. Rather than any factual information that you
might be able to base it on ?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) That is right. "
«Q * * * j^ a citizen who makes a statement as
to a certain thing must base the statement upon something
other than imagination.
14— L-2276
210 UN- AM ERIC AN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) I told you what I based it
upon.
"Q. And that was your opinion?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) Yes, sir, and I have a certain
opinion about you and about this committee.
"Q. That is right.
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) I have an opinion about a
great many things.
"Q. Is it a substantial opinion?
"A. (Mrs. McCormick) No."
The personnel of the committee organized by Mrs. McCormick as set
forth in the People's Daily World of October 26, 1942, was identified
by Mrs. McCormick. The committee is as follows:
Philip M. Connelly, State C. I. 0. President; C. Warne, President of
the Local Branch of the National Lawyers' Guild; Al Waxman, Editor
of the East side Journal; Leo Gallagher, labor attorney ; Jess Armenta,
Organizer of the Laundry Workers, Local 357 ; Bert Corona, President
of Warehousemen's Union, Local 26; Jerome Posner, Amalgamated
Clothing Workers; Anthony Quinn, Mexican screen actor; John Bright,
Representative of the Council for Pan-American Democracy; Mrs.
Josephine de Bright, Executive Secretary of the Spanish Speaking Peo-
ple's Congress; Carey Me Williams, Chief of the State Division of Immi-
gration and Housing ; Guy T. Nunn, minority groups representative of
the War Man Power Commission and State Senator Robert W. Kenny.
Philip M. Connelly was the next witness called. Connelly, like Mrs.
La Rue McCormick, was also a hostile witness, extremely faulty in
memory and cautiously technical. The following quotations from the
transcript are typical of the type of testimony given by Mr. Connelly
(Volume XIV, pp. 3784-3785) :
"Q. Then * * * if I understand your testimony
correctly, you have no interest or have you made any
allegations in reference to the Sinarquista movement?
"A. (Connelly) We would be interested and are inter-
ested in any fifth column activities which might manifest
itself in our unions, either to the detriment of the unions
or the detriment of the country.
"Q. Any organization that would be disruptive to the
organization ?
"A. (Connelly) Any fifth column organization, indeed.
"Q. Would that include the Communist Party?
"A. (Connelly) In the event the Communist Party
proved to be such a disruptive and fifth column organi-
zation, it certainly would.
"Q. Do you feel that it is such an organization?
"A. (Connelly) I am in no position to pass judgment
on that. I have no evidence on which to base an answer.
"Q. You have had no connection with or knowledge of
the Communist Party and its activities?
"A. (Connelly) That is a broad question. I have
general knowledge that there is a Communist Party.
SINABQUISTAS 211
"Q. Well, from your knowledge of the Communist
Party would you say it would be a subversive organiza-
tion?
"A. (Connelly) I have no knowledge to indicate it is.
"Q. In other words, so far as you are concerned, or
from your knowledge, you wouldn't consider the Com-
munist Party as a subversive organization?
"A. (Connelly) I have no knowledge on which to give
an answer on that."
(Volume XIV, p. 3788.)
"Q. You knew, of course, that Mrs. McCormick was
and is a member of the Communist Party ?
"A. (Connelly) I don't know that.
"Q. You don't know that?
"A. (Connelly) No.
1 ' Q. Did you ever hear it ?
"A. (Connelly) That she was a member of the Com-
munist Party?
"Q. Yes.
"A. (Connelly) I don't think I have ever heard it. I
know that she was a Communist candidate for the office
which you hold, at the last election.
"Q. That would indicate, of course, she was a member
of the Communist Party?
"A. (Connelly) I don't know whether that is so
or not. ' '
(Volume XIV, p. 3798.)
"Q. You believe then that the Sinarquista movement is
actually a Nazi dominated and controlled organization?
"A. (Connelly) I am not prepared to pass judgment
on that.
"Q. In conclusion then, you have absolutely no infor-
mation whatsoever to give the committee with reference
to the Sinarquista movement ?
"A. (Connelly) I don't know of any information that
would be particularly helpful to the committee. I am
generally advised that what information there does exist'
is in the hands of the Federal bureaus charged with such
investigations in time of war, and it seems to me that that
is the proper place for it.
"Q- But you have no knowledge as to what that infor-
mation is or its scope or anything about it ?
"A. (Connelly) Only in a general way.
"Q. Just the general allegation that the Sinarquista
movement is a Nazi dominated organization, being used to
stir up trouble between Mexico and the United States.
Would that express your knowledge of it ?
"A. (Connelly) Not necessarily. I would not want to
subscribe to your formulation of it, no. ' '
Oscar Fuss was the last witness to be called and he proved of as
little assistance as did Mrs. La Rue McCormick and Philip M. Con-
nelly. It was glaringly apparent to the members of the committee
212 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that the three witnesses, while making positive and spectacular charges
through the columns of the Communist paper, the People's Daily
World, had absolutely no information of a factual nature upon which
to base their charges.
At the conclusion of the hearing the committee issued a prepared
statement to the press stating that the three witnesses who appeared
before the committee admitted that they had no factual ground upon
which to base their former allegations. The Communist press imme-
diately, pouncing upon this statement, declared that the committee
had " white- washed " the Sinarquistas. The fact is, regardless of
whether the Sinarquista movement is subversive or not, the Communist
Party has tied it in with its agitation in the Mexican communities of
the State in order to recruit Mexicans into the party.
Because the testimony of Philip M. Connelly, Mrs. La Rue McCor-
mick and Oscar Fuss touches on various other aspects of this report,
a digest of the testimony of each is herewith included.
DIGEST OF TESTIMONY OF CONNELLY, FUSS AND McCORMICK
Philip M. Connelly (Volume XIV, pp. 3777-3816) is the President
of the State Congress of Industrial Organization in California.
On being read an article from the Communist Party paper, The
People's Daily World, of October 22, 1942, reporting that the Los
Angeles Industrial Council of the C. I. 0. and the Spanish Speaking
People's Congress had demanded an investigation of the Sinarquistas
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connelly stated that he had
no recollection of same.
He had no information of any kind for the committee in reference
to the Sinarquistas. He was, in fact, a member of the so-called "Cit-
izens Committee," organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick, a Commu-
nist functionary in the County of Los Angeles.
He had general knowledge of the existence of the Communist Party
but was in possession of no knowledge to indicate that the Communist
Party was subversive.
He called on the sheriff and the district attorney in company with
Mrs. La Rue McCormick, Carey Me Williams, Leo Gallagher and others,
protesting the conduct of the prosecution of certain Mexican boys on
trial for murder, and complained to the sheriff and district attorney of
the treatment being given the defendants. He is acquainted with Guy
T. Nunn and stated that he saw and first knew Mrs. La Rue McCormick
when he was a reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Express. Mrs.
La Rue McCormick was connected with the International Labor Defense
at that time. He knows John Bright and Mrs. Josephine de Bright.
He stated that he was not aware that Mrs. La Rue McCormick was a
member of the Communist Party, although he admitted knowing that
Mrs. McCormick had been a Communist candidate for the office of
Senate in the last election. He did not know whether that made her
a Communist or not. He claimed that he knew nothing of the Commu-
nist Party affiliation of Mr. and Mrs. Bright. He had no knowledge
as to the Communist Party affiliation of Oscar Fuss. He knew Bert
Corona as the President of the Warehousemen's Union of the C. I. .0.
He has known Roger Johnson since 1937 or 1938. He remembered
Morris Smolan as some "guy" who was formerly the circulation man-
SINARQUISTAS 213
ager for the People's Daily World, but could not state whether Morris
Smolan was a member of the Communist Party or not. He was shown
the sworn affidavit of Rena M. Vale in which the circumstances of his
affiliation with the Communist Party was described. He read the docu-
ment and then denied that he had ever made application to join the
Communist Party or that he had ever, in fact, joined, or that he was
presently a member. He admitted having known Hugh Ben Inzer as
a member of the United Automobile Workers9 Union of the C. I. 0.
but denied Inzer's testimony as to Hans Diebel and Pettis Perry. He
admitted being acquainted with Pettis Perry but could not state
whether Perry had been the Secretary of the Communist Party for Los
Angeles County or not. He denied ever having met Hans Diebel and
denied having a conference in the offices of the C. I. O. with Lew
Michener, Hans Diebel and Pettis Perry. He branded Inzer's testi-
mony as completely false.
He admitted having attended several meetings of the American
Peace Mobilization. He evaded answering inquiries as to whether or
not he was in agreement with the American Peace Mobilisation policy
at the time he attended their meetings, but stated that he was interested,
as was the C. I. 0., in attempting to avoid the spread of war. He
claimed that he had not changed his opinion on this subject.
He was shown an article from The Tidings, a Los Angeles County
Catholic publication, and an article stating in effect that the attack on
the Sinarquistas was instigated by Communists as a " smear campaign"
in an effort to link the organization with the Falangists of Spain and
the Nazis. Connelly disagreed with the article and the committee's
interpretation of it and stated that he had some knowledge to the con-
trary. He stated that he was not prepared to pass judgment upon the
Sinarquistas, particularly as to whether or not it was a Nazi dominated
and controlled organization and that he was " always leary of news-
papers, even The Tidings."
Oscar Fuss (Volume XIV, pp. 3817-3839) is the Legislative Repre-
sentative of the C. I. 0. County Council. He is a member of the Fed-
eration of ' Architects, Engineers, Chemists and Technicians, although
he is neither an architect, an engineer, a chemist or a technician. He
was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and came to California in the
latter part of 1938 upon the request of Alexander Noral, California
President of the Workers' Alliance and the National Executive Board
of that organization. He had been connected with the Workers '^ Alli-
ance in New .York City before coming to California. His duties in
Los Angeles with the Workers' Alliance were those of an organizer.
He held this position up to 1941.
The Dies Committee bluntly branded the Federation of Architects,
Engineers, Chemists and Technicians as distinctly a Communist organ-
ization. (Dies Reports, Volume 3, p. 2050.) This organization has
established a nuclei of Communist members in the various Navy yards
on the Pacific Coast, in airplane factories, and various industries essen-
tial and necessary in National defense.
Fuss stated that he had been trained for newspaper work. His
reason for joining the Federation of Architects, Engineers, Chemists
and Technicians was to act as an organizer for a chapter of that union.
He stated that the organization had no requirements for joining, and
214 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that an applicant did not necessarily have to possess a particular skill
in any of the categories listed in the name of the union.
He was read certain published statements in regard to the Sinar-
quista movement allegedly made by him. He stated that he made these
or similar statements on the basis of information received by him to the
effect that some one "had gone around in the Mexican neighborhood
and had seen signs painted upon the walls or chalked up reading:
'Down with the Jews, they started the war, let them finish it,' and
things of that nature." He could not recall who had given him this
information. He believed the difficulty in the Mexican community is
being caused by a fifth column. He could offer the committee no
further information on the subject. He stated that he was not offi-
cially a member of the so-called Citizens Committee, headed by Mrs.
La Rue McCormick, but that he had attended some of their meetings.
He learned that Alexander Noral was a member of the Communist
Party and stated that he knew Mrs. La Rue McCormick was also a
member of the party. He denied ever having been a member of the
Communist Party himself, either secretly or as a registered voter, either
on the West Coast or in the East or anywhere else. He admitted being
acquainted with Josephine de Bright and John Bright, her husband.
He could not state whether or not they were members of the Com-
munist Party.
Upon being questioned as to how he came to believe "that the Office
of War Information thought a public hearing inadvisable," he stated
that he was told so by Guy T. Nunn over the telephone.
Mrs. La Rue McCormick (Volume XIV, pp. 3738-3776) was born in
Louisville, Kentucky, November 1, 1909, and came to California in
1910. Her maiden name was Mandy. She was very reluctant to admit
that she was a member of the Communist Party. She stated that she
did not accept the invitation of the committee to appear before it prior
to being subpenaed because she expected the hearing to be just a
"cheap, red-baiting meeting." She finally admitted that she was a
member of the Communist Party but refused to state how long she had
been affiliated.
She admitted that she may have made statements similar to those
quoted in the People's Daily World to the effect that "Nazi agents are
operating in the city's Mexican community and inciting racial antago-
nism and corrupting the Mexican youth." She frankly stated that
such a statement of hers was based on nothing that she knew. When
asked if she had any information in reference to any individuals who
have been carrying on fifth column work among the Mexicans, she
answered that she did not have such information. She stated that her
entire approach to the matter was based on her own inner convictions
or thoughts and beliefs in reference to the subject. She had no factual
information in her possession. Although she admitted being acquainted
with Tom Cullen, she did not remember ever having made a demand
together with the Los Angeles C. I. 0. Council for an investigation on
the Sinarquista movement, as reported by Tom Cullen in the People's
Daily World.
She admitted that she had initiated an organization composed of 14
to defend the Mexican boys on trial in Los Angeles County and to
expose the fifth column element that were using them as dupes. She
SINARQUISTAS 215
was not acquainted with any of the members of the Sinarquista move-
ment and was not acquainted with Pedro De La Villasenor. She had
no personal information of any activity on the part of the Sinarquistas
or their members in discouraging participation in the war effort
among the Mexican people, and again reiterated that her statements
were based only upon her opinion, and admitted, in substance, that this
opinion was not a substantial one.
She admitted having made a statement urging the purging of Nazi
agents operating in this city's Mexican community, creating opposition
to the United States war effort, inciting racial antagonism and corrupt-
ing American-Mexican youth, as quoted in the People's Daily World of
October 19, 1942. When questioned upon what factual data or evi-
dence she based such a statement she answered that it was because of a
great deal of anti-Semiticism being spread among the Mexican people.
When asked who was spreading anti-Semitic propaganda she stated
that she had in mind a particular person who goes under an assumed
name and who works for the newspaper La Opinion.
Mrs. McCormick stated that she had seen a little paper called El
Sinarquismo, which, when translated, was found to contain an article
on Sinarquism patterned after the 16 points of Social Justice of Father
Coughlin. She believed this to be subversive material, and she stated
that she had turned the paper over to the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation.
When asked if it was not part of the current Communist Party line
to stir up matters among minority groups in order to make the Com-
munist Party appear a champion of the group, she answered indig-
nantly that such a statement was ridiculous.
Mrs. McCormick admitted that she was a member of the Interna-
tional Labor Defense on the Pacific Coast, but, of course, denied that
the organization was a Communist Party front.
She testified that the meeting called at the Alexandria Hotel in Los
Angeles was at her request and that she had sent personal letters to a
number of individuals in the City of Los Angeles, asking them to
attend. The "Citizens' Committee" was elected from those who
attended the meeting. She was not sure whether Carey Me Williams
and Guy T. Nunn had accepted the nomination to serve with the com-
mittee or not. Senator Robert W. Kenny, she stated, declined to
become a member or to serve with the committee.
She admitted having called on District Attorney John Dockweiler
and Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz of Los Angeles County to call the atten-
tion of these officials to certain abuses and "cases of brutality" in law
enforcement. Under close examination, the witness failed to cite spe-
cific instances of brutality in the Mexican youth cases. She admitted
having complained of police brutality in some instances but stated that
she could give no illustrations or examples. Being pressed for details,
she stated "It was just a kind of police brutality, that was all."
Questioned regarding the size of the Sinarquista organization, Mrs.
McCormick stated that she did not know; that she knew nothing of
the meeting places of the group ; that she had no knowledge of a head-
quarters and that she did not know any of the leaders.
She distinguished between the committee she had been responsible
for organizing and a Citizens' Committee appointed by the Los Ange-
216 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
les County Board of Supervisors. She stated that the committee
appointed by the supervisors was headed by Monsigiior Thomas J.
O'Dwyer.
Being read an article entitled "Public Mass Meetings to Be Called
in Challenge to Red Anti-Sinarquista in Los Angeles/' which appeared
in the Tidings, a Catholic publication of the County of Los Angeles,
the witness refused to make any comment. Questioned concerning the
current Communist Party "line" in the matter, Mrs. McCormick
stated that she was not speaking for the Communist Party. She
refused to either affirm or deny the allegations made in the Tidings'
article concerning the program of the Communist Party in relation to
the Sinarquista movement.
CITIZENS' COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF
MEXICAN-AMERICAN YOUTH
Mrs. La Rue McCormick 's Citizens' Committee is still operating, even
though 17 of the Mexican boys have been convicted in the Superior
Court of Los Angeles on the charge of murder. Five of the boys were
convicted of assault and five were acquitted. It is not the province of
your committee to comment on the trial of the case or on the merit of
any appeal now pending before the courts. The Citizens' Committee
for the Defense of Mexican- American Youth, regardless of any other
consideration, is a typical Communist front organization. The most
recent activity of this group is to expand its agitation into churches,
unions, fraternal and civic organizations. On a printed letterhead of
the organization, giving the headquarters as 206 South Spring Street,
Room 342, Los Angeles, California, Telephone MUtual 4964, under
date of February 16, 1943, your committee finds the following:
"To all Church, Union, Fraternal and Civic Organizations:
1 i Greetings ! This is an appeal to your sense of justice.
"Seventeen innocent Mexican- American boys have been
convicted in a Los Angeles court for a crime they did not
commit. Several have been condemned to life imprison-
ment. These convictions arose from distorted, prejudi-
cial and hearsay evidence and were accompanied by a
consistent barrage of prejudice in the press.
"A leaflet issued by a Citizens' Committee sponsored
by representative civic persons in Los Angeles is here
enclosed, giving the essential facts. It explains the neces-
sity for an appeal, not only in the interests of the 17 boys,
but in the interests of the Mexican- American community
and the war effort. Please read the printed folder at
your next meeting.
In order to give the growing number of interested
organizations an opportunity to participate in the
defense of these innocent boys, we are calling a confer-
ence to launch a wide campaign — including churches,
unions, fraternal clubs and civic organizations — in
behalf of justice in the appellate courts for these inno-
cent youths.
SINARQUISTAS
217
' ' The fight for the freedom of these boys is an integral
part of the welding of Allied unity for the winning of the
war. Therefore we request most urgently that your
organization send two or more representatives to a Defense
Conference to be held Sunday, March 14, 1.30 p.m., at the
Unitarian Church, 2936 West Eighth Street, Los Angeles,
where the case will be fully discussed and action decided
upon in the interests of the court appeal.
"A credential form is enclosed. Please fill it out and
return as quickly as possible.
(S) CLORE WARNE, Chairman"
Clore Warne is indicated on the letterhead as the chairman of the
committee. La Rue McCormick is secretary and Robert S. Morris, Jr.,
the treasurer. The sponsors of the movement are listed, with their
organizations, although a note at the bottom of the letter states that the
organizations are listed for identification purposes only. The sponsors
are as follows :
PHILLIP CONNELLY
C.I.O. State President
AL WAXMAN
East side Journal
LEO GALLAGHER
Lawyers' Guild
BERT CORONA
Warehouseman's Union
JEROME POSNER
Amalgamated Clothing
Workers9 Union
JESSE ARMENTA
Laundry Workers' Union
GRAY BEMIS
International Workers'
Order
MRS. WILL ROGERS, JR.
CHARLOTTE BASS
California Eagle
" — 3B
GUY NUNN
Minorities Group Div. War
Production Board
JOHN BRIGHT
Council Pan-American
Democracies
JOSEPHINE FIERRO DE BRIGHT
Spanish Speaking People's
Congress
HERBERT GANAHL
Lawyers' Guild
DOROTHY COMINGORE
Screen Artist's Guild
MlNNABELL CLINE
Screen Office and Employees'
Guild
OSCAR Fuss
C.I.O. Legislative Director
ROSE HARMON
CAREY Me WILLIAMS
State Department Immigration
and Housing
ROGER CARDONA
President Victory Youth Club
STEWART NEIL
U. C. L. A. Quaker Group
PART IV
NAZI ACTIVITIES
1
HISTORY
The activities of Hitler's agents, supporters and sympathizers in
the United States and in California can not be understood without
some slight knowledge of the history of the rise of Naziism and the
theories upon which it is based. The members of the committee and
its representatives have found it necessary to read and study, not only
the pamphlets issued by the German-American Bund and its fronts
in the United States, but translations of original sources, such as
Mein Kampf by Adolph Hitler himself, the Programme of the Party
of Hitler by Gottfried Feder, the Nazi Primer, by Brennecke, the
Official Handbook for Schooling the Hitler Youth, and others.
The German Social Democratic Party, chief support of the Weimar
Republic, was fought bitterly from its inception by the Communist
Party of Germany. Partly because the German Social Democratic
Party controlled the government of the Weimar Republic (and there-
fore was to be destroyed), and partly because of the reformist character
of the party, the Communists of Germany, under the domination of
the Comintern, fought it with their usual venom and hatred. Thus,
the German Republic in its infancy was doomed. Officers of the former
Imperial army were used by the Social Democrats in the government
for organizing the army of the Reichswehr. The new republic retained
the judiciary of the exiled Kaiser, most of the diplomatic corps and
the former civil service. Few of the Germans carried over from the
Kaiser's regime were enthusiastic over the Weimar Republic and
possibly looked forward to a restoration of the Hohenzollerns. The
Social Democrats, bred in the ways of the old Imperial government of
Germany, did little, in fact, to differentiate the new republic from
the regime of the Kaiser. The Democratic system of the republic never
worked satisfactorily. Mr. Michael T. Florinsky, in Fascism and
National Socialism, points out that between February, 1919, and Janu-
ary, 1933, Germany had 21 cabinets headed by 12 chancellors. The
nation broke itself up into innumerable political parties and 38 of
them participated in the Reichstag elections in 1932.
While the Communists were busily fighting, sabotaging and under-
mining the Weimar Republic and the Social Democrats of Germany,
Adolph Hitler in September of 1919 was forming what he was pleased
to call a "Labor" Party. He named it the National Sozialistische
Deutsche Arbeit er Partei, the National Socialist German Workers'
Party. It became known as the N. S. D. A. P. or the Nazi Party. In
1921 the first groups or cells were formed in Rosenheim and Landshut,
Bavaria, and the first unit of the Sturm Abteilung (S. A.), or Storm
(218)
NAZI ACTIVITIES 219
Troops, were organized. Because they wore brown shirts they became
known as the S. A. Brown Shirts. In October of 1922 Hitler's Nazis
secured control of Munich, Bavaria, and marched to Coburg. The
first Nazi Party Congress was held in January of 1923 ; the first flags
of the party were "consecrated" and the S. A. formally established.
During the Summer of 1923 Hitler's Storm Troopers terrorized most
of Bavaria, fighting both the Social-Democrats and the Communists.
In November of 1923, Hitler's attempt to overthrow the government
by his "putsch" on Munich failed and he was arrested. He was tried
in Munich, convicted and sentenced to Landsberg Prison in March
of 1924, where he languished until December of that year. Returning
to his agitation he continued unmolested until the latter part of 1925
when a decree was issued prohibiting his speaking in public for a
period of two years. He, nevertheless, continued to work underground
and to perfect his organization. In August of 1926 the Nazi Party
held its Congress in Nuremberg.
The order forbidding Hitler to speak in public was withdrawn in
1927. The second Nazi Congress met at Nuremberg on August
4, 1929. The Storm Troopers were increased in numbers and the S. S.
(8 'chut :z Staff el), black-shirted troops, were organized as a bodyguard
for Hitler. Herr Feder states that Hitler now "stood forth without
a rival as the most powerful leader against all that was meant by
'Democracy. ' : The Reichstag elections took place September 14, 1930,
and the Nazi Party polled six and one-half million votes and elected
107 members. In July of 1932 the Nazi Party rolled up over thirteen
million votes and gained 230 seats in the Reichstag. On January 30,
1933, Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor. In October of that year
he withdrew Germany from the League of Nations and signed a Con-
cordat with Pope Pius XI guaranteeing the Catholic Church religious
freedom in the Reich. On January 26, 1934, he signed a 10-year non-
aggression pact with Poland. Dollfuss was murdered in an unsuccess-
ful Nazi coup in Austria July 25, 1934. On August 1, 1934, Hitler
became President of the Third Reich following the death of Von
Hindenburg and assumed the official title Fuehrer and Kanzler.
Hitler's National Socialist State still seemed a dream when he
became Chancellor of Germany under von Hindenburg. His cabi-
net, in addition to himself, included only two National Socialists, Frick
and Goering. Frick, as Minister of the Interior of the Reich and
Goering, as Minister of the Interior of Prussia, commanded all of the
police forces of Germany. Hitler's new government dissolved the
Reichstag and new elections were ordered for March 5, 1933. On
February 27, 1933, the building of the Reichstag was discovered to be
on fire and Hitler hailed this as a signal for a general Communist
uprising. It was immediately used as a pretext for ruthless and
vicious attacks on all "Marxists" and German Communists. The fol-
lowing day, February 28, 1933, President von Hindenburg suspended
the provisions of the constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech,
press and assembly. The police were given unlimited powers over the
populace and alleged offenders. In this chaos of terror and tension
the Reichstag elections were held. The National Socialists (Nazis)
polled over seventeen million votes and gained 288 seats. Many of
the Social Democrats and Communist deputies were now either in
220 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
prison or hiding. On March 24, 1933, the so-called "Enabling Act,
a Law to Combat the Misery of the People and of the Reich" was
enacted unanimously by the votes of all parties except the Social
Democrats. This law gave the government unlimited powers which it
immediately assumed. New courts were established and all means of
communication and information were immediately placed under the
control of the Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment, Dr. Goeb-
bels. Universities and schools were placed under the supervision of
the Minister of Education, Dr. Rust. The political parties of Germany
dissolved or faded into insignificance. On July 14, 1933, the National
Socialist Party (Nazis) was made the official party of the Reich and it
became a criminal offense to establish, or to attempt to establish, a new
party. The trade unions which had formerly supported the Social
Democratic Party, were now taken over by the Nazis. The labor
leaders were arrested and their offices and press appropriated by
trusted Nazis. On December 1, 1933, the National Socialist Party was
incorporated in the machinery of the government. Each of the states
of the Reich was placed under a Reichskommissar, and by a law of
April 17, 1933, the duties of the Reichskommissar were committed to a
Statthalter who was a personal representative of Hitler and appointed
on his recommendation by the president. The Statthalters were given
virtual dictatorial powers.
In January of 1934, the last vestige of democratic economy within
the states of the Reich was transferred to the Reich itself. Thus,
upon the death of President von Hindenburg, the supreme executive
and legislative power of Germany became concentrated in the hands
of Adolph Hitler.
In addition to building up the Nazi armies, the Nazi Party has
provided efficient forces for the internal enemies of the Third Reich.
These consist of the S. A. (Sturm Abteilung), Hitler's early Brown-
Shirt Storm Troopers; the S. S. (8 chut z Staff el), the black-shirted
troops constituting Hitler's own particular army and bodyguards; the
Gestapo (Geheime Staats Polizei), the Secret State Police, and the
regular police forces of the Third Reich. A new organization, reported
to have been created in January or February of 1943 by Himmler, is
known as the Landwache. This organization is apparently a militia
of members of the Nazi Party still in civilian life and was undoubtedly
created for the purpose of subduing opposition or war-weariness on
the part of the German people.
On June 18, 1935, Hitler signed a naval agreement with Great
Britain. In March of the same year he established universal com-
pulsory military service in the Third Reich. In 1936 he entered into an
"Anti-Comintern Agreement" with Japan. In 1937 Italy joined the
Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan and Germany. In September of that
year Mussolini traveled to Berlin and established the "Berlin-Rome
Axis." On March 13, 1938, Austria was incorporated into the Third
Reich. On September 30, 1938, the famous Munich Conference
between Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier and Mussolini took place. The
Sudeten area was wrested from Czechoslovakia and Hitler gave his
personal guarantee that he had no further territorial demands in
Europe. On October 10, 1938, the Nazis occupied the Sudeten area.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 221
On October 24, 1938, Hitler demanded the return of the Polish Cor-
ridor from Poland and Poland refused. On November 10, of the same
year, he launched his first nation-wide "Jewish-Pogrom" and insti-
tuted organized persecution, including mutilation and murder of Jewish
men, women and children. The first official confiscation of Jewish
property began.
In January, 1939, Hitler repeated his demands for the Polish Cor-
ridor and Poland again refused. In March, Hitler invaded Bohemia
and Moravia and Memel territories, and again demanded the Polish
Corridor and Danzig from Poland. Poland refused for the third time.
On March 29, 1939, Chamberlain pledged Poland military support in
the event of a Nazi attack. On August 22, 1939, Hitler signed a non-
aggression pact with Stalin and on September 1, invaded Poland. On
the ninth of April, 1940, the Nazi armies invaded Denmark and Nor-
way. On May 10, the occupation of Holland began and was completed
in five days. The occupation of Belgium was completed in 18 days
and on May 29 to June 4, 1940, the evacuation of British troops from
Dunkirk took place. France surrendered in July of 1940 and the Nazi
troops invaded Rumania. Nazi military occupation in Hungary and
Bulgaria followed in the Winter of 1940-1941 and on April 6, 1941,
Hitler attacked Yugoslavia and Greece. On June 22, 1941, Nazi
troops invaded Russia. December 11, 1941, Germany declared war on
the United States.
2
THEORY
The average human being, nurtured in an atmosphere of decency
and surrounded by the culture and humanity of American civilization,
may well inquire as to the causes underlying the brutalizing of the
people of Germany. The committee, in attempting to understand the
actions of Hitler's agents in California, have asked themselves these
questions. The answers are not at all satisfactory.
The Programme of the Party of Hitler, by Gottfried Feder, boldly
and unashamedly, lays down the objectives of Hitler and his so-called
National Socialist German Workers' Party. Section two of the pro-
gram of the Nazi Party declares the twenty-five points of Naziism as
being inalterable. The mainsprings of the machine which catapulted
the mad house-painter Schicklegruber into his bloody surge over
Europe demands investigation.
The union of all Germans for the formation of a Greater Germany
is the first and foremost objective laid down for the New Order. The
Nordic myth is a unique and outstanding cornerstone of the entire
Nazi philosophy. Point four of the so-called program provides that
only those of German blood, regardless of creed, may be members of
the Nation and only members of the Nation may be citizens of the
State. A Jew, therefore, may not be a citizen of the State because
he may not be a member of the Nation. Only a citizen of the Third
Reich has franchise and only citizens have a right to hold any position
in its government. Point seven is interesting, in that it provides that
if the State is not able to nourish the entire population then non-
citizens are to be excluded from the Reich. Point eight prohibits non-
German immigration and orders the deportation of all non-Germans
222 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
who entered Germany subsequent to August 2, 1914. Point ten pro-
vides that the activities of the individual are not to clash with the
interests of the whole, thus relegating the individual to a mere creature
of the State. Point thirteen provides for the nationalization of all
businesses. Point nineteen abolishes the Roman Law and provides for
the substitution of a legal system for all Germany. Point twenty
wipes out old educational systems and provides for its reconstruction
in conformity with Nazi theory. Point twenty -five restricts journalism
to members of the Nation and sets up a strict censorship over the press
generally. Non-Germans are prohibited from participation, either
financially or otherwise, in influencing German newspapers. This
point also forbids the publishing of papers which do not accept the
Nazi philosophy and its provisions are extended to literature and art.
Point twenty-five guarantees liberty for all religious denominations in
the Reich, "so far as they are not a danger to it and do not militate
against the moral feelings of the German race.'9 Point twenty-five
plans the creation of the Nazi dictatorship. The leaders of the Nazi
Party swore to sacrifice their lives in fulfilling the entire program.
The dismissal of the Jews and non-Germans from responsible posi-
tions, not only in the government, but in public life, is boldly announced
as an important objective. Herr Feder in elaborating on the twenty-
five points of the Nazi program, states: "The main battle is one
between two world theories, represented by two essentially differing
structures — the spirit which has created is creative, and the unquiet,
grasping spirit. The creative spirit, deep-rooted, but superior to the
rest of the world in spiritual experience, is carried mainly by the
Aryan race; the grabbing spirit, without roots anywhere, aiming only
at material things, commercial, is chiefly represented by the Jews.
* * * National Socialism, like anti-Semitism, regards the Jewish
materialistic spirit as the chief cause of the evil; it knows, however,
that this greatest struggle in history must not stop short of merely
destroying the Semitic spirit *."
Thus, it may be seen from the official program of the Nazi Party
itself, that racial hatred, directed particularly at the Jews as a scape-
goat for the world's ills, unleashes the brutality of prejudice and the
greed for loot.
The policy of the Third Reich, as stated in the principle of the Nazi
Party, is extended to embrace all branches of the German race — "All
of German blood, whether living under French, Danish, Polish, Czech
or Italian sovereignty, shall be united in a German Reich * * *.
We claim all the Germans in Sudetan Germany, Alsace-Lorraine,
Poland, the League Colony of Austria, and the states which succeeded
to the old Austria. "
The foreign policy is stated thus: "It is usually the best, most
industrious and venturesome — engineers, explorers, professors, mer-
chants, doctors — who go into foreign lands, carrying German Kultur
with them. They are members of the great German National family, to
which they must never be lost. They have a right to expect protection
from home when they are abroad. They should be not merely dissemina-
tors of Kultur, but the conscious advance guard of the Germanic idea in
the world ; not ' apostles of humanity, ' but bearers of the Nordic idea.
Those who represent Germany abroad should not acquire foreign
NAZI ACTIVITIES 223
notions, but stick to their superior German character. Our Foreign
Office must be swept clean with an iron besom. We must finish with
the obsequiousness toward the foreigner after the manner of Erzberger
and Pressman, and it will be seen that strong representation of German
interests will be quite otherwise respected, and attention to German
desires in place of contempt will be the result. "
It may be easily discerned from the foregoing that the Nazi Party
contemplates a German world. While despising the Jew and heaping
abuse and vilification upon him as the scapegoat for Germany's ills,
the defeated, humiliated and inferiority-complexed Hitler and his
brutalized thugs have nevertheless borrowed its chief appeal from the
Talmud of the people it proposes to persecute and destroy. The
Teuton, the Nordic, the German would destroy the people of Abraham ;
ruthlessly uproot and obliterate them from the face of the earth.
The economic principles of the Nazi Party are embodied in the state-
ment that : ' * The duty of the State is to provide the necessaries of life
and not to secure the highest possible profit or capital." It allegedly
differs from Communism, in that it recognizes private property as a
principle and professes to protect it by law. It proposes to set a limit
on the massing of wealth in the hands of individuals. Every German
is obliged to work for Germany and all businesses are nationalized, thus
bringing them under the strict supervision of the Nazi Government.
Usury, profiteering and personal enrichment at the expense and injury
of the nation is punishable with death and compulsory labor is imposed
upon every German for a period of one year. The Reichsbank is
nationalized and projects are to be financed by the issuing of noninter-
est-bearing State bonds or without the use of money.
Old age insurance is proposed by the nationalization of the system
of annuities professing to assure every member of the German State
a sufficient pension upon the attainment of a given age, or, if perma-
nently disabled, before that age. Participation by all Germans engaged
in productive enterprises in the profits according to age and efficiency,
as well as responsibility in the fulfilling of the task, is imposed. Hous-
ing, to meet the shortage of dwellings in the Eeich, is proposed by
means of issuing noninterest-bearing loans through the nationalized
Reichsbarik.
While private property is allegedly recognized, the right to borrow
from private sources on security of land is abolished and the State is
given the right of preemption ' ' especially in the case of foreigners and
Jews." This recognition of the right of property is obviously a fiction
in Nazi law. The State is empowered to administer estates in the
event of "bad management" on the part of the owner.
The exaltation of the State over the individual may be said to be the
essence of the Nazi social policy. In the Nazi philosophy the indi-
vidual exists for the State and for the State only.
The three obstacles in the way of Nazi achievements, according to
Herr Feder, were the Jews, parliamentary government and the capital-
ists. Paradoxically enough, the Nazis place Capitalism and Marxism
(Communism) in the same category. Feder states that Marxism is
pseudo-socialism, not founded on common sense or on any "social"
idea. He further states that "Marxism is an expression of capitalistic
224 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
treason. Capitalistic, because when a society founded on individual-
ism has fallen into chaos, it of necessity falls under the sway of the
great financial magnate." Herr Feder concludes his comparison of
Capitalism and Marxism with the following : ' * They grow on the same
intellectual stem. There is a whole world of difference between them
and us, their bitterest opponents. It is neither a class struggle nor
class selfishness, but — our chief law is the general welfare. ' '
We might continue the examination of the Nazi philosophy, purposes
and designs at great length, but the above sufficiently describes the
designs of these modern Huns. From the foregoing, the following
pattern and summary of design may be drawn:
1. The fiction of race superiority. This fiction exalts the Aryan
over the other races and the German over all. The German becomes
the master race, chosen of the Nazi God to rule over the entire world,
with the lesser races as the slaves and serfs of the Germans.
2. World domination by the master Aryan German is the ultimate
design of the Nazis. Over this great race of Germans, mastering the
lesser races of the world, stands the mighty chosen one, the Fuehrer.
Inspired by an Aryan God of Nazi creation and issuing orders and
decrees born of Germanic intuition, the Fuehrer eventually is destined
to rule the world.
3. Lesser races, not of the Aryan stock, may be permitted to exist
for the good of the Third Reich, but the cause of all the world 's troubles
and ills, the Jews, are to be utterly destroyed.
4. Nothing less than the complete subjugation and conquest of the
world by the Nazis is ordained for the fulfillment of its objectives.
Dr. Goebbels sums it all up with religious fervor. He declares:
"The Nazi Party is a political church, where for hundreds of years
German people will be trained to be true National Socialists. We are
the political pastors of our people."
Propaganda, racial prejudices and the sword are to be used in the
attainment of the Nazi Utopia. Hitler made full use of Communist
tactics in destroying the Weimar Republic. His cells and units were
organized underground for illegal work during the first few years of
his career. Prejudices against the Jews, the financiers, the foreign
ministers and bankers, were whipped to a white fury. Sporadic
Jewish pogroms throughout Germany were brutally instigated and
ruthlessly carried out. The possessions of the Jewish populace became
loot for brown- and black-shirted thugs. Hitler first conquered Ger-
many. Espionage agents of the Third Reich penetrated the countries
of Europe, of South and North America. Anti-Semitic organizations
were immediately contacted and encouraged to further activity by
news of the New Order arising in Central Europe over the mutilated
bodies of the Jewish race. Little men with little minds and big infer-
iority complexes throughout the world pounded their sunken breasts
in the glory of their suddenly found Aryanism. Many a deluded
European permitted Hitler's panzer divisions to smash their countries
in the belief that Hitler struck only at the Jew and the Communist.
In California pamphlets and cards were printed and distributed by
wild-eyed Aryan anti-Semitics bearing but three words: "Ve Vant
Var."
NAZI ACTIVITIES 225
The Friends of New Germany took its place alongside of the Friends
of Soviet Russia. German-American Bunds and German Bund fronts
sprang up throughout the United States. Uniformed Storm Troopers
arrogantly marched at Hindenburg Park in Los Angeles and guarded
the meetings of the Bund in Deutsches Haus' of a dozen cities. Amer-
ican Communists picketed Bund meetings and Bundsters bewailed the
menace of Communism.
In August of 1939 remaining sanity in a lunatic world grew dizzy
and was sorely tested as the hooked cross of the Third Reich blew in
the breeze of Moscow's Red Square and the hammer and sickle fluttered
in Berlin, while Hitler and Stalin joined hands in a non-aggres-
sion pact.
The preservation of the democracies of the world may lie in the full
realization and utilization of the lesson to be learned from these events.
GERMAN-AMERICAN BUND
The Friends of New Germany was probably the first organization in
the United States reflecting the ideology of the Third Reich, the ravings
of Mein Kampf and the Fuehrership of Adolph Hitler. The Friends
of New Germany eventually blossomed forth into the German- American
Bund. The National headquarters were located in New York City.
The control of the 11 western states comprising the far western division
stemmed from the office of Hermann Max Schwinn located in the
Deutsches Haus, at 634 W. Fifteenth Street in the City of Los Angeles.
The last National leader of the German-American Bund was Wilhelm
Kunze, and his predecessor was Fritz Kuhn. Both of these American
Fuehrers were frequent visitors to the State of California.
Some 25 witnesses were subpenaed for examination on the activities
of the German-American Bund in California. These witnesses may
also be divided into friendly and hostile witnesses. Among the friendly
witnesses were Ben S. Beery, Americanism Chairman of the Seven-
teenth District, of the American Legion, John G. Burerkle, Gene Hag-
berg and Hugh Ben Inzer. The other witnesses are as follows :
David Baxter, Frank Muehlke,
Hans F. Bauer, John L. Riemer,
William P. Bauer, Hermann Max Schwinn,
Hans Diebel, Harold A. Sparling,
Franz K. Ferenz, Edward Stuetz.
Karl August Heuschele, Baron F. Van Meter,
Emil Lodahl, Daniel E. Van Meter,
George Ernest Martens, James A. Van Meter,
James Morrison McBride, Carl Woeppelmann,
Lydia Joan McBride, Harry R. Bridges.
Emil Mehl,
The first uniform worn by members of the Friends of New Germany,
according to Hans Diebel (Volume IV, pp. 1092-1134, 1151-1152), was
composed of a white shirt with dark trousers, overseas cap and armband
bearing the letters "0. D." and a swastika " embedded in the rising
15— L-2275
226 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
sun.77 Hans Diebel was born in Marburg, Germany, and was an
optician by profession. He was a member of the Friends of New Ger-
many, having affiliated with this organization in 1935. When he testi-
fied before the committee October 17, 1941, he at first denied that he
had ever become affiliated with the German-American Bund, but later
(p. 1098) admitted being a member. For some time prior to his testi-
mony he operated a book store in the Deutsches Haus. He stated that
he had ceased selling literature in the German language for about three
years. He admitted operating a projection machine showing motion
pictures about Germany and that the latest one shown by him was
concerning the German campaign in France, "Victory in the West."
He estimated that around 400 people viewed this film which he ran
four or five nights. Mr. Kendzia, the treasurer for German-American
Business Association (Deutsches Haus Gesellschaft] compensated
Diebel for operating the projection machine. He identified him-
self in a Bund uniform in a photograph in possession of the committee.
He tended the bar at the Deutsches Haus on occasion. He stated that
the "0. D. " uniforms were used only for "ushers." He identified
pictures of Kunze and Schwinn. He stated that there had been no
Bund meetings since Hermann Max Schwinn had dissolved the unit,
when Schwinn lost his citizenship, although Schwinn had testified that
Carl Woeppelmann had succeeded him in the directorship of the west-
ern division. He admitted that the Bund Flag contained the same
emblem as that used on Bund uniform arm-bands. He described the
Bund salute with outstretched hand. He knew James and Joan
McBride, Emil Lodahl, Hans F. Bauer and Arno Risse.
Diebel admitted that he sold the Bund newspapers in his place, the
Aryan Book Store located in the Deutsches Haus. He said that he
took the bookstore over from a Mr. Themlitz in 1935 when Themlitz
returned to Germany. He stated that he had been interested in that
kind of literature and that was the reason he took over the store. He
said that he did not sell the book, Hitler, which had been compiled by
F. K. Ferenz, but that he had seen the book in Ferenz7 shop.
Diebel made a trip to Germany in 1936 with Toni Koerner and
returned to America on the same ship with Fritz Kuhn, although he did
not travel in the same class with him. He stayed six months in Ger-
many and affiliated with the Bund after his return from Germany, his
membership ceasing when his citizenship was denied (p. 1118).
Diebel admitted publishing lists of the books and literature carried
in his bookstore, but denied that he had ever used the swastika on letter-
heads, but, that instead, he used the American Flag. He admitted that
each letterhead carried the line "The World Jewry Wants War to
Strengthen Their Supremacy.'7 Diebel admitted that he agreed with
this sentiment but that he had not composed the sentence. He carried
Pelley7s books, The Truth About the Protocols, by Rev. Dr. Gerald
Winrod. He likewise admitted using the slogan "Publicity is the best
cure for all public evil. We carry the biggest selection of anti-Jewish-
Communistic literature in the country. 7 7 He stated that he had never
sold "World Service," but that he had received some copies from Ger-
many. He admitted having addressed a meeting upon his return from
Germany relating what he had seen in the New Germany.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 227
He knew Dr. George Gyssling, the German Consul and had met him
several times. He attended the rally at the Hollywood Bowl when
Charles A. Lindbergh spoke in Los Angeles.
He stated that he did a business of about $50 per month in the Aryan
Book Store and that he paid no rent for the premises and received
no salary. His trip to Germany cost him between $600 and $700 which
he saved from his salary. He stated that he believed the German
people had been persecuted by the Jews and he believed in "getting
back." He stated that he was not acquainted with Lew Michener or
Pettis Perry and denied ever having attended a meeting in the
Currier Building when these men were present.
Carl Woeppelmann, although the successor to Hermann Max Schwinn
as the Fuehrer of the Western Division, knew very little about the
German- American Bund if his testimony could be believed. (Volume
IV, pp. 1135-1150.) Woeppelmann was born in Rodheim, Germany,
and came to the United States in 1921. He came to Los Angeles from
Cleveland, Ohio, and lived in California for seven years. He first
belonged to the Friends of Neiv Germany and attended meetings at
the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles, finally affiliating with the German-
American Bund. He was a member of the uniformed "0. D." section
of the Bund. He testified that he was director of the Western Division
' ' in name only ' ' and that the local unit does not hold meetings or does
the uniformed "0. D." section meet. He claimed that the member-
ship list of the Bund had been destroyed and that he had never seen
any of the Bund orders from the East. He testified that he did not
know how many members there were in the Los Angeles Bund or
who they were. He stated that some called themselves ' * sympathizers ' '
but he did not know who they were. He admitted sending money to
the National headquarters in New York City but his memory failed
him completely when asked to tell how much was sent. He stated
that a Mr. Elmer is the National Secretary of the Bund. He admitted
that Kunze had appointed him to succeed Schwinn in 1941.
The German- American Bund in the United States was divided into
three districts, Eastern, Middle Western and Western. The National
leader received his inspiration, program and orders from Berlin,
although Fuehrers, such as Herman Max Schwinn (Volume III, pp.
760-779) claimed that the National leader took his orders from the
National Convention. The organizational set-up of the German-Amer-
ican Bund in this regard is based on the same fictions used by the Com-
munist Party of the United States. Conventions in the United States
are held once a year and are attended by delegates elected by Bund
units and the number of delegates from each Bund unit is determined
by the number of members in the unit. Schwinn testified that when he
attended conventions his expenses were paid by the local Bund unit.
The three districts in the United States were broken down into
units, under the direction of a Fuehrer or director placed over the par-
ticular district. Herman Max Schwinn was the director for the eleven
western States, known as the Western Division. He was succeeded by
Carl Woeppelmann, after Schwinn ?s citizenship had been canceled.
The official constitution of the German- American Bund provided
for units and other subdivisions and "block watchers." Schwinn
stated that he never paid much attention to the official constitution
228 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
and therefore did not maintain " block watchers" in Los Angeles.
(Volume III, p. 771.)
Instructions for each unit were issued from time to time. Member-
ship cards were furnished each Bund unit with instructions printed
in German and titled "Organizational Set-up and Administrative Regu-
lations." The membership card system included colored cards and
contained light blue cards bearing the letter " J " for Jews.
Instructions and documents were likewise issued from time to time
printed in German in reference to the discipline of Bund members, the
anticipation of violence and other fanaticisms similar to Hitler's com-
mands in Germany.
Herman Max Schwinn testified (Volume IV, pp. 1190-1208) that
only those of Aryan blood were eligible for membership in the Bund.
He admitted that part of the 'Bund wore uniforms and he identified
the uniform in a picture of himself taken with Wilhelm Kunze, the
last National Fuehrer. (Volume III, pp. 760-779.) He stated that the
"0. D." on the arm bands of the uniforms stood for "Order Division"
and that the same initials could be used for the German words of the
same meaning "Ordnung Dienst." The symbol used on the arm band
was also described by Schwinn as a Swastika coming out of the rising
sun.
Schwinn testified October 14, 1941, and October 16, 1941. He had
been the director of the eleven western States of the German-American
Bund for some four or five years and received a salary for this position.
He testified that he was born in Hamburg, Germany, August 13, 1905,
and that he came to the United States in 1924, going first to Canton,
Ohio, where he remained for a year and a half, then to Akron, Ohio,
and from there to Los Angeles, where he became a United States citi-
zen. He was appointed the Western Director of the German- American
Bund in either 1934 or 1935 and held that position until 1940 when
he lost his citizenship. He stated that the constitution of the Bund
made United States citizenship a prerequisite to membership in the
Bund, all of which statement, of course, was a fiction. He named
the National leaders of the Bund as Fritz Kuhn, Giffibl, Dr. Schuch
and ' ' a few others. ' ' He stated that he became interested in the change
in Germany in 1933 and joined the Friends of New Germany. He
named the official German-American Bund newspaper as The Free
American. He admitted having his membership card files destroyed in
Los Angeles "two or three years ago," pursuant to orders that had
come from National headquarters. A Mr. Kendzia is the Treasurer of
the Bund most of the time. Schwinn admitted knowing Hans Diebel,
F. K. Ferenz and Emil Lodahl. He claimed that the Bund, as such,
had no part in the America First Committee. He stated that Diebel
could not be a member of the Bund because he was not a citizen and
that he had to leave the Bund when his citizenship was canceled.
Besides the uniformed guard known as the "0. D. Units" Schwinn
stated there was a ladies' auxiliary, a youth group, unemployment
service and charity groups.
He stated that the Bund did not display the Flag of the Third Reich
at its functions and that the only time this flag was ever used was
when German diplomats appeared before their meetings. His memory
NAZI ACTIVITIES 229
failed him in reference to the number of members in the German-
American Bund unit in the City of Los Angeles, but he admitted that
the attendance at meetings were from one hundred to three or four
hundred and that the Bund met about once a month. He could not
identify members because, he stated, he had never had the membership
records in his possession. The Bund unit in Los Angeles had held closed
meetings during his incumbency.
He denied that he had ever seen instructions for drilling "0. D.
Units."
He stated that the American Flag was displayed in all meetings that
he had conducted and that on one or two occasions there were two flags,
including the Flag of the Third Reich. He stated that he had never
complied with the instructions from the National headquarters con-
cerning saluting, although he admitted receiving such instructions.
He identified pictures of Dr. Goebbels and Horst Wessel in a photo-
graph of himself and Wilhelm Kunz. He stated that the "0. D. Unit"
in Los Angeles varied in membership from 20 to 100.
The Amerikadeutscher Volksbund may be designated as the voice of
Naziism. This organization sought to consolidate all of the Fascist
elements in America into one great movement, including the Italian
Black Shirts, the Ukranian Brown Shirts and the German- American
Bundsters. It is known that the German-American Bund leaders in
California were in close touch with the Gold Shirts of Mexico, and
cooperated wherever possible with the Ku Klux Klan and the Silver
Shirts.
The committee learned that the German-American Bund was in con-
stant contact with Nazi diplomatic representatives in California until
these agencies were closed by the Federal Government. This fact was
well established by the testimony of Bund leaders. In addition to
others, the Steuben societies, Turnvereins and singing societies were
all used as fronts for the Bund. Summer camps were maintained in
California where German-American children were taught the harsh
doctrines of Naziism, drilled, regimented, toughened, disciplined and
indoctrinated with the theory that Democracy is decadent.
Storm Troopers of German-American Bund units in California
drilled in full uniform and guarded the meeting places against
intruders. Your committee is in possession of photographic evidence
of these facts. In the meeting' place of the California Bunds, usually
referred to as the "Deutsches Haus," pictures of Hitler, Goebbels,
Horst Wessel and other leaders of the Third Reich were prominently
displayed on the walls, which were also festooned with swastikas.
Book stores such as the Aryan Book Store located in the Deutsches
Haus in Los Angeles, maintained a steady flow of Nazi propaganda.
Men such as F. K. Ferenz exhibited pro-Nazi motion pictures and dis-
tributed literature.
The committee had access to photostatic copies of the instructions
issued to all Bund leaders from Wilhelm Kunze, setting forth in the
greatest detail the whole business of the organization and the methods
by which its objectives could be achieved. This document was most
revealing and stated in unmistakable terms that the Bund was dedi-
cated to the supremacy of the German Aryan, and the welding together
of all German- Americans to assist Nazi Germany's struggle for the
230 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
New Order. This document contained expressions of the deep con-
tempt of the Bund for the soft and emasculated Democracy of the
United States in contrast to the strong and vigorous nature of the
Third Reich.
Ellis 0. Jones testified that he had known Herman Max Schwinn for
about two y\>ars and Hans Diebel for something less than that time.
(Volume III, pp. 744-760.) He had known F. K. Ferenz since 1932
or 1933 and stated that he had met him at "Bellamy meetings." He
likewise admitted that he had viewed German pictures exhibited by
Ferenz. He knew Harold A. Sparling and had attended a meeting or
two with him. He had distributed buttons of the National Copper-
heads of America at functions in Hindenberg Park. He denied having
any knowledge that the Hindenberg affairs had any connection with
Charles A. Lindbergh. He admitted having met the Van Meter brothers
in T. W. Hughes meetings, and admitted that he had later met them
at the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles. (Volume IX, pp. 2489-2528.)
He likewise was acquainted with James and Joan McBride and admitted
that he had known them for about a year. He had seen them both at
the Deutsches Haus. He knew W. H. Sahli, of the Ku Klux Klan,
Faith McCullough, A. M. Windhorst and Dr. Ernest Kramer. He had
met Dr. Kramer at the T. W. Hughes meetings and at America First
Committee meetings.
Gene Hagberg, an investigator, visited the Deutsches Haus in Los
Angeles in 1939. He stated that Dr. Eric Wilson and his wife, Pearl
Wilson, were members of the German-American Bund and that they
had held meetings in their home in April of 1939 attended by Emil
Lodahl and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Schumacker and others. He stated
that Lodahl had suggested at this particular meeting that they cele-
brate Hitler's birthday and Dr. Wilson, acting on the suggestion,
called Herman Max Schwinn to make arrangements for the affair.
Hagberg, in his capacity of investigator, attended this meeting and Dr.
Wilson arranged for him to meet Schwinn.
Hagberg testified that Dr. Wilson had bragged of interviewing Dr.
Goebbels in 1936 and 1937 and stated that Goebbels had presented him
(Dr. Wilson) with a copy of Mein Kampf personally autographed by
Hitler.
Hagberg stated that Lodahl was a member of the Los Angeles Unit
of the German-American Bund. He stated that Lodahl met German
boats in Los Angeles Harbor, at San Pedro with a truck carrying dry
cleaner's signs.
Hagberg told of a meeting held May 23, 1941, on Washington Boule-
vard in Los Angeles which was sponsored by a Japanese- Communist
group known as Doho Jin Sha at which Ed Bobbin, Communist radio
commentator for the People's Daily World told of collecting in excess
of $1,000 at the Koosevelt Hotel for the American Rescue Ship Mission.
He stated that Bobbin donated $25 of this amount to the Japanese-
Communist paper, Doho, in Los Angeles. After this meeting, a girl
took up collections for the Columbia Recording strike (C. I. 0. —
UERMWA). He stated that a number of people attending this par-
ticular meeting were familiar to him as frequenters of the Deutsches
Haus of the German- American Bund in Los Angeles. He described
NAZI ACTIVITIES 231
the collaboration of the Communist Doho Jin Sha group with the Ger-
man-American Bund during the Stalin-Hitler Pact.
Emil Lodahl was born in Dagmar, Montana and claimed to be of
Danish extraction. (Volume III, pp. 886-907.) He said he was a dry
cleaner and that he had formerly worked for the Joy Cleaners and
Dyers, but that he was, at the time of testifying, in business for himself.
Lodahl organized the National Patriots. He stated that the Van
Meter brothers had printed a magazine at 2180 West Adams Street in
Los Angeles for this organization. He stated that no records were
kept and that the organization had no office. The purpose of the
National Patriots was to set up a group to combat the National Stu-
dents Union, a Communist group.
He admitted making trips to Los Angeles harbor in the truck of the
Joy Cleaners and Dyers. He stated that these trips were made because
of the fact that he owned a boat.
He admitted visiting the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles and knowing
Herman Max Schwinn. He stated that he had attended several Bund
meetings and had seen the leader in uniform. He also admitted having
seen swastika arm bands on individuals at Hindenberg Park affairs.
He met Kunze when he was visiting Los Angeles. He remembered
having seen the Van Meter brothers at Bund meetings in uniform. He
knew Arthur Burnett. He had heard the Horst Wessel song at "0.
D." meetings. He illustrated the "0. D." salute and stated that the
greeting accompanying the salute was "Heil!" He attended the
America First Committee rally in Hollywood Bowl and heard Lind-
bergh speak. He met Harold A. Sparling in the Deutsches Haus and
was acquainted with William Ferguson.
James Morrison McBride denied that he had ever been a member of
the German-American Bund. (Volume IV, pp. 935-964.) He admit-
ted, however, of visiting the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles frequently,
and, as a matter of fact, rather regularly since the "Communists put
on a demonstration there." (1937.) He celebrated Hitler's birthday
in the Deutsches Haus on April 19, 1941. "I think Adolph Hitler is a
very wonderful man for Germany; he has nothing to do with this
country," McBride declared (p. 944). He identified a picture of
Wilhelm Kunze and said that he was "a very nice man" (p. 940).
He also identified Goebbels' picture and stated that he was another
"very nice man." He identified pictures of Martha Hauser, W. Kend-
zia, Herman Max Schwinn, Eunice Woeppleman and Hans Diebel.
McBride stated that he didn't like Stalin. At the time of testifying,
McBride stated that "everybody in the Deutsches Haus is afraid to
talk politics." He liked the Deutsches Haus because of its "respectable
atmosphere." Adolph Hitler, according to McBride, is a Christian,
fighting a Christian war — a defensive war. It was Stalin, in the opinion
of McBride, who violated the pact with Hitler.
He claimed that he did not know anything about the German-Ameri-
can Bund. He indicated that he believed in preserving nationality and
that the instructions to Bund members in reference to the preservation
of the German language and nationality was correct. ' ' Don 't the Jews
follow it?" he asked (p. 950). He stated that he believed in his "own
race first" (p. 948).
232 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He admitted having picketed the Wendell Willkie meeting in the
Hollywood Bowl and identified pictures of himself and wife in the act
of picketing the meeting. He stated that his reason for opposing this
meeting was that Willkie was spreading British propaganda.
Mrs. Lydia Joan McBride, wife of James M. McBride, was a part-
time waitress at the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles. (Volume IV, pp.
1052-1070, 1080.) She received her salary by checks but did not know
who signed them. Her maiden name was "Warr." She wore a brace-
let with a swastika on it and claimed that she purchased it at an Indian
Jewelry Store on Seventh Street in Los Angeles several years before.
She laughed at the committee triumphantly and stated that she believed
it to be an Indian ' ' good luck sign. ? '
Mrs. McBride was born in East Prussia, Germany, and came to the
United States when she was ' ' very young. ' ' She has derivative citizen-
ship in the United States. She claimed that she had not kept track of
her relatives in Germany. She attended "Kaffee Klatches," or
"Women's Clubs" at the Deutsches Haus but denied being affiliated
with the women's auxiliary of the German- American Bund. She was
wearing a button of the National Copperheads when she testified Octo-
ber 16, 1941, and in answer to an inquiry stated that she got it from
Ellis 0. Jones. She remembered seeing swastikas draped over "some
kind of an affair" in the Deutsches Haus and in seeing swastikas on
plates on the walls.
Mrs. McBride read Mein Kampf and stated that she believed Hitler
to be a very great man and felt that he had done a lot of good for
Germany. She believes that the German people in the United States
are better citizens than the Jews because it is the Jews who want to
lead the United States into war.
Mrs. McBride was called before the committee again on February 24,
1942. (Volume IX, pp. 2790-2799.) She informed the committee this
time that she had been married previously and that her former married
name was "Redmer." She now admitted knowing Herman Max
Schwinn and recalled that Schwinn had always cautioned the customers
at the Deutsches Haus not to talk politics. She stated that all of the
gatherings in the Deutsches Haus were merely social affairs. Everyone
at the Deutsches Haus liked Hitler. Ellis 0. Jones sometimes dis-
tributed buttons of the National Copperheads at the place.
Mrs. McBride denied ever having seen Bund uniforms at the
Deutsches Haus. She is acquainted with Hans Diebel, F. K. Ferenz,
but did not recognize the names of San Diego Bundsmen. She met
Wilhelm Kunze at the Deutsches Haus in the Fall of 1941. She claimed
that she did not know who he was at the time.
She informed the committee, at the conclusion of her testimony, that
most of her friends believed she was "wearing herself out" attending
so many meetings.
John L. Riemer was born in Danzig, Germany in 1887. (Volume IV,
pp. 1070-1079.) He came to the United States in 1909 and was natural-
ized in 1915. He has lived in southern California since 1911 with the
exception of a few months. He operates the National Book Mart
located at 1625 Fifth Avenue in the City of Los Angeles and sells
books printed in German and in English.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 233
He admitted knowing Herman Max Schwinn for six or seven years.
He was acquainted with Hans Diebel and his Aryan Book Store. He
claimed that he did not sell the same type of literature in the National
Book Mart as that sold by Diebel.
He denied being a member of the German- American Bund and stated
that he had never been a member of the Friends of New Germany. He
claimed that he was not in sympathy with the principles of the Bund.
He subscribed to the California Staats-Zeitung.
He stated that he attempted to organize the American Labor Party
in 1933 and that after four months of effort he had "one member and
three stool pigeons" (p. 1078). He wrote one article on civil liberties
for the California Staats-Zeitung. He was a member of the Turner
Society and wrote on the health benefits to be derived from Turnerism.
Harold A. Sparling was born in Chillicothe, Missouri, and has lived
in California for 11 years (Volume III, pp. 714-744). He stated
that he was in business for himself and designated such business as
"personal service." He ran for Congress on the Republican ticket in
the Seventeenth District in the primaries of August, 1940, and again
in 1942. He stated that he had been speaking and holding meetings
throughout the State in an attempt to keep America out of war and to
expose the "Communist-Bolsheviks" for the last two or three years.
He admitted having visited the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles
three or four times, and being acqauinted with Herman Max Schwinn,
Hans Diebel, F. K. Ferenz and others.
Baron Frederick Van Meter appeared before the committee October
16, 1941, wearing buttons of the America First Committee, National
Youth Farm Foundation and the Fisher Body Guild. (Volume IV,
pp. 989-1014.) He met Herman Max Schwinn in 1938 at the Deutsches
Haus. He also admitted knowing Hans Diebel and met him at about
the same time he first met Herman Max Schwinn. He had obtained
"literature of enlightenment" from Hans Diebel 's Aryan Book Store.
He remembered seeing copies of Mein Kampf at Diebel 's place of busi-
ness and recalled that it had a swastika printed upon it. He met Emil
Lodahl in August or September of 1938 and is also acquainted with
F. K. Ferenz.
He denied ever having been a member of the German- American
Bund. He admitted picketing the Wendell Willkie meeting at the
Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and identified pictures of himself, and
his brothers, William and Daniel, carrying banners. He related the
organization of the National Patriots which he stated was created by
Emil Lodahl as an opposition group to the Communist American
Students Union. Van Meter admitted printing papers for Lodahl 's
National Patriots and stated that his home address was used as the
headquarters for the Lodahl organization.
He admitted having seen propaganda motion pictures at the Deut-
sches Haus in Los Angeles and recalled a picture of the invasion of
Poland. He is acquainted with James McBride but denied ever having
seen him in a Bund uniform. He likewise was acquainted with Mrs.
Joan McBride. He recalled seeing the swastika flag at the Deutsches
Haus on Hitler's birthday. He ventured that Horst Wessel was a
German martyr. He identified pictures taken in Herman Max
Schwinn 's office in the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles. He stated that
234 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the German-American Business League owns Hindenburg Park in Los
Angeles. Although he stated he was not a subscriber to Free Ameri-
can, he knew that it was a publication of the German-American Bund.
He stated that the "O. D." groups in the Bund no longer wore uni-
forms. He was well acquainted with the salute and "Seig Heil,"
("Heil Victory")-
Baron Frederick Van Meter refused to commit himself on the Jewish
question.
Daniel Elias Van Meter appeared before your committee February
24, 1942, wearing a green button. (Volume IX, pp. 2815-2824.) Upon
being questioned concerning the button, he smirked that it was the
emblem of the Pink Dragons and that it represented a " personal
group. " He facetiously remarked that the badge was green "just to
fool them, " indicating the committee. He said the Pink Dragons organ-
ization was composed of but three members, Ellis 0. Jones, Robert
Noble and himself. He explained with mock seriousness that the Pink
Dragons was a pension movement and that it was not to be confused
with the Black Dragon Society of the Japanese. He wished to assure
the committee that he was not a Nazi agent as had been claimed by the
newspapers.
Daniel Elias Van Meter met Herman Max Schwinn and Hans Diebel
in 1938. He knew that Hans Diebel operated the Aryan Book Store
in the Deutsches Haus and admitted having been in the headquarters of
the German-American Bund in Los Angeles on a number of occasions.
He had been acquainted with F. K. Ferenz during the past year and
admitted knowing Ellis 0. Jones and Robert Noble for some eight
months. He also was acquainted with Joan and James McBride.
He claimed that he never belonged to the German-American Bund.
He admitted having heard Wilhelm Kunze speak but added that he did
not know who Kunze was. He denied that he had ever worn a two-
inch swastika badge, or that he had ever warned individuals to take off
/ Am An American buttons.
James Adams Van Meter appeared before the committee October 16,
1941, wearing a button of the National Copperheads. (Volume IV,
pp. 1014-1023, 1061.) He admitted frequenting the Deutsches Haus
but denied that he had ever affiliated with the German-American Bund.
He had seen uniforms worn in the Deutsches Haus and had observed
arm bands with the swastika in a sunburst and the letters "0. D. " on
them. He believed that the letters " 0. D. ' ' stood for 1 1 Order Division ' '
because the men who wore the uniforms with this arm band kept order
in the meetings ; acted as ushers. He identified pictures of Arno Risse,
Willi Kendzia, Hans Diebel and Herman Max Schwinn.
Harry R. Bridges testified in San Francisco that before Pearl
Harbor, longshoremen unloading boats in the San Francisco Bay area,
noticed German officers leaving a German boat in uniform. (Volume
XIII, pp. 3594-3618.) He said that they also saw Storm Troopers, in
full regalia, leave German boats and go ashore. He claimed that he
assigned longshoremen to trail the Storm Troopers and that they were
followed to the German House in San Francisco and that these officers
and Strom Troopers visited the German House regularly and contacted
various persons there. He said these activities began in about 1935 or
1936 and stopped shortly after Germany's declaration of war with
NAZI ACTIVITIES 235
England. Bridges claimed that he kept a complete set of notes on these
activities.
The German-American Bund had extended its organization to San
Diego. Its activities in this area had not been quite so open and brazen
as in Los Angeles, but there are many indications that its work was
more effective in many ways. It appears that the meetings held in
Mission Valley were of considerable significance, in that sailors from
German ships met there from time to time with National officers of the
Bund, Herman Max Schwinn and others. These meetings, disguised
as social affairs, picnics, etc., obviously presented designed opportuni-
ties for the delivery of important instructions to Bund Fuehrers in
the United States direct from Dr. Goebbels in Berlin.
William P. Bauer (father of Hans Bauer of Los Angeles), was the
Fuehrer of the local unit of the German-American Bund in the City of
San Diego. (Volume VIII, pp. 2330-2349.) He was born in Germany
in 1876, came to the United States in 1906 and was granted citizenship
in San Diego in 1913. He joined the Friends of New Germany in 1934.
He met Herman Max Schwinn at about this time and claimed that he
knew Hans Diebel "slightly.''
When the unit of the German-American Bund was organized in San
Diego, Bauer was appointed its Fuehrer by Herman Max Schwinn, who
was then the leader of the western division of the organization.
The San Diego Unit of the Bund, according to Bauer, never used
uniforms, but he admitted having seen uniformed members at meetings
of the Los Angeles Unit in Hindenburg Park in Los Angeles.
Bauer, as Fuehrer of the San Diego Unit of the German-American
Bund, received instructions from Fritz Kuhn in New York about every
six months. He stated that he only carried them out partially. He
declared that he personally never believed in uniforms.
The official publication of the German- American Bund is the Weck-
ruf. When Bauer testified, February 20, 1942, he stated that he had
not seen a copy of the Weckruf in about two months.
He met Wilhelm Kunze at social functions in the Deutsches Haus in
Los Angeles in 1936 and 1937 and he was aware that Fritz Kuhn had
been Kunze 's predecessor as National Fuehrer of the organization.
He likewise was acquainted with F. K. Ferenz and stated that Ferenz
formerly came to San Diego to exhibit motion pictures — German pic-
tures. He admitted having seen Seig Im Western, a German picture
shown by Ferenz in San Diego. He had last seen Wilhelm Kunze at
a social gathering in Mission Valley in 1941. The "social gathering"
was at the home of a Mr. Bmil B. Mehl. He had not seen Schwinn or
Diebel for about a year at the time of testifying.
Bauer said he had severed his connections with the Bund because
he felt that the American public was not yet ready for such an organi-
zation. A John Lutz, now in Germany, was formerly the secretary of
the San Diego Unit and Karl August Heuschele became the secretary
of the unit when Lutz went to Germany. Bauer admitted that Lutz
kept the unit's records and distributed literature, some of which was
officially printed in Germany.
Bauer was acquainted with Dr. George Gyssling, former German
consul in Los Angeles, and admitted that he had met him for the first
236 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
time six or seven years previous and that the acquaintance con-
tinued until Gyssling left for Germany.
It was reported that Bauer had stated that he would never have a
son of his fight for the United States. He denied making this state-
ment.
Bauer was a civil engineer and was employed as an inspector in the
city engineer's office for the City of San Diego. Some time after he
testified he was removed from this office.
Karl August Heuschele had been subpenaed for the committee's pub-
lic hearing in San Diego. He did not respond in person to the sub-
pena, but sent the committee a letter stating that he was ill and unable
to leave his home. This was accompanied by a letter from a chiro-
practor corroborating Mr. Hueschele's excuse. Because of Heuschele 's
importance as secretary of the German-American Bund Unit in San
Diego, your committee decided to examine him at his home. On Feb-
ruary 21, 1942, the members of the committee, together with its official
reporter, drove to 1365 Rosecrans Boulevard on Point Loma to Heu-
schele's home. The Heuschele residence occupied an extremely strate-
gic position. It overlooked the Naval Training Station, the Marine
Base, North Island Air Base and the submarine boom or net which
guards the entrance to San Diego Harbor. All of these important
positions were easily seen from Heuschele 's bedroom window and from
the area immediately adjacent to the house.
Mrs. Heuschele, a German alien, refused to admit photographers,
and Mr. Culver Herrin, the photographer, busied himself outside taking
pictures of everything visible from the vicinity of the house. During
the taking of Heuschele 's testimony, the members of the committee
could see the Navy's heliograph flashing signals and a troop transport
loading. Every incoming and outgoing troopship sailed within easy
observation of the Heuschele residence.
Heuschele was born in Ossweil, Germany, a suburb of Ludwigshafen,
in 1905. (Volume VIII, pp. 2465-2488.) He came to the United
States in 1930 and resided in Rochester, New York. He had resided
in San Diego 10 years. He stated that he is a landscape gardener
by profession and that prior to taking up this occupation he had been
a mechanic. He had occupied the residence on Point Loma for two
and a half years together with his wife and his 12-year-old son. He
admitted that his son had attended the summer camp for youths at
Hindenburg Park, near Glendale. He admitted having several brothers
and sisters, five of the brothers still living in Germany.
He affiliated with the Friends of New Germany in 1935 and became
a member of the German-American Bund when the latter organization
took over the Friends of New Germany. Herman Max Schwinn, Hans
Diebel and others came down from Los Angeles for the organization
of the San Diego Unit. William P. Bauer became the Fuehrer, but
Heuschele 's memory was faulty in reference to the identity of other
members. He stated : ' ' There were so many and it 's been so long ago. ' '
The meetings of the San Diego Unit were ' ' unregular. ' ' Ferenz came
down from Los Angeles from time to time and showed 16-millimeter
German films in San Diego's Hollywood Theatre.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 237
Heuschele was acquainted with Herman Max Schwinn, Hans Diebel,
F. K. Ferenz, Frank Muehlke, Emil Mehl, Max Grau, John Lutz, R.
Schoenbern, Ferdinand Bethol and Helene Rheinheimer.
He stated that he had not visited Germany since coming to the United
States. He claimed that he had heard nothing from his family in
Germany for eight years and that Mrs. Hues'chele had not heard from
her family for eight months.
Max Grau, of Consular Gyssling's office in Los Angeles, had ordered
a wreath of flowers for a German seaman who was buried in the Mis-
sion Cemetery, and it appeared that Hueschele had received much of
this type of business.
He had charge of the Bund records for a short time after John Lutz
returned to Germany. He admitted receiving a letter from Schwinn
asking for the records. Schwinn later came to San Diego and to
Hueschele 's home and secured them. He sent dues collected in San
Diego to the New York headquarters about once a month and some-
times every two months. He stated he had had an argument with
Wilhelm Kunze at Emil Mehl's home in Mission Valley over the
embezzlement of funds by Kuhn. Pamphlets were sent out monthly
from the East but he "never paid much attention" to them. He
received detailed instructions regarding the conduct of Bund affairs
from time to time. Schwinn took these instructions and pamphlets
away with him when he took the records.
He attended meetings at the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles from
time to time and admitted having seen the uniformed "0. D." guards
in attendance there and believed that there were probably 15 or 20
of them. He believed that the uniformed group was used to protect
meetings against demonstrations such as he claims he saw in Germany
before coming to the United States. Violence in Germany was one
of his reasons for leaving that country. He stated he had seen Com-
munists throw men out of windows in meetings of the Good Templars
in Germany. He stated that one of his brothers in Germany was a
Communist and that this fact had created a very bad situation in
his family.
He stated that the Bund records had been kept in a journal and that
some of the Bund meetings were conducted in German.
According to Heuschele the .members of the Bund in San Diego did
not "Heil Hitler " but merely used the salutation, "Heil!" He
admitted having once had a picture of Hitler in his home but stated
that he had burned it. He had once loaned it to the German House
in Balboa Park where Bund affairs were sometimes held. The Horst
Wessel song was sung in San Diego when Gyssling visited the Bund
in 1935.
The membership fee in the San Diego Bund Unit was 75 cents and
the monthly dues were also 75 cents. Most of this money, collected
by the San Diego Unit, was sent to New York in printed envelopes
which were supplied by the National organization and addressed to
the German- American Bund. At the time of testifying, Hueschele
claimed there were no regular meetings of the Bund being held in
San Diego. He stated that he had broken with the organization and
added that he * * broke up with everything. ' '
238 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He admitted having attended a dinner at the home of Helene Rhein-
heimer which was held for the German sailors who had scuttled the
8. 8. Columbia.
He stated that he purchased his home from a man named Merry-
weather, a retired Navy captain. Although he at first denied knowing
any Japanese or dealing* with any of them in the floral business, he
finally admitted that he did have business contacts with some of them
and that he bought flowers from them on occasion.
He read the Weckruf and admitted that it was sent to all Bund
members, although it was not sent out regularly.
He had received a pass to Fort Rosecrans and made floral deliveries
there from time to time. This pass was canceled after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor.
After the San Diego and California papers carried the substance of
Heuschele's testimony, the Heuscheles were removed from their stra-
tegic position on Point Loma. A considerable quantity of incriminat-
ing evidence was later discovered in the house.
Emil B. Mehl was born in Grossbart Mannsdorf, Germany, in
1885. (Volume VIII, pp. 2399-2407.) He was naturalized in San
Diego in 1928 and has lived in Mission Valley, near the City of San
Diego, for 30 years. He had never been a member of the Friends
of New Germany but joined the German-American Bund five or
six years before appearing before the committee. He joined at a
social affair which had been arranged by William P. Bauer, the
Fuehrer of the San Diego Unit. He had never held an official posi-
tion in the Bund unit. He did hold social affairs at his home in
Mission Valley from time to time for the members of the Bund. His
wife had received a picture post card of Hitler from Germany and
this was the only picture of Hitler, he stated, that he had ever displayed
in his home. He had a sister in Germany but had not heard from her
in a long time. A nephew of his wife was in the German air corps.
He received the Weckruf.
Mehl admitted having attended a party in Mrs. Rheinheimer 's home
which was given for the purpose of raising funds for the German
sailors who had scuttled the S. 8. Columbia and who were being
interned in New Mexico. He admitted attending similar functions
at the home of Mr. Graf. He admitted that part of the crew of the
German cruiser, Karlsrue, visited his home. He claimed that they
merely came "to drink beer."
He stated that he joined the German-American Bund to offset the boy-
cott of German goods and "to bring about better relations" with
Germany. ,:•>
He admitted that Wilhelm Kunze visited at his home in Mission
Valley. He had met Herman Max Schwinn at a German Day celebra-
tion at Germania Hall and later when he held a picnic at his place in
Mission Valley. He stated that he "saw" only Hans Diebel and F. K.
Ferenz, although he admitted seeing the motion pictures shown by
Ferenz in San Diego.
He concluded his testimony by stating that he "paid no attention"
to the Jewish situation in the United States. He said that the German-
American Bund had "dissolved itself" in San Diego and that his activi-
NAZI ACTIVITIES 239
ties had ceased at that time. He then contradicted himself and said he
got out of the organization before it was dissolved.
Frank Muehlke was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1900. (Volume
VIII, pp. 2378-2396.) He came to New York in 1926 and was natural-
ized in San Diego in 1935 and has lived there ever since. He affiliated
with the German-American Bund in 1937 and after John Lutz went to
Germany, became the secretary of the San Diego Unit until Hueschele
took over these duties in 1939. He stated that the Bund was not very
active and that he resigned from it in the Fall of 1939.
It is interesting to note that Muehlke was an aircraft worker at the
Langley Instrument Company in the City of San Diego when your
committee subpenaed him to testify February 20, 1942.
Muehlke admitted having met Wilhelm Kunze and having heard
Fritz Kuhn deliver a speech at Hindeiiburg Park. He admitted having
attended one meeting at the Deutsches Haus in the City of Los Angeles.
He knew Herman Max Schwinn, Hans Diebel, F. K. Ferenz and
Mrs. Helen Rheinheimer, and others.
He spent four months in Germany just prior to the outbreak of war.
He claimed that he did not meet any of the officials of the German
Government.
Dr. George Gyssling, German Consul, from Los Angeles, delivered a
speech at Germania Hall on German Day in the City of San Diego when
Muehlke was present.
He admitted reading Weckruf "once in a while." He denied ever
having bought any books at the Aryan Book Store in Los Angeles and
stated that he "never did agree with it much — with the idea of dis-
tributing some of the stuff which amounted maybe more or less to
propaganda" (p. 2381). He stated that "some of the stuff * * *
was not very appealing to Christian men." He stated that the reason
lie quit the Bund was because he didn't like the idea of being "fanatic."
He stated that he joined the Bund to build up good will between this
country and Germany and came to the conclusion that the Bund was
not furthering that end.
He admitted attending the dinner given in the home of Mrs. Rhein-
heimer in San Diego for the purpose of raising funds for the relief of
the crew personnel of the S. S. Columbia, a German vessel which the
German sailors had attempted to scuttle and which was interned. He
recalled that there were 20 or 25 people present at that dinner.
He stated that he met Mrs. Rheinheimer "through German activities."
He admitted that the Germans held several such dinners to raise funds
for the internees and recalled the dinner at Mr. Graf's home and one
at Oberhoff's. He stated that he paid 50 cents or $1 for these dinners
and that they did not take up collections.
He stated that the German- American Bund Unit in San Diego met
very irregularly while he was a member and that it did not have a
women's auxiliary.
He admitted sending his children to the German-American Bund
camp in Glendale in the Summer of 1939. He added that he later
discovered the camp was connected with the Bund.
He recalled, under questioning, a sale held in the German House in
Balboa Park, San Diego, for the purpose of raising money for German
240 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
citizens in the custody of the United States. He recalled one Bund
meeting held in the Hawthorne Hall, San Diego.
He stated that (p. 2391) when he ''went to Germany" he was sus-
picious of the Hitler regime just like everybody else in the United
States. ' ' When I was there, ' ' he continued, ' ' I discovered that Hitler
had done lots of things for the people, so I did not go with any sort
of prejudice * * *. " He traveled through Germany for four
and one-half months. He stated that he had no close relatives in
Germany although his wife has a brother in the Nazi Army.
Muehlke stated that he was against war and against persecution. He
regretted that President Wilson had not succeeded in his aims at the
end of the last war.
He concluded his testimony by stating : ' * This country comes first ; it
is the country of my children. I want to live up to my citizenship
(pledge) . " He stated that he would fight for the United States against
Germany. He turned the records of the Bund over to Heuschele when
Heuschele became the San Diego Unit Secretary. He stated that there
was a book in which the names and the dues of the members were
recorded.
Muehlke left the Consolidated Aircraft in January of 1941 and has
been employed by the Langley Instrument and Machine Company, a
subcontractor of Consolidated, since that time.
John G. Buerkle was a volunteer witness on Nazi activities in the
City of San Diego. (Volume VIII, pp. 2396-2399.) He was formerly
a tuna packer and at the time of testifying was a real estate operator.
He stated that an apartment house, owned by Richard Schoenborn in
the City of San Diego, had been a rendezvous for Germans and members
of the Bund.. He stated that Von Buelow was one of the frequent
visitors at this place. He claimed that they were "just Nazis." He
believed that Schoenborn had made a trip to Germany in 1940 and that
he had been gone about four months.
C. Leon de Aryan, editor of The Broom, a publication in San Diego,
met F. K. Ferenz in Los Angeles at a meeting of the Friends of
Progress. He met Herman Max Schwinn in San Diego in 1938 or
1939 and Hans Diebel at about the same time. He has been a visitor
at the Deutsches Haus and has attended functions in Hindenburg Park
in Los Angeles. At the time of testifying, February 19, 1942, de Aryan
stated that he had known William P. Bauer for three or four years
and Frank Muelke and Karl August Heuschele for about the same
period of time. He admitted that he had attended two Bund
meetings. He was present on one occasion when, according to his testi-
mony, a number of newspaper reporters and representatives of the
American Legion were present. At this Bund meeting, he alleged, the
Communists attempted to create a commotion. The meeting was
held in the Hard of Hearing Hall, de Aryan claimed that he took
the platform and "talked the Communists out of it" (p. 2291). de
Aryan believed that the Bund members in San Diego were "decent
fellows" but expressed doubts about some of the Los Angeles members.
He was also acquainted with Hans F. Bauer of Los Angeles and Henry
D. Allen of Pasadena and had met Faith McCullough.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 241
NAZI PROPAGANDA AND ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Franz K. Ferenz was a hostile witness. He was subpenaed and testi-
fied October 17, 1941. (Volume IV, pp. 1152-1174.) He had been
one of the most active Nazi propagandists in southern California. He
posed as an exhibitor of foreign language films and conducted the
Continental Book Store located at 2509 W. Seventh Street in the
City of Los Angeles. He was the publisher of a book entitled Hitler
(1934), which was a collection of favorable propaganda essays concern-
ing the Fuehrer.
Ferenz was born in Vienna, Austria, and came to the United States
in October, 1914. He became a citizen almost immediately.
One of the essays on Hitler used in Ferenz 's book was written by
George Sylvester Viereck. Ferenz claimed that he did not know
Viereck. The preface of the work by Ferenz was for the purpose of
acquainting the American people with the facts concerning Germany's
new leader, Adolf Hitler, and the program and achievements of the
National Socialist Party. The hooked cross — the swastika — was printed
on the cover of the book.
Ferenz denied having been the distributor of the anti-Semitic film
Kosher Slaughter. He was questioned concerning the cancellation of
his lease for the Mason Opera House in Los Angeles by Peter Biccardi.
The Findings of Fact in the Los Angeles Superior Court Civil Case
Number 456927, F. K. Ferenz vs. Peter Riccardi (Volume IV, pp.
1162-1165) was introduced for examination by the members of the
committee and it was found that Ferenz had attracted Nazi sym-
pathizers to the theater and had aroused racial hatred and prejudice.
He knew of the Kaven Travel Service located at 4465 Hollywood
Boulevard in Los Angeles and stated that it was a travel bureau and
food package concern. He admitted carrying advertising for this firm
on his screen at the Mason Opera House. He also was acquainted with
the Food Package Service of H. F. Bauer. He was familiar with Facts
in Review, Nazi propaganda publication in the United States. He
claimed that he did not subscribe or take subscriptions for it.
He admitted having visited the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles but
could not recall having seen any of the Bund members in uniform and
stated that he did not know of any secret meetings having ever been
held there. He stated (p. 1173) that "Germany has never had a
better man (than Hitler)/'
George Ernest Martens was born in eastern Silesia, in Breslau,
Germany. He came to the United States in 1907, became a citizen
and resided in Los Angeles for 26 years. (Volume IV, pp. 909-918.)
He was the editor of the California Staats-Zeitung. He testified that
the German-American Bund was a continuation of the Friends of New
Germany. The Bund continued to publish the California Weckruf.
He related demands on part of the Los Angeles Bund for an
announcement of a boycott of the Jews by the Staats-Zeitung and
stated that he refused. He claimed that the Bund then published
an attack on him, as editor, in the Weckruf and that it also attacked
the Staats-Zeitung. He stated that this attack was written by Dr.
16 — L-2275
242 UN- AM ERIC AN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Konrad Bucardi. Bucardi had held a prominent position in the
Friends of New Germany.
He stated that the German Government had issued a decree provid-
ing that German citizens could not retain membership in the Friends
of New Germany and that the name of the organization was then
changed to the German- American Bund. He testified that the German
Government had issued a second decree forbidding membership in the
Bund.
Martens knew F. K. Ferenz and was acquainted with his activities
in exhibiting German pictures. He stated that he had never been in
the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles and was not aware of Nazi propa-
ganda in the pictures shown by Ferenz. He was acquainted with
Hans F. Bauer for some five or six years.
The California Staats-Zeitung, German language newspaper in Los
Angeles, enjoyed a circulation of between ten to twelve thousand at
the time Edward Stuetz testified before the committee. (Volume III,
pp. 861-885.) Stuetz had known Herman Max Schwinn since 1928
when Schwinn was employed as a clerk at the German-American
Savings Bank. He had known F. K. Ferenz for 10 or more years,
and also was acquainted with Hans Wolfran, Dr. George Gyssling,
the German Consul, Helen Entermann, Hans F. Bauer, Kurt Zim-
mer and John L. Riemer. He admitted seeing German pictures
exhibited from time to time by Ferenz.
Hans F. Bauer, according to Stuetz, advertised in the Staats-
Zeitung for a considerable period of time. He knew that he repre-
sented Fortra, Inc. Steutz had known John L. Riemer for several
years and stated that he had been a subscriber to the Staats-Zeitung.
He believed that Kurt Zimmer was a member of the German- American
Bund in Los Angeles.
Steutz denied that he had ever been a member of the German-
American Bund or that he was connected with it in any way. He
accused Schwinn and the German-American Bund unit in Los Angeles
of attempting to ruin the Staats-Zeitung. He admitted that the Staats-
Zeitung received the propaganda bulletins of Trans-Ocean Service
by mail but denied any acquaintance with those in charge of the New
York office of this service. He obviously used material from the
Trans-Ocean Service and admitted using articles from German news-
papers.
Stuetz described the German-American Alliance and stated that it
was composed of representatives from all German societies; that is,
each society sent delegates to the German- American Alliance meetings.
He admitted being a delegate to the alliance from the Sons of Herman.
He admitted that the German-American Bund in Los Angeles exer-
cised great influence over the German-American Alliance. Herman
Max Schwinn was one of the delegates from the Bund unit. Stuetz
stated that because of the disruptive tactics of Bund delegates pressure
was exerted by other delegates and they were forced to resign. Helen
Entermann was the Secretary for the German- American Alliance and
Stuetz stated that the alliance owned Hindenburg Park in Los Angeles.
Hans F. Bauer is the son of William P. Bauer, the Fuehrer of the
San Diego Unit of the German-American Bund. At the time of testi-
fying he was still engaged in sending food packages to foreign coun-
NAZI ACTIVITIES 243
tries, notably Germany. He was born in Keil, Germany, and admitted
having made a trip to the Third Reich in 1937, visiting Hamburg,
Bremen, Berlin and other cities. He was formerly employed by the
North German Lloyd Steamship Company, the Hamburg Lines, and
then became the agent for Gatraco Corporation and Fortra, Inc., in the
shipping of packages to foreign countries. While Bauer denied ever
being affiliated with the German- American Bund (Volume IV, pp. 919-
935), he admitted visiting the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles and
knowing Herman Max Schwinn since 1929. He also was acquainted
with Hans Diebel, Max Socha, Dr. Gyssling, F. K. Ferenz and others.
He subscribed to the California Staats-Zeitung. He admitted owning a
16-millimeter motion picture projection machine and that an anti-
Semitic motion picture, Kosher Slaughter, was run on this machine (or
one he borrowed) October 12, 1938, at the Deutsches Haus in Los
Angeles.
Espionage agents of the Third Reich found cooperation and sym-
pathy in certain quarters in California. Men, such as Prince Sur Lippe
Weissenfeld, Werner Plact and others, working through the consular
offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco found little trouble in gaining
entrance into social circles in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Palm
Springs. The net results achieved by these agents of Hitler will proba-
bly not be thoroughly tallied until the end of the war.
David Baxter of San Bernardino struck up an acquaintance with
Prince Sur Lippe Weissenfeld when Weissenfeld was a student at the
University of Southern California in 1939. Baxter read some of
Weissenfeld 's writings and struck up a correspondence with him during
the time that Baxter was an editor of a newspaper at Twenty-nine
Palms. A dinner was given for Weissenfeld at Twenty-nine Palms and
Baxter invited him to come down as "quite a number of local citizens
were interested in hearing the German viewpoint on this war." (Vol-
ume X, pp. 2991-2996.) Weissenfeld, according to Baxter, was, at the
time Baxter testified, in the Nazi Luftwaffe and was alleged to have
shot down 67 British planes over Tobruk. Weissenfeld was connected
with the German Consulate in San Francisco under Fritz Weidemann.
Baxter maintained his acquaintance with Weissenfeld until Weissen-
feld left for Germany in 1940. He had dinner with Weissenfeld at the
Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles and visited him at his home in Redondo
Beach. Weissenfeld introduced Baxter to Herman Max Schwinn.
Although contending that he had no sympathy for the German-Ameri-
can Bund and claiming that he considered it subversive, he, neverthe-
less, admitted that he visited the ' ' German House ' ' on several occasions
after first dining there with Weissenfeld.
G. Allison Phelps, also known as G. Allison, has for many years been
broadcasting over various Los Angeles radio stations. He has been
definitely anti-British and anti-Jewish in his broadcasts and writings.
He is reported as having advertised the sale of a book published by
Flanders Hall, which was allegedly financed by George Sylvester
Vierick, entitled We Must Save the Republic. George Sylvester Vierick
was registered under the McCormick Act as a German propaganda
agent. On September 24, 1941, Pearson and Allen described G. Allison
Phelps as a "front man" for Russell Mack, a former scenario writer,
244 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
who visited Germany in 1939 and returned to Hollywood to collaborate
with Phelps in a scathing attack on the motion picture industry.
Phelps was reported as a frequent speaker at America First Com-
mittee meetings and allegedly advertised the meetings of the organiza-
tion in his radio programs.
He was subpenaed and testified March 26, 1942, in Los Angeles.
(Volume X, pp. 3048-3071.) He was born in New Hampshire and has
been a radio-commentator in southern California for 18 years. He is
the author of six books, one of which was being sold currently. He
testified that he had financed himself through the sale of books and
booklets, and that former broadcasts had been financed by sponsors.
He admitted that he had instituted a campaign against alleged abuses
in Hollywood in connection with the motion picture industry and stated
that he had commenced this work in the Summer of 1940 and continued
it until the Fall of 1941. He stated that he started this work when he
learned of people being discharged in the motion picture industry to
make room for refugees. He made an investigation of the aliens work-
ing in the motion picture industry, " taking jobs of American citizens,"
and put out booklets on this subject. One of these booklets was entitled
An Appeal to Americans and contained an article entitled The Tower
of Babel. He stated that he later wrote a pamphlet, An American His-
tory of Hollywood. He believed that the Communists were being
assisted in southern California by certain people in the motion picture
industry.
He related the circumstances surrounding a banquet which was given
in the latter part of 1940 for Lion Feuchtwanger, author of Moscow,
1937. He claimed that he had quoted from Feuchtwanger 's book over
the air and had called his listeners' attention to the fact that the vari-
ous motion picture " bigwigs" were feeding Feuchtwanger at the
Beverly Wilshire Hotel and collecting more money in order to bring
such writers to Hollywood. He stated that he believed this to be a very
dangerous thing. He was anti-Communist and felt very strongly con-
cerning this subject. He had made an investigation of Communism in
Hollywood and once refused to join the Anti-Nazi League because he
believed it to be a Communist front.
He denied ever having been a member of the America First Commit-
tee, though he had spoken at their meetings. He knew nothing of the
League to Save America First or of the activities of T. W. Hughes.
He admitted announcing meetings of the America First Committee on
his radio broadcasts and stated that he had done so at the request of
William Hunt, who was the chairman of the Glendale chapter.
He admitted knowing Mrs. Frances Sherrill, the president of the
National League of Mothers of America and admitted having attended
one of the meetings of this organization.
He made a trip to Washington around the first of November of 1941
and claimed that the purpose of the trip was to confer with certain
Senators concerning fi : Union Now" with Britain. He stated that he
financed his own trip from the sale of his books and pamphlets. While
in Washington, he conferred with Senators Nye, Robert Rice Reynolds
and Tobey. He made two trips to Washington in the year of 1941.
He conferred with a number of Senators and Congressmen on both
trips. He knew that Congressman Stephen A. Day had written a book
NAZI ACTIVITIES 245
entitled Save the Republic and admitted that he had mentioned it on
his broadcasts. He denied having received financial remuneration for
mentioning the book and believed it to be "good reading." He stated
that he did not know that part of the book had been written by George
Sylvester Viereck. He admitted having advertised Senator Reynolds'
publication, The Vindicator, on several of his programs. He likewise
admitted that Father Coughlin had reprinted part of a speech made by
him but he stated that it was without his permission.
Phelps denied that he had ever affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan,
although he knew Kleagle William H. Sahli. He had met Dr. Sahli at
a meeting of the America First Committee and Sahli had confided to
him that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Phelps stated that he had founded the American Enterprise Founda-
tion in order to secure jobs for American citizens in preference to
aliens.
He admitted knowing Russell Mack and stated that he met Mack
and his wife, Bobette, in 1940. He disclaimed knowledge of Mack's
trip to Germany other than being aware that he had made the trip.
He had read allegations concerning Mack visiting Nazi officials. He
stated that he discussed the matter with him and was told that Mack
had conferred with motion picture people in Germany. He denied
that Mack had ever collaborated in the writing of his broadcasts. He
stated that he sometimes talked with him over the telephone regarding
material to be used in his broadcasts and that Mack had supplied him
with some statistics which he had used in his book The American His-
tory of Hollywood. Mack gave him checks, and he claimed that they
were in payment for booklets and books Mack had purchased. He
explained the photostatic copies of checks signed by Mack in the posses-
sion of the committee in amounts of $50 and $100 as being payment for
200 and 400 copies, respectively, of An Appeal to Americans, at 25 cents
each. He said copies of The American History of Hollywood had been
mailed to the members of the California Legislature and that Mack
had bought them and financed the mailing of them.
He stated that the Jewish names in his writings concerning Holly-
wood were included merely because the individuals were motion pic-
ture industrialists, actors, etc., and denied that it was because they
were Jewish. He pointed out that he included Irish names as well.
John L. Riemer operated tlje National Book Mart and distributed
literature of a definite subversive character. He was the organizer of
the American Labor Party (not to be confused with the New York
organization of the same name). Riemer 's American Labor Party
advocated the abolition of labor unions. The anthem of the American
Labor Party is A Voice Resounds Like Thunder-Peal which was alleg-
edly written by John L. Riemer himself. The substitution of American
names for German names is the only difference between A Voice
Resounds Like Thunder-Peal and Die Wacht am Rhein. Riemer testi-
fied before the McCormack Committee and indicated that a German
Consulate had paid $215 for printing part of the literature he had sent
out from Los Angeles during 1941.
Riemer distributed T. W. Hughes' anti-British pamphlet, The Truth
About England, through the National Book Mart as well as F. K.
Ferenz' propaganda book on Hitler. He likewise advertised America
246 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
First Committee meetings in connection with the distribution of his
own literature.
He objected to being photographed when testifying October 16, 1941.
(Volume IV, pp. 1070-1079.) He was born in Danzig, Germany, in
1887 and came to the United States in 1909. He was naturalized in
1915 and has resided in Southern California since 1911, with the excep-
tion of a few months.
He admitted selling books at the National Book Mart in both the
English and German languages.
He had known Herman Max Schwinn for some six or seven years,
Hans Diebel and others. He stated that the Aryan Book Shop,
operated by Hans Diebel, did not sell the same type of literature as
he sold at the National Book Mart.
He denied being a member of the German-American Alliance, the
German-American Bund or of the Friends of New Germany and claimed
that he was not in sympathy with the principles of the Bund. He
admitted being a member of the America First Committee and having
signed a membership card. In addition, he was a member of the
Turner Society and had written on the health benefits of Turnerism.
He admitted having attempted to organize the American Lai) or
Party in 1933 and stated that after four months' effort he had "one
member and three stool pigeons. ' '
Mrs. Edith Marion Shol (Mrs. David Shol) testified that she was a
printer and that she had resided in Southern California for 20 years,
engaged in the printing business. (Volume X, pp. 2890-2899.) She
admitted having done considerable printing for various organizations
under investigation by the committee. She admitted printing stickers
"War is a Racket," for the National Legion of Mothers of America
and said they were ordered by a Mr. Nimms. She admitted having
known G. Allison Phelps for six or seven years and having printed
pamphlets for him, such as An Appeal to Free Americans. She has
printed for the Ku Klux Klan for two or three years. She stated that
the Klan had last ordered 10,000 membership cards, took 1,000 of them
and that she hadn't seen any of the Klansmen for quite a while. The
membership cards were ordered by a man by the name of Harvey (or
Hervey) of Alhambra. She also was acquainted with a Klansman by
the name of Anderson. American Freedom was a publication put out
several years ago by Mrs. Shol herself. She stated that it had been
her intent to start a patriotic organization to sponsor the magazine.
Philander K. Bush was to have handled the funds. William P. Wil-
liams was a member of the organization she hoped to build around
American Freedom. She stated that the organization only lasted a
few months and that she had published the magazine herself.
She had met Ellis 0. Jones when he came to her printing plant and
asked for an estimate on a printing job. He had declared that the
estimate was "too high" and therefore did not order. She was
acquainted with the Van Meter brothers. She denied ever having done
any printing for the America First Committee.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 247
ANTI-SEMITISM
Race superiority and anti-Semitism constitute important pillars
in Nazi philosophy. Hatred against the Jewish people is the spear-
head of Nazi penetration — a softening-solvent for panzer divisions and
collaboration with the New Order. This psychological assault is
usually employed by the Nazis with the Communist "threat." One of
the most malicious techniques of Dr. Goebbels' agents, used with great
success in Europe and still being used in the United States, is to tie
the Jews and the Communists together, making it appear that "Jew"
and "Communist" are synonymous. Thus, crafty Nazi psychologists,
utilizing the natural antipathy held by all nationals against the sneak-
ing subversivists of the Kremlin hope to direct this same antagonism
against the Jewish people — for the greater part, the staunchist element
in support of real democracy. It is certainly unnecessary to point out
that citizens of the Jewish race are no more susceptible to Communism
than are the people of other races. The Communist Party itself does
not hesitate to attack the Jews of the United States when they find
citizens of this race boldly antagonistic to Communist intrigue and
conspiracy against the Government. Whoever attacks Communism in
support of the United States Constitution, its traditions and American-
ism, whether he be Jew or Gentile, is in for scurrilous and filthy lam-
basting from the comrades and the Communist press. George Seldes'
In Fact for January 18, 1943, refers to Louis B. Mayer, motion picture
producer, as a "Jewish Fascist," because, Mr. Mayer in his Ameri-
canism, had the courage to produce several plays exposing the nefarious
activities of Stalin's stooges. To call Mr. Mayer a "Jewish Fascist"
is, of course, about as logical as calling Hitler a "Nazi-Democrat."
Certainly there is no place in American Democracy for dispensers of
racial prejudice and hatred. A personal quarrel or difference with
an Englishman, a Jew or an individual of any particular nationality
is no excuse for an all-out attack on the race or nationality represented
by the individual. Anti-Semitism and organized race-prejudice is as
un-American and as subversive as are Naziism and Communism.
The committee has been primarily interested during its investigations
of Nazi activities in California in the success of our war effort and in
combating the efforts of fifth columnists on the home front who attempt
to succor and strengthen the totalitarian hordes which would destroy
our Democracy. The members of the committee are unanimously of the
opinion that those who seek to divide our people on the basis of racial
prejudice are ably assisting Herr Hitler and his cohorts. They are
either unwittingly or deliberately contributing to Hitler's psycho-
logical war-blitz.
Under the cloak of the Bill of Rights, the Nazi and the Communist
seek to subvert the freedoms they intend to destroy while clinging to
their protections. The people of the United States will, if they do not
delay too long, come to the realization that liberty, if it is not to
degenerate to mere license, must be exercised in good faith. When
speech and the press are used for the purpose of destroying the freedom
of both then safeguards must be taken by those who use their liberties
248 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
properly and in good faith to the end that these same liberties be
preserved.
The committee and its representatives have given considerable time
to the study of propaganda methods used by subversivists, particularly
in relation to psychological principles. In this connection it has sought
for an explanation of Hitler's anti-Semitic policy. It has been sug-
gested that this plank in the program of the Nazi Party is based on
Hitler's personal hatred of the Jews. Some have believed that it was
merely an inhuman plan for uniting the German people by fostering
a common hatred and persecution of the Jewish people — the creation
of a scapegoat for German ills. Still others have suggested that the
Nazis used it as an outrageous pretext for the confiscation of Jewish
fortunes and properties. Probably all of these theories contributed
to the original policies in Germany, but Nazi psychologists have turned
it to use in foreign propaganda campaigns. Anti-Semitism, when
analytical histories of these times are written, will prove to have been
an important factor in Hitler's initial successes. It was highly effec-
tive during the Chamberlain phase of appeasement and contributed
to the collapse of Czechoslovakia and France. The will to fight against
Hitler was broken because the people of these countries had been
indoctrinated with the thesis that only the Jews wanted to fight the
Nazis, and, therefore, to fight Hitler was merely to fight for the Jews.
The superiority of the Nordic or "pure Aryan" fiction is just as
important in Hitler's psychological warfare as is his anti-Semitic
policy. There probably is really no true connection between the two,
except as one forms the background for the -other. The Nazis, by
this mental tactic attempted — and succeeded more than we yet realize
— in supplanting obligations owed to the German Weimar Republic in
the beginning, and the respective governments they intended to con-
quer after coming to power, by obligations owed to the race, the Nordic
— the "pure Aryan." By directing the mind toward a minor detail
it is quite possible to deceive concerning major facts. By the proper
process of negative induction and the generous conditioning of mental
reflexes it is quite possible to cause people to act contrary to the obvious
and thus induce them to destroy with their own hands the nation to
which they owe their loyalty. Individuals of German descent or those
inflated with the idea of Nordic ancestry, little in mind and flattered
with a sudden-found "racial superiority" soon come to believe and
act on the premise of "Aryan Uoodship" with the Third Reich, direct-
ing their allegiance, not to the country of citizenship, but to the New
Order of Fuehrer Hitler.
Anti-Semitism is growing in California. Not so very lon^r ago
the chairman of your committee, having just finished a radio broadcast
on a phase of the Nation's war effort, was called on the studio's
telephone. "You are fighting for the Jews!" a woman's voice
exclaimed in sincere distress and concern. "Our best educated people
know and say that our American Gentile boys are being sent to
slaughter in foreign countries because the powerful Jew money lords
demand it! We have no quarrel with Hitler; he is only fighting the
Jews!"
The committee submits that this sort of thing is difficult to combat.
Only strict emphasis on democratic principles of full equality of oppor-
NAZI ACTIVITIES 249
tunity for all races under the Constitution will steel the American
people to successful resistance of these psychological onslaughts. Dur-
ing these times, and completely aside from the obvious falsity of such
lying propaganda, it resolves itself to a matter of National defense.
C. Leon de Aryan was the editor of The Broom, a San Diego publica-
tion. (Volume III, pp. 2273-2304.) He had been in the publishing
business in the City of San Diego for 12 years and his publication
appeared in San Diego every Monday. The paper was notoriously
anti-Semitic, isolationist and anti-Roosevelt.
de Aryan stated that he was solely responsible for the editorial
policy of the paper. He continuously carried an active campaign
against Communism and Communists, which campaign, according to his
own statement, has been the policy of the paper from " practically the
first issue." de Aryan believes that the Marxist philosophy destroys
individual initiative. He was very much aware of the Communist
Party and its activities in San Diego and declared that the Communists
had been ''after" him for six or seven years. This came about, he
explained, because he refused to sign a petition legalizing the Com-
munist Party in California. He stated that the Communists continu-
ally abuse him and even call him on the telephone with insults and
threats. He revealed a very unique ability by declaring that he could
tell a Communist by the voice over the telephone. He explained that
all Communists have a "gutteral sound" in their voices (p. 2276).
de Aryan was born in Rumania in 1886 under the name of Constantino
Legenopol. He moved to Austria after the death of his father and
stayed there until he was 19. At this time, his mother had him placed
in an insane asylum where he remained for about 14 months. He was
removed from this place to another insane asylum located in Vienna.
The doctors in Vienna discovered that the cause of his trouble was "fam-
ily persecution" and released him with a letter stating that fact. He
went from Vienna to Egypt and worked in Mesopotamia on an engi-
neering job under Sir William Wilcox. Sir William Wilcox was work-
ing for the Turkish Government but was also in the employ of the
British, sending duplicate maps to Sinla, India, de Aryan stated that
he did not approve of this type of double-dealing, and therefore,
resigned his position. He came to the United States in 1912 and joined
the United States Army under the name of Kosti, which, he said, was
an abbreviation of Constantine. He later had his name changed to
Aryan and subsequently legalized it by a court proceeding in the City
of Los Angeles, adding the "de" because of readings in numerology.
He was dishonorably discharged from the United States Army in
1914. He stated that he opposed the method of inducting men into
the army and contended that the oath was not read to him before he
enlisted.
He went to Texas and from there to Mexico where he remained dur-
ing the World War. After the Armistice he shipped out of Mexico
and made a trip to Belgium and returned to New York, entering the
United States at Ellis Island. He has been a resident of San Diego
about 14 or 15 years.
He claimed that he broke up the Silver Shirts in San Diego. He
declared that members of this organization had beaten him once because
he opposed them. This opposition, he explained, was on the same
250 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
ground on which he opposed the Communists, "or any organization
which tries to constrain people and force them into things/' He
related the history of the mutilation and murder of a boy named Apo-
shin whom the Silver Shirts claimed was slain in a Jewish ritual
murder.
He admitted that he had copied material from the Roll Call, a pub-
lication of William Dudley Pelley, because he agreed with the senti-
ment expressed in the material. It was anti-New Deal and de Aryan
admitted being anti-New Deal. He admitted that he was aware that
the Roll Call was anti-Semitic. He admitted having written and
printed an article in The Broom against the "Tenney Committee,"
referring to the contemplated investigation in San Diego as a " political
smear campaign."
He declared that he had been persecuted in San Diego by the Jews.
He said that the animosity of the Jews against him was such that
they had forced advertisers to withdraw their ads from The Broom.
He explained that this animosity began on an occasion when he opposed
picketing by the American Federation of Labor of Whitney's Depart-
ment Store in San Diego, protesting the handling of German-made
goods, de Aryan stated that he "put on a skirt and picketed the
pickets ' ' and that the Jewish citizenry of San Diego ' ' got awfully mad
about that."
Lawrence R. (Larry) Griffith was so anti-Semitic that he would
have nothing to do with Robert Noble and the Friends of Progress.
(Volume IX, pp. 2827-2836.) He attended meetings of the Friends
of Progress and knew Ellis 0. Jones, Robert Noble, the Van Meter
brothers, and Leone Menier "by sight." He stated that he did not
feel that Noble was playing a "straight game" because Noble's doctor
and lawyer were both Jews. "Well," Griffith added, "he can not
represent me as an American." He had passed out handbills at the
Friends of Progress meetings. He declared that he did not believe
that real Americans should speak, write or teach Yiddish or Talmudic
traditions and that, generally, he was suspicious of Noble because he
was too friendly with the Jews.
Griffith admitted having composed the material contained in the
pamphlet, Why Do You Hate Hitler f and having distributed copies at
the meetings of the Friends of Progress. He had also distributed about
200 copies of Publicity, a paper put out by Gardner of Wichita,
Kansas. Griffith stated that this made Ellis 0. Jones "sore, because
he is out for the shekels. ' ' He gave away most of his pamphlets,
Why Do You Hate Hitler? but was able to sell some of them.
"I am not for Hitler for America; I am for Hitler for Germany,"
Griffith declared. He supported the views of Father (Charles) Cough-
lin and quoted from Social Justice. He wanted to use his opportunity
in testifying to deliver a speech on the evils of Jewish influence in the
United States. When this was objected to, he declared, "If that's
un-American, God pity us!" He was recalled March 24, 1942.
(Volume X, pp. 2903-2905.) At this time his pamphlet, Why Do You
Hate Hitler?, was introduced into the record. Griffith, at this hearing,
took full credit for the United Minute Men and Women of America
and stated that it was organized by him in order to institute research
on the enemies within this country "who are trying to undermine our
NAZI ACTIVITIES 251
government." He stated that he organized the United Minute Men
and Women o/ America in 1941 after Lindbergh's Des Moines speech.
The organization started out with some 200 members, according to
Griffith, but dwindled away. He claimed that he had not kept written
records of the money that had 'been collected. The organization,
according to Griffith, is now inactive, except for himself.
The following is indicative of the context of Griffith's Why Do You
Hate Hitler f:
"The public has been misinformed and misled to hate
the German people, just as much as they have been led
to hate the Japanese people. * * * Franklin Roosevelt's
hate Hitler program and love Churchill and Stalin, is
nothing more than a political Jewish method of getting
the public mind off the Jew, and as a smoke screen, plac-
ing the blame on Hitlerism."
Ellis 0. Jones, in an article he had written for Publicity for August
7, 1941, referred to "Jew-controlled movies," and "Jew-controlled
Department Stores." (Volume III, pp. 744-760.) He declared that
he was opposed to the Jews because they had opposed the principles
of the America First Committee. (Volume IV, pp. 1187-1190.) He
admitted contributing articles to Free American but could not recall
if he had made contributions to The Broom. He met C. Leon de Aryan
in 1933 and stated that he was a rather casual acquaintance and that
he had no knowledge of de Aryan's background. He was aware,
however, that Free American was combined with WecJcruf. He
admitted having seen circulars and stickers attacking the Jews.
(Volume IX, pp. 2489-2528.)
Ben S. Beery introduced into the committee 's record a circular which
was picked up in Robinson's Department store in Los Angeles on
February 11, 1942. The title of the circular ' read : "Buy From a
Christian or Work for a Jew." Many such circulars have been col-
lected by the committee and its investigators and are on file in commit-
tee records.
Harold A. Sparling admitted having written a pamphlet entitled
Why I am Running for Congress and stated that he had distributed
6,000 copies of it. It was viciously anti-Semitic and listed the names
of alleged Jews serving in the Roosevelt Administration. He described
the emblem printed in the pamphlet and, though he admitted that it
resembled a swastika, he stated that it was a modified version of the
tuberculosis seal. He considered the Democratic Party as a "Bol-
shevik Party ' ' and President Roosevelt as a " Bolshevik. ' ' He claimed
that he could not recall all the sources of the material used in his pam-
phlet and admitted that he had used the term "Communist" rather
loosely. He confided to the committee that he hated the Jews and the
British. (Volume III, pp. 714-744.)
George T. Baker of San Francisco was an official of the Citizens No
Foreign Wars Coalition. (Volume VII, pp. 1980-2007.) He declared
that the organization was established in 1936 by Oscar Braumback who
was formerly a secretary to United States Senator Schall. The offices
of the Citizens No Foreign Wars Coalition was located at 57 Post
Street in the City of San Francisco and had been in that location since
252 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
July of 1941. Baker stated that there were "probably" several hun-
dred members of the organization in San Francisco. Dr. Richard
Carlyle was the Southern California organizer for the group. The
Citizens No Foreign Wars Coalition published a manual of organiza-
tion and a periodical entitled America Awake. The organization was
sustained entirely by donations and the sale of books and the members
paid no dues. It was a nonprofit corporation and its alleged purpose
was to prevent the United States from becoming entangled in foreign
wars.
Baker testified that the present plan of the organization was to bring
together groups with similar purposes — those who were opposed to
foreign wars and to certain "credit practices" of the United States
Government. Pursuant to this purpose of bringing similar groups
together, Baker stated the National Chairman of the Citizens No For-
eign Wars Coalition, Oscar Braumback, was scheduled to speak in
Cleveland, Ohio to the United Mothers of America. This group, accord-
ing to Baker, was similar in type to the Citizens No Foreign Wars
Coalition, as was the National Copperheads in Los Angeles. (He
claimed he did not know Ellis 0. Jones.)
He admitted reading the literature of the Silver Shirts and expressed
himself as believing this material to be very educational. As a matter
of fact, he insisted on reading some of this literature into the com-
mittee's records. He read an article entitled "Jew Dealers in Office
and Their Red Front Personnel, 9 ' from Roll Call.
He stated that he had met Wilhelm Kunze in San Francisco when the
Fuehrer of the German-American Bund spoke at a meeting at 320
Divisidero Street in 1940. He claimed that he did not know that
Kunze was connected with the German-American Bund. He admitted
that he read Free American and likewise claimed that he did not know
it was the official publication of the German- American Bund.
He related what he 'knew of the American Forum. He said that
Godfrey Hind was chairman of this organization, but could not state
whether or not Hind was a member of the German- American Bund.
He admitted having heard Hind talk but could not recall if he spoke
of Hitler but did remember that he spoke on the ' ' Jewish question. ' '
He then produced the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion and
insisted on reading Protocol Twenty to the committee regarding the
methods the Jews are alleged to have planned for the bankrupting of
nations. Baker insisted that he believed these Protocols.
He stated that the American Forum was sometimes referred to as
the Christian Forum and that its meetings were attended by 50 or 60
people.
He expressed the opinion that his organization, the Citizens No For-
eign Wars Coalition, would not permit infiltration by members of the
German- American Bund. He stated that the Citizens No Foreign Wars
Coalition ' ' preached only Americanism. ' r
He had read all of Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh's speeches and was
in full agreement with the opinions expressed by Lindbergh on the
Jews. In this connection he read from Walter Steele's testimony
before the Dies Committee concerning the background of Sidney Hill-
man, David Dubinsky and others and remarked that "these people are
Jewish."
NAZI ACTIVITIES 253
He presented the committee with a magazine, The White Knight,
published by George Deatheridge of the Knights of the White Camellia.
The article in question was another anti- Jewish piece entitled "The
Jew Deal Issue."
The testimony of George T. Baker left no doubt in the minds of the
members of the committee of the anti-Semitic nature of the Citizens
No Foreign Wars Coalition and its close association with Fascist and
Nazi organizations.
Samuel L. Brogden was the State Chairman of the Citizens No
Foreign Wars Coalition. (Volume VII, pp. 2025-2036.) He stated
that he had not had anything to do with the organization of the group
but that he had set up an executive committee of 25 members. He
did not have the names of the members of the executive committee at
hand but stated that they had been selected from patriotic and Christian
organizations.
Brogden claimed that he knew of no attempts on the part of the
members of the German-American Bund to inject themselves into the
Citizens No Foreign Wars Coalition, but admitted that he had made
no personal effort to determine whether attempts or not had actually
been made.
He was familiar with C. Leon de Aryan's newspaper, The B'room,
but claimed that he was not personally acquainted with de Aryan. He
was also acquainted with the Beacon Light, published by William Kul-
gren. He had seen copies of the Free American but was not familiar
with it. He stated that someone had sent him a copy which contained
an article entitled "The Gravediggers of Russia" which dealt with the
Jews and contained a subtitle, "Try to Find a Russian Among Them."
Brogden was also familiar with the writings of Edward Edmundson,
Gerald Winrod, and William Dudley Pelley. He admitted that he
was responsible for the paper America Awake.
Earl C. Craig testified that he had attended many America First
Committee meetings in 1941. (Volume IV, pp. 1253-1258.) He stated
that he attended a meeting in Glendale presided over by a man by the
name of Hunt, when G. Allison Phelps spoke. He stated that the
crowd cried, ''Jew! Jew!" when Hunt mentioned the name of John
Spivak. He stated that Hunt's address continued to draw similar
responses from the audience. .
Craig stated that he had distributed literature for the Committee
to Defend America ~by Aiding the Allies at various meetings and that
he finally found himself in trouble with the police for distributing
such literature at the meetings of the America First Committee. Craig
blamed the America Firsters for this difficulty.
William Hunt was reported as a frequent visitor at the Deutsches
Haus in Los Angeles and is alleged to have been present there when
Fritz Kuhn visited the German- American Bund in Southern Califor-
nia. He also had been associated with the activities of Faith McCul-
lough, former secretary to Mrs. Leslie Fry.
254 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
6
NAZI FRONT ORGANIZATIONS
The committee learned that the German-American Bund utilized
the " transmission belt" technique of the Communist Party. Where-
ever an organization existed whose objectives fitted the current policy
of Hitler and his American agents, members of the Bund penetrated
such organizations. The America First Committee and the National
Legion of Mothers of America were non-intervention and isolationist
groups opposed to war and against conscription, and such organizations
were made to order for American Bundsters. The committee is con-
vinced of the sincerity, loyalty and honesty of the majority of the
original organizers of the America First Committee in California.
There is no doubt, however, in the minds of the members of the com-
mittee that the German-American Bund caused its members to become
active in these and similar groups in order to propagandize Americans
against entry or participation in the European conflict.
From January 15 to March 1, 1941, German- American Bund locals
were issued mimeographed instructions in closed meetings. Before
the instructions were issued, members present were asked to take an
oath promising to destroy the mimeographed memoranda before leaving
the Bund halls. The instructions stated : * ' These instructions must be
memorized and destroyed before leaving this hall TONIGHT. There
is nothing illegal in the operations of your organization but the follow-
ing instructions might be misunderstood if through the carelessness of
any of our members they were lost."
The so-called "instructions" outlined the policy or "line" of con-
duct for the German-American Bundsters and stated that "For the
good of the United States and the Reich" the Lend-Lease Bill must
be defeated in toto. The members were instructed to be "mild" in
all conversations; "In every circumstance avoid the label of pro-
German which label once acquired destroys the value of your work
completely. Be mildly sympathetic toward Britain but never forget
to casually recall her Imperialism, her poverty-stricken people and her
long years of misrule. Particularly her misrule of these American
colonies. ' '
Minute instructions were given in reference to Colonel Charles A.
Lindbergh. The Bundsters were urged to "recall that Lindbergh
warned the world of Germany's increasing air power after a thorough
inspection of it by the courtesty of the German Fuehrer." They were
further urged to * ' infer always that he made this trip as a Colonel of
the United States Army and as the direct agent of his Commander-in-
Chief, Franklin D. Roosevelt." The instructions continue as follows:
«* * * This will convey the impression that the
present administration is responsible for failing to take
advantage of the information procured for it by its own
agent and the generous cooperation of the Fuehrer.
"Generally speaking, this statement will not be denied
but if it is you may always plead ignorance. (Lindbergh
is actually an honorary colonel of the Missouri National
Guard and thus on the reserve of the United States
NAZI ACTIVITIES 255
Army.) But you need have little fear of contradiction
and will find this statement very successful in friendly
conversation.
"Avoid as always all blatant pro-Germans. They are
doing us more harm than good and should be shunned for
the moment. Seventy per cent of the American people
are of direct German descent and a great majority of the
balance of the population of this hetrogeneous country is
non-Aryan.
"Tolerantly discredit Willkie. A boyish figure who
wants to play at being a soldier so badly that he is a will-
ing tool in the hands of Roosevelt. A well-meaning man
with no understanding of International affairs and a tool
of the warmongers.
«* * * Wheeler and Johnson are two Americans
with the best interests of the American people at heart
* * * they are unwilling to see the cream of America
die in the shambles of Europe * * * the United
States is perfectly safe and should rearm slowly and intel-
ligently on the five-year plan which will make it impreg-
nable at the end of five years. Quote General Wood of
the America First Committee. These are two great
names, the first speaking for itself and the second widely
confused with General Leonard Wood, a confusion to be
encouraged. Quote Hamilton Fish and La Follette. Never
forget the unpaid war debt from the past World War.
When conversing with strong anti-Roosevelt people, com-
pare his ideas with the Fuehrer's; encourage the feeling
that he wishes to be a dictator, insinuate the best medical
opinions to be that he is power-mad due to a mental con-
dition directly attributable to infantile paralysis. Remem-
ber always that this administration must be weakened at
any cost * * *. Roosevelt is the fountainhead of the
aid to England theory and * * * he and his admin-
istration must be attacked constantly. But always from
the American angle, never from the German.
"For the next 60 days then, exalt Lindbergh. His
name still means more than any of America's heroes of
the past. Quote his opinions, never forget that he told
the world all of Germany's secrets. Idolize him as the
Protector of American youth from the warmongers. (If
you are told that he wears the decoration of our Fuehrer
(remind the speaker that he wears decorations from almost
every nation.) But support Lindbergh for Lindbergh
can be depended upon.
' ' Include as many as possible in your circle of acquain-
tances, always be mild in your opinions but get around.
It is your duty; never sleep, keep moving and working
and before another year goes by the world will enjoy
a New Order, a disciplined order of German justice under
the guiding hand of our magnificent Fuehrer * * *.
256 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
''The Battle of Britain will be over by June, the Battle
of America then will never need to be fought. Kemember
always that war is an awful thing to be avoided at all costs
except as a court of last resort. Here in the United States
the great industrialists and powerful labor leaders will
make the New Order possible by their own differences once
England is gone and the triumphant Axis confronts the
world in all the splendor of their armed might. So then,
on to Der Tag, peace in the New Order and a happier
America.
"You are under oath to destroy this paper before leav-
ing this hall tonight. Do not forget. "
The above-quoted instructions of the German-American Bund should
be held in mind when studying the activities of Nazi-front organiza-
tions.
In San Francisco the National Legion of Mothers of America was
addressed at one of its luncheons in the Empire Hotel in June, 1941,
by no less a person than Laura Ingalls, who was subsequently convicted
and sentenced to a term in a Federal prison as a paid Nazi agent.
The Friends of Progress appeared to be a transmission belt of Nazi
origin. Its directors, Robert Noble and Ellis O. Jones, both citizens of
the United States, gave the organization an innocent appearance in the
beginning. Robert Noble had drummed up a considerable following
through old-age pension plans and was building the Friends of Progress
rapidly when the committee first subpenaed him to appear in the State
Building in Los Angeles, October 17, 1941. The No Foreign Wars
Coalition and similar organizations were utilized for "No European
War Involvement" propaganda.
NAZI-COMMUNIST COLLABORATION
The committee heretofore has outlined the collaboration of the Com-
munist Party with the Nazis during the time Hitler and Stalin were
invading Poland under the terms of the Hitler-Stalin Pact. We have
heretofore set forth the testimony of Hugh Ben Inzer, a former head
of a C. I. 0. union in southern California in which he described
the conference called by Lew Michener at the C. I. 0. Regional Head-
quarters in Los Angeles. It will be recalled that Mr. Inzer there met
Hans Diebel of the German- American Bund and Pettis Perry, the Sec-
retary of the Communist Party in Los Angeles County. The committee
found considerable evidence of this close collaboration between the
agents of Hitler in California and the Communist Party of the United
States during the time Hitler and Stalin were partitioning Poland.
After June 22, 1941, however, this collaboration ceased.
Harold A. Sparling organized True Americans at the Embassy Audi-
torium, September 10, 1940. (Volume III, pp. 714-744.) This organi-
zation nominated Charles A. Lindbergh for President of the United
States and Burton K. Wheeler for the Vice Presidency. The True
Americans sponsored a meeting at the Philharmonic Auditorium in Los
Angeles for February 25, 1941.
Mrs. Frances Sherrill claimed to have founded the National Legion of
Mothers of America in October of 1939. (Volume X, pp. 2899-2902.)
NAZI ACTIVITIES 257
At the time of testifying, March 24, 1942, Mrs. Sherrill stated that the
organization no longer held meetings but that it was still in existence.
She stated that its purposes were to keep the United States out of war
and to provide for strong National defense.
She admitted having made a trip to Washington, D. C., in May of
1941 and again in November or December of 1941. She stated that
the trip was financed by "nickels and dimes" donated by the members
of the organization. She stated that she met Congressman Stephen A.
Day while in Washington. She was acquainted with G. Allison Phelps.
Mrs. Eleanor Morris, the daughter of Mayor Angelo J. Rossi of Sari
Francisco, was subpenaed for questioning concerning the National
Legion of Mothers of America in San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp.
3504-3524.) She stated that the organization was originated by a Mrs.
Mary Ireland. She had joined by signing an application which had
appeared in a newspaper. The group had been launched with the
assistance of Frances Sherrill and Mary Sheldon, in October of 1939.
She was acquainted with Mrs. Frank Panter and had known her for a
number of years. She admitted that she was active in the Northern
California Branch of the National Legion of Mothers of America. The
organization had about 8,000 members in the City of San Francisco.
She was acquainted with Kathleen Norris and stated that Kathleen
Norris was active in the leadership of the group. Mrs. Morris denied
that she had ever contacted Mrs. Sheldon but admitted that she had
been in touch with Mrs. Frances Sherrill.
The funds of the organization were raised by collections taken at
meetings. Mrs. Morris was the chairman of the northern branch until
about a month before the declaration of war. She denied being
familiar with the stickers and circulars distributed in the Los Angeles
area by the organization, including those demanding "Impeach Roose-
velt" and "Roosevelt should be impeached." She admitted having
been affiliated with the America First Committee. She averred that
Catherine Curtis had arranged for Laura Ingalls to speak before the
National Legion of Mothers of America in the Empire Hotel in San
Francisco on June 5, 1941. She also was aware that Laura Ingalls had
been subsequently indicted and convicted as a paid Nazi agent. She
admitted having been present in the Empire Hotel at the time Laura
Ingalls spoke. Later Laura Ingalls wrote to Mrs. Morris asking if
money could be raised in San Francisco for the purpose of securing
peace pamphlets to be dropped 'by airplane in Washington, D. C. She
contended that she did not assist in raising this money.
Ben S. Beery stated that the World Events Forum, under the super-
vision of A. M. Windhorst, was a subversive organization. F. • K.
Ferenz participated in the meetings of the World Events Forum.
A man by the name of Dr. E. R. Verostek spoke at a meeting of this
organization on January 28, 1942. Notices for the meetings of the
World Events Forum were freely distributed at meetings of the Friends
of Progress and vice versa. It was learned that Dr. E. R. Verostek was
once the chairman of the America First Youth Group.
Beery testified that F. K. Ferenz advertised his Continental Book
Shop at the meetings of the Friends of Progress and the World Events
Forum.
17— L-2275
258 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
F. K. Ferenz participated from time to time in these organizations.
Larry Griffith distributed literature for the United Minute Men and
Women of America. The Ku Klux Klan was said to be active in this
organization.
James Adams Van Meter testified that he assisted in the operation
of his brothers' printing enterprises. (Volume IV, pp. 1014-1023,
1061.) He stated that his brothers Baron Frederick, Daniel Elias
and himself, were " amateur printers/7 They printed literature for
Emil Lodahl's organization, the National Patriots. He claimed that
he had not had an occasion to converse with Emil Lodahl, prior to the
hearing, for about three years.
The League to Save America First was founded by T. W. Hughes
and held its meetings in the Embassy Auditorium in the City of Los
Angeles. T. W. Hughes wrote a book entitled The Truth About Eng-
land which was distributed by the National Book Mart and the Aryan
Book Store. F. K. Ferenz participated from time to time in the meet-
ings of the League to Save America First.
Hughes conducted the meetings of the League to Save America First
and during his activities attracted many America First Committee
speakers to his platform, including Louise Ward Watkins, Bishop
Tarkington Dowden, Albert W. Carlson, Frank J. Barry, Sr., Frank
J. Barry, Jr., James D'Orsay Murray and Michael Dillon. The
League to Save America First continuously drew audiences which regu-
larly booed and hissed the names of the President of the United States
and outstanding Americans.
Hughes is reported as having participated in the policy meetings of
the America First Committee.
Benjamin Franklin Ballard, who organized the American Guards,
was a regular attendant at the meetings of the League to Save America
First and was the chairman of the down town chapter of the America
First Committee. His addresses were outspokenly anti-Semitic. He
compared the President of the United States to Benedict Arnold and
urged impeachment proceedings.
NATIONAL COPPERHEADS OF AMERICA
Ellis 0. Jones was the creator and organizer of the National Cop-
perheads of America. (Volume III, pp. 744-750.) This organiza-
tion came into being shortly after President Roosevelt called Charles
A. Lindbergh, a " copperhead". "If Lindbergh's a copperhead,"
stated Mr. Jones, "so am I."
On May 2, 1941 Jones rented a post-office box for the National
Copperheads, which he said was a nonprofit, nondues-paying organiza-
tion. He stated that he donated his time and that the organization
"stands 100 per cent for Lindbergh." He declared that he approved
of Lindbergh's Des Moines speech. He personally keeps the records
of the organization.
On the evening of July 30, 1941, the National Copperheads spon-
sored a meeting at the Hollywood High School at which Captain
James D'Orsay Murray, Laura Ingalls and Ellis O. Jones spoke. It.
was estimated that some 7,800 people were in attendance. Mr. Jones
presented the committee with a copy of a. song, America First, National
Copperheads buttons and literature.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 259
He identified a printed copy of Lindbergh's Des Moines speech and
stated that he had distributed such copies in his capacity as the leader
of the National Copperheads (Volume IX, pp. 2489-2528).
C. Leon de Aryan met Ellis 0. Jones shortly after President Roose-
velt referred to Charles A. Lindbergh as a "copperhead". (Volume
VIII, pp. 2273-2304.) He stated he did not know Jones was a mem-
ber of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Schneider man-Darcy
Defense Committee, or that he corresponded for Weckruf, German-
American Bund newspaper in New York, and Free American. De
Aryan admitted that Jones had sent him literature and articles which
were published in The Broom.
Daniel Elias Van Meter admitted having; worn the button of the
National Copperheads. (Volume IX, pp. 2815-2824.) He stated he
was not a member for the reason that there were no members.
Ben S. Beery testified that Jones had distributed Copperhead pins
at meetings of the German-American Bund in Hindenburg Park.
The National Copperheads in operation, regardless of other consider-
ations, contributed considerably to creating a lack of confidence in
the United States and its foreign policy. It was decidedly subversive.
The American Guard was a Los Angeles organization and its "plat-
form" indicated great similarity to Nazi philosophy, promulgating the
doctrine of the abolition of labor unions and the substitution of a
' ' government union, ' ' such as exists in Nazi Germany and Russia. The
propaganda of the organization was the promotion of totalitarian doc-
trines. Benjamin Franklin Ballard is alleged to have been the organ-
izer and leader of this organization.
The Anti-Communist Federation was definitely in the subversive
"front" category. Its secretary was Paquita Louise De Shishmareff,
who was also known as Mrs. Leslie (or Louise) Fry. (Mrs. Fry or
De Shishmareff mysteriously fled the country and is believed to be in
Germany.) The Anti-Communist Federation called a convention in
Los Angeles in 1940 which was held at the headquarters of the German-
American Bund, the Deutsches Haus located at 634 W. Fifteenth Street
in the City of Los Angeles. Obviously the organization was a Nazi
front, using the anti-Communist technique to solicit American support.
The Militant Christian Patriots was another Nazi front organization
created and sponsored by the same group which launched the Anti-
Comm.unist Federation. The American League of Christian Women
was closely associated with the Militant Christian Patriots and created
by close associates of Paquita Louise De Shishmareff. Mrs. Faith
McCullough, also known as Mrs. Frances Maxey, is reportedly the
organizer of this group.
Henry D. Allen was connected with the American White Guards,
which was definitely pro-Fascist in character. Allen testified before a
congressional committee that he had at one time been a Silver Shirt
leader and had been authorized by Mrs. Leslie Fry (Paquita Louise De
Shishmareff) to make a tour of the country at her expense. He had
gained the confidence of the Pasadena Chapter of the America First
Committee and was scheduled to speak at one of its meetings on
June 6, 1941, but the people of Pasadena protested and his address was
canceled.
260 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Mrs. Faith McCullough, who was also known as Frances Maxey, was
the organizer of the American League of Christian Women. She was
active in the Glendale and Pasadena chapters of the America First
Committee and appeared as an America First Committee speaker.
She personally appeared before the Board of Education in the City of
Pasadena on behalf of the America First Committee in fighting the can-
cellation of the Board of Education's permit for the use of the school
buildings for meetings of the group.
FRIENDS OF PROGRESS
Robert Noble and Ellis 0. Jones were the codirectors of the Friends
of Progress. Noble probably launched the organization and was joined
by Jones as codirector after it was well under way. Noble was a
deserter from the Navy during the first World War and was very proud
of his dishonorable discharge, which he had had framed and hung in
his bedroom. He was born under the name of "Coker" and stated
that he had had his name changed legally in 1928 to Noble. (Volume
IV, pp. 1081-1092.) He likewise admitted having been arrested and
convicted on a charge of taking money from telephone boxes in 1918.
He stated he was given two years' probation on this charge. (Volume
IX, pp. 2584-2624.)
He detailed the circumstances behind his dishonorable discharge from
the Navy when testifying before the committee the second time, Febru-
ary 23, 1942. (Volume IX, pp. 2584-2624.) He stated that he enlisted
in the Navy on November 29, 1915, and because he did not like it, he
deserted and was caught. After being sentenced for his desertion he
jumped overboard from the prison ship and swam to Hampton Eoads.
He went to the home of his mother in Evansville, Indiana, and his
mother promptly had him returned to the Navy. He again returned
home and worked for a telephone company for some 87 days when he
was re-arrested. This time he was sentenced to a year and a half at
Portsmouth Prison where he remained until April, 1917, and the
declaration of war with Germany. He was ordered to duty and refused
to go. The doctor of the ship rejected him for physical disability and
he was given a dishonorable discharge.
Noble had previously been the instigator of a pension plan in the
City of Los Angeles and through his particular type of oratory had
accumulated a considerable following among the elderly folk of Los
Angeles County. Undoubtedly the supporters of the organization of
the Friends of Progress in the beginning were composed of these elderly
people, who were perfectly innocent of the movement into which Noble
was leading them. It was not long, however, until many members of
the German-American Bund and its sympathizers were attending his
meetings and assisting in the spread of pro-Axis propaganda.
When Noble first appeared before the committee, October 17, 1941,
he wore a button of the National Copperheads. (Volume IV, pp. 1081-
1092.) He stated at that time, that the Friends of Progress was only
eight weeks old and that it was the offspring of the Humanist Society,
a religious organization of ministers.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 261
He was quite frank in admitting his admiration for Hitler and Nazi
Germany. He remembered telling the meetings of the Friends of
Progress that he was ' ' for Germany and for Hitler, ' ' but did not recall
giving the Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler." He stated that he
was perfectly willing to give the salute if the committee desired. He
had read Mein Kampf (p. 1087) and stated that he was absolutely
thrilled by the reading of it. He thought it "idealistic" and that it
contained "marvelous thoughts" and said that he fully concurred with
its sentiments; that he was in perfect accord with them and perfectly
happy to have everyone know it. He stated he believed Hitler did a
good job on the Jews and advocated that the things being done to the
Jews in Germany should be duplicated in this country. He stated that
the Jews are trying to get the United States into the war and that they
are coming to control everything in America, the motion picture indus-
try, the department stores and the newspapers.
Some time shortly after December 7, 1941, Robert Noble, Ellis 0.
Jones and a number of the people connected with the Friends of Prog-
ress were arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A short time later Noble, Jones and the others were released and the
charges against them dismissed. The result of this action on the part
of the Attorney General of the United States gave considerable impetus
to the movement of the Friends of Progress and apparently encouraged
Noble and Jones to greater efforts. Their meetings increased because
of the publicity they had received and even though the United States
was now at war with Japan and Germany, Noble redoubled his efforts
in slandering the military leaders of the United States, the President
and the United Nations. The members of the committee decided in
an executive session in Fresno to hold a meeting at the Embassy Audi-
torium with Noble and his Friends of Progress, February 11, 1942,
for the purpose of securing the names of those in attendance. Thus
it was that the committee and its representatives entered the meeting
of the Friends of Progress at about 10 or 10.30 on the evening of
February 11, 1942. Subpenas duces tecum were served on Noble and
Jones and the boxes containing envelopes with donations and the
names and addresses of the donors were taken into the possession of
the committee. Cries of ' ' Hund ! Hund ! ' ' and ' ' Fiery Cross ! ' ' greeted
the entrance of the committee and its representatives. Ellis 0. Jones
accompanied the committee to the Stillwell Hotel, across the street from
the Embassy Auditorium, where he was put under oath. He identified
the boxes and the envelopes and was present while the names and
addresses of the donors were read into the official record of the com-
mittee.
Before the committee intruded itself into the meeting of the Friends
of Progress, Ellis 0. Jones had read a letter to the audience which, he
stated was from an unnamed United States Senator. The letter
encouraged Noble and Jones and the Friends of Progress in the work
they were doing. This matter was of considerable interest to the com-
mittee and Jones was asked to produce the letter after he was placed
under oath in the Stillwell Hotel. He eventually produced what pur-
ported to be a copy of a letter from a United States Senator minus the
signature. He steadfastly refused to reveal the name of the writer.
His flat refusal led to a resolution introduced and unanimously passed
262 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
by the committee citing Jones for contempt of the committee. He
was ultimately arrested, charged with contempt under Section 87 of the
Penal Code and convicted in the Municipal Court of the City of Los
Angeles.
The letter, purporting to have been written by a United States Sen-
ator, the identity of whom Jones refused to reveal reads as follows :
"Washington, D. C.,
February 7, 1942
"DEAR ELLIS: Many thanks for the bulletins you have
been sending. They are splendid and ought to prove very
effective. Indeed I know they have been effective, been
hearing from them from several people. Keep me on the
list by all means and here is a dollar bill to help defray
the expense. Also keep me advised as in the past of
social developments on the coast.
"Things here show no particular signs of improvement
— just the same old dismal chaos. The amazing success
of the Japanese has upset what few orderly plans there
were and turned everybody's attention to trying to find
a soft spot to light. Such a spectacle of explaining and
ducking and buck-passing you never saw. The Owens
report on Hawaii was, of course, utterly ridiculous. And
yet it looks as if Kimmel and Short were so cowed that
they are going to take the thing lying down, although
many of their friends are urging them to do otherwise.
"No less ridiculous was Sumner Welles much-adver-
tised trip to S. A., a trip that accomplished absolutely
nothing of its avowed purpose and left us more friend-
less than we were before. Anybody that knows anything
knows full well that everybody from the Rio Grande to
Cape Horn hates our very guts. If any of them appear
otherwise, it is merely a hypocritical gesture for some
selfish ends, which ofttimes we have been saps enough to
stand for. That being the case, Sumner Welles was the
very worst man to send on a good will errand. He is a
most unpleasant, supercilious individual — a cold fish if
ever there was one. The whole truth of the matter is that
in every part of S. A. it is business as usual or, I should
say, better than usual. With few exceptions they are
profiting immensely while much of the rest of the world
is bleeding itself to death with useless war expenses entail-
ing mountains of taxes. Their ships are plying the seas
unmolested in all directions, and their chief complaint is
how to get enough bottoms. I hear that quite a few
American ships have been transferred to various S. A.
registries.
"Congress, of course, is in a very drear frame of mind.
In the past nine years they have surrendered their author-
ity and individuality to such an extent that they don't
know how to recover it. If they could with any show
of reason blame F. D. E. for it all, they wouldn't hesi-
NAZI ACTIVITIES 263
tate a minute, but of course they are just as guilty as he
is and nobody knows it better than they. Nevertheless
I wouldn't be surprised if there were a pretty big explos-
ion, especially in the Senate, in a month or two.
11 On account of the outbreak of the war, I did not get
west at Xmas time as I wrote 'you, but I may be able to
make it about E'aster. In the meantime, keep up the good
work. Give my regards to Noble. I have never met him,
but I have a high admiration for him. He must be a very
fine character. Of course I read about the outrageous
attack upon you by the Boy Scouts of the F. B. I. and I
am glad you got out of it so easy, but you certainly ought
to start suits for false arrest without delay.
" Yours as ever."
Ben S. Beery (Volume IX, pp. 2529-2571) stated that the members
of the Friends of Progress were responsible for the worst phases of
the America First Committee activities and that the leaders of the
Friends of Progress had been very bold. The meetings had resumed
January 7, 1942, after Noble and Jones had been released from cus-
tody on orders of United States Attorney General Francis Biddle and
had been meeting every Wednesday night since that time. The attend-
ance at the meetings had increased to some 250 after Pearl Harbor
and, at the time of testifying Mr. Beery stated that that attendance had
jumped to 500 and over. He quoted Noble as telling the meeting on
the evening of February 11, 1942: "Don't buy Bonds or Stamps for
God's sake . . "
Noble was again subpenaed before the committee on February 23,
1942. (Volume IX, pp. 2584-2624.) He stated that the first meeting
of the Friends of Progress was held on August 30, 1941, in the
Embassy Auditorium in the City of Los Angeles. He stated that this
meeting was held under the auspices of the Humanist Society of Friends
and that a Mr. Lowell Coate was the ' ' prime mover. ' '• He stated that
he had addressed the meeting several times under the auspices of this
group. He knew that A. M. Windhorst conducted the World Events
Forum at the Embassy Auditorium and that T. W. Hughes met there
also with a group known as Save America First. He was acquainted
with Mr. Hughes. He had met, C. Leon de Aryan twice and had read
several copies of The Broom.
Noble identified several pieces of literature which he had sponsored.
He stated that a D. H. Rathbone printed literature for the Friends of
Progress and that Eathbone volunteered his services for this work.
Ellis 0. Jones, Noble declared, "played a greater part than anyone
else ' ' in the organization of the Friends of Progress, other than himself.
The money collected at Friends of Progress meetings was used for
personal needs and no funds were left over for other purposes. He
stated that he kept most of the envelopes in which the money was
placed and used the names and addresses as his mailing list.
He admitted that he had been in considerable trouble in the City
of Los Angeles and that he had been arrested a number of times.
He was not reluctant in admitting that he had made statements at
the meetings of the Friends of Progress to the effect that he was for
264 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Germany and for Hitler. He stated that he thought Hitler had done a
magnificent job for Germany and that he was a fine man for Germany.
He recalled stating that the ship Normandie had been stolen from the
French people. He did not regard the Hawaiian Islands as part of
the United States and for that reason did not feel that the Japanese
attacked the United States on December 7, 1941. He believed that
the Japanese would make more use of the Philippines than the United
States and that, therefore, the islands should belong to the Japanese.
He regarded the loss of life in the Philippines and in Singapore as
needless and thought that defense of these points a futile gesture.
He admitted compiling and distributing pamphlets entitled The
Miracle of Happiness and stated that it was published in the Spring
of 1941. He later stated, when testifying before the committee for
the third time, March 26, 1942 (Volume X, pp. 3130-3147), that the
Miracle of Happiness had been financed by friends and published before
the Friends of Progress had been organized. He admitted having
written most of the material contained in the pamphlet. He mailed
many copies to places outside of Los Angeles. A derogatory statement
printed on the back of the pamphlet attributed to Jack London declared
that the lowest depth to which a man could fall was to become a good
soldier. Noble was not sure of the authenticity of its authorship and
stated that he received it from Dr. Lowell Coate.
Jack London, during his lifetime, vigorously denied ever having
written the article quoted by Robert Noble on the back of his pamphlet
The Miracle of Happiness. The piece is entitled "A Good Soldier"
and reads as follows:
" Young man, your lowest aim in life is to be a good
soldier.
"A good soldier never thinks, he only obeys. If he is
asked in the morning to shoot down a street, where women
and children are clamoring for bread, he shoots.
Although he sees the life 's blood flowing from the mothers '
breast, he feels neither remorse nor shame.
' ' If he is asked in the morning to go shoot a benefactor
or a hero, he shoots. Although he may know that that
bullet may pierce the most manly heart that ever beat in
human breast.
"A good soldier is not a man, he is not even a brute.
A brute only kills in self-defense. All that was human
in a good soldier, all that was divine in him, all that con-
stitutes the man, was sworn away when he took the oath
of enlistment.
"Young man, you can't fall lower than to be a good
soldier, it is the depth beneath which the human can
not go."
To all of which Noble added his own comment and advice. He wrote :
"But remember, one who is drafted, does not enlist.
And furthermore, a young fellow who enlists, usually
does so because he desperately needs a job. Terrific pres-
sure of economic circumstances usually causes it. Cer-
NAZI ACTIVITIES 265
taiiily we can't conceive of anyone joining up because he
really wants to kill some one.
' ' Society then is to blame ! But society is us ! Society
is made up of individuals just as we. We are responsible
for our individual actions. This makes for the action of
society. Therefore, let 's individually swear to have noth-
ing to do with war.
"WE CAN TODAY, CONSTITUTIONALLY AND
LEGALLY, TAKE THIS STAND AGAINST WAR.
' ' I have taken it. Will you f
"If I do this, and you do this, and we all do this,
THEN THERE WILL BE NO MORE WARS. How
about it?
" (Write me and I will gladly send you full particulars
of how you can individually (legally) keep out of the
war effort.)"
Larry Griffith circulated pamphlets at the meetings of the Friends
of Progress at the Embassy, including Wake Up, America, although
Noble stated that "we" forbade him to do it. He denied having any
connection with Larry Griffith.
The bulletins issued from time to time by the Friends of Progress
were compiled and mailed by Jones and Noble. Ferenz also distributed
circulars advertising the Continental Book Store at the meetings of
the Friends of Progress. Noble stated that Ferenz had been "a
marvelous friend. ' ' He admitted that Rathbone and himself had pub-
lished and distributed a pamphlet entitled The Meanest Joke the
Germans Played on the U. S. A. This scurrilous article described the
so-called "joke" as the scientific achievements of German scientists
in helping keep President Roosevelt alive.
He related the circumstances of the picketing of Dr. Beaucharnp's
place of business for advertising in the pages of the Los Angeles Daily
News and told of maintaining picket lines in front of the dentist's
offices on Fifth and Broadway in Los Angeles. He recalled that Joan
McBride had helped in this picketing.
He stated that he had known Leone Menier for several years and
that she had put in some money to start the meetings of the Friends
of Progress. She assisted in stenographic work but received no com-
pensation.
Although he had not purchased defense or war bonds he denied
having ever tried to prevent anyone from buying them.
He stated emphatically that he believed Germany had already won
the war in Europe, and that he did not believe that Japan desired
to "mess in our affairs." (Pearl Harbor, having come and gone,
undoubtedly accounted for Noble's attempt in his second hearing to
deny or modify some of the testimony given before the committee
October 17, 1941.)
December of 1941, January, February and March, of 1942, had
almost passed into history and Noble and Jones were still conducting
the seditious meetings of the Friends of Progress. Consequently, your
committee subpenaed Noble for the third time, March 26, 1942.
(Volume X, pp. 3130-3147.) He now stated that no one received a
266 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
salary or any compensation whatever from the funds raised by the
Friends of Progress. He stated that all funds collected were used to
defray the expenses of the organization; for the printing of bulletins
and the rent of the meeting hall, etc. He declared that both himself
and Jones had other sources of income for their personal expenses.
Jones was now rooming with Noble and allegedly paying room and
board.
Noble denied that he had ever discussed the subject of the draft in
his meetings in other than an academic manner. He read a quotation
from Daniel Webster on the subject wherein Webster was alleged to
have declared the draft unconstitutional. Noble stated that he did
not feel that way about it.
He admitted discussing General MacArthur in the meeting of the
Friends of Progress on March 25, 1942, and recalled that he had said
something concerning Douglas MacArthur being the person who
ordered the troops to fire on the bonus marchers in Washington in
1932. He stated that it was a lot of nonsense to believe that Mac-
Arthur, "this great bolster ed-up fellow in Australia," could push the
Japanese back with his little finger. He admitted that he had pointed
out that "the Axis powers as against the Allies had the military
strength ratio of 13 to 5, or nearly 3 to 1 in their favor." He stated
that the authorities in Washington do not dare to tell the people of
the Nation the truth, afraid, if the truth is known, that it would make
their positions in Washington insecure. He stated that he believed
the situation was much worse than Washington was admitting.
He frankly admitted that he was against conscription.
All in all, Robert Noble was probably one of the most amazing wit-
nesses to ever appear before an investigating committee.
Witnesses called to testify concerning the Friends of Progress are
as follows:
Ben S. Beery James Morrison McBride
C. Leon de Aryan Lydia Joan McBride
Franz K. Ferenz Leone Menier
Kate Crane Gartz Robert Noble
Lawrence R. Griffith David Rathbone
Ellis 0. Jones Daniel Van Meter
Frank King
Frank King threw considerable light on Robert Noble's activities.
(Volume IX, pp. 2747-2762, 2825-2827.) He had been associated with
Noble in various activities since about 1934. He was acquainted with
Ellis 0. Jones, Leone Menier and others. He stated that he met Noble
through the Utopian Society when Noble was backing Upton Sinclair
for Governor of California. He follpwed Noble when he fell out with
the Epic Group and became an admirer and speaker for Huey Long's
Share-the-Wealth Plan. He attended most of Noble's meetings during
this period which continued until Huey Long was assassinated in the
fall of 1935. He lived near Noble in Hollywood and saw much of him.
King worked for the Union Party of William Lempke when Lempke
was running for President of the United States. He joined again
with Noble when Noble launched his first pension plan. This period
NAZI ACTIVITIES 267
lasted through 1937. He stated that Noble was at odds with the admin-
istration of Mayor Frank L. Shaw of Los Angeles, but accepted money
to "lay off" the mayor from one Tommy Mills. Clifford Clinton did
not want to have anything to do with Noble, King stated, although
Clinton desired to take advantage of Noble's following. Noble spoke
over one of Clinton's radio broadcasts.
King stated that Noble was arrested in the fall of 1937 for parading
without a permit in front of Radio Station KMTR, from which he
had been previously barred. He was then arrested for grand theft
or bunco, charged with taking money from people on the promise of
starting a radio station in Mexico. About this time, King said, Noble
took to heavy drinking and King thereupon broke with him.
He told the committee of a plan launched by Noble in 1939 involv-
ing the sale of $1 bills of his own make for $1 in United States currency.
Noble had some money-reform idea in mind and the plan, apparently,
did not involve counterfeiting. King stated that he agreed with
Noble's plan for reform at that time but the scheme soon fell through.
He stated that Noble was living with various women in Hollywood at
that time, and although he did not see him personally, he heard of him
indirectly through Ellis 0. Jones.
King again met Noble at meetings of the America First Committee
in 1941. He stated that he was then associated with various members of
the Humanist Society of Friends, a semi-religious organization. He
stated that Dr. Lowell Coate and other Humanists sponsored Noble's
Friends of Progress meetings, but that these meetings "got too hot for
them and they left."
King admitted that he was associated with the Friends of Progress
in the beginning and that his name had been carried on the early
bulletins as assistant director. He stated that he objected to having his
name carried in this manner, although admitted having acted as chair-
man of most of the meetings up to the declaration of war, when he
severed his relationship with the organization. He stated that he did
not approve of the mock impeachment trial of President Roosevelt.
He admitted that he had met Herman Max Schwinn, Hans Diebel,
F. K. Ferenz and others several times. He first met F. K. Ferenz at
Robert Noble 's home. He stated that after the Committee Investigating
Un-American Activities had met in the fall of 1941, groups of the
Friends of Progress went to the Deutsches Haus in Los Angeles to talk
the situation over. Ellis O. Jones, according to King, objected and
finally refused to go to the Deutsches Haus and had arguments with
nearly everybody concerned.
He explained Robert Noble 's peculiar magnetism with those to whom
he lectured. He stated that nearly all of the people who had been
attracted to the meetings of the Friends of Progress were persons
receiving pensions ; elderly people, who had followed Noble in the days
of his pension plan. He stated that Noble relied on an "absence of
intelligence" in the personnel of his audiences, and used his charm to
attract women, both young and old. He stated that Noble always took
up collections at every meeting.
Miss Leone Menier had started to keep records for the organization,
but it was decided that records were unnecessary. The money collected
was spent for whatever Noble wanted. He testified that swastika pins
268 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
were sold at meetings of the Friends of Progress but not by either King
or Noble. He had seen the Van Meter brothers at the meetings of the
Friends of Progress, knew who they were, but could not recall their
respective identities. He stated the swastika pins were worn with
bravado by individuals of obvious German sympathies.
King summarized Noble as "The world's greatest bunco artist"; a
racketeer and completely insincere. He stated that he believed Noble
was trying to make an easy living out of the Friends of Progress through
the victimization of innocent people.
He stated that the Van Meter brothers had worn the swastika pins at
the Friends of Progress meetings and that Joan and James McBride
had also worn them.
Leone Menier stated she was secretary and housekeeper for Robert
Noble. (Volume IX, pp. 2571-2583.) Her residence address was the
same as Noble 's. She stated that she was an ' ' unemployed secretary. ' '
She had been married but was separated from her husband. She had
resided in Los Angeles for 10 years. She was last employed by the
past-president of the board of supervisors of San Francisco, "several
years ago." She was using her maiden name of "Menier" and stated
that her husband's name was John Sorenson.
She stated that she was working in a voluntary capacity for the
Friends of Progress. She met Noble at a social gathering several years
ago. The first meeting that she had attended, presided over by Noble,
was a meeting of the Friends of Progress in August of 1941, at about
the time the group organized.
She identified Joan McBride and admitted that she had met her at
meetings of the Friends of Progress. Her duties were typing bulletins,
cutting stencils, etc. for the Friends of Progress. She said that she sent
out what mail there was, which, ordinarily, consisted of communications
addressed from envelopes on which the contributors to the organization
had written their names and addresses. No filing cards were ever kept,
although the envelopes were retained in Noble's home. She estimated
that there were about 500 of them. She stated that no one helped Noble
compose his speeches. Her duties as a housekeeper did not include
cooking for Noble as they usually ate out. She concluded by stating
that she has a private income.
C. Leon de Aryan admitted having met Robert Noble on at least two
occasions. He spoke once in the Embassy Auditorium at the Friends
of Progress meeting when Noble was presiding. (Volume VIII, pp.
2273-2304.) de Aryan stated that Noble was reading an article from
The Broom when he entered the meeting and upon recognizing de
Aryan in the audience insisted upon him addressing the gathering.
Either the theme of de Aryan's editorial in The Broom or the theme
of the talk before the Friends of Progress, or both, was "in war time
you are supposed to have abolished the Constitution, the Ten Com-
mandments and perhaps God Almighty." He further stated that he
explained to the Friends of Progress the danger of the establishment
of a dictatorship in the United States. While at the meeting of the
Friends of Progress in Los Angeles de Aryan met A. M. "Windhorst
who invited him to address the World Events Forum on Washington's
birthdav.
NAZI ACTIVITIES 269
C. Leon de Aryan explained that he had first met Noble through
an effort of his to secure support for placing conscientious objectors
in the forestry service. He stated that he took this matter up with a
Mr. Carter of the Board of Education and was referred to the Friends'
Service Committee in Pasadena. He then wrote to Ellis 0. Jones
stating that he would be in Los Angeles and went to the Friends of
Progress meeting.
Mrs. Kate Crane Gartz was examined in reference to Robert Noble
and the Friends of Progress. (May 12, 1942, pp. 63-86.) Mrs. Gartz
has resided in California for 30 years. She stated that William
Schneiderman had called at her house several years ago accompanied
by Earl Browder and that they came as " friends " with other
''friends." It has been her custom to hold meetings in her home for
the past 30 years on each Tuesday. She invites in "neighborhood
friends" and "friends bring other friends." She was well aware
that Browder and Schneiderman were leading functionaries of the
Communist Party. She denied having any knowledge of Communist
Party aims but knew that Eussia was trying to establish Communism.
She was acquainted with Paul Cline as a member of the Communist
Party.
Mrs. Gartz stated that she was interested in Communism from a
cultural standpoint. She had known various people who had lived
in Russia and was acquainted with various local Communist Party
members. She believed that John M. Weatherwax was a member of
the Communist Party and recalled that he had stated that fact to her.
She recalled, that, about two weeks before testifying, F. K. Ferenz,
Robert Noble, Ellis 0. Jones and Genevieve Kerrigan came to her
home and that John Weatherwax, being present in her house, refused
to admit them. She then wrote a letter to Robert Noble asking him
not to come back. He did call at her residence twice after the letter
was written to him and Mrs. Kerrigan called to explain about him.
Ellis 0. Jones had brought Noble to Mrs. Gartz ' home in the first
place. Mrs. Gartz had known Ellis 0. Jones in the American Civil
Liberties Union when he was a director. She claimed that she knew
nothing of his contributions to the German-American Bund paper.
She admitted having given Robert Noble $100 during the time he
was advocating pensions. She also recalled giving $500 to Ed Robbin,
whom she believed to be a member of the Communist Party, in order
to help finance the broadcast which was sponsored by the People's
Daily World, West Coast Communist newspaper. She admitted that
she had made numerous contributions to persons who were Com-
munists but that she had never given any money to the Communist
Party as such. "I am a Socialist," she added. She admitted that she
had never made any real effort to study Communism and merely took
the word of friends who were members of the party.
She made a trip to Russia in 1936 but remained there only for a few
days. She stated that she received a bad impression and left very
soon; that she was very much disappointed in the conditions she
found there. "I expected to find paradise," she said plaintively, and
instead she stated she found people working under very bad conditions
and observed widespread unemployment and poverty.
270 , UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Ellis 0. Jones gave his occupation as that of writer and admitted
that he was a contributor to such publications as Free American, The
Broom and others. (Volume III, pp. 744-760.) He admitted having
participated in demonstrations in New York City in 1918 protesting
against World War I. He stated that he went to Columbus, Ohio, and
from there to Wisconsin and that he came to Los Angeles about 10
years ago: He stated that he had majored in political economy in
Yale University. He was acquainted with Communist Party literature
and stated that ' ' The Communists are full of inconsistencies. ' '
He claimed that he had been mistreated when he was detained by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation in his arrest following the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor. (Volume IX, pp. 2489-2528.) He elaborated
upon this statement by saying that his mistreatment consisted in being
falsely arrested and being held incommunicado. .
He was acquainted with the Humanist Society of Friends but had
never spoken under its auspices. He had spoken on many occasions,
however, under the auspices of the Friends of Progress.
Testifying October 12, 1941, he admitted having been introduced by
Frank King (R. Marquette) at one of these meetings and read a letter
from an United States Senator addressed to Jones in which the Senator
mentioned a letter in the Lake Geneva Herald praising the National
Copperheads. He also recalled quoting from a letter which purported
to be from Senator Nye in which the Senator told him that he could
not send out any more copies of letters under the Senator's franking
privilege.
He stated he "had an idea" that Robert Noble actually organized the
Friends of Progress. F. K. Ferenz attended its meetings more or less
regularly, according to Jones.
He did not know of the Friends of Progress maintaining a bank
account. He stated that only Robert Noble had access to the funds
of the organization, in addition to himself. No written records were
kept. Whenever he needed funds he consulted with Noble. Friends
of Progress was not incorporated. No one received a salary from the
contributions made by its supporters and only the personal expenses
of Noble and himself, in addition to the necessary expenses for the
organization, were paid out of the contributions.
He identified the literature of the Friends of Progress, notably The
Bulletin. He stated that "we," sometimes Jones, himself, and some-
times only Noble, ran The Bulletin off on a- mimeograph machine.
Jones had met Robert Noble in either 1933 or 1934, and he knew of
Noble's background in a casual way.
He identified handbills put out by the Friends of Progress announc-
ing the "Impeachment of President Roosevelt," with Ellis 0. Jones
acting as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and "assisted by well-
known figures." Jones could not recall just who the "well-known fig-
ures" were. He stated that Robert Noble was the prosecutor. The
impeachment of the President of the United States lasted through four
meetings of the Friends of Progress and the President was finally
"impeached" because "he had betrayed the American people into
NAZI ACTIVITIES 271
He stated that the Friends of Progress maintained a counter-espio-
nage system in order to determine who the people were who attended
the meetings of the Friends of Progress.
He admitted that Japan had launched an attack on Pearl Harbor,
but denied that Pearl Harbor was part of the United States, and
believed that this was also true of the Philippine Islands.
He stated that his brother had conducted a newspaper, The Press-
Post in Columbus, Ohio, at the time of the assassination of President
McKinley.
Daniel Elias Van Meter admitted having attended several meetings
of the Friends o/ Progress. (Volume IX, pp. 2815-2824.) He appeared
to be well acquainted with Ellis 0. Jones, Robert Noble, F. K. Ferenz,
Hans Diebel, Herman Max Schwinn and Joan and James McBride. He
stated that he met A. M. Windhorst and had heard C. Leon de Aryan
speak at a meeting of the Friends of Progress. He admitted having
seen swastika pins worn by people in attendance at the meetings of the
Friends of Progress. He said that Miss Leone Menier, Noble's secre-
tary and housekeeper, had warned these people not to wear. the pins
at the meetings. He denied that he had ever worn a two-inch swastika
badge at any of the meetings.
Mrs. Lydia Joan McBride admitted attending Robert Noble's meet-
ings, but was not sure that they were meetings of the Friends of Prog-
ress. (Volume IX, pp. 2790-2799.) She admitted helping Noble
picket Dr. Beauchamp 's place of business because the dentist, adver-
tised in the Los Angeles Daily News. The policy of the Daily News,
according to Mrs. McBride, was that of the ' ' warmongers. ' '
David Henry Rathbone admitted doing most of the printing for
Noble and the Friends of Progress. (Volume IX, pp. 2625-2640.)
He stated that he was a printer by occupation and that he was 67
years of age and receiving a pension from the State of California. He
stated that Noble paid the rent for his place in exchange for the
printing that he did for the Friends of Progress. He had been
engaged in printing since 1928 and had once owned an establishment
on Seventh and Hoover in the City of Los Angeles. He admitted
doing some writing as well as printing and admitted the authorship
of a pamphlet printed by him entitled The Meanest Joke the Germans
Ever Played on the U. 8. A. (The theme of this piece of journalism
was that the Germans had played a mean joke on the United States
by its scientific developments in the cure of infantile paralysis.) He
also admitted having mailed this pamphlet to Congressmen, Senators
and "even one to Jack Tenney." He did some other writing as well
and admitted a paragraph or two in one of the Bulletins of the Friends
of Progress. He stated that he wrote the material and gave it to
Robert Noble. He also had done some printing for Larry Griffith.
He occasionally had put out some advertising matter for F. K. Ferenz.
He admitted going to meetings of the America First Committee. The
Van Meter brothers had been very helpful in assisting him to move
his printing press to his present address.
He stated that he was "born and raised in a British law family"
and that he was born in the United States. He ventured the opinion
that President Roosevelt is insane and that he is turning on people
who helped him by now making war on Germany. Rathbone did not
272 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
believe that Germany or Japan are enemies of the United States.
"England is the enemy of everybody," he added. He stated that he
saved money out of his food in order to print pamphlets and to mail
them out.
He was charged with espionage during World War I and was tried
in Fresno, August 5, 1918, for saying that President Woodrow Wilson
was a traitor. He was found not guilty and stated that the trial only
took eight minutes.
After testifying before the committee he was tried in a Municipal
Court of Los Angeles for libel of the President of the United States,
duly convicted and sentenced to six months in the Los Angeles County
jail.
Robert Noble and Ellis 0. Jones were convicted in the Federal
Court in Los Angeles, receiving five and four years, respectively.
Noble, Jones and the entire coterie of the Friends of Progress were
subsequently convicted in Sacramento for violation of the Subversive
Registration Act passed by the Legislature in 1941.
The case of Robert Noble and his Friends of Progress was an
important one in the opinion of the members of your committee and
of the public as well. It must be recalled that Noble and Jones and
others of the Friends of Progress were arrested a few days following
Pearl Harbor, but, through the orders of Attorney General Francis
Biddle of the United States, they were shortly released and the case
subsequently dismissed. From that moment the success of the Friends
of Progress seemed assured and Noble began to fill its meeting room
in the Embassy Auditorium. The committee, through its representa-
tives, kept continuous check on Noble and his meetings and finally
secured the names and addresses of a substantial number of his fol-
lowers. He was called again and again before the committee. The
newspapers of California, recognizing the threat to National security,
played an important part in securing necessary action on the part of
Federal and State law-enforcing agencies. The indictment, trials and
convictions of Noble, Jones and the rest swiftly followed.
The widespread interest in the case is indicated by the sentiments
of one Chuck Martin, writing in the Brewery Gulch Gazette, of Bisbee,
Arizona, on March 5, 1942. While Mr. Chuck Martin spoke rather
inaccurately concerning the facts, and inconsequentially in reference
to details, he nevertheless spoke vehemently and with his heart in the
right place. His Brewery Gulch Gazette article should be of interest
to future legislators and historians. It follows :
. i
' Among the assorted screwballs we propagate over
here on the West Coast and guarantee constitutional
privileges under our sacred Bill of Rights, is one first-
class cockroach by the name of Robert Noble. That slimy
son is against everything constructive and for everything
destructive. He first gained notoriety through the banned
Silver Shirts outfit which sought to overthrow the gov-
ernment.
"A bit later he organized a batty combine which he
called ' Thirty Every Thursday, ' the purpose of which was
to force the taxpayers to pay weekly stipends of thirty
NAZI ACTIVITIES 273
bucks to every indigent over 50 years old, said pay day
to be every Thursday. He talked at San Diego, motored
to Los Angeles, ran his car over another one, seriously
injuring several people.
. ''Then the F. B.. I. heeded the pleadings of Walter
Winchell and put the finger on this cucaracha for
un-American activities. Bond was placed at fifteen
grand, but Attorney General Biddle had it reduced to
fifteen hundred and this snake got his liberty.
* ' This past week he testified before the California State
Legislature, boldly and publicly declaring that the Japs
were within their rights in bombing Pearl Harbor. He
amplified this statement to say that the men serving under
General MacArthur in the Philippines were not heroes,
but plain damn fools. He admitted that he had a dishon-
orable discharge from the U. S. Army during the first
World War, but he said he did not believe in fighting and
was only 19 years old at the time. Right then was the
time to save him the burden of living any longer. He
was a deserter and should have been shot. In fact this
sewer bug should be shot right now and if some one
would get the Attorney General to look the other way I
would be glad to do the job for the price of a .45 car-
tridge. He admits saying 'Heil Hitler' in a Legion
meeting, and the boys certainly must have slipped some
Chateau Thierry."
8
THE AMERICA FIRST COMMITTEE
The America First Committee found its inception in the minds of
sincere and patriotic individuals strongly opposed to conscription and
the entry of the United States into the European War. The majority
of the isolationists were undoubtedly sincere. The experience of the
United States in the last World War indicated to them, particularly
before Pearl Harbor, the futility of participation in the present con-
flict. The United States had not yet been attacked by any aggressor
nation, and many thousands of perfectly good, loyal Americans opposed
involvement. While the committee must make this statement in all
fairness, it must also point out that however sincere and loyal the
majority of the members of such organizations as the America First
Committee and National Legion of Mothers of America may have been,
the objectives of such groups coincided in every way with the objectives
of Axis agents and Axis-front organizations, such as the German-
American Bund. For at least 22 months the objectives of the isola-
tionists also corresponded with the objectives of the Communist Party.
Hence, the chapters of the America First Committee and the National
Legion of Mothers of America were ideally suited to the purposes of
both the Communist Party and the German-American Bund when they
were collaborating for Hitler 's success. The members of the committee
suspected this situation and the investigation of the committee's repre-
sentatives revealed that these suspicions were well-founded.
18— L-2275
274 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
As early as June of 1941 it was quite obvious that something was
wrong with the America First Committee in California. Sincere and
honest belief in isolation and non-intervention is one thing while open
support of such aggressors as Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito and
defamation of the President of the United States is quite another. A
front page story from the Pasadena Independent of Monday, June 16,
1941, graphically illustrates this point. Under the heading "Mass
Meeting Boos President," and followed by the subheading "Pasadena
Members of 'America First' Cheer Axis Ideas'' is the following story:
"Cheers for Colonel Lindbergh, silence for Adolph
Hitler, Boos for President Roosevelt and Wendell
Willkie * * *.
"Thus 250 members of the America First Committee
registered their reactions to these individuals at a meeting
in the McKinley Junior High School Auditorium
addressed by Charles Cobb, acting chairman of the group,
and Dr. Michael Francis Dillon, of the faculty at
U. C. L. A.
"The audience booed vigorously whenever the names
of Churchill, Mrs. Roosevelt, Attorney-General Robert H.
Jackson, Senator Claude Pepper and Mayor Fiorello La
Guardia of New York City were mentioned by the
speakers.
"Doubt British Victory
"Cobb told the audience that he does not believe a
British victory either possible or desirable.
"Money Down Eat Hole
" 'Why should the taxpayers throw $7,000,000,000
down the rat hole of Britain's waning ambitions?' he
asked. 'We should campaign to repeal the Lend-Lease
Bill.7
' ' He read at length from an interview in Life Magazine
given to former Ambassador Cudahy by Hitler, in which
the Fuehrer said that at no time had his intentions
toward this country been inimical. Cobb then quoted
portions of a New York Times editorial answering Hitler,
in which it was pointed out that declarations of friend-
ship had preceded most of Hitler's invasions.
"Raising his head to look at the audience and spacing
his words to permit booing for each name, Cobb then
asked: 'And who are the owners of the New York Times f
Ochs-Adler-Sulzberger ! '
' ' Cheers for Hitler
"Cobb said that most Americans regard Hitler as a
liar and a criminal, and added: 'I am not here to eulo-
gize or defend Hitler. He seems able to do that himself. '
The audience cheered.
' ' Cobb went on to say that the Germans were forced to
sign the Treaty of Versailles at the ' point of a gun. '
NAZI ACTIVITIES 275
" 'There still is such a thing as retribution,' he said.
'England and France are paying for their perfidy in
blood, sweat and tears.'
"Says Public Deceived
''He then mentioned the names of the President and
several others who have expressed strong opposition to the
Nazi aims, and declared that the people of the United
States had not been told the truth about Germany.
" 'Did these people tell you the truth about Czecho-
slavakia?' he inquired. 'The fact is that Czechoslavakia
was a dagger pointed at the heart of Germany. But they
would fight to the bitter end to save Palestine and the
British Empire/
"Dillon scoffed at the idea that Germany had invaded
democracies, listing each of the overrun countries and
commenting that none of them were democratic. He
pictured England as an autocracy, an 'Old Man of the
Sea' clinging to the backs of subject peoples.
"Eulogizes Lindbergh
"Referring to Lindbergh as a great patriot, he asked:
'Who is the Copperhead, Lindbergh or the President?'
The audience roared back: 'Roosevelt!'
"American Gestapo
"He referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
as an 'American Gestapo,' persecuting political minori-
ties, and called the Dies Committee on Un-American
Activities a 'tool of the F. B. I.'
" 'Roosevelt knows that he cannot defeat Fascism by
the Sword,' Dillon said. The audience cheered wildly.
"In closing the meeting, Cobb said that if the Presi-
dent got the country into war, 'I for one will not follow
him. If this be treason, make the most of it.'
"Copies of Social Justice, Father Coughlin's Jew-
baiting weekly magazine, were sold to the members as
they left the auditorium."
Witnesses testifying in reference to the activities of the America
First Committee are as follows :
George T. Baker John L. Riemer
Frank D. Barry William H. Sahli
Katherine Dixon Barry John A. Sherman
Ben S. Beery Frances Sherrill
Samuel L. Brogden Edith Marion Shol
Earl C. Craig Baron F. Van Meter
Bishop Tarkington Dowden Daniel E. Van Meter
Ellis 0. Jones James A. Van Meter
James Morrison McBride Alfred John Lewis Wesling
Lydia Joan McBride John L. Wheeler
G. Allison Phelps William P. Williams
276 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
James and Joan McBride, F. K. Ferenz and others, definitely known
to have been connected with the German-American Bund and the
Friends of Progress were found to be enthusiastic participants in
meetings of the America First Committee. Such vicious anti-Semitics
as C. Leon de Aryan admitted that he was a member of the organi-
zation from the beginning and that he attended its meetings regularly.
(Volume VIII, pp. 2273-2304.)
Ben S. Beery testified before the committee October 16, 1941, and
again on February 23, 1942. He was the chairman of the Americanism
Committee of the Seventeenth District of the American Legion in Los
Angeles. Mr. Beery and his committee had done considerable work
investigating Nazi activities in Los Angeles County. (Volume IX,
pp. 2529-2571.)
Beery testified that many persons formerly active in the German-
American Bund and frequent visitors at the Deutsches Haus in Los
Angeles had become very active in the America First Committee. At
the time of testifying these persons were continuing their activities in
many cases. It was Mr. Beery 's opinion that the original membership
of the America First Committee was composed of sincere and honest
citizens but that leaders, such as Ellis 0. Jones, Benjamin Franklin
Ballard, and Leone Menier, were using the America First Committee
for sinister purposes.
He testified that Benjamin Franklin Ballard was holding ''secret
cell" meetings attended by from 5 to 10 persons in private homes
throughout the city.
Mr. Beery attended the Wendell Willkie meeting in Hollywood
Bowl July 23, 1941. (Volume IV, pp. 965-988.) (It will be recalled
that this meeting was picketed.) He testified that he personally saw
James and Joan McBride among the pickets.
Baron Frederick Van Meter did not hesitate to say that he was
a member of the America First Committee. (Volume IV, pp. 989-
1014.) He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He picketed the
Wendell Willkie meeting at the Hollywood Bowl with his brothers,
William and Daniel. He stated that he belonged to the Wilshire
branch of the America First Committee.
Daniel Elias Van Meter stated that he could not remember attending
any meetings of the America First Committee. (Volume IX, pp. 2815-
2824.) Later in his testimony he admitted having attended several
meetings of this group.
James Adams Van Meter denied that he had ever belonged to the
America First Committee.
Mrs. Lydia Joan McBride, wife of James M. McBride, admitted
picketing the Wendell Willkie meeting at the Hollywood Bowl. She
stated that she learned about the prospective picketing at an America
First Committee meeting on Wilshire Boulevard. She agreed 100 per
cent with the principles of the America First Committee, although
denied belonging to the organization. (Volume IV, pp. 1062-1070,
1080.)
When again subpenaed February 24, 1942, Mrs. McBride was not
sure whether or not she was member of the organization. (Volume
IX, pp. 2790-2799.)
NAZI ACTIVITIES 277
John L. Riemer admitted having signed a membership card for mem-
bership in the America First Committee and stated that he believed
himself to be a member.
Harold A. Sparling denied that he was a member of the America
First Committee but stated paradoxically that he was connected with it
indirectly in San Francisco. (Volume III, pp. 714-744.) He claimed
that he had met Senator Wheeler and Senator Hiram Johnson in "Wash-
ington prior to the Philharmonic Auditorium meeting in Los Angeles
and stated that Senator Johnson had told him to "go back and fight for
America. ' ' He also stated that he had had an interview with General
Wood of the America First Committee in the St. Francis Hotel in San
Francisco. The True Americans was created by Sparling and had as
its purpose, according to his testimony, the isolation of the United
States from the European war. Louise Ward Watkins was among
those whom Sparling claimed helped finance the organization. (Volume
TTT, pp. 742-743.)
James Morrison McBride denied having helped organize a chapter
' f the America First Committee in Los Angeles. (Volume IV, pp.
"'^-964.) He admitted, however, building a cabinet for, and making
donations to, the organization.
Ellis 0. Jones stated that he was one of the first members of the
America First Committee in Los Angeles, but that he later resigned.
(Volume IV, pp. 1187-1190.) He came to the defense of Baron Fred-
erick Van Meter by stating that Van Meter had never signed a formal
application card for membership. He read a letter to the committee
which he received from the headquarters of the organization thanking
him for his communications to Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh. Testify-
ing February 23, 1942 (Volume IX, pp. 2489-2528) Jones stated that
lie had never actually become a member of the committee. He elabo-
rated upon this statement by saying that he did not agree fully with
the policy of the organization: "there were certain inhibitions," etc.
He recalled that he had met Dr. Ernest Kramer and T. W. Hughes at
meetings of the America First Committee,
Frank D. Barry, a Los Angeles attorney and member of the executive
committee, was a voluntary witness on behalf of the America First
Committee, October 15, 1941. (Volume III, pp. 841-843.) John L.
Wheeler and Mrs. Henry L. Arme were also members of the executive
committee of this organization. , Mr. Barry undoubtedly expressed the
sentiments of a majority of the organizers of the California chapters
of the America First Committee. These people, for the greater part,
believed that the interests of the United States would be best served by
avoiding involvement in the European conflict.
Barry admitted that he had spoken at a meeting of the Save America
First Forum, conducted by T. W. Hughes. He admitted having heard
anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by the people who follow Hughes.
He stated that he was not " anti-anything. ' ' He believed that free
speech includes the right to speak concerning groups and races as well
as of people. He apparently was anti -British and read an excerpt from
a speech he had made at the Save America First Forum which was
directed against "imperialist" England.
Bishop Tarkington Dowden attended about 40 meetings of the
America First Committee and spoke at several such meetings. (Vol-
278 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
ume IV, pp. 1175-1187.) He said that he had nothing against the
Jewish people and claimed that he did business with them. He felt
that Harry Warner of Warner Brothers Motion Pictures, Inc., was
"un-American" because of a speech reported to have been made by
Harry Warner to the employees of the studio on June 5, 1940. Harry
Warner's speech, according to Dowden, indicated that Warner was
"trying to lead this country into war."
He attended the Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh rally in the Holly-
wood Bowl in Los Angeles.
On September 19, 1941, Dowden was photographed addressing a meet-
ing of the America First Committee in Pasadena. At that time mem-
bers of the Americanism Committee of the Seventeenth District of the
American Legion, under the chairmanship of Ben S. Beery, reported
Dowden as stating:
"I believe in fighting fire with fire and there is only
one way to combat this vicious pro-British doctrine in our
schools and that's the whispering campaign * * *
gossip, our grandmothers would have called it. Our edu-
cational system through the years has been built upon a
high standard of personal morals * * * the first hint
that the morals of a teacher or professor were irregular
called for immediate dismissal. This is your method of
attack. If the 80 or so people here tonight would make
up their minds to go out of here tonight and start a whis-
pering campaign attacking the morals of the offending
teachers and professors, I am sure it wouldn't take long
to eliminate them."
Dowden denied that he had ever made the above-quoted statement.
He concluded his testimony by pointing out that "Russian sympa-
thizers" who had attended meetings addressed by him had applauded
his statements during the collaboration of Russia and Germany, but
that after Germany attacked Russia, the same people "booed."
John L. Wheeler was a volunteer witness in behalf of the America
First Committee. (Volume III, pp. 843-845 and Volume IV, pp. 1030-
1045.) He first appeared before the committee October 15, 1941, to
submit arguments in defense of the America First Committee. He
returned on October 16, 1941, and stated that he was the chairman of
the Southern California Branch Division of the organization. He
stated that the principles of the America First Committee were to keep
America out of foreign wars, to build defense and for humanitarian
aid to Great Britain. He stated that the organization excludes Fas-
cists, Nazis, Communists and members of the Bund, but that the organi-
zation is otherwise open to all patriotic American citizens.
He stated that, with the exception of William S. Hunt, individuals
such as the Van Meter brothers, F. K. Ferenz and others had no part
in the policy forming bodies of the America First Committee. He
stated that the organization deplored anything which tended to cause
racial hatred.
William P. Williams had published and distributed a number of
leaflets and mimeographed material decidedly anti-Semitic in character.
In Questions, Please, he urged the formation of cells of from three to
NAZI ACTIVITIES 279
seven persons and suggested that these small groups meet in homes
without publicity to "stop the revolution the anti-Christians are plot-
ting against all existing Gentile governments and all civilization."
He testified October 14, 1941. (Volume III, pp. 700-714.) He
stated that he was a high school science teacher in North Hollywood
Junior High School and that he had resigned as Chief Pilot of T. "W. A.
six or seven years ago.
He was the Chairman of the North Hollywood (San Fernando
Valley) Branch of the America First Committee which was started in
July of 1941. He admitted that he had investigated the German
American Bund and did not desire to affiliate with it "any more than
with the Communist group." He admitted that he had visited the
Deutsches Haus and the Aryan Book Store conducted by Hans Diebel.
He stated he * ' might ' ' have attended a meeting at the home of Carolyn
Blarcom in Pasadena. He admitted meeting William G. Moffet at
Carolyn Blarcom 's home, and stated that it was "a meeting to deter-
mine how best to cope with some of our subversive elements and our
subversivism * * *."
He admitted having seen ' ' a few copies ' ' of the Christian Free Press
and admitted having purchased literature from the Aryan Book Store
in the Deutsches Haus.
He denied having mimeographed and distributed a paper entitled
Questions, Please, and stated that he had never seen the paper which
was submitted to him for examination, and from which the above quo-
tation was taken. He later returned to the witness stand (Volume III,
pp. 719-840) and "remembered" th.at Questions, Please was a partial
copy of a booklet which he ran off on his mimeograph machine around
the first part of 1941. He could not recall the exact date or how many
he had duplicated. He stated that he had copied it from material that
he had received, even though he failed to credit its sources. Upon
examination he admitted that he could not recall the sources. He
stated that he did not even subscribe to the sentiments expressed in the
paper, but later added, "Not exactly, that is."
He now recalled receiving material from Father Coughlin and from
Reverend Gerald Winrod and remembered that he had received per-
mission to quote such material. He then recalled inserting material
against the Jews, but stated that he did not feel that way about it at
the time of testifying. He remembered instructing readers to organize
into small groups of three to seven and to meet in their homes and
"Stop the revolution the anti- Christians are plotting against all exist-
ing Gentile governments and all civilization, ' ' but, at the time of testi-
fying, felt that his position at the time of putting out the paper was
incorrect.
Williams' memory became better and better as time went on. He
remembered running off a booklet of six pages entitled "Do You
Know." He also was able to remember taking material from a booklet
Americans, Awake including anti-Semitic quotations and references to
Internationalist Jew Race. His memory became so refreshed that he
was able to recall listing material from Alex Varonaeff's book, Chris-
tians Under the Hammer and Sickle in reference to the fiction that all
Jews are Communists. He stated that he had visited Communist book
stores and had seen Jews in charge and claimed that the Jews control
the press, the radio and films.
280 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
KU KLUX KLAN
William H. Sahli was a Kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan and an organ-
izer for Los Angeles when he first testified October 16, 1941. (Volume
IV, pp. 1045-1058.) Sahli was a belligerent witness. He testified the
second time March 24, 1942. (Volume X, pp. 2934-2960.) He called
the organization The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and gave the
address as Post-office Box 1055, Los Angeles. He offered into the record
of the committee a pamphlet entitled America for Americans, bearing
a robed and hooded figure on the cover. He commented that the Klan
did not use hoods any more but retained the robes. He stated that the
principles of the Ku Klux Klan were wholly American and outlined
the organizational structure and membership requirements (Volume
IV, pp. 1050-1051). He stated that only pure white Christian Gentiles
who were "good Americans " were eligible for membership. Jews,
Negroes and Catholics are barred. He admitted that the organization
resorts to the use of "man power, when necessary," but not to violence.
The Ku Klux Klan has various local units in Los Angeles, but main-
tains no headquarters, according to Sahli. He stated that he did not
know of any other headquarters than that which was maintained in
Atlanta, Georgia. He had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan in Los
Angeles since July, 1941, and had been appointed Kleagle by the "man
in charge," a Mr. Harvey, who was the "supreme representative" in
the West. He explained that the Cyclops is the officer in charge of
meetings, — the chairman. He stated that the meetings of the group
are called "conclaves. " He would not divulge the details of the organi-
zation of the Ku Klux Klan in Calif orna. He admitted that "business
meetings" are still held twice a month. The initiation fee is $10 and the
dues are $6 a year. The initiation fees are kept by the local unit for
expenses and the dues are sent to the headquarters in Georgia. He
stated that the Kleaffle had nothing to do with the collecting of dues.
The main duties of this office is to secure members. The organization
is ritualistic. He denied ever having heard of the title of "Titan" and
did not know what the duties of a "Dragon" were.
Sahli stated that he had been a "fighter" for the America First Com-
mit tee, but that he had never officially joined the organization. He had
been acquainted with the Van Meter brothers for some time and volun-
1 eered that they were ' ' good Americans. ' '
When testifying March 24, 1942 (Volume X, pp. 2934-2960), Sahli
claimed that he had "demitted" from the Ku Klux Klan. He explained
that this meant that he was merely inactive but that he could become
active again at any time. He admitted, however, attending a meeting
of the organization within 10 days previous to testifying and stated
that it was a special meeting "on account of war." Regular meetings
of the organization had been discontinued. Pressed for the address of
the meeting place of the organization, Sahli flatly refused to divulge
1hat information, but volunteered that it was held near the Biltmore
Hotel in the City of Los Angeles. He claimed that he did not know
the exact address. He stated that he had given an oath that he would
not divulge any of the secrets of the Klan and that he respected the
" authority" of this oath more than he respected the authority of the
tfAZI ACTIVITIES 281
State of California. His reason for "demitting" was because one of
his relatives was dying and he might have to go Bast hurriedly. The
meetings attended by Sahli were composed of 40 or 50 members, accord-
ing to his testimony.
He stated that the Ku Klux Klan was "hot on the tail" of the Com-
munists. The organization was in contact with the F. B. I. and the
police department. He claimed that the organization had investigated
Nazis, but that they were not much concerned about them as they were
only interested in what was going on in America. "They don't like
Communism worth a darn — that's why I joined," Sahli added. He
had taken "a little look at some of these boys," referring to members
of the German- American Bund, and implied that he thought they were
all right — that they were merely humiliated. He believed Japan to be
the enemy of the United States, had no time for Stalin and no respect
for Hitler.
Samuel L. Brogden was the original director and organizer for the
America First Committee for northern California. He stated that he
began his duties in this position in February of 1941. He admitted
being a member but claimed that he was not very active. (Volume VII,
pp. 2025-2036.)
George T. Baker testified in San Francisco, December 5, 1941 (Vol-
ume VII, pp. 1980-2007), that he was once the Chairman of the George
Washington Chapter of the America First Committee in San Francisco.
He stated that he discontinued his association with the America First
Committee because its chairman, a Mr. Tehaney, objected to Baker
reading from Father Coughlin's books at the meetings of the chapter.
PART V
FASCIST ACTIVITIES
1
History
i
With the close of World War I, political and industrial turmoil
convulsed Italy as it did other parts of Europe. The dislocations and
readjustments of the postwar era caused widespread distress among
the Italian people. Demobilized Italian soldiers found extremely high
prices and widespread unemployment upon their return to home com-
munities. Many of the Italian people felt that they had been harshly
dealt with at the Peace Conference and the general discontent through-
out the country created a condition which was unusually favorable for
radical agitation.
As may be expected, the Communist Party of Italy did not let such
an opportunity slip by. Strikes were called throughout the country and
the Communists believed the moment for the revolution had arrived.
Factories and manufacturing plants were seized and revolutionary
tribunals set up in the best approved Soviet style. Blood and violence
swept the country and many political leaders were assassinated. It
appeared that Italy was slipping into the orbit of the Third Inter-
national.
The war and its readjustments and dislocations had left the govern-
ment of Italy in a weakened condition and it was too inefficient to
maintain law and order under the distressful conditions that followed
through 1919 and 1920.
In March of 1919, a former militant Socialist, Benito Mussolini, just
mustered out of the Armj^, organized a group of Italians in Milan. He
adopted the fasces of ancient Rome as a symbol of obedience to law.
The fasces is represented by a bundle of birch and elm rods bound
together by a red thong, in the middle of which is an ax. From this
symbol Mussolini's group took its name, Fascists. A black shirt was
chosen as a distinguishing mark of dress. They were moved by no
other force than the ambition of their leader, Benito Mussolini, the
tactics of the Communist Party and the inefficiency of the government
to check the disorders which were breaking down the social and eco-
nomic fabric of the nation.
The Communists of Italy, as was true of the Communists of Germany
during the same period, in their fanatical attempt to destroy the
existing order to make way for the dictatorship of the proletariat,
created an equally ruthless and terrorizing opposition — not from the
government itself, but from anti-Communist elements in the Nation.
By 1920 the Fascists were meeting Communist violence with Fascist
violence. In 1921 Mussolini's black shirts became established as a regu-
lar political party and in 1922 they had grown strong enough to take
control of the government.
(282)
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 283
In October of 1922 a general mobilization of the Fascists from all over
Italy was ordered. On Sunday morning, October 13, 1922, the black-
shirted columns converged on Rome. King Victor Emanuel III, seeing
the futility of declaring martial law, sent immediately for Mussolini.
Mussolini complied with the King's request and that day became the
Premier of a new Italian cabinet.
Not quite so quickly and not quite as brutally and ruthlessly, as
Hitler, Mussolini, nevertheless, as surely and completely, consolidated
his power and within a period of five years had carried Italy from a
liberal parliamentary Democracy to a totalitarian corporate state
in which only the producers were given the privilege of participating
in political life.
He crushed opposition relentlessly and placed rigid restrictions upon
the press. By power-politics a series of laws were enacted, gradually
relinquishing the powers of the legislative branch of the government
and placing them in the hands of the executive. By 1928 Benito Musso-
lini was the Dictator of Fascist Italy. Then came the Ethiopian con-
quest, the Berlin-Rome Pact and the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Anti-Comin-
tern Pact. Mussolini fancied himself a modern Caesar of a new Roman
Empire.
Theory
While Italian Fascism antedates Hitler's Naziism by a little over
10 years, its fundamental theories are very similar. There is little
doubt but that Hitler, in his opportunistic political career, drew heavily
on both Communism and Italian Fascism for the tenets of his program
for the New Order in Europe. Benito Mussolini, at least, appears to
have been somewhat original in the field, although the philosophy, if
any, of Fascism was superimposed upon his usurpation of power over
the Italian people after his domination of the Nation was complete.
Out of the confusion a few facts appear obvious. The essence of
Fascism is the complete elimination of democratic institutions, prin-
ciples and procedures and the establishment of a disciplined minority
under a strong totalitarian dictatorship. Like Communism and Nazi-
ism, Fascism exercises ruthless violence in the suppression of opposi-
tion. Launched as an actual frontal attack on the Italian Government
with civil war as the alternative, Mussolini and his conspirators did not
find it necessary, in the beginning, to resort to the establishment of
networks of underground sabotage and subversive activities.
The ruthless destruction of all instruments of self-government, free-
dom of the press, free speech and assembly, characterized Fascism's
rise in Italy. The judiciary, as under Hitler, was made an instrument
of the Fascist faith without a semblance of independence. Strict con-
trol over radio, newspapers and all other means of communication
and information is enforced by the Fascist State as a means of keeping
the people in subjection and training them in the new ideology of
totalitarianism.
The Fascist State, like the Third Reich and Soviet Russia, is a one-
party State. Opposition parties are promptly, viciously, and thor-
oughly liquidated. The use of police and special agents in ferreting
L'S4 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
out and breaking up opposition organizations is continuously carried
on. Religious, intellectual, recreational, athletic and similar non-politi-
cal organizations are directly under the control of Fascist authority.
Parliamentary procedure and legislative bodies are dissolved and the
Dictator rules by decrees.
Like Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy is everything and the citi-
zen is nothing. The exaltation of the State over the individual may be
said to be the essence of its philosophy. While private property is
said to be protected, the State extends its control over the Nation's
industry, agriculture, commerce, education and similar activities.
Anti-Semitism does not appear to have been an important plank
in the Fascist platform in the beginning. The anti-Jewish campaign
in Italy became noticeable after Hitler began to exercise influence over
Mussolini.
The spearhead of Fascist activities in California was found to be
in San Francisco. Your committee and its representatives had made
a study of the situation in California covering many months before
finally deciding on public hearings in the San Francisco Bay area.
The following witnesses testified :
Rudolph Altrocchi Leo Ostaggi
Sylvester Andriano Mario Parisi
Paul Bibily Ettore Patrizi
Harry R. Bridges Mario L. Perasso
Archie Brown Giovacchini Pisani
Mrs. Carola Bruschera Ottorino Ronchi
Joseph Civinini Angelo Rossi
A. M. Cogliandro Alfredo Segre
Rose M. Fanucchi Henrietta Setaro
Anthony S. Fiore L. A. Townsend
Christine Galdieri Gilbert Tuoni
Dr. Modesto Giordano Renzo Turco
Nicholas Ilacqua Charles Henry Tutt
Rino G. Lanzoni Vincenzo Zirpoli
Philip G. Lasky Carmelo Zito
Renato Marrazzini George T. Baker
Vincent Melella
FASCIST PROPAGANDA CHANNELS IN THE UNITED STATES
AND CALIFORNIA
An impetus to Fascist propaganda in the United States and Cali-
fornia might have been noticeable after Hitler's rise to power in Ger-
many at the time of the Berlin-Rome Pact. It does not appear to
have been as intense nor as successful as Nazi propaganda. This may
indicate a deeper sense of loyalty in the hearts of American-born
Italians than in American-born Germans. It may mean that the
German people have been longer subjected to the "German Kultur,"
racial superiority ideologies and absolutism of monarchy and leader-
ship than the Italian people. In any event the committee has not
found the Italian people in California associating with subversive
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 285
groups to the same extent as have German- Americans. This state-
ment is not to be construed as casting any reflection on the German -
Americans as a whole. The studies of your committee indicate that a
great majority of German- American and Italian- American people in
the United States are intensely loyal and devoted citizens of the
United States. The subversive German-American and Italian-Ameri-
can are the exceptions and not the rule.
Carmelo Zito, the editor and publisher of an Italian language news-
paper, II Corriere del Popolo, and an anti-Fascist, testified at length
on Fascist activities and propaganda in San Francisco. (Volume
XII, pp. 3344-3377.)
He was born in Oppido Mamartino, Italy. He served in the Italian
Army in the first World War and came to New York December 19,
1923. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States November
9, 1938. He had lived in San Francisco since 1931 and had been the
editor and publisher of the II Corriere del Popolo since September of
1935. He narrated the history of the newspaper, which was founded
in 1910 by a Mr. Pedritti, whom he designated as a " liberal " and
who, in 1922, wrote against Fascism. Pedritti was a follower of the
Italian patriot, Mazzini. Zito claimed that he had continued the
Pedritti policy in the II Corriere del Popolo despite considerable abuse
from the Italian colony in San Francisco. He stated that most of the
Italian businessmen in the area depended on the import trade from
Italy and, therefore, were economically obligated to preserve good
relationships with the official Italian Government. Because of this
economic pressure, Zito stated, the Italian businessmen were com-
pelled to boycott the II Corriere del Popolo.
He named the most important pro-Fascist publications as L'ltalia,
a daily newspaper edited by Ettore Patrizi, La Voce del Popolo, also
edited by Patrizi, II Leone, the official bulletin of the Sons of Italy,
and the defunct La Rassegna Commerciale, the official organ of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco. He stated that the
La Rassegna Commerciale had been discontinued when the United
States Government closed the San Francisco Italian consulate. The
editor of the La Rassegna Commerciale had been Camille Brancchi
who, according to Zito, went to Buenos Aires, South America, to
continue his Fascist work.
He described Fascist propaganda used in radio programs in the
Italian language through the bay area radio stations. He named La
Voce del Italia on KROW (which he said was still on the air, although
innocuous since Pearl Harbor), as being sponsored by Ettore Patrizi,
the editor of L'ltalia. He stated that Patrizi in one broadcast had
declared that Mussolini was ruling Italy with an "injection of love."
He branded a radio program by Gelsi Medeot, started in 1936 over
Radio Station KROW, and still continuing, as a disseminator of Fascist
propaganda. He stated that since Pearl Harbor the Medeot program
had turned to selling war bonds and broadcasting news of the Mazzini
Society. Formerly this program had found Mussolini the most popu-
lar man in the world by a huge majority vote. A third radio program,
which stopped after Pearl Harbor, was broadcast over Radio Station
KRE. The announcer was a man by the name of Francesconi, who is
now interned in Montana by the United States Government. Zito
286 - UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
stated that he had used figures of "Uncle Sam," "Mary Ann" and
"John Bull" to mock the democracies and carried the advertising of
the Rossi Cigar Company. Another program had been broadcast over
Radio Station KLS in Oakland and was sponsored by Arthur de
Nunzio. This program purported to be a news broadcast and, Zito
declared, after December 7, 1941, one of the announcers was appre-
hended by the Federal Bureau of Investigation — a man by the name
of Angelo Bacoccini, who was also an editor of the Sons of Italy's pub-
lication, II Leone. This same Angelo Bacoccini, according to Zito, was
a teacher in the San Francisco Italian language school which he
unequivocally branded as Fascistic.
He stated that he had clipped pictures and slogans from the text-
books used in the San Francisco Italian language schools and had made
composite photostatic copies and translations and had sent them to
Mayor Angelo J. Rossi of San Francisco and to the Governor and
Lieutenant Governor of California in January of 1936. He stated that
no action whatsoever followed. In 1937 a Captain Lane of the San
Francisco Police Department, had a bill introduced in the State Senate
to bring the Italian language schools under the supervision of the
Board of Education, but, Zito declared, "it was killed by Sylvester
Andriano's lobbying in Sacramento."
He told of another pro-Fascist program over Radio Station KLS
sponsored by a man named Guaragna. He stated that this program
was for the collection of gold rings from the Italian women in the
Italian colony in San Francisco to be sent to Italy to aid Musolini's
cause in Ethiopia. He stated that some $40,000 had been collected,
$10,000 of which was donated through the Grand Lodge of the Sons of
Italy. He stated that San Francisco Scavengers' Association had con-
tributed labor and work free of charge for this cause in contrast to the
Association's present demand for $9 per ton for the collection of scrap
metal for the United States. (The association had formerly asked $16
a ton but reduced it to $9 after public protest.) He named Sylvester
Andriano as a member of this association — the "honorary President."
He cited the case of Dr. Joseph Facci, whom, he contended, sponsored
an anti-Fascist broadcast which was boycotted. Dr. Facci was
removed from his position as Secretary of the Italian Chamber of Com-
merce for his anti-Fascist work. Dr. Facci is now with Archibald Mac
Leish in the Office of Facts and Figures in Washington, D. C.
He called the attention of the committee to another radio broadcast
in Los Angeles which was sponsored by La Parola, an Italian language
newspaper in that city. He stated that this publication was definitely
pro-Fascist. He declared that the Bank of America had financed all
Italian broadcasts and had put the "squeeze" on papers of an anti-
Fascist nature.
He named Gianni Cardellini of Los Angeles as an individual who
had sponsored a Fascist radio program. He stated that Cardellini
was now interned in Montana as a dangerous alien.
He narrated the history of Fugazi Hall and the activities emanating
from it. He said that only one Italian language school had existed in
San Francisco prior to the advent of Fascism in Italy. This one
school then branched out and 36 units existed throughout the State of
California at the time Zito testified. He detailed the supervision by
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 287
the Italian consuls in San Francisco of the Italian language schools
and stated that the Italian Government had sent teachers to California
and had furnished the textbooks without charge. The teachers came to
the Italian Consulate with diplomatic passports and immediately fled
to Italy when war clouds gathered. These Italian teachers taught
Fascism "pure and simple"; gave the Fascist salute in school and
sang the Fascist National Anthem, Giovenezza.
He stated that the term "Roberto" had been coined for the Rome-
Berlin-Tokyo Axis. Many of the Italians in San Francisco's colony
declared that "Roberto" would win the war." Fascist agents and
sympathizers kept up a constant stream of propagandizing throughout
the Italian colony.
He emphatically declared that he had personally seen Mayor Angelo
J. Rossi give the stiff-armed Fascist salute in public in the Scottish Rite
Auditorium and that, because of this conduct on the part of the Mayor,
Fascism had received a "sort of official blessing," and the Italians in
San Francisco accepted it.
He explained the meaning of the term "Fascio." He stated that
the Fascist Party name is Partito Nasionale Fascista and that the
Society Fascio Umberto Nobile (the name of the San Francisco Fascist
Unit), was taken from the name of an Italian aviator-explorer. The
Fascio Umberto Nobile Society was disbanded in 1930 by the Fascist
Party in Rome. Another society, Littorio, was founded in New York
to take its place, but this organization operated over the United States
in a much more secret manner than the former organization. He per-
sonally did not know that San Francisco had a branch.
He branded the association of Italian war veterans, the Ex-Combat-
tenti Society, as Fascist. He stated that most of its leaders in San
Francisco had been apprehended by the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion after December 7, 1941. The Dante Alighieri Society was also
branded as a Fascist group. Most of these latter-named organiza-
tions met at Fugazi Hall.
He told the committee of excursions for Italian- American children to
Italy from San Francisco and stated that these trips had been financed
by the Italian Government. He stated that the first of these excursions
took place in 1936. The best children in the Italian language schools
were selected and upon arrival in Italy immediately swore allegiance to
Mussolini. He stated that many of the Fascist sympathizers exercise
dual citizenship and were, in fact, subjects of Italy. The excursion of
1938 had been called off "at the last minute" when the children were
in New York waiting for transportation across the Atlantic. He
stated that pictures of the children giving Mussolini the Fascist salute
were run in magazines circulated in San Francisco.
He stated that the pro-Fascist press in San Francisco had "deified"
Mussolini prior to the declaration of war. The Italian colony was
miserably confused and apparently could not understand why the
United States Government would declare war on the "sainted
Mussolini. ' '
Zito stated that the Mazzini Society had sent a circular to 52 Italian-
American associations in San Francisco in May of 1942 in reference
to their American loyalty and requested cooperation of the Italian-
American communities in a public manifestation of their loyalty to
288 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
America and their condemnation of Fascism. Out of the 52 Italian-
American associations, only two gave full assent and five gave partial
assent. He stated that most of the Italians and the Italian associations
in San Francisco now state that they are for the war and want the
United States to win, but that they don't want to commit themselves
as * ' anti-anything. ' ' He pointed out that there exists an Ernest Smith
Committee, also known as the Win-the-War Committee, with head-
quarters in Fugazi Hall, but stated that it will not commit itself as to
being ' ' anti-Fascist. ' '
He told of a floral float which had been made for the Mothers Day
Parade by the Florists Association of San Francisco. He stated that
the maker had devised three bouquets which were to signify the heads
of Mussolini, Hitler and Hirohito respectively, but that they were
prevented from labeling them and, therefore, the public lost the sig-
nificance of what the bouquets purported to indicate.
. Alfredo Segre was born in Turin, Italy, and holds a doctorate from
the University of Turin which he received in 1930. (Volume X, pp.
3027-3037.) He spent considerable time on the African Gold Coast,
served in the Italian Army and visited Egypt. He is the author of a
novel published in 1933 which won the National Public Contest in
Italy, which honor corresponds to the Pulitzer Prize. He spent some
time in France and came to the United States in May of 1939.
Upon leaving the Gold Coast and returning to Italy, he conferred
with one of the ministers of the Fascist High Command concerning
the economic situation in the Italian colonies of Africa.
He stated that he had studied the principles and doctrines of Fascism
thoroughly and that he was completely against them. He said it was
very difficult to define just what Fascism actually is as there existed
in Italy a dispute as to where, how and who originated it. He was
perfectly willing to accredit the ideas to Mussolini.
He told the committee of the feuds and struggles in Italy at the
period previous and just after Mussolini took power. He stated that
he did not believe there were Italian Fascist fifth columnists at
work in the United States. He believed that the German elements
were directing subversive organization work from New York, but did
not believe there were any propagandizing efforts being made by the
Fascists in the Italian colonies in California. He felt that it was quite
natural for the Italians in the United States to be enthusiastic about
the achievements of the Fascisti in Italy.
Segre 's testimony was somewhat inconsistent and at odds with the
information he had given to committee representatives prior to
testifying in open hearing. While he admitted that there were some
95 pro-Fascist and pro-Nazi newspapers printed in German and
Italian in the United States, he did not believe that there were any
propagandizing efforts being made by the Fascists in the Italian
colonies in California. After a tirade against Fascism couched in
explosive language to interviewers in private, Segre 's performance on
the witness stand came as a mild surprise to committee members.
Mario Parisi, the operator of the Princess Theatre located at 1596
Church Street in San Francisco, admitted that he exhibited foreign
films. (Volume VII, pp. 2036-2039.) He stated that he did not
exhibit propaganda films and that the only films of this character
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 289
known to him were those that were coming out of Russia, such as the
Mannerheim Line which was shown at the Miami Theatre and at the
Larkin Theatre within recent months. He stated that the Clay Theatre
also exhibits Russian films.
Rose M. Fanucchi stated that she was an attorney for a radio pro-
gram over Radio Station KLS. (Volume XIII, pp. 3540-3555.) She
admitted that Angelo Bacoccina had been the announcer on this pro-
gram. She claimed that she did not know of any Fascist propaganda
disseminated through this program. She admitted, however, that
Bacoccina was ''unfortunately" in a concentration camp.
Philip G. Lasky, General Manager of Radio Station KROW,
addressed a letter to the committee denying allegations formerly made
by witnesses that Radio Station KROW had permitted the broadcast-
ing of Fascist propaganda. (Volume XIII, pp. 3593-3594.) The
letter was read into the record. Lasky stated that the present owners
of the station had taken over its management August 30, 1939, and
had, during their supervision, maintained strict censorship over all
radio programs and had not permitted Fascist propaganda to go on
the air. He stated that the Italian language programs had continued
with the knowledge and permission and under the regulations of the
Federal Communications Commission. He stated that since June 20,
1940, transcriptions of each Italian broadcast had been made and that
they were on file. He denied that the testimony of Carmelo Zito
properly reflected the policies of the Italian programs on Radio Station
KROW.
Renato Marrazzini was the bookkeeper for the L'ltalia Press Com-
pany. (Volume XIII, pp. 3618-3623.) He was born in Italy and
became a naturalized citizen in 1926. He has held his present posi-
tion with the L'ltalia Press Company since 1915 and during that time
up to 1939 was in charge of the circulation department. Since 1939
Marrazzini has been the business manager of the paper. He stated that
Patrizi employs the personnel. He could only recall the employment
of a part-time worker, a Mr. Delizo, during the past two years. He
stated that Mr. Delizo was assigned to special Pacific Coast news.
The circulation of L'ltalia was around 12,000 and the circulation of
La Voce del Popolo was between 5,000 and 6,000. This circula-
tion was paid circulation. He confirmed Miss Setaro's testimony by
stating that the largest advertisers of these Italian language papers
were the Bank of America and'Lachman Brothers. He admitted that
the newspapers sponsored a radio program and that the largest adver-
tiser on the program was the Rossi Cigar Company. He presented the
committee with the advertising rates for the papers.
He admitted that he had owned stock in L'ltalia Press Corporation
since 1917.
Leo Ostaggi is a bank clerk in the Bank of America in San Francisco.
(Volume XIII, pp. 3627-3632.) Part of his duties consist in trans-
lating advertising matter for the bank. He stated that he received the
material from the Charles Stewart Company. He also checked up on
advertising copy in the foreign language (Italian) newspapers. He
admitted that the Bank of America gave no advertising copy to the
II Corriere.
' 19— L-2275
290 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Ostaggi was born in Italy and came to the United States in 1913.
He went back to Italy and fought in the Italian army as a lieutenant
with the Alpine Troops during the first World "War. He returned to
the United States in 1920 and became a naturalized citizen May 7, 1926,
in Los Angeles.
He had worked for the Bank of America for 20 years. He admitted
having a very wide acquaintance in the Italian colony in San
Francisco. He was the President of the Ex-Combattenti Society in
1938 and held this office for about 10 months. He attended meetings in
Fugazi Hall and sent the rent money (which amounted to $26 monthly)
to the janitor, Mr. Botticco. The money was sent by check, made pay-
able to Botticco. - He believed that Sylvester Andriano had something
to do with the Fugazi Hall organization. There were between 40 or 50
active members in the Ex-Combattenti Society at the time he was presi-
dent, and the organization carried some 120 members on its rolls. The
dues were 50 cents monthly and the organization met once a month.
It had two secretaries during his regime as president, a Mr. Giovac-
chini and a Mr. Gutladavo. The secretary handled the finances of the
Ex-Combattenti Society.
In his employment for the Bank of America he clipped ads from
La Rassegna and read the publication. He did not know that the
Italian Chamber of Commerce had been registered with the United
States Department of State as an agent of the Italian Government.
He claimed that the advertising copy distribution was not determined
by him, but that "some one from the Stewart agency" handled it.
Ostaggi declared that he had only examined one textbook used by the
Italian language schools.
Gilbert Tuoni is an independent motion picture producer living in
San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3662-3674.) Though he had made
application he was not yet a citizen. He enjoys a wide acquaintance
in the Italian colony and stated that he had observed ' ' plenty ' ' of pro-
Fascist activities in San Francisco. He recommended that all Italian
radio programs be taken off the air and that the printing of propaganda
papers, such as the L'ltalia and La Voce del Popolo, be stopped.
He had been accused by the pro-Fascists in San Francisco of being a
traitor to Italy and of being in the pay of the British Government.
Because of his anti-Fascist attitude and the work he had done against
the pro-Fascists, he had been threatened on several occasions. Certain
individuals connected with Bttore Patrizi had called on him and
attempted to shame him for his anti-Fascist attitude.
In 1932 he published a book entitled Italian Activities in America.
He had worked with labor groups in California and had observed the
"Columbus Avenue group" exploit labor. When in Castroville,
engaged in filming a motion picture for the artichoke industry, he
was ordered out of the area by a Mr. Nolinari, whom, he * ' presumed, ' '
was now in a "concentration camp."
He was familiar with the Italian language schools in the City of San
Francisco and stated that he had examined many of the textbooks.
It was his unqualified opinion that the textbooks were compiled for the
single purpose of spreading Fascist propaganda among American-born
Italian children. He unequivocally branded the Ex-Combattenti a
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 291
Fascist organization, though he believed that many innocent men had
been induced to join it.
He was in the City of San Francisco when Fascio Umberto No'bile
was founded and stated that its founder, now deceased, was at the
time of organizing the society an editor on one of Patrizi's newspapers.
He emphatically branded Patrizi's newspapers as pro-Fascist and as
organs of "racketeering." "They are poison!" he declared. He
stated that Ettore Patrizi had six men in California who were engaged
in "strong arm" work for the Italian Fascist group. He named these
men as Viriglio, Nolanari, both of San Francisco; Luigi Colombo of
Los Angeles ; Bravi of Portland and Salt Lake City ; Brignole in north-
ern California and Fransconci in the Santa Clara area. Tuoni stated
that these men acted as collectors for Patrizi's newspapers. He stated
that Fransconci is now in a "concentration camp." Nolanari, he
added, was also interned.
He had known Renzo Turco for many years and stated that Turco
was a "believer" in Fascism. He was also acquainted with Sylvester
Andriano but knew little of his activities.
He declared that only the pro-Fascists in California had received
decorations from the Italian Government and that all of these decora-
tions indicated service to the Fascist regime. He stated that the King
of Italy would never give a decoration to anyone unless Mussolini sanc-
tioned it. Since 1934, ' ' every other butcher in California has received
a decoration from the Fascist King of Italy, ' ' Tuoni declared.
George T. Baker, an official of the Citizens No-Foreign Wars Coali-
tion, testified December 5, 1941 (Volume VII, pp. 1980-2007) that he
had attended a German Day celebration in California Hall in San
Francisco. At this meeting, Baker testified, he saw Mayor Rossi, in
company of Von Killinger, the Consul General for Germany, give the
Nazi salute.
Sylvester Andriano testified on two separate occasions. (Volume VI,
pp. 1905-1928, Volume XII, pp. 3396-3450.) He was born in Italy in
1889 and became an American citizen in February of 1914. He came to
the United States in 1901. In 1928 he was appointed a county super-
visor by Mayor James Rolph of San Francisco. In 1934 he became a
director of the Bank of America. In 1938 he was appointed police com-
missioner for San Francisco by Mayor Angelo J. Rossi and served in
this capacity for two years. At the time of testifying he was serving
as Chairman of Draft Board 100 in the City of San Francisco.
When he testified December 4, 1941 (Volume VI, pp. 1905-1928) he
stated that he was engaged in the private practice of law. He had been
the attorney for the Italian Consul in San Francisco from 1917 until
the consulate was closed by the United States Government on July 15,
1941.
He claimed he knew nothing of Italy's participation with the
Hitler regime in Germany. He stated that he was "not competent
to judge" the Garibaldi tradition in Italy, but was of the opinion that
Garibaldi did not do "heroic work." "He was a fine patriot," he
added, "but he did a lot of harm, too."
Andriano visited Italy in 1938 and was away from the United States
for about 90 days. He claimed that he did not see Mussolini and
292 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
denied having been made a Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy. He
claims that he holds the decoration known as " Commandatore, " which,
he explained, is Commander of the Crown of Italy. He testified that
this is a decoration higher than Chevalier and Knight Officer. He
recalled talking to some one in the office of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Rome but stated that it was "solely in connection with the
participation of Italy in the San Francisco Exposition."
He claimed that he had not read the article concerning himself in the
Italian Chamber of Commerce magazine or the article written by Ettore
Patrizi and published in L' 'Italia quoting him (Andriano) as praising
the " Fascist Regime" in Italy. He denied having used the words
attributed to him, and Patrizi, who was sitting in the audience while
Andriano was testifying, arose to take full blame for improperly quot-
ing Mr. Andriano.
He denied ever having used the terms "II Duce" when speaking of
Mussolini. (Volume XII, pp. 3396-3450.)
He claimed he had never heard of a "Fascio" organization in San
Francisco. He admitted bein<? President of the Fugazi Building
Association in 1928 or 1929 and stated that it was a "white elephant."
He denied that anyone had ever 'offered to pay the rent on the building.
He admitted that he met with Vittori Mussolini, the son of Benito
Mussolini, when the latter visited San Francisco. He stated that he
called on him with the Italian Consul. Rinaldi, in 1937 or 1938. Vit-
tori Mussolini had come to San Francisco in reference to Italian partici-
pation in the San Francisco Exposition.
He stated that he had been very enthusiastic over ' * Christian Rome ' '
when he visited there the last time.
He could not recall Senate Bill 540 introduced in the 1937 Session
of the Legislature for the regulation of foreign language schools in
California.
He stated that Superior Judge McKeage had recommended him for
his appointment to Draft Board 100 in the City of San Francisco.
He claimed that he sold Liberty Bonds and worked for the Red Cross
during the last World War. At that time he was the Secretary of
Draft Board Number 13 in San Francisco. When asked what he
intended doing with his decorations from the Italian Government,
Andriano stated that he would await suggestions from prominent
authorities in Washington. (Volume XII, pp. 3396-3450.)
Joseph Civinini was called to testify concerning the minutes of a
meeting in Fugazi Hall, written in Italian and signed by him, which
Andriano had partially denied. (Volume XIII, pp. 3674-^3677.) Civi-
nini stated that he was presently the Secretary of the Italmn Benevolent
Society in San Francisco. He definitely recalled the meeting in ques-
tion at Fugazi Hall and identified the photostatic copy of the minutes
in the possession of the committee. He translated the paragraph deal-
ing with the funds offered by the Italian Consul to Fugazi Hall, Fascio,
Dante Aligheri and Ex-Combattenti. He stated that the meeting had
been called to order by Sylvester Andriano and that Consul Meelini
Ponce de Leon, Mr. Zulberti, Mr. Laiolo, Mr. Oberti, Mr. Peachiera,
Mr. Farina, Mr. Patrizi, Mr. Pedrini, Mr. Olivieri, Mr. Baccigalupi,
Mr. Zanolini, and Civinini, himself, were in attendance. He stated that
the photostatic copy of the minutes, in the possession of the committee,
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 293
was a true and correct report of the minutes prepared by him and
accurately recorded what actually had occurred at the meeting.
Paul Bibily, formerly of the French Consulate, first in New York
and then in San Francisco from January 11, 1937, to July 22, 1940,
designated himself as the Vice Consul for the Free French. (Volume
XIII, pp. 3531-3540.) He had been dismissed by Petain but insisted
that he still represented the Free French.
He declared that there was much Fascist activity in San Francisco
and that considerable information was on file on the subject in the
French (Vichy) Consulate in San Francisco. He stated that he had
known Renzo Turco for five years and stated that "even the lampposts
know he is a Fascist." He had known Angelo J. Rossi, Mayor of the
City of San Francisco, for about five years and stated that he was
"rather fond of him." Turco had confided to him that it would be
a good thing for the United States and France to establish a Fascist
system of government. He knew of the Ex-Combattenti Society and
branded it as pro-Fascist. He had examined the textbooks of the
Italian language schools and stated that the grammar and arithmetic
were "cleverly pro-Fascist."
He had met Ettore Patrizi on several occasions and had read his
papers, but stated "I will not make any daily fare of "feuille d'Clouy"
— the cabbage leaf. He stated without equivocation that Patrizi 's
newspapers were pro-Fascist, adding, * ' maybe not so much since Decem-
ber 7th * * * the courage is not very thick on the Fascists."
Rudolph Altrocchi is Professor of Italian Literature at the Univer-
sity of California in Berkeley. (Volume V, pp. 1501-1509.) He had
been at the university for a period of 13 years in the Department of
Italian Language.
He explained that Fascism is a form of government where the people
are the servants of the government. He stated that there is no suffrage
in Italy and that racial persecution is part of its philosophy. Whatever
the advantages Mussolini may have brought to Italy, Altrocchi
declared the benefits were inferior and superficial and that Mussolini
has, in fact, killed the soul of the Italian people. He stated that the
Italians hate the Germans and find the Axis partnership very onerous.
He admitted knowing Ettore Patrizi, the publisher of L Italia and
La Voce del Popolo for a considerable length of time. He stated that
they were both members of an Italian club, Crenacolo for a time.
He stated that the Ex-Conibattenti Society was an organization of
Italian war veterans who met generally in Fugazi Hall in North
Beach in San Francisco. He stated that this group formerly cele-
brated Armistice Day on November llth, but that they had stopped
this celebration "several years ago."
He declared that one of the principles of Italian Fascism is not to
recognize the citizenship of Italians in other countries. The theory of
Italian Fascism is "Once an -Italian, Always an Italian." He stated
that many Italians become naturalized in the United States as a matter
of expediency and that the Italian Government tells them that they
are not merely Italians but Fascists and instructs them to disseminatf
Fascist propaganda.
294 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He stated that most of the propagandizing of Fascism in San Fran-
cisco was done by the Italian language newspapers, through the
Italian Consul and the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
Nazi and Fascist Activities
Harry R. Bridges, President of the International Longshoremen's
and Warehousemen's Union, was a volunteer witness before the com-
mittee. (Volume XIII, pp. 3594-3618.) He gave his business address
as 150 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, and stated that in addition
to being President of the ILWU that he was the State Director of the
Congress for Industrial Organization since August of 1937. He related
incidents of the unloading of German ships in San Francisco harbor
by members of the Longshoremen 's Union and stated that the men had
noted German officers leaving German ships in uniform. He stated
that they had observed Storm Troopers in full regalia on the German
ships and had seen them leaving to visit ashore. He had assigned long-
shoremen to trail the Storm Troopers and they followed them to the
German House in San Francisco. He stated that they visited there
regularly and contacted various persons in the building. He stated
that full notes had been made of these visits which were in his posses-
sion and that the material was available to the committee. These
activities, he stated, dated from 1935 or 1936 until the German ships
stopped coming to San Francisco, shortly after the declaration of war
with England.
He told the committee of a meeting held in the German House in
San Francisco. He stated that the Maritime Federation investigated
this meeting and found that Von Killinger, German Consul, spoke, and
that the meeting was being held in celebration of the conquering of
Czechoslovakia. He stated that 800 to 1,000 people gathered to protest
the meeting and particularly protested the presence of Mayor Rossi.
The labor unions, according to Bridges, followed this protest through.
He declared that the Maritime Federation passed resolutions at the
time supporting the picket lines around the California Hall where the
meeting was held. He declared that the resolution stated that the
picket line had been "brutally attacked" by police; that the hob-
nobbing of Mayor Rossi with Nazi stool pigeons was condemned and
demanded that the mayor repudiate them. A copy of the resolution
was sent in a letter to the mayor, under date of October 6, 1938, and
same was read into the record. The Maritime Federation, according
to Bridges, sent a delegation, consisting of Henry Schmidt, Walter J.
Stack, Clarence Paton and others, to the board of supervisors demand-
in*? the floor at the meeting to protest McSheehy sitting with Von
Killinger on the platform. It was Bridges' opinion that the request
was ignored.
Archie Brown, a member of the International Longshoremen and
Warehousemen's Union, Local 110, testified December 3, 1941. (Volume
VI, pp. 1730-1758.) He admitted that he was a member of the Com-
munist Party. He stated that he had been a candidate for supervisor
in the 1940 elections and had attended a meeting of the Forum of
American Federation of Labor, Culinary Union, in October of 1941
when Supervisor Adolph Uhl spoke. He stated that he had referred to
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 295
the German Day celebration in California Hall in 1938 at which Uhl
and four other supervisors attended. He stated that Adolph Uhl had
declared that Mayor Angelo Rossi had given the Nazi salute and
"Heiled Hitler."
Renzo T'urco gave the same business address as given by Sylvester
Andriano. (Volume XII, pp. 3378-3396.) He stated that he was born
in Italy and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1928.
He graduated from the University of Genoa in 1920 and came to the
United States in 1922, graduating from the University of California in
1925. He was admitted to the practice of law in California in June,
1926. He stated that he had practiced in San Francisco since his admis-
sion to the Bar.
He denied ever belonging to the Fascist Party or wearing a button
of the Fascio. He stated that he knew very little concerning Fascio
Umberto Mobile in the City of San Francisco and added that it was
"wound up" in 1928. He stated that "it was very fashionable to
belong" as Fascism was in favor the world over. He said that the
symbol of the Fascist Party was Roman and that he believed that one
of the tenets of the Fascist regime was "to revive the old Roman
grlory." He admitted attending meetings in Fugazi Hall, but could not
recall if any of these meetings were connected with the Fascio Umberto
Nobile Society. He doubted the statement in the minutes of one of
these meetings, in possession of the Committee, which reported that
he was present.
He admitted having been secretary of the Ex-Combattenti Society
and stated that he took office in 1927 and discontinued in 1930. He
remained a member. He commented that the organization died "for
lack of oxygen" around December 7, 1941. He claimed that the
Ex-Comlattenti kept no record of attendance of members at the
meetings. The meetings formerly were held at 510 or 511 Columbus
Avenue and later moved to Fugazi Hall. He could not remember to
whom he surrendered the records in 1930 when he went out of office
as secretary.
He made a trip to Europe in 1930 " as a bachelor. ' '
He was acquainted with Major Renzetti when he was the Italian
Consul in San Francisco. He admitted having visited him "socially"
in 1937 in Berlin. On that trip, Turco stated, he toured around Europe
and visited Italy twice. He claimed that he paid his own expenses.
He stated that he knew Mrs. Renzetti wras friendly with the officials of
the German Government and had autographed pictures of them. He
recalled Goebbels as one of them. He did not know if Mrs. Renzetti
was related to any of these officials. Major Renzetti did not return to
San Francisco after going to Europe.
He admitted having accepted an invitation to speak at the German-
American Bund meetings in California Hall in the City of San Fran-
cisco. He admitted having met Herman Max Schwinn but stated that
he did not know his name until he saw his picture after December 7,
1941, in the newspapers.
He was acquainted with Mario Parisi and was aware that he exhibited
foreign films in Italian and German.
He denied that he had visited Fascist Party or Italian Government
officials while in Rome.
296 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He was acquainted with the German Consul General in San Fran-
cisco, Fritz Weidemann, but claimed that he was only acquainted with
him " socially."
He admitted having spoken at America First Committee meetings,
but denied ever having belonged to the organization. He denied having
made slurring remarks concerning Jewish merchants in relation to
Ked Cross knitting; he said he had merely criticized the appearance of
the Red Cross headquarters at North Beach, likening it to a " Jewish
junk shop. ' '
He related the details of an attack on him and Gaston ITsigli, a
musician, about 10 years before and said that some men had beaten
them up, alleging that they were wearing Fascist buttons. Two of the
men were captured and held for trial. The matter of the wearing of
the Fascist buttons was not brought up at the trial, he asserted.
He admitted having become Secretary of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce in San Francisco in 1939 and that he had continued in this
position until 1940 when he turned the affairs of the secretary over to
Dr. Facci.
While the committee was sitting in San Francisco, taking testimony
on Fascist activities in the Bay Area, Harry R. Bridges addressed a
letter to the committee under date of May 25, 1942. (Volume XIII,
pp. 3581-3582.) Bridges signed the letter as the President of the
International Longshoremen and Warehousemen's Union. He stated
that in the Fall of 1935 the garbage collectors of San Francisco had
collected large quantities of scrap metal for shipment to Mussolini for
use in Fascist Italy's Abyssinian campaign. He stated that the garbage
collectors of San Francisco had collected this metal free of charge. He
stated that the longshoremen refused to load it on the Italian ships for
a period of two months. The Italian Consul visited Bridges and told
him that Mayor Angelo Rossi had ordered the longshoremen to load the
scrap metal and stated that if the longshoremen refused to do so that
the police would be ordered to break the resistance. Bridges volun-
teered to appear before the committee and did so May 26 and 27, 1942.
(Volume XIII, pp. 3594-3618.)
He stated that the Scavengers' Association of San Francisco had col-
lected two or three hundred tons of scrap metal, consisting mostly
of copper and brass and the longshoremen had refused to load it on the
Italian ships in San Francisco harbor. He stated that it had been the
policy of his union not to assist Fascist nations. The scrap metal lay
on the wharf in San Francisco for two months during which time he
made a check of the background of the collection by the Scavengers'
Association. He stated that it had been collected in the name of the
Italian Red Cross. The Italian Consul had informed him that Mayor
Rossi had helped in the drive to secure the metal. Mayor Rossi later
phoned Bridges and told him that the metal had been collected as a
"humanitarian gesture" and that a "bunch of Communists on the
waterfront" were attempting to insinuate that the collection had not
been made in good faith. Bridges declared that he told the mayor that
his men would not load the metal and the mayor informed him that he
would find men who would load it and give them police protection.
The members of the Longshoremen's Union then protested to the Italian
Consul and argued with him as to the good "scrap metal" would do
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 297
the Italian Red Cross. Later Judge Marcus C. Sloss, labor arbitrator,
ruled that the union must load the scrap metal on the Italian ships
and gave the men an hour to do so. The material was then loaded.
Bridges identified the publication, Voice of the Federation, for July
12, 1939, and stated that he was one of the founders of this paper and
that it was first published in June of 1935 and ceased some time in
1941. He stated that the back copies of the publication contained infor-
mation corroborating his statements as given above. The issue of
October 10, 1935 published a resolution passed by the longshoremen
addressed to the Maritime Federation prohibiting the Maritime Fed-
eration members from helping Italy in any way. They were instructed
not to handle ammunition or war equipment material destined for Italy.
Bridges called the committee's attention to another resolution passed
by the Firemen's Union in which the Standard Oil Company of Cali-
fornia and other American capitalist firms were branded as collabora-
tors of Italian aggression in Ethiopia by shipping oil to Italy. He
stated that the firemen refused to sail on ships chartered for Italy,
Eritrea or Italian Somililand. The issue of October 24, 1935, reported
the longshoremen's refusal to load the Italian motor ship Cellini and
declared the material to be loaded as contraband under a current ruling
by President Roosevelt placing an embargo on all arms, munitions and
war materials to Italy during the Ethiopian war. The issue of October
31. 1935, reported the picketing of the Italian Consulate. The article
related the interference of the police in this picketing and referred to
a newspaper story branding the picketers as ' * a bunch of Communists. ' '
He stated that the Scavengers' Association demanded high rates for
the collection of tin for the United States in its present war effort, in
comparison to the attitude of the Scavengers' Association in collecting
scrap metal for Italy free of charge to assist in the war of aggression
in Ethiopia.
Sylvester Andriano admitted being an attorney for the Scavengers'
Association, known as the Sanitary Fill Company. (Volume VI, pp.
1905-1928.)
He stated that he represented the Scavengers' Association on some
matters, and that he is an attorney for the Sanitary Fill Company
which holds city and county franchises in San Francisco. He denied
that the Scavengers' Association had collected gold for Italy during
Mussolini's Ethiopian campaign.
Mrs. Carola Bruschera denied that she had taken any part in col-
lecting gold for Italy's Abyssinian War. (Volume XIII, pp. 3499-
3503.) She stated that she "just wrote the address when they sent
the money in." She stated that this had been done in the office of
the Ex-Combattenti in Fugazi Hall. She said it was a social affair
put on by the ladies and that the money was collected to "help
the poor."
Mayor Angelo Rossi was called before the committee for two reasons.
In the first place, he had been charged by a number of witnesses as
participating in Nazi and Fascist activities in the City of San Fran-
cisco. These accusations had been made in public and it was felt that
the mayor should be given an opportunity to answer such charges.
In the second place, Angelo Rossi is an American of Italian descent
and titular head of a great California municipality containing a large
298 , UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Italian population. It was well established that he was an old friend
of both Sylvester Andriano and Ettore Patrizi. The testimony of
witnesses in November and December of 1941 and at the May, 1942,
hearing in San Francisco, had indicated considerable Fascist activities
in the Bay Area. The evidence before the committee was overwhelm-
ing as to Fascist propaganda and indoctrination in the Italian colony
in San Francisco. The committee members were convinced that the
three ring leaders of the Fascist movement were Sylvester Andriano,
Ettore Patrizi and Renzo Turco. The entire hearing was geared to
pivot about these individuals and their activities.
The main purpose in examining Angelo Rossi under oath was to
determine what he had done to remedy the Fascist situation, widely
publicized as a result of the committee's hearing; to learn whether
or not the mayor was cognizant of the facts concerning the matters
described to the committee by witnesses at that hearing. The com-
mittee itself, or its representatives, had at no time remotely suggested
that the mayor had been engaged in subversive activities in his official
position. The committee, therefore, was surprised when the mayor,
before a question could be propounded to him, dramatically read into
the committee's records a statement setting forth his personal history
and proclaiming his patriotism, which no one connected with the com-
mittee, up to that point, had disputed.
He proclaimed his 100 per cent loyalty to the United States of
America-. (Volume XIII, pp. 3452-3471.) He stated that he had
served as a member of the Recreation Commission for seven years and
had been a member of the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors
and the foreman of the Grand Jury. He stated that he had been
elected Mayor of the City of San Francisco and had served in that
capacity for 12 years. He denounced the testimony of the witnesses
and accused the committee of holding "star chamber" sessions. He
declared that he had cooperated with Federal authorities 100 per cent
and that he believed the investigation of the committee was a "smear
campaign" against him.
He admitted having been acquainted with Sylvester Andriano for
many years. He also admitted knowing Ettore Patrizi. He stated
that he had no knowledge whatsoever of the activities of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce and that he knew vaguely of the Ex-Combattenti
Society. He had heard nothing of the Fascio Umberto Nobile Society ;
knew something of the Italian language schools but admitted that he
had never made any inquiry regarding their activities.
He admitted that he had an autographed picture of Mussolini in
his office and stated that it had been presented to him in 1933 when
Senator Marconi had visited San Francisco. He stated that the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors had entertained the senator and had
made him an honorary citizen. He added that he had photographs
of many prominent people from all over the world but that he had
removed the photographs of the Japanese and the Germans.
Mayor Rossi disclaimed any connections with Fascism and denied
that he had received the Fascist Grand Cross, as had been stated in the
publication of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, La Ressegna. He
admitted having received a decoration from the King of Italy on
January 24, 1938. He stated that he had never attended any func-
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 299
tions lie knew to be either Fascist or Nazi in character and denied
having ever given the Fascist salute. He stated that he had denounced
Axis activities, but could not recall having denounced Mussolini in
particular. He described his other Italian decorations and stated that
one was received in 1931 on the recommendation of Tito Schipa and
the other from Senator Marconi. He stated that he had never read
Zito's paper, 11 Corriere, or the People's Daily World. He denied
ever having seen Sylvester Andriano give the Fascist salute.
ITALIAN ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
A. M. Cogliandro narrowly escaped with his life several months
before testifying, December 4, 1941, and for his personal safety the
committee designated him in the press as "X-2." (Executive Session,
December 1, 3 and 4, 1941.) Shot from ambush, the assassin's bullet
passed through Cogliandro 's coat without injuring him. Since this
unsuccessful attempt on his life he had been threatened on a number of
occasions.
He stated that the Italian Consul General in San Francisco used the
office for the dissemination of Fascist propaganda and that all visitors
coming to the office were given booklets, leaflets, photographs, etc.,
which were decidedly Fascistic propaganda. He stated that the same
type of propaganda was distributed by the Italian Chamber of Com-
merce in the City of San Francisco. All of the material issued by the
Italian Consul General's office in San Francisco was printed in Italy
under the supervision of the Minister of Propaganda. Cogliandro
stated that before an Italian- American might secure permission to visit
Italy, he had to prove to the Consul that he was, in fact, a Fascist.
This situation had existed for 10 years. In addition to these activities,
Cogliandro declared that the Italian Consul maintained a number of
Fascist spies in the San Francisco Bay area.
The pro-Fascist Italian language newspapers in California were
named as L'ltalia and La Voce del Popolo, published by Ettore Patrizi.
Cogliandro stated that the two newspapers were owned by different
corporations and he believed that both were subsidized by the Italian
government until late in 1940.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco published a
magazine by the name of La Eassegna Commerciale which was regis-
tered in the United States Department of State as foreign government
propaganda. Cogliandro stated that the Secretary of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce, Branchi, was registered with the United States
Government as a foreign agent of Italy. The current secretary of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce was named Ilacqua.
Cogliandro was acquainted with the Ex-Combattenti, an organization
which was composed of men who fought for Italy in the World War.
He stated that this group was decidedly pro-Fascist. He said that they
formerly met in Garibaldi Hall in the City of San Francisco but that
at the time of testifying they were meeting in Fugazi Hall located at
678 Green Street, San Francisco. He stated that Fugazi Hall was
donated to the Italian community for colony uses, but that it had come
into the possession of the Italian Government and had been used, up
300 t UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
to the time of testifying, exclusively for Fascist work and was managed
by the Italian Consul in San Francisco. The property had been
donated by an Italian by the name of Fugazi who had also given a
library for the use of the Italian colony. Cogliandro stated that the
Fascists in charge of the building had destroyed the books and substi-
tuted others which had been sent from Rome by the Minister of Propa-
ganda through the Italian Consul. He stated that the Fascist organi-
zations in the Bay Area maintain headquarters at Fugazi Hall and dis-
seminate Fascist literature from there. The Italian Legion, the After
Work Club and After School Club used Fugazi Hall for their activities.
He stated that the After School Club, an organization composed of stu-
dents, used the Hall for Fascist drills.
Some time in 1937 the Italian Government sent four teachers or
instructors from Rome to teach in San Francisco's Italian language
schools. Cogliandro declared that they openly taught obedience to
Mussolini and Victor Emanuel, the King of Italy, and trained the chil-
dren in principles of Fascism.
He identified a medal which, he stated, was one of the highest deco-
rations conferred by the Italian Army and stated that he had received
it for service with the Italian Army in the war against Abyssinia in
1896. He also identified a medal given by the Italian Government to
Fascists in foreign countries for "good propaganda work."
He stated that the Union Sports Cliib was another organization com-
pletely controlled by the Fascists. It also had its headquarters in
Fugazi Hall until some time in 1940 when the Italian Consul left San
Francisco. He related his difficulties in attempting to pass legislation
in the California Legislature designed to bring all foreign language
schools under the direct supervision of the State Board of Education.
He stated that Sylvester Andriano appeared before the State Board of
Education and protested the proposed legislation. Cogliandro was
finally successful in inducing State Senator Metzger to introduce his
bill in the California Senate. It was known as Senate Bill 540 in the
1937 Session. He stated that through Andriano 's activities the bill was
killed. He stated that Andriano conducted an energetic campaign
against the measure and wrote against it in the Italian language news-
paper, L' It alia.
Referring to Ettore Patrizi, the publisher of L'ltalia and La Vocc
del Popolo, Cogliandro declared that United States Senator Borah had
accused Patrizi of being a man living ' ' under two flags. ' ' He stated
that Borah had made a speech in the Senate against the Fascists and
that he spoke in the name of 250 Italian-Americans in California. He
personally wrote Borah a letter of congratulation and offered the
committee a copy of the letter.
He stated that there were 47 Italian language schools in California,
with nine of them located in the City of San Francisco. He examined
the textbooks of these schools in the possession of the committee and
declared unequivocally that they were "Fascistic." He stated that
Sylvester Andriano was the President of the Italian School Board.
Andriano had been decorated by the Italian Government as a Chevalier
(Knight) and also as Commandatore (Commander) in 1935 and 1936
and had received a third decoration in 1938. He stated that the
Italian language schools in the United States are partially supported
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 301
by the Italian Government. He told of the school children wearing
the uniforms of Ballila, a youth Fascist organization. He explained
that Ballila was a character in Italian history. He identified the uni-
formed groups in photographs in possession of the committee.
He stated that the members of Ex-Co ml} attenti used black shirts but
did not wear a full uniform. He stated that when Marconi visited
San Francisco in either 1937 or 1938, a banquet was held at the Fair-
mont Hotel and that the members of Ex-Combattenti shouted "Viva
II Duce" and gave the Fascist salute. The witness ventured the
opinion that Marconi was told what to say in the United States by the
Minister of Propaganda in Italy. He stated that he refused to shake
hands with Marconi, the inventor, because he had become Marconi,
the Fascist.
He was familiar with the organization known as the Sons of Italy
and believed that some of its members and officers were pro-Fascist.
He ventured the opinion that the Italian people had never liked the
Germans and that they were much more sympathetic to the Allies.
He stated that his father was called a ' ' conspirator ' ' during the
war for Italian Independence (1866-1870) because he had worked with
Mazzini and Garibaldi, ' ' the liberators. ' ' He stated that Mussolini had
destroyed all this (Socialist) work.
He listed the Italian language publications that he contended were
Fascistic. He stated that the only Italian language newspaper in
San Francisco that is anti-Fascist is II Corriere del Popolo, published
by Carmelo Zito.
He stated that there had been a number of Fascist radio programs
in the Bay Area, notably on Radio Stations KROW, KLS and KRB.
He stated that Italian propaganda films had been exhibited from time
to time at the Marina Theatre and at the Princess Theatre, operated
by Mario Parisi. At the time of testifying, Cogliandro stated that
Parisi was exhibiting German films.
Cogliandro contended that Fascist and American principles are
incompatible. He claimed that he had been fighting the Fascist move-
ment in America since 1923.
He indicated that Sylvester Andriano carried on Fascist propa-
ganda and organizational work after the United States Government
had closed the Italian Consuls. He believed that Ettore Patrizi headed
the Fascist organizational work in the United States.
He stated that he had belonged to the Italian Chamber of Commerce
in pre-Fascist clays and that nine years before, he was Grand Secretary
of the Italian Federation.
Cenaloco
Rino G. Lanzoni (an alien), an importer of Venetian glass and
antiques, was the secretary of Cenaloco, a social and cultural organiza-
tion, according to his testimony. (Volume XIII, pp. 3558-3561.) He
stated that Cenaloco was organized in 1929 and that he had been
secretary of it until about 1937. It was still in existence. He stated
that the name was taken from the Renaissance and that it still had
between 40 and 50 members. He claimed that there were no political
aspects to the organization.
302 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He was aware that Dr. Branch! had gone to South America. He had
met Renzo Cezana on several occasions but stated that he was not a
member of Cenaloco. He believed that a Mr. Corao was the secretary
of the organization until he enlisted in the armed forces of the United
States.
Lanzoni claimed that he knew nothing about the Italian language
schools in San Francisco. He stated that Musto Guido, President of
Cenaloco, was decorated by the Italian Government and that Dr.
Giordano and Mr. Andriano had also received decorations from Musso-
lini's Government. He stated that Mayor Angelo Rossi was an
honorary member of Cenaloco. A Mr. Calairi was the custodian of
the membership lists of the organization.
He concluded his testimony by stating that he had no knowledge
whatsoever of Fascist activities among the Italian-Americans in San
Francisco.
Ex-Combattenti Society
Dr. Modesto Giordano is a physician and surgeon enjoying a large
practice among the Italian-Americans in San Francisco. (Volume
XIII, pp. 3524-3531.) He stated that he came to San Francisco in 1930
and became an American citizen in 1939. His practice was confined
almost solely to the Italian colon}' although he included French, Spanish
and Central American patients in his clientele.
In 1937 he was called by the Italian Consul, Rinaldi, and requested to
become the President of the Ex-Combattenti Society. He was a mem-
ber of the organization but had not taken an active part in its affairs.
He acquiesced with the request of the Consul and became president of
the group. He was convinced, he said, that the Ex-Combattenti Society
was not a political organization and based his statement on its
"By-laws." There had been some friction in the organization insti-
gated by two or three members who called themselves Fascists. One of
these members was named Montani; the others, Dr. Giordano was
unable to identify. He stated that none of them held office in the
society.
The Ex-Combattenti Society was a federated, Nation-wide organi-
zation with headquarters for the United States in New York. Under
examination he admitted that the Italian Consuls took a very active
part in the organization. The international headquarters of the group
is located in Paris, France. The organization was disbanded when war
was declared December 8, 1941. He had received a decoration from
the Italian Government — the decoration of Cavaliere. He stated that
this decoration was presented to him in 1939 or thereabouts for profes-
sional services to the Italian colony in San Francisco and the Italian
Consul, Rinaldi, had awarded it to him.
He remembered attending a meeting of the board of directors of the
Italian language school in either 1937 or 1938. He claimed that he had
not examined the textbooks.
He concluded his testimony by stating that he had no information
whatever on alleged Fascist activities in the City of San Francisco.
Sylvester Andriano described the Ex-Combattenti as a "sort of
American Legion" for Italian ex-service men. (Volume VI, pp. 1905-
1928.) He denied that it was a pro-Fascist organization. He said that
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 303
the club-rooms of the society were ornamented with pictures of Wash-
ington and Lincoln as well as Mussolini. He stated that he did not
know of Fascist agents in Ex-Comb *att enti. He stated that organiza-
tions other than the Ex-Combattenti held their meetings at Fugazi Hall
and stated that one C. I. O. union and the Societa Opraia, a fraternal
organization, meets there once a month. He could not recall that the
members of Ex-Combattenti ever wore black shirts. He emphatically
denied ever having accepted money from the Italian Consul for the
Dante Alighieri Society, Ex-Combattenti or Fugazi Hall, despite the
documentary evidence contained in the minutes of the meeting in
Fugazi Hall October 22, 1929, and verified by its secretary, Joseph
Civinini.
He stated that the Ex-Combattenti paid $35 a month rent for Fugazi
Hall but did not know where they raised the money.
Ettore Patrizi stated that " Ex-Combattenti" actually indicated the
"Italian Legion." He claimed that the members of this organization
never wore black shirts and that the only semblance of a uniform was
a cap.
Sons of Italy
Kose M. Fanucchi is a San Francisco attorney, born and reared in
San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3540-3555.) She was admitted to
the State Bar of California on November 19, 1932. She stated that
she was a member of Dante Alighieri Lodge of the Sons of Italy and
that she had been appointed the English editor of its publication, II
Leone. She stated that the editor of this publication was Anthony
Fiore. She received no compensation for her work. She stated that
the Sons of Italy is a fraternal benefit organization. The editor who
preceded Fiore on the paper was Angelo Bacoccina, a teacher in the
Italian language school and now in an internment camp in San Anto-
nio, Texas. She stated that he had been apprehended December 8,
1941 ; that he was an alien and a member of Dante Alighieri Lodge.
She stated that she had known him since 1937.
Miss Fanucchi was still a member of the Sons of Italy. She claimed
that she had never observed any effort to propagandize the organiza-
tion with Fascist doctrines. She claimed that II Leone is not tinged in
any way with pro-Fascist flavor from her point of view. Bacoccina, as
editor and herself as English editor, were not engaged in the capacity
of writers. They merely edited the material that went into II Leone.
Being shown a quotation from the paper quoting Benito Mussolini, she
claimed that the article had appeared before she joined the paper 's staff.
Vincent Melella was the secretary of the Grand Council of the Sons
of Italy and the editor of II Leone. (Volume XIII, pp. 3577-3583.)
He stated that he had previously been the Financial Secretary of the
Grand Council. He admitted having made donations to support the
Italian language schools over a period of years. These donations were
on behalf of the Sons of Italy. In 1940-1941 the donation to the school
had amounted to $1,340.65 and for the preceding period, $2,509.70.
He claimed that he had seen but one textbook used in the schools and
had merely ' l glanced over it. ' '
He denied ever having been connected with the Fascio Umberto
Nobile Society or any other Fascist organization. He stated that the
304 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Grand Lodge of the Sons of Italy held a convention in Santa Barbara
in 1935 and claimed that the policy of supporting the Italian language
schools was established in this convention. The members were assessed
35 cents each, two-thirds of which was used for educational purposes
and one-third for benevolent work. He believed it possible that the
Sons of Italy in California had contributed the funds toward sending
children on visits to Italy. He stated that the organization in Illinois
had entertained the children and paid part of the expenses in 1936 or
1937. He admitted that it was "possible" that the money for sending
the children to Italy had been taken from the benevolent fund.
Anthony S. Fiore was the State president of the Sons of Italy when
he testified May 26, 1942. (Volume XIII, pp. 3561-3577, 3647-3655.)
He had held this office since 1939 and had been a member of the organi-
zation since 1931.
He had lived in San Francisco since 1922 and had received a law
degree from the University of California and had been admitted to the
practice of law in 1929.
He stated that the Sons of Italy is a corporation, chartered under
New Jersey law with the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of California
located at 805 Washington Street, San Francisco. He stated it is com-
posed of 54 lodges in California and that it has a membership of six to
seven thousand. The official publication of the Sons of Italy is II Leone.
Being shown articles quoting Mussolini in II Leone, Fiore stated
that this policy of quoting Fascist leaders had occurred before he took
office as president and claimed that the practice had been abandoned
during his regime.
He succeeded Edward Dinucci as president. Dinucci is an alien and
Fiore stated that he believes that he was in the custody of the United
States. He admitted that Dinucci 's policies had been "too pro-Fas-
cist ' ' and that he was defeated for election at the organization 's conven-
tion.
He declared that the Sons of Italy were 100 per cent American in
principles and ideals. He believed that the Fascists had made attempts
to indoctrinate the organization, with their principles.
The Sons of Italy was first organized in 1905 in New York and dur-
ing the early part of its history had had considerable trouble from an
attempted Communistic penetration. Fiore stated that the organiza-
tion was successful in routing the Communist invasion.
A man by the name of Caforio had succeeded to the presidency of the
Sons of Italy before Dinucci was elected president. Fiore stated that
Angelo Bacoccini had been the president of the Dante Aligheri Lodge
of the Sons of Italy in San Francisco and had been the editor of the
Italian section of II Leone. He stated that Bacoccini was now interned
by the United States Government. He was acquainted with Mr.
Gharadi, who had been the managing editor of II Leone. He stated,
rather dejectedly, that Gharadi was also interned. He believed
that Gharadi had also held a minor office in the organization.
He was acquainted with Renzo Turco and said that he was serving
as the president of one of the lodges of the Sons of Italy in the City of
San Francisco. He believed that Turco had something to do with the
press- and propaganda committee of that organization.
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 305
Fiore was acquainted with Mr. Bartoletti who once occupied the posi-
tion of Managing Editor of Italian section of II Leone and was also
a lodge president. Fiore admitted that Bartoletti was also in custody.
II Leone was being printed at the time Fiore testified by the L' Italia
press and he claimed that he supervised the issues of the magazine in his
office. His executive secretary, Vincent Melella, prepared the material.
Fiore was acquainted with Fabrisio Mantini who was once State presi-
dent of the Sons of Italy. Upon being asked the present whereabouts
of Mantini Fiore, more dejectedly, admitted that he also was in custody.
Under further examination, Fiore sadly admitted that the activities of
Federal agencies were decimating the ranks of the organization. He
emphatically denied that the Sons of Italy indulged in political activi-
ties officially. He stated that the members must be either American
citizens or have indicated their intention of becoming citizens.
He "believed" that the organization sponsored "a collection" for
Italy during the Ethiopian War, but added, ' ' that was before my time. ' '
He explained that this collection was made for the purpose of aiding the
suffering in Italy and was not for the purpose of buying guns or tanks.
He stated that the funds were sent to the Italian Red Cross. He said
that the supreme lodge assisted in both the American and Italian Red
Cross drives in 1940 and that $500 had been collected for the Italian
Red Cross, but that the United States Department of State had forbid-
den the Sons of Italy to send the money. Permission had been given to
the Ex-Comb ait enti Society to collect for the Italian Red Cross and
consequently $250 of the money was given to the American Red Cross
and $250 to Ex-Combattenti. He stated that he was not a member of
the Ex-Combattenti Society and had no knowledge of the affairs of the
organization.
In the National Convention of August, 1941, the Sons of Italy had
gone on record as being anti-Fascist, anti-Nazi, anti-Communist and
anti-Shintoist and had pledged full loyalty to the President of the Uni-
ted States.
Fiore made an eloquent plea for the cause of the Sons of Italy as an
American institution with 300,000 members in the United States. He
cited the records of illustrious members and defended the organization
by stating that pro-Fascist elements had "attempted to use" it but
had, in fact, failed in this objective. He introduced the official publica-
tion of the order to show its pro-American resolutions passed at the
Convention in September, 1941,' opposing Communism, Naziism and Fas-
cism and supporting President Roosevelt. He introduced a copy of
II Leone for January, 1942, reporting the extraordinary session of the
supreme officers in Philadelphia on January 20th at which time the
order was committed to an all-out war effort, pledged to purchase
Defense Bonds and to encourage the able-bodied members to join the
armed forces and women's auxiliaries and to assist local Red Cross
chapters. He cited statistics on aid to the American Red Cross and the
purchase of bonds by the members. He stated emphatically that the
interned members of the organization were traitors to the order and
that the Sons of Italy did not in any way condone their un-American
activities.
20— L.-2275
306 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Italian Chamber of Commerce
Sylvester Aiidriano admitted having been president of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco for the past two years. (Vol-
ume VI, pp. 1905-1928.) He stated that the chamber had published a
magazine known as the Rassegna Commerciale and a bulletin. Ras-
segna Commerciale was registered under the United States Government
Registration Act and he admitted that he was 'likewise registered
as the agent of a foreign government for two years. He stated
that the reason for this registration was because the Italian Chamber
of Commerce in San Francisco had been receiving a subsidy from the
Italian Government to foster better trade relations and travel between
the United States and Italy. He stated that the sum varied from $1,000
to $2,400 a year. He had no knowledge of any member of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce resigning during the term of his presidency
because of his management of it.
Andriano had been a director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce
for about 20 years. (Volume XII, pp. 3396-3450.) The organization
dissolved after Pearl Harbor.
His testimony in connection with the Italian Chamber of Commerce
was inconsistent on several occasions. He stated that it had received
about $2,000 annually from the Italian Government because the cham-
ber advertised " travel' ' for Italy and because of this subsidy the
chamber was forced to register as an agent of a foreign government
with the United States Department of State. He then denied that the
travel agency was connected in any way with the Italian Chamber of
Commerce and stated that the travel agency had always paid for ads
in the chamber's magazine. He argued this point at some length very
unconvincingly.
In 1939 the Italian Chamber of Commerce materially increased its
staff. Andriano claimed that this increase was necessary during the
rush of business for the San Francisco Exposition. Ordinarily it only
employed only three or four employees. Camille Branchi, former secre-
tary of the chamber, according to Andriano, left for Chile ' ' to visit his
family" several months before the chamber closed.
Later he testified that the Italian Chamber of Commerce was "still
practically open" with Miss Clara Semanario in charge. (Volume
XII, pp. 3396-3450.)
Ettore Patrizi admitted having been a member of the Italian Cham-
ber of Commerce for 12 years and at the time of testifying, December
6, 1941, he was the vice president. (Volume VII, pp. 1936-1963.) He
denied any knowledge of members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce
resigning because of pro-Fascist activities on the part of the chamber
or its officers.
Mario L. Perasso had been the president of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce for 18 years. (Volume XIII, pp. 3632-3641.) He was an
insurance broker by occupation and came to the United States in 1891.
He was naturalized at the age of 21. Sylvester Andriano succeeded
him as president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in 1940.
He stated that the chamber was organized in San Francisco in 1885
and that it was similar to hundreds of American chambers of commerce
throughout the world, such as those in Milan, Italy, and other Italian
cities. He stated that the Italian Tourist Bureau began its operations
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 307
in 1932 under the supervision of Dr. Guiseppe Facci, who was then the
Secretary of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and, at the time of
testifying, May 27, 1942, was an United States Government employee in
Washington, D. C. He stated that Enit (Tourist Bureau) distributed
literary essays on music and celebrities of science, such as Fruili, a book-
let which was submitted to the committee. He stated that the
Italian Chamber of Commerce differed in no manner from the Neth-
erlands Chamber of Commerce. He stated that Eassegna had published
articles on agriculture, commercial and statistical matters for 55 years,
in addition to ' ' a generous sprinkling of literary brain children of Dr.
Branchi. ' ' Perasso claimed that he had not read the 50th Anniversary
Edition of La Eassegna in which Mussolini was praised. He claimed
that the chamber had around 150 members at the time that it was
closed. The regular members paid $18 yearly as dues.
Dr. Guiseppe Facci had resigned from the chamber because the board
of directors did not approve of his activities on behalf of Upton Sin-
clair, a candidate for Governor of California. He stated that the cham-
ber did not approve of Dr. Facci going into politics. He stated that he
had no knowledge that Dr. Facci was anti-Fascist, but knew that he
was very liberal.
He claimed that the editor of the chamber's magazine La Eassegna,
had full control of the editorial policy of the publication.
THE ITALIAN CONSULATE
Sylvester Andriano denied having acted as attorney or legal advisor
for the Italian Consulate in San Francisco. (Volume XII, pp. 3396-
3450.) He admitted that he had handled business through the Con-
sulate but that this business was mostly in reference to the estates of
deceased Italians.
He stated that the Italian Consulate closed June 15, 1941. (Volume
XII, pp. 3396-3450.) He claimed that he did not authorize Ettore
Patrizi to publish the statement contained in L' It alia which reported
that Sylvester Andriano would henceforth handle matters for the
Italian Consulate. He explained that he had volunteered to assist
persons who were puzzled abo.ut where they should make applications
to the Consulate, but that all he did was to give them the address of
the Italian Embassy in Washington.
Giovacchino Pisani was the owner of a printing establishment, Pisani
Printing Company, located at 700 Montgomery Street in San Francisco.
(Volume XIII, pp. 3655-3662.) He had lived in San Francisco for
34 years and had been a citizen of the United States for 26 years.
He admitted having a wide business acquaintance in the Italian colony
in the Bay Area and had assisted the Italian language schools in rais-
ing money. He had occupied a seat on the board of the schools while
Sylvester Andriano visited in Italy. He stated that he had never
examined the textbooks used and that his only connection with the
schools over a period of nine years was that he had made donations to
them.
He disclaimed any knowledge of the activities of the Fascio Umberto
Nobile Society and claimed that he was never connected with the
308 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Ex-Combattenti Society. He admitted that he once printed II Leone
' ' years back, ' ' but stated that he was not printing Italian publications
at the time of testifying, May 27, 1942. He said that about 2 per cent
of his business was Italian and that he had never worked for Ettore
Patrizi.
He admitted having been decorated by the Italian Government, the
Cavaliere, and stated that he had received this decoration from the
Italian Consul, Rinaldi, for fine printing — for artistic work. He
stated that he is much too busy to enter into the political phase of the
Italian community, and, of course, was not aware of the Fascist activi-
ties in the colony. He stated that he had never heard anyone praise
Mussolini but admitted that he had never heard his Italian acquaint-
ances make any statements against Mussolini. He said that he had
not participated in the scrap metal drive for Italy, but stated that he
perhaps had given "a dollar." He concluded his testimony by stat-
ing: "I am just friendly with everybody. * * *"
Christine Galdieri had been employed as a stenographer by the
Italian Consul in San Francisco since August 27, 1937, and had con-
tinued in this occupation until the Italian Consulate was closed by the
United States Government. (Volume XIII, pp. 3555-3557.) ' She
stated that the Consul and his staff were out of the office by July 5,
1941. She had been engaged in handling English correspondence and
"personal work" for the Consul and Vice Consul. She claimed that
she knew nothing of Rinaldi 's connection with the Italian language
school and stated that she did not believe the Consulate engaged in
any pro-Fascist propaganda work.
Vincenzo Zirpoli was formerly an attache with the Italian Consulate
in San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3480-3499.) He was employed
by the Worldwide Insurance and Occidental Life Insurance Company
in San Francisco. He is an Italian alien. He arrived in San Fran-
cisco February 24, 1928, and for some time was employed by the
Italian Consul General. He served 13 different Consuls over a period
of 34 years. (He failed to explain this apparent discrepancy by list-
ing his services in Consulate offices in places other than San Fran-
cisco.) He stated that he had quarreled with the last Vice Consul.
Toscani, and he had then resigned. He said he was "too old" in
ideals and he believed that the Consuls should stick to the manual of
rules but that Consuls and Vice Consuls persisted in deviating.
In 1924 or 1925 the New York Italian Consulate represented the
Fascio and wanted the San Francisco office to establish a Fascio on
the West Coast. Eventually a man by the name of Pallavicini was
chosen as the Fascio delegate from San Francisco. The San Fran-
cisco Consul had written Italy and had' stated that the Fascio had no
place in America, but Italy, nevertheless ordered the establishment
of a Fascio club and the Fascio Vmberto Mobile Society was established.
He stated that Pallavicini had lived much too long in the United
States to become a good Fascist and that considerable friction arose
concerning the club and on the suggestion of the Italian Consul Gen-
eral of San Francisco, Zillitti, the club was dissolved in 1928 or 1930.
It had existed since about 1924. Zirpoli did not know where the meet-
ings of the organization were held. Pallavicini had been the Chief
Editor of Lf Italia.
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 309
He narrated the incidents of the Renzetti regime in San Francisco's
Italian Consulate. He stated that Major Renzetti came to San Fran-
cisco from Germany in 1936 as a temporary Consul and had been
president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Berlin. He held the
rank of major in the Italian Army. Zirpoli stated that Renzetti had
not spread Fascist propaganda and did not know of him giving any
particular orders other than to instruct the employees of the Consulate
to dress and act well. He stated that Rinaldi, another Italian Consul
in San Francisco, neglected his duty and even wore a uniform to the
office. He stated that Rinaldi was a fanatic and paid great attention
to the Italian language schools and had been instrumental in bringing
two men from Italy as Consular employees but that they were assigned
to teach in the Italian language schools in San Francisco. They were
definitely under Rinaldi 's orders.
He stated that the books for the Italian language schools had always
been printed in Italy. He had seen many of the textbooks used in
San Francisco and identified the imprint "Anno 11" as meaning the
eleventh year of Fascism. "Anno 11" was inscribed on the textbook
used in the San Francisco language schools. He stated that the
Italian Consulate had charge of the Italian language school. The
text-books came from Italy to the Consulate every year. The schools
received a subsidy of $20 a month from Italy (100 Lira) and on one
occasion $500 was sent for the purpose of meeting the expense of clean-
ing the school and at another time to pay the taxes.
He was aware of the drive in San Francisco which professed to assist
the Italian Red Cross during Italy's war with Abyssinia and stated
that "money was raised and gold was received" and the funds were
sent to the Italian Embassy in Washington, D. C. by the San Francisco
Consulate. He likewise recalled that the San Francisco Scavengers'
Association had collected scrap metal and that it was hauled to Pier
41 for transportation to Italy.
He admitted that the San Francisco Italian Consulate had an official
connection with the Ex-Combattenti Society and stated that Renzetti
had been a member of the organization.
He believed that there were still six or seven Italian language school
branches in San Francisco and approximately 39 in the State of
California.
He denied that he had ever told anyone to change their doctors and
to choose one in sympathy with Mussolini, as was charged in a letter
which had been read into the committee's records.
6
ITALIAN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS
Sylvester Andriano stated that he was not aware of pro-Fascist
publications in the City of San Francisco. (Volume VI, pp. 1905-
1928.) He claimed that he had never seen foreign motion pictures of
a pro-Fascist character and had never heard a radio broadcast that
he considered pro-Fascist. He claimed that he did not read the Italian
language newspaper, Il.Corriere, and therefore had not read the article
introduced into the committee's record at page 1918 of Volume VI,
in which Andriano had been branded as the brain trust of the Fascist
310 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
movement in California. He stated that lie had no interest in news-
papers other than the Lunine, which he stated he founded in 1937.
He admitted that he knew Ettore Patrizi very well and identified
him as the editor and publisher of the newspaper, L 'Italia. He was
aware that Patrizi had received a decoration from Mussolini. He
was also acquainted with La Voce del Popolo, published and edited by
Patrizi. He stated that he did not believe that these newspapers went
"out of their way" to advocate Fascism.
Henrietta Setaro was the secretary-treasurer of the L' It alia Press
Company. ^ (Volume XIII, pp. 3584-3592.) She stated that she had
spent her life in San Francisco and was born in Virginia City, Nevada.
She had been connected with the L'ltalia Corporation for 30 years
and had done secretarial work for Ettore Patrizi. She was familiar
with the two Italian language newspapers, L'ltalia and La Voce del
Popolo and said that the two papers had merged in January, 1940.
She was familiar with the financial structure of the corporation but
claimed that she had nothing to do with the editorial policy of the
papers. She admitted that she scanned them but did not read them
carefully.
She disclaimed having had anything to do with the collection of gold,
rings and scrap metal for shipment to Italy during the Abyssinian
campaign.
Bacoccini was formerly the advertising manager and, at the time
of testifying, May 26, 1942, Arthur Bignami was in charge of adver-
tising.
She recalled that Ettore Patrizi had a picture of Mussolini in his
office but stated that he had taken it down after war was declared
together with the other Italian officials' pictures. (Some of these pic-
tures were autographed.) She believed that Patrizi had taken the
pictures to his home after removing them from his office.
The Italian Consul, Rinaldi, had visited the office of the newspapers
two or three times and she believed that Renzetti had been there once or
twice. Ettore Patrizi had made a trip to Italy in 1937 and returned
in January of 1938. She stated that he had made the trip about every
two years and that she was in charge of the office in his absence. She
was quite positive that Patrizi had paid his own expenses on these
trips to Italy. She stated that the newspaper had not employed
1 ' strangers ' ' for 25 years or more. There were presently 53 employees
on the pay roll, 26 of whom were employed in the print shop. She
corroborated Patrizi 's testimony in reference to Ronchi and stated
that he had been discharged from La Voce del Popolo because business
was bad. She declared that Ronchi lied if he claimed he was discharged
because of the pro-Fascist tendencies of the paper.
She named the Bank of America as the largest advertiser in La Voce
del Popolo and believed that Lachman Brothers were the largest
advertisers in L'ltalia.
L. E. Townsend is the advertising director of the Bank of America
in San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3623-3626.) He had held that
position since September of 1936. The bank uses the Charles R. Stew-
art Advertising Agency and places its advertising through that firm.
He stated that the bank had a small contract with II Corriere in 1934
or 1935, before he held his present position with the concern. He
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 311
believed that the amount spent with II Corriere was about $235. He
was aware that the Bank of America used the Italian language news-
papers of Mr. Patrizi for advertising and believed that they spent
between $2,000 and $4,000 yearly with his papers, as compared with
$5,000 to $6,000 with the San Francisco Chronicle. He stated that
the foreign budget included papers in Chinese, Russian, Spanish,
French, etc. The bank had five branches in the Italian district in San
Francisco and that accounted for the amount of advertising placed
in Patrizi 's newspapers. He did not know anything about the political
policies of Carmelo Zito. He claimed that the Bank of America had
425 newspapers on list to which it placed advertising.
Ettore Patrizi was born in Terni, Italy. (Volume VII, pp. 1936-
1963.) He is the publisher and editor of L'ltalia and La Voce del
Popolo. He stated that both papers were owned by a corporation
called the Italia Press Corporation but that he controlled the corpora-
tion by owning the majority of the stock.
He stated that an interview printed in the San Francisco Daily
News in October of 1941 misquoted him and that he had never said that
Italian- Americans would refuse to fight against Italy. What he had
said, he explained, was that he did not believe that the United States
Government should force American-Italians into a branch of service
where they would have to fight against Italy.
He explained that the last decoration received by him from the
Italian Government made him an officer of the Crown of Italy. He
admitted that he had had a controversy through the press with Senator
Borah over the matter.
He had followed Italian activities for some time and believed him-
self to be in possession of considerable knowledge concerning Fascism.
He could see no good reason why American citizens should not receive
decorations from the Italian Government. He stated that the last
decoration received by him was presented by Senator Demichelis of
Italy who was in the United States on government business. He stated
that the decoration was presented in admiration of the good work he
had done among Italian immigrants and he could see nothing wrong in
accepting it.
He admitted making trips frequently to Italy. He stated that the
majority of the Italians in Italy were behind Mussolini and his reforms
and he believed that Mussolini's regime had come into power because
of its strong opposition to the Russian variety of revolution which was
threatening Italy at the time of Mussolini's intervention. He claimed
that Mussolini had given Italy "the best labor legislation in the world."
He did not believe that the Italians have very much sympathy for Ger-
many and Germany's cause. He stated that they hated the Austrians
and regarded the Germans as a similar type of people. The Jewish
people of Italy were not laboring people, according to Patrizi and,
therefore, the anti-Semitic laws of the Italian Government had no
effect on Italy's working class. He stated that the Jews constitute a
rery small percentage of the population and that most of the race
belonged to the professional class.
He claimed to have but slight knowledge of the Italian radio pro-
grams in San Francisco. He admitted running a radio log in his
papers which included Italian language broadcasts.
312 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Ettore Patrizi was examined the second time on May 27, 1942.
(Volume XIII, pp. 3677-3706.) He testified that he had formerly
published a Swiss (Italian) Weekly, Solonia Sviggerra.
Patrizi branded Carmelo Zito and Gilbert Tuoni as two of his most
bitter enemies and stated that they were dishonest. He suggested that
the committee investigate both of them. He claimed that they had lied
and had disturbed the Italian colony at a time when the country was in
need of unity. He claimed that Zito continued to stir up agitation on
an anti-Fascist basis and he considered anti-Fascist agitation as dis-
turbing as Fascist agitation. He stated "these fellows keep, the colony
in turmoil * * * with their lies and false information. ' ' He alleged
that Gilbert Tuoni had formerly been connected with the Italian Con-
sulate and had worn "the black shirt. " Tuoni, he continued, had
belonged to the "squadron of punishment" and had spread Italian
propaganda and exhibited Italian propaganda films before the war.
Patrizi was asked to bring proof to the committee of his statements but
failed to do so.
He was shown a copy of L 'It alia for July 29, 1933, and asked to
translate an article appearing in it. The translated article reported
Mussolini's organization as admirable and well adapted to the needs
of the different classes in Italy. It claimed the Fascist form of gov-
ernment the sanest, "most complete form of government on which the
people can depend." He stated that Mr. Bacoccini had written the
article. He recalled the controversy over Pietro Bono in 1937 while
he was visiting in Italy, and an article printed in the Monterey Penin-
sula Herald for August 18, 1937, stating that the Italians were not
happy under the dictatorship of Mussolini. He admitted that this
article was answered in L 'Italia August 23, 1937, branding the Mon-
terey Peninsula Herald article a "vile libel" on Italy. He stated that
Pietro Bono wrote the article in the Monterey Peninsula Herald (in
Italian) and that Bacoccini had written the answer in Lf Italia. Bacoc-
cini was "a fine gentleman, * * * not so expert as I," he com-
mented. In this connection he identified his own signature on a letter
which he had written from Milan, Italy. The letter was addressed to
Bacoccini and advocated silence in dealing with persons and news-
papers who are "unworthy." He told Bacoccini, however, that he was
justified in his answer to Pietro Bono and that his action was laudable
in attacking "the most perfidious of all those who wrote recently about
conditions in Italy. ' '
He had written an article in La Eassegna Commereiale for July of
1940 concerning Fascist activities and sympathies in the Italian colony
in San Francisco and New York and speculated on the position of the
Italians in America if Italy should enter the war on the side of
Germany.
Patrizi stated that the activities to which he had referred in this arti-
cle were "sentimental demonstrations." He stated that the "senti-
mental demonstrations" were "mild" in San Francisco; that "no real
dangerous Fascist activity" existed in this city. He claimed that the
San Francisco Italians had a "platonic" love for Italy.
He admitted having written an article in Lf It alia of October 27,
1941, which stated that the United States Government would not send
Italian soldiers abroad to fight against Italy. He stated that the
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 313
conclusions on the part of the members of the committee were wrong
concerning this article. He said he had written, "No matter how
they (Italians) love their mother country, they would do their duty."
He stated, however, that he did not believe the United States Govern-
ment would force Italians to fight against their "brothers" of Italy.
When shown an article in the La Voce del Popolo for April 9, 1942,
in reference to Bataan being taken by the Japanese, he admitted that
the word "finalmente" looked funny, but that its use was innocent
of any intention to convey sympathy with the Japanese. He stated
that the individual who wrote the title was a Swiss who did not know
the fine shades of meaning in the Italian language and claimed that
he had made the same mistake in the other newspaper, L'ltalia, for
April 9 and 10, 1942. He defended the meaning of the word "final-
mente" and argued against the interpretation of the word as defined
in Petrocchi's Dictionary and its English equivalent of meaning "joy
in accomplishment."
He was shown a copy of the L'ltalia for April 26, 1942, containing
an article under the title "They Talk Again of Peace." He said that
he had spoken hopefully of peace. He branded Hitler as a "merciless
dictator" and said that his was the "principal culpability for the
terrific tragedy which sweeps the whole world." He pointed out
that the Italian people were not in favor of the war and said that they
desired to bring it to a speedy end. The same article, "They Talk
Again . of Peace" appeared again in the April 28, 1942 issue and he
stated the reason for its reprint was to correct the "typographical
errors" that had appeared in the article when first printed.
He admitted that he had never written anything against Fascism in
his papers. He claimed that he had denounced Mussolini as "a very
bad servant" on several occasions. He believed that Mussolini had
"worked for the restoration of Italy."
He admitted having written a book which was favorable to Musso-
lini in 1924. He stated that he felt that he could write as he pleased
after he had established himself as an American citizen. He had
witnessed the turmoil in Italy in 1920. He recalled the murder of
Matteoti, a member of the Italian Parliament 18 months after Musso-
lini had taken over the government and stated that this murder had
caused considerable dissension. He wrote a letter to Mussolini which
he claimed was subsequently published. "Remember I had in Italy
my mother, my sister, all of my family," he added, even though his
home was in San Francisco. He remonstrated with the members of
the committee who had suggested that he should have stayed in Italy.
He translated a letter he had written to Mussolini in which he char-
acterized himself as a "strong Italian to the marrow of my bones,"
and assured Mussolini that "I put myself at your disposal, if I can
help you in any mission, any work bound for the welfare of the mother
country." He stated that Mussolini and the Fascists had done "won-
derful things for Italy." He likened his feelings toward Mussolini
to his feelings for Roosevelt in 1932. He said that he had gone on the
radio and spoken for Roosevelt and that now he felt that Roosevelt had
forgotten the good of the country. He added that Roosevelt had
saved the banks and the institutions of the United States. He believed
that the situation in the United States when Roosevelt was first elected
314 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
was similar to the situation in Italy in 1922 when Mussolini came to
power, and believed that the parallel has continued throughout the
regime of both men.
He stated that Konchi, who had testified in the committee 's December
hearing in San Francisco and who was later discharged from his
employment on the La Voce del Popolo, was discharged for reasons of
economy. He stated that Alonzo Tutt had never worked for him.
Patrizi, of course, stated that he had no knowledge of pro-Fascist
activities in the City of San Francisco.
He stated that the Dante Society had a library in Fugazi Hall and
that "they" gathered books for the library from time to time. The
Dante Society maintained offices at Fugazi Hall. He admitted that
he had been president of this society for a long time.
He was able to recall that collections had been taken in San Fran-
cisco for the benefit of interned Italian sailors and stated that there
were over 1,000 interned in Montana who needed clothes, toilet articles,
etc. He claimed that the United States Government had granted per-
mission to the daily newspapers in New York to open a drive to aid
Italian prisoners in Europe.
ITALIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
Mrs. Carola Bruschera stated that she had been a member of the
board of directors of the Italian language schools in San Francisco
since about 1928. She later stated that it might have been 1914 or
1915. (Volume XIII, pp. 3499-3503.) The board of directors met
once a year. They did not handle textbook material. They merely
met for the purpose of raising money. She stated that she paid the
teachers. She had not read the textbooks and denied that the schools
taught propaganda, stating that they only taught "manners" and the
Italian language.
Rose M. Fanucchi stated that Angelo Bacoccina, founder and
editor of II Leone, also taught in the Italian language schools in San
Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3540-3555.) He was an alien and was
apprehended December 8, 1941, and, according to Miss Fanucchi was
"unfortunately" in a concentration camp.
She stated that she had examined the Italian language schools' text-
books to satisfy her own curiosity. The textbooks examined by Miss
Fanucchi, however, were not the same books, according to her testimony,
as those in possession of the committee. She stated that she did not
know very much about the Italian language schools but that she did
know that one instructor was paid by the Italian Government. She was
acquainted with Rinaldi, an Italian Consul in 1937.
She stated that the youth groups of the Italian language school were
organized into fencing classes, basket-ball teams, etc. She claimed that
they had a band and that if they wore uniforms, they were band-
uniforms.
Nicholas Ilacqua, an alien, admitted knowing Mario Perasso and
identified the financial statement of Fugazi Hall, although he claimed
he knew nothing concerning it. (Volume XIII, pp. 3641-3646.) He
failed to explain his connection with Fugazi Hall. He claimed that
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 315
the statement had not come from his office. He admitted knowing that
the symbol "XVI" signified the sixteenth year of Fascism. The
"Ilacqua" who signed the statement December 31, 1937, was Carmel
Ilacqua, his brother, who was in the custody of the United State Gov-
ernment in Missoula, Montana. He had been a clerk in the office of the
Italian Consulate in 1937 under Binaldi.
He claimed that he had no connection with Fascist organizations;
that he did not subscribe to L 'Italia or La Voce del Popolo and that his
only official connection with any of these organizations was for a short
period when he served on the board of directors of the Italian language
school.
Mario L. Perasso disclaimed any knowledge of the Italian language
schools in San Francisco, although he admitted serving on the board
of directors. (Volume XIII, pp. 3632-3641.) He had been appointed
by Sylvester Andriano and had attended two meetings. He had not
examined the textbooks and claimed that he took Andriano 's word that
they had been accepted by the San Francisco Board of Education. He
disclaimed ever having seen a certificate given to the pupils of the
school and did not know that the Fasces or a Fascist date was printed
or inserted on them.
Charles Henry Tutt acted as translator for the committee during its
San Francisco hearings on Italian Fascism. (Volume XII, pp. 3337-
3344.) Tutt was born in Canada and graduated from the University
of Western Ontario in 1921. He taught French, Italian and Spanish
in various schools in the United States. He had visited Italy several
times for study and research, returning to the United States the last
time in 1928. He did translating for publishing houses, Bertrano Pub-
lishing Company of New York, in particular. He stated that he was
the secretary of the Mazzini Society in San Francisco. He described
the Mazzini Society as an anti-Fascist organization. He is an Ameri-
can citizen.
He translated certain passages from the issue of March, 1936, of
La Ressegna, the official magazine of the Italian Chamber of Commerce
in San Francisco. (Volume XIII, pp. 3471-3479.) Mussolini had
signed a picture to the Italian Chamber of Commerce and it was dated
"Rome, January 27, year 14," the year 14 referring to the fourteenth
year of the Fascist regime. Tutt translated at page 15 of this issue
under a section devoted to T. R. T., which, he stated, were the initials
of the Italian tourist organization. The wave-lengths of Rome radio
stations were listed. A picture of L. M. Giannini with the inscription
"New President of the Bank of America" was flanked by Crosses of
Savoy and Fasces.
Another article referred to "Grand Officer Ettore Patrizi" who had
returned to San Francisco after several months stay in Italy. The
article stated that he had been received many times by His Excellency
Mussolini and that he had had conversations with Senator Guglielmo
Marconi. The report continued and stated that due to his articles in
the newspaper L' Italia, San Francisco co-nationals (Italians) had been
able to learn that "all of Italy, without exception, is behind II Duce
The article went on to laud Italy's role in the war with
Ethiopia. In the same magazine for April, 1936, the officers of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce were listed over the symbol of ENIT,
316 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the tourist agency of the Italian Government. The translated article
stated that the Italian Chamber of Commerce officially represents the
ENIT agency "for all the Pacific Coast." A translated item from the
December, 1936, issue of La Eassegna stated that the Italians of Cali-
fornia had presented a flag-pole to Rome. A translated article in the
September, 1936, La Eassegna denounced Roosevelt for not accepting
Fascism and indicated that Fascism was the only way out of economic
chaos.
An English article from the issue of October, 1935, of the La Eas-
segna, lauded Fascism and the Fascist State "as a higher and more
powerful expression of personality * * * a special force * * * a disci-
pline of the whole person ; it permeates the will no less than the intel-
lect * * * "
Mr. Tutt identified a grammar from the Italian language school in
Fugazi Hall and translated material from it. (Volume XIII, pp. 3706-
3714.) The translation revealed that the inscription for "Italian
Schools Abroad ' ' was distinguished from Italian schools at ' * home, ' ' or
in Italy. Tutt ventured the belief that this textbook belonged to the
second category of propagandizing, namely, the setting forth of some-
thing that was desired to be established as a fact. In listing the
"ABC's," "B" stands for Balilla, the children's Fascist organization.
Many other references to Fascism were contained in the textbook. The
book contained illustrations of children garbed in Balilla uniform!
References were made to "Roberto" which indicated the Rome-
Berlin-Tokyo; "Ro" for Rome, "ber" for Berlin and "to" for Tokyo.
The Fascio littorio was illustrated by a soldier in a Fascist uniform
saluting the Italian flag. A translation of a sentence alleged that
' ' Benito Mussolini has reawakened the energies of the race. ' ' Another
sample sentence stated that "Fascist Italy drains the swamps," and
another that ' ' II Duce was acclaimed by the crowd, ' ' etc. Pictures of
children giving the Fascist salute constituted another example of propa-
ganda. Many quotations from the writings of Mussolini were included
in the book and orders are given to obey the mandates of Fascism. The
words of Giovinezza, the Fascist Hymn, were included. Tutt branded
the textbook as Fascist from cover to cover.
Ottorino Ronchi was a member of the faculty of the University of
California from 1917 to 1929 in the Italian Language Department,
(Volume VIII, pp. 1965-1980.) He was acquainted with Sylvester
Andriano and once worked for Ettore Patrizi, San Francisco Italian
language newspaper publisher. His work was connected with L'ltalia,
and later, La Voce del Popolo. He had severed his connections with
Patrizi in December of 1940.
Ronchi was acquainted with the Italian language schools in the City
of San Francisco. He said they were first established for sentimental
reasons in 1887 for the purpose of teaching the Italian language only.
He stated that after Italy became Fascist/the schools became the means
of dissemination of Fascist doctrines. He admitted having been con-
nected with the Italian schools in 1920, and had served on the schools'
board of directors.
He stated that a "Fascio" (Bundle) was started in every Italian
'community after 1922, and later, due to friction, Mussolini had ordered
all "Fascios" disbanded in the United States. He stated that Fascist
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 317
propaganda was then disseminated more subtly. The Italian language
schools of San Francisco became real Fascist schools. In this connec-
tion, he called the committee's attention to a report dated May 6, 1938,
by the United Press which stated that the Italian Government had
spent $6,500,000 for propaganda in foreign countries. This included
$3,000,000 for schools in South America, North America and France.
Ronchi translated the text of the Third Reader used in the Italian
schools in San Francisco as follows: ''You little Italian children are
forced to be away, far away from your own country, but remember,
when you really love a country she is not far, far away * *.
Remember that it is Italy everywhere where the three colors of our
Flag make your hearts vibrate. * * * Italy * * * the sweet
name of Mother."
Ronchi declared that he had personally met Mussolini when he was
about 20 or 21 years of age.
He ventured the opinion that there is no compatibility between
Fascism and the American form of Government. He stated that there
is no free press or free speech in Fascist Italy.
He translated from the Italian Third Reader textbook on Roma, the
city of dreams, which described the greatness of Mussolini, II Duce, and
extolled Fascio and the Black Shirt symbol (pp. 1973-1974) . He stated
that he believed "emotional and moral chaos" was created by foreign
governments in indoctrinating children with foreign ideologies. He
stated that the Italian language schools are now merely propaganda
centers instead of language and cultural institutions.
He stated that La Voce del Popolo was launched some 82 years ago.
He was a follower of Mazzini, who advocated a Republic for Italy.
Patrizi bought La Voce del Popolo in 1919. Ronchi went to work for
him on this paper at about that time. The paper followed a rather
liberal policy in the beginning. Patrizi asked him to continue with
the paper when Fascism reared its head in Italy. He did so and criti-
cized the regime of Mussolini after 1924. About this time he received
orders not to write any more articles against the Fascisti or Mussolini.
The manager of the paper told him that Patrizi had given the order.
Later a Mr. Liati bought Patrizi out and matters became easier on the
paper as Liati told Ronchi he could write what he pleased.
Ronchi expressed the opinion that the suppression of the foreign
language press would be a mistake because, he stated, they do dissemi-
nate culture which is not obtainable from American papers. He
extended the same thought to the abolition of foreign language schools.
Ettore Patrizi testified that he and Sylvester Andriano had been
friends for 25 or 30 years. (Volume VII, pp. 1936-1963.) He admit-
ted having been acquainted with the Italian language schools in San
Francisco and stated that these schools taught the Italian language,
Italian geography and history. He had been connected with the board
of these schools for the past 40 years. Sylvester Andriano had suc-
ceeded him as the president of the board. The books were printed by
the Ministry of Public Education in Italy and he admitted that they
"spoke about the present regime or institution" in Italy since it became
Fascist, (p. 1941.) After 1922, when Italy became Fascist, the books
were changed in the Italian schools. He said that several teachers came
318 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
over from Italy to teach in the San Francisco Italian language school
and that two or three of them were still teaching at the time of testify-
ing, December 6, 1941. He said that the children attending the Italian
language school between the ages of 14 and 16 had an athletic club and
used a uniform of some sort. He claimed that he could see nothing
wrong in foreign governments maintaining language schools in the
United States. He stated that Italian language schools were scattered
all over the world. The Italian Government made a small subsidy to
the Italian language schools in San Francisco and had done so for the
past 30 years. The schools also received a subsidy from the Italian
Chamber of Commerce. He identified the textbooks used in the schools.
Sylvester Andriano admitted having knowledge of medals which had
been distributed to the students of the Italian language school in San
Francisco by the Italian Consul. He was the president of the board of
directors for the Italian schools and had so served for five or six
years. He stated that there were three schools with five teachers in the
City of San Francisco. He claimed that the teachers were appointed
by the board of directors of the school, or an educational committee.
He admitted that non-citizens might have been appointed as teachers.
Under close examination he admitted that several years before two or
three teachers came over from Italy, sent by the Italian Government.
He claimed that he was not familiar with any of the textbooks used in
the schools. He likewise claimed that he had submitted a complete list
of all the books used in the Italian language schools to the San Fran-
cisco Board of Education. He denied that the schools were being used
for the purpose of disseminating Fascist propaganda and admitted that
if any such activities were being indulged in that he would have
knowledge of it. He stated that he had kept in close touch with the
activities of the schools and had attended their entertainments, etc.
The Italian Government had always helped the Italian lanuage schools
in San Francisco since their inception. He stated that the Italian
Government had furnished books and had given the best students
medals. He stated that the Italian Consul had handled such matters.
The textbooks were sent from Italy and were distributed through the
Italian Consuls. He stated that he believed the books were the same as
those distributed all over the world by the Italian Government. He
claimed that some selection was afforded the local committee and
admitted that he was a member of such a committee together with
Mario Parisi. He "assumed" that the Italian Government published
the textbooks and paid for them.
He believed that the Italian language schools were necessary in order
to bring about better relations between Italian born parents and their
American born children and in order to enable the children to learn
the culture and language of their fathers. He ventured the opinion
that he believed it made such children better American citizens and
pointed out that such education is commercially valuable, enabling the
students to secure positions where knowledge of the Italian language is
essential. He claimed that children are unable to receive adequate
education in the Italian language and its culture in the public schools
of the State.
He stated that the Italian community in San Francisco actually
selected the board of directors of the Italian language schools, and that
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 319
the funds for the support of the schools were solicited from the mem-
bers of the community and that meetings were called for these purposes.
Appearing May 25, 1942 (Volume XII, pp. 3396-3450) Andriano
denied that there was but one Italian language class existing in Cali-
fornia prior to the advent of the Fascist Government in Italy. He
stated that there were always three teachers and that more recently, the
largest number was not more than six. He reiterated that the Italian
Government had always furnished the textbooks as well as the medals
and diplomas for the classes. He stated that the Italian Consul, Ren-
zetti, in 1937 was responsible for considerable activity in the schools.
He stated that he had never seen a diploma used in the Italian
language schools before examining the one in the possession of the
committee, although he had been on the board of directors of the
schools for many years. He now stated that his duties were principally
concerned with the raising of money for the schools and he claimed that
he never looked over the textbooks until copies had been requested
by the Superintendent of Schools in the City of San Francisco. He
admitted that some of the textbooks which had been introduced by
the Italian Consul, Renzetti, had been withdrawn as objectionable.
He admitted that the Italian Consul "had a lot to say" concerning
the schools because the funds for the teachers, as well as the textbooks,
were furnished by the Italian Government. He stated that the teachers
for the schools in San Francisco had been sent over by the Ministry
of Information of the Italian Government and that they came as
"Directors of Culture." He stated that there was an "Americaniza-
tion school" on North Beach, which the parents of American born
Italian children were encouraged to attend. This was offered in
contrast to the statement that the children of Italian born parents
were encouraged to attend the Italian language schools better to under-
stand their Italian born parents. He stated that the so-called "Amer-
icanism Schools" had been conducted for many years by the Salesian
Fathers.
When shown a diploma used in the schools in San Francisco,
Andriano admitted that the Roman numeral "XVI" indicated the six-
teenth year of Mussolini's Fascist regime and admitted that the space
on the Italian language schools' diploma might have been intended
for the insertion of that numeral.
He stated that the Italian language schools in San Francisco "may
have" received a contribution of 15,000 Lira from the Minister of
Foreign Affairs in Italy in December, 1937, as, in fact, was shown by a
financial statement of the school. He denied that he had ever seen the
statement before the committee brought it to his attention.
8
SUMMARY OF ITALIAN FASCISM IN CALIFORNIA
The foregoing briefly outlines the intense Fascist activities in San
Francisco. The committee found, as the activities of the German-
American Bund were generally controlled from Los Angeles, the
activities of the Italian Fascist movement were directed from San
Francisco.
Emphasis must be placed upon the activities of Sylvester Andriano,
Ettore Patrizi and Renzo Turco, apparently the triumvirate-spearhead
320 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
for Fascist activities and propaganda in California. Andriano had
gone far in gaining prominence and influence in San Francisco, par-
ticularly in the Italian colony of the city. He had been a supervisor,
a police commissioner and, most i"~nic and menacing of all, the
chairman of North Beach Draft l>c :.-d Number 100. He was the
president of the Italian language school and had acted as the attorney
for the Italian Consulate. He had made trips to Italy and had been
honored with decorations from Mussolini's Government. This situa-
tion existed prior to Pearl Harbor and through May of 1942. The
members of the committee were horrified that such a situation had
been permitted to continue. A resolution was unanimously passed by
the committee calling upon President Roosevelt to take immediate
action in reference to Andriano and to remove him from his position
on the Draft Board in San Francisco.
Bttore Patrizi, the publisher of the two large Italian language news-
papers, was unequivocally pro-Fascist and engaged in Fascist activities
and the dissemination of Fascist propaganda. It was amazing, if not
actually alarming, that the Mayor of the City of San Francisco could
testify that he was absolutely unaware of Fascist activities.
After the Fascist march on Rome in 1922, Bttore Patrizi made many
trips to Italy. Among many other glowing expressions of admiration
for the new regime of Mussolini, he wrote an introduction to a pamphlet
'bearing the imprint Fascist Society of Italians Abroad and expressed
his great willingness to perform "any task, any effort, any mission
aiming at the welfare of the fatherland. ' ' This attitude was reiterated
later in an interview which he gave to a reporter of the San Francisco
News in October of 1941. At that time Ettore Patrizi declared in
effect that he trusted that this country would never make the mistake
of forcing American soldiers of Italian descent to fight against Italy
in the event of a war between the two nations.
When Sylvester Andriano returned from a trip to Italy he was inter-
viewed by Ettore Patrizi. The result of the interview was published
in Patrizi 's paper and quoted Andriano in fervent praises of the
Fascist regime. Andriano never repudiated this interview until he was
questioned concerning it during the committee's May, 1942 hearing in
Sab Francisco.
Pietro Bono, an American of Italian descent, was attacked viciously
by Patrizi 's papers for declaring in the Monterey Herald of August 18,
1937, that he had found great dissatisfaction with Fascism in Italy on
his last trip there. Patrizi testified that he was not in San Francisco
at the time his papers attacked Pietro Bono and stated that his editor
had gone a bit too far. When confronted with the original of his own
letter to the editor praising him for the article attacking Pietro Bono,
Patrizi then admitted writing the letter and assumed responsibility for
the attitude of his paper.
The Italian language schools should be a matter of concern to all
Americans. Ettore Patrizi had been a director of these schools as well
as a director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. Andriano likewise
had been president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for many years
and president of the Italian language schools. He admitted that the
Italian Chamber of Commerce had been listed with the State Depart-
ment as a propaganda agent for a foreign government. The committee
FASCIST ACTIVITIES 321
studied translations from the official organ of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce, La Rassegna Commerciale, and found that it reeked with
Fascist propaganda. The Italian language schools used textbooks which
were printed in Rome under the supervision of the Minister of Propa-
ganda and sent gratis to America through the Italian Consulate. Many
of the instructors were Italian aliens. The committee obtained copies
of these textbooks and had them translated. In one instance a long
exhortation from Mussolini was used to illustrate the proper use of the
colon. They contained the pictures of the Fasces, marching Fascist
soldiers and the most blatant sort of propaganda designed to fill the
minds of young Italian- Americans with admiration for the strength of
Fascist Italy and disrespect for democratic institutions.
It is rather significant that many witnesses examined in San Fran-
cisco who had been directly accused by many people of being pro-
Fascist, and, from their own testimony involved in Fascist activities,
denied having any knowledge whatsoever of Fascism or Fascist
propaganda in the city. Both Andriano and Patrizi denied knowing
anything concerning a Fascio. They were pointedly asked this ques-
tion several times and in each case their answers were negative. Yet-
in an article which appeared in La Rassegna Commerciale for July,
1940, Patrizi himself stated that the Fascio had been formed through-
out the world and that a unit was established in San Francisco.
Andriano testified that he was never connected with any organiza-
tion which received subsidies from the Italian Government, except the
schools and the Italian Chamber of Commerce. He was then handed a
photostatic copy of the minutes of a meeting over which he had pre-
sided in Fugazi Hall. Among other things, the minutes reported that
funds, were being made available from Italy and were to be allocated
between three groups, one of which was the Fascio Umberto Nobile
Pnw'ety of San Francisco. Andriano testified that he recalled every-
thing in the minutes except the reference to Fascio which he vehemently
and excitedly denied. Thereafter, Joseph Civinini, who wrote the
minutes and took the notes at the meeting on which they were based,
swore that the minutes were correct in every respect and that he inde-
pendently recalled the portion which had been repudiated by Sylvester
Andriano.
When the hearings were finished the committee was subjected to con-
siderable criticism because of its temerity in calling the witnesses whose
testimony is above outlined, and particular criticism was directed at
the committee because it subpenaed Mayor Angelo J. Rossi. It was,
therefore, with some pardonable gratification, that the committee
viewed the order from General DeWitt's headquarters removing
Andriano, Patrizi, Turco and many others from the area comprising
the Western Defense Command for the duration of the war.
The situation in the North Beach region of San Francisco since the
Army order became effective has improved tremendously and subse-
quent conferences held with prominent Italian-Americans by members
of the committee and its representatives indicate that there now exists
a minimum of Fascist activity among the Italian people.
It must be stated, in all fairness, that despite the Andrianos,
Patrizis, Turcos, et al., the great majority of the Italian-Americans in
San Francisco and California are good, loyal American citizens.
21— L.-2275
PART VI
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES
On December 1, 1941, there were about 122,000 Japanese living on
the Pacific Coast. About 96,000 of this number were citizens of the
United States by virtue of the accident of birth. Alien Japanese are
not eligible to citizenship under the Oriental Exclusion Act. The alien
Japanese are known as Issei. Those born in the United States of
Japanese alien parents are called Nisei, or second generation Japanese.
Subversive activities of the Japanese in California can not be under-
stood, analyzed or combated without some knowledge of the Japanese
religion and Japanese state philosophy. The result of the Japanese
religion and state philosophy is a fanatic nationalism unknown any-
where else in the world.
Among the witnesses called and examined by the Committee on Jap-
anese Activities in California were the following :
Roy Hampton Carl Kazufumai Sato
Dr. Yu-Shan Han Joseph Shinoda
Masao Kubose Tokie Slocum
Dr. John Lechner Togo Tanaka
P. D. Perkins Fred Masaru Tayama
George Knox Roth Edward L. Thrasher
KEBEIS
Every Nisei (second generation, American-born Japanese) who makes
a voyage to Japan for the purpose of pursuing "cultural training" is
known as a Kebei. There once were so many Nisei in Japan that local
Japanese leaders on the Pacific Coast became embarrassed and an effort
was made to bring them home in order to avoid suspicion against the
Imperial Government of Japan. In this connection Dr. John Lechner
quoted the Hawaiian Sentinel of January 27, 1938, as follows :
"As the result of the Manchurian incident and the
spectacular performances of Japanese athletes in the
recent Olympic Games, the love of Japan reached its boil-
ing point among the second generation Japanese, who pos-
sess American citizenship rights. Things Japanese attract
them so much that hundreds of these American-born
youths are returning steadily to Japan for education. So
great is this exodus of promising youths, that Japanese on
the Pacific Coast are faced with a great catastrophe of los-
ing their cherished rights which took them almost 50 years
to gain.
"At a joint meeting, held recently by the Los Angeles
Japanese Association and Los Angeles Japanese Chamber
( 322 )
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 323
of Commerce, it was unanimously moved to call back the
second generation now in Japan. The Wakayama Prefec-
tural Association in America formed an organization
called 'Association of Calling Back Second Generation/
and sent Shiro Fukioka, 59, General Secretary of Los
Angeles' Japanese Chamber of Commerce, as special
envoy. The Foreign Office was so moved by Fukioka 's
plea* that it has sent out word to all immigration organiza-
tions in different prefectures to encourage a united drive,
using this slogan, 'Second Generation Return Immedi-
ately to America ! '
"Fukioka, who has spent nearly 40 years in Pacific
Coast States, says thus in part:
'There are roughly about 20,000 American-born youths
between the ages of 18 and 25 residing now in Japan.
Being high school graduates, they are well versed with the
conditions and things of Japanese and would make ideal
immigrants to North America.' !
Among the affiliated Kebei organizations, Dr. Lechner lists the fol-
lowing:
Wakayama Seinen Kai
Hiroshimia Seinen Kai
YMCA Wakagusha Kai
Shinykai
Kana gawa Deshikai
Kebei Division of YMCA
Kai Nippon Seinenkai
Kebei Seininkai of Kinto Kyohai
Kebei Seinen of Buddhist Church
Kebei Division of Zenshu Zi
2
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Dual citizenship among the Nisei, or American-born Japanese, has
been extensively practiced in- California. Many Japanese-American
organizations in California have vehemently denied the existence of
dual citizenship among the Nisei but the evidence is quite overwhelm-
ing that it did exist up to Pearl Harbor.
SHINTOISM
Many Japanese witnesses were examined on Shintoism, the State
religion of the Japanese Empire, and the members of the committee and
its representatives did considerable research on the subject. Many of
the witnesses explained the traditional and deep-rooted traditions of
the Japanese — Emperor and ancestor worship and the mental and emo-
tional forces which explain the religious fervor the Japanese carry
into combat and the contempt in which they hold death in battle.
324 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Every true Japanese believes that the first Emperor, Jimnu Tenno,
who reigned in 660 B. C., was descended directly from the Goddess of
the Sun and that the whole race, therefore, is descended from divine
ancestors and consequently superior to any other race on the face of
the earth. The Japanese are taught from the cradle to revere the
Emperor as the son of the Sun Goddess. This same reverence is dis-
played toward the parents and grandparents and manifests itself in
ancestor worship. These beliefs bind the Japanese together over the
world creating a sense of nationalism unknown to any nation or race.
These beliefs are so thoroughly indoctrinated into the minds and
hearts of the Japanese that few of them ever actually renounce their
allegiance to the Emperor of Japan and when they actually become
citizens of a foreign country they do so as a matter of form with their
minds and hearts still in the Japanese Empire.
Dr. Yu-Shan Han was a visiting lecturer at the University of Cali-
fornia at Los Angeles in the History Department. (Volume IX, pp.
2692-2715.) Dr. Han is Chinese and was born in Peking, China. He
had been in the United States since 1941. He had formerly lectured at
the Peking University under Dr. J. Layton Stewart. He holds a Ph.D.
from Boston University. He had been at the University of California
at Los Angeles since September of 1941, taking the place of a Japanese
"who could not get back. " He once taught Dr. H. A. Kung, brother-
in-law of Chiang Kai-Shek, who is now at Harvard University.
Dr. Han stated that he was familiar with the ideological background
of the Japanese Empire. The early history of Japan is referred to as
the Age of the Gods or the Age of Mythology. The Japanese people
believe that the Emperor of Japan is a direct descendant of the Goddess
of the Sun and the symbol, relating ideology to the Japanese is the
mirror, the sword and the jewel. He stated that the sword represents
force. He narrated the early history of the Japanese Government. A
military family throughout Japanese history dominated the entire
country by force — there were many struggles in which the Shoguns
secured control. He stated that Shogunate is a military class in
Japan. A dual system of government resulted with the spiritual head
in the Emperor and the actual leadership with the Shoguns. He stated
that this situation existed for about 12 centuries. This long period of
unbroken domination by the Shoguns, in Dr. Han's opinion, makes it
very difficult to indoctrinate the Japanese with Western or Occidental
ideas ; a much more difficult task than to indoctrinate the Chinese people
with Occidental ideas.
He narrated the planned system for the development of Japan laid
out in the Nineteenth Century by Baron Okubo. He stated that this
plan was worked out in decades, or 10-year periods. The first 10 years
were devoted to internal development; the next 10 to educating Japa-
nese in foreign schools so that they might learn and master foreign man-
ners, languages, and ways; the third period to the development of eco-
nomic intercourse with the outside world ; the following 10 years to the
building of a huge Army and Navy, and the final 10 years to the
achievement and the ultimate goal which was designed to lead the
yellow nations to conquest and victory against the white race. He
stated that Baron Okubo was succeeded by Baron Tanaka who
developed Okubo 's plan. Baron Tanaka wrote a report and sent it to
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 325
the Emperor and it became known as the Tanaka Memorial. Baron
Tanaka proposed that Japan develop a foothold in Asia, Korea, Man-
churia, North China, French Indo-China, China proper, Thailand,
Burma and so on.
Dr. Han had been a victim of the Black Dragon terror when he
attempted to introduce western ways into China in opposition to the
Japanese Puppet Government. A friend of his was assassinated in
April and in June he personally received "the threat." Realizing
that the members of the Black Dragon Society are in deadly earnest, Dr.
Han left China. He stated that he did not believe that the American
public had paid much attention to the real facts concerning Japan.
"You good Americans are too gullible," he said dejectedly.
He stated that Shinto doctrines are principally Emperor worship and
the worship of military leadership. "Of all flowers, the cherry; of all
men, the Samurai!" Japanese parents maintain a strict discipline over
their children and the children are taught to be obedient.
Masao Kubose was a Japanese Buddhist minister in Los Angeles.
(Volume X, pp. 2998-3002.) He stated that he had been in charge of
the Buddhist church located at 118 North Mott Street in Los Angeles
since October of 1941. He differentiated between the Buddhist and
Shinto religions. He stated that there exist several sects of Shintoism
and that one of these sects is a pure state religion, in which the worship
of deities in the mythological history of Japan is a unique feature. All
Shintoists believe that the Japanese are descendants of gods, created
from a union of earthly and heavenly gods. They believe that the
Emperor of Japan is a direct descendant in an unbroken line from the
Goddess of the Sun and that he is the divine representative of the Sun
Goddess on earth.
He explained that Yamato meant Japan or Nippon. Tama means
mountain; to means gates — Yamato, therefore, means, where many
mountains are. When Chinese culture intruded, Yamato came to
signify, "to put in great harmony," so that it now means "a great
harmony." The word really has two meanings, one of which is geo-
graphical and the other ideological. The word finally became Yamado
and the word domoshi was added so that the meaning became "the great
soul of harmony." Hence, the Japanese, no matter where born, are
proud of the blood of Yamado domoshi (or Yamato Damashii), the
ideological "great soul of harmony" binding him to Japanese every-
where.
Kubose disclaimed any knowledge of Shinto temples or schools in the
City of Los Angeles. He ventured the opinion that the Shinto sect
should be permitted to function in the United States, stating, "Their
full aim is to heal the sick and to do public service." He stated that
some of the Shinto sects "promote good business, etc." These par-
ticular sects, Kubose stated, are not the sect of Japanese State religion.
He agreed that the Shinto sect of Japanese state religion should be
prohibited in the United States.
Dr. John Lechner testified (Volume XVI, page 3951) that Dr. Shunzo
Sakamaki, Assistant Professor of History of the University of Hawaii,
published an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for April 25, 1942,
in reference to the details of the Shinto faith. He explained that in
the beginning of 1941 the Japanese Imperial Government had issued
326 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
an edict declaring that all Shinto priests in the United States and
Hawaii and all Japanese language school teachers were from January
of that year to be considered as officials of the Japanese Government.
This edict, according to Dr. Lechner, amounted to actually removing
the Shinto priests and the Japanese language schoolteachers from the
field of religion and constituted them direct agents for the Japanese
Government and all language schools as centers of Japanese espionage
and propaganda. He quoted Dr. Sakamaki as follows :
' l Why have Japanese officials for the past two generations
been so eager to protect the special status of State Shinto ?
Why have they insisted that the State Shinto is not a
religion but the embodiment of Japanese patriotism ?
"Basically, the reason is that the Japanese Government
has seen in Shinto a political tool of the greatest potency
for keeping the fires of nationalism burning at white heat
and making the doctrine of political absolutism in Japan
virtually inviolable.
"* * * Japan's Constitution of 1890 guarantees free-
dom of religious worship, but the Government has taken
the position that State Shinto is not a religion and that,
therefore, all Japanese must participate in State Shinto
ceremonies, as part of their patriotic duty to the State.
«* * * Operation of State Shinto here is inimical to
American interests because it both directly and indirectly
fosters Japanese nationalism, and arguments by Shinto
champions that we can not infringe their right to free
worship contradicts responsible pronouncement by Jap-
anese officials denying the religious status of State Shinto.
"We are at war with Japan, and State Shinto is an arm
of the Government of Japan. Amputation of that arm
here in Hawaii is prerogative of our Government that can
not consistently be protested by the Government of
Japan. ' '
JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA
It is estimated that there were more than 240 Japanese language
schools in California alone. Some 19,000 Japanese boys and girls
attended these schools before Pearl Harbor. It is estimated that nearly
$400,000 was spent in 1941 for the Japanese educational program
directed from Tokyo.
Many of these schools were found to be under the direction of Shinto
priests. They taught the intense nationalism of Japan and the com-
mittee is in possession of information and evidence that many of the
schools were centers of Japanese propaganda and espionage.
Dr. John Lechner, chairman of the Americanism Commission of the
Twenty-third District of the American Legion, Department of Cali-
fornia, testifying before the committee in February of 1943 presented
a number of photostatic documents together with a report recently
compiled by the Americanism Commission of which he is chairman.
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 327
Among these documents is a translation by the United States Army
Intelligence Department quoting the Rev. Shinryu Umehara, Japanese
Buddhist priest, who had made a trip to the Pacific Coast and Hawaii
for the purpose of inspecting the Japanese language schools. He
stated March 27, 1934: "I felt while I was in America that the exist-
ence of Japanese schools and Buddhist organizations in the Japanese
communities is grand, for they are the mother-bodies for fostering the
national conscience, Japan's civilization and Japan's spirit."
Dr. Lechner pointed out that the most powerful Japanese directed
organization reaching across the Pacific to weld the Japanese student
in America to the Imperial Empire is the Institute for the Education
of Over-Sea Japanese. He stated that this organization was founded
on November 25, 1933 with its headquarters in Tokyo. The purpose
and objective of this organization was stated in Osaka Mainichi:
"The Institute of Over-Sea People's Education is an organization for
infusing the Japanese spirit into the second generation of Japanese
abroad. In other words, leave the second generation in the land of
their residence but don't let them forget the Japanese spirit. In
buying, select Japanese goods; in voting, cast ballots for politicians
friendly to Japanese." Dr. Lechner pointed out that this objective
was meant particularly for the Japanese- Americans living in Hawaii
where their vote is a decisive factor.
Dr. Lechner called the committee's attention to an article which
appeared in the Rafu Shimpo, a Los Angeles Japanese daily newspaper,
owned by an alien Japanese, under date of Monday, February 17, 1941,
as follows:
"Re-educational Plan for the Promotion of the Father-
land"
"The Niseis who were born and raised in the foreign
land are to come to the Fatherland far away to find the
company of the other sex. But they are confronted with
difficulty coming from the differences of their habits and
customs with those of the Fatherland. Here comes the
problem of ' Re-education of the Nisei. '
"Meantime, to make the abroad compatriots understand
the position of the Fatherland under the new regime of
Pan-Asiastic principles, and to unite them to act for the
realization of 'Enlightened Asia,' re-education of Nisei
is necessary. So, Imperial Educational Association
made a budget of yen 100,000 for the education of Nisei.
For this purpose, the Committee on Over-Seas Education
of the Association in cooperation with the Department of
Education and the Department of Foreign Affairs of the
government and the Goain (Institute for the Promotion
of Asia), elected secretaries and established an office for
educational guidance of the Nisei. The functions of the
office at present are as follows:
"1. Investigation of the educational conditions of
Nisei, and of the living conditions of the teachers
abroad.
328 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
"2. Establishment of the fundamental plan for the edu-
cation of Nisei.
"3. Assistance in sending good teachers.
"At present, among the teachers abroad who are teach-
ing Nisei, a good number of them want to come to the
Fatherland. Meantime, many of the teachers here in this
country have the desire to go abroad to fulfill their ambi-
tions. A proper disposal of this situation alone would
make a new atmosphere in the educational field. So, this
new project of the association will be successful in every
way."
The Japanese language schools scattered throughout the State were
strikingly similar to the Workers' Schools of the Communists, the sum-
mer camps of the German-American Bund and the Italian language
schools. The ideologies were radically different, of course, but in each
case a scheme for world domination was being taught youngsters; a
racial superiority, along with a contempt and disrespect for America's
"decaying democracy." There existed one significant difference, how-
ever, in that the German, Japanese and Italian language schools, taught
children who were descended from parents of foreign extraction,
whereas the Communist Workers' schools and the Young Peoples'
Study Classes took on all comers of whatever nationality or race.
Dr. Yu-Shan Han testified at some length concerning the Japanese
language schools in southern California. (Volume IX, pp. 2692-2715.)
In the third lesson of the primer used in these schools, Dr. Han stated
there appeared a phrase, "March forward, soldiers, march forward
soldiers. ff He emphatically declared that Japanese children, even
though born in the United States, were indoctrinated from birth with
a deep reverence for the Samurai. The Japanese ambition to conquer
and dominate the entire world is the basis of Japanese ideology and
teaching. He stated that Japanese families abroad were held strictly
responsible for the lack of courage of their sons on the battlefield and
this responsibility caused all Japanese parents to instill a religious-
warrior fervor in the Japanese male youth and accounts for the fanati-
cism of the Japanese in battle.
Dr. Han touched on the deep loyalty of the Japanese, both Nisei and
Issei, to the Emperor of Japan and illustrated his point by stating
that a Japanese teacher in Long Beach collected tinfoil and sent it
back to Japan.
Masao Kubose was a Buddhist minister in charge of a church located
at 118 North Mott Street in Los Angeles. (Volume X, pp. 2998-3002.)
He stated that Buddhist priests had taught in some of the Japanese
language schools in California. He stated that most Buddhist
churches maintained Japanese language schools and that the Buddhist
priests taught the Japanese children. He believed that the Japanese
language schools promoted harmony between parents and their children.
He said that there were no Shinto groups in Northern California but
believed that they did exist in Southern California.
P. D. Perkins, former "Public Relations Advisor for the Japanese
Consulate" in Japan, stated that he was somewhat familiar with the
curricula of the Japanese language schools in the United States. (Vol-
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 329
ume IX, pp. 2716-2747.) "My first Japanese teacher," he stated,
"was the teacher of a Japanese language school." He said that in
many cases these instructors were Buddhists or Shinto priests. He
disagreed with other witnesses by stating that instead of a high degree
of parental discipline exercised by parents over children in Japan,
that, to the contrary, "the child rules the father, not the father the
child. ' ' He ventured the opinion that it depended wholly on the indi-
vidual Japanese as to whether he grows up to become a good citizen
or not and he believed that the fact that the individual was born of
Japanese parents who happen to be fanatics in their devotion to Japan
had no bearing on the matter.
Carl Kazufumai Sato, American-born Japanese, stated that he was a
produce salesman in a wholesale market until it was closed. (Volume
X, pp. 3002-3004.) He stated that "now I am doing what I can to
help the people in our church." He admitted having attended the
Japanese language school ' t until it got too hard and I quit. ' ' He con-
tended that he had never heard Japanese propaganda at the school
he attended. He claimed to have no knowledge of Shinto priests teach-
ing in the Japanese language schools and stated that he was connected
with the Buddhist church. He stated that the Buddhist religion had
nothing to do with Japan and he claimed that he had no knowledge of
Shinto sects.
JAPANESE IMPERIALISM
The long planned and long range program of the Japanese to domi-
nate the white races might have been clearly seen in the so-called
Decade System of Baron Okubo, who, with his followers, believed that
the Japanese Empire should adopt the method of the Occidental world
in building a strong and economically sound nation. The intense belief
in the divinity of the Emperor and the sense of racial superiority in
the minds of the Japanese have led them to believe that they are des-
tined for world domination. Baron Okubo divided the Empire's work
into periods of 10 years each. His plan may be said to have been car-
ried out in its entirety. Okubo, however, was not sufficiently war-
minded to satisfy the military clique of Japan and he was assassinated
in 1877. Another plan was formulated and added to the Okubo Plan;
an aggressive program which has culminated in war against the white
world. The Tanaka Memorial, written by a Japanese Premiere,
declares unequivocally that America must first be crushed before Japan
can expect permanently to dominate the Pacific.
Many critics of the Tanaka Memorial looked upon it as the fantastic
dream of an unbalanced mind; the weird, imaginative excursion of a
Japanese sadist. Dr. John Lechner stated that it was therefore
regarded with skepticism and ridiculed by American leaders.
Dr. Lechner stated that it was not until an official document was dis-
covered in the possession of two Japanese naval commanders visiting
in "Little Tokio" at Los Angeles, written by one Kinoaki Matsuo, pow-
erful Black Dragon, and key man in the Japanese Naval Intelligence
Service, that interest in the Tanaka Memorial was revived. He stated
330 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that Matsuo 's analysis of the impending war, called "The War Between
Japan and the United States/' furnished an audacious blue-print of
the various stages of the war.
He stated that Matsuo outlined each step in the plans of Japanese
aggression. Matsuo outlined the Japanese plan to move northward
into Alaska, striking simultaneously at Hawaii in the second stage of
the war. He anticipates help from the Japanese in Hawaii when the
Japanese Navy makes its bid for the islands. The third stage of the
war, according to Dr. Lechner 's interpretation of Matsuo 's work, is an
all out attack on California, Oregon and Washington, with the destruc-
tion of the Panama Canal. Dr. Lechner stated: "Matsuo does not
hesitate to express with all the ego and fanaticism of the Japs that the
Japanese forces will attempt large scale invasion of the coastal areas.
Again, Matsuo expresses the conviction of the Japanese War Council,
that effective cooperation may be anticipated from the Issei and Nisei
residing on the Pacific Coast. Particularly when Japan would begin
to crush the l impregnable fortresses ' of the Allied nations in the South
Pacific, Matsuo intimates, would increased significance be given to her
expectation of help from her Fifth Column in the United States.
Revelations of Japanese ruthlessness and plans for wholesale sabotage
made a speedy, effective disposition of the Japanese problem on the
Pacific Coast more imperative."
Dr. Lechner reported plans promulgated among the Japanese agents
to spread bacteria germs in the event such a step proved advantageous
in undermining the morale of the American people in the final stage
of the war. He stated that this is to be accomplished by dropping vials
containing germs to spread bubonic plague and typhoid from collapsible
airplanes to be carried to the shores of the Pacific Coast by large Japa-
nese destroyer-submarines.
P. D. Perkins declared that he had "never heard" of pressure beinpr
brought on Japanese residents in the United States by the agents of
Japan and that he had never heard of threats made against the mem-
bers of families in Japan if American residents failed to obey Japanese
mandates. (Volume IX, pp. 2716-2747.) (Perkins evidently desired
to evade this issue.) He stated that he did not believe that the Tanaka
Memorial or the OJcubo (Decade System] exerted much influence upon
the Japanese people. He stated that there is too much conflict between
the Japanese for anyone to agree on a central plan (p. 2728).
(Perkins apparently evaded this issue also and would not be drawn
out on the present dominant faction in Japan.) He admitted that the
Emperor of Japan was a figurehead but that he exerts "personal
power.". He pointed out that the Emperor had put down an uprising
on February 26, 1937, and likewise admitted that the leaders who had
been demoted at that time are now back in power. He was willing to
admit that the Okubo and the Tanaka plans exert some influence on
the present Japan program, and a "partial influence on the younger
element. ' '
He explained the meaning of the term "Bushido," the moral code of
Sumurai. He stated that it is a military code and that it calls for
frugal living, etc. He commented that he had never seen anyone who
practiced Bushido very faithfully.
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 331
He claimed that part of his duties for the Japanese Government
consisted in acting as a "liaison agent" (p. 2731). He declared that
he did not represent the Japanese Government in the United States.
He caught the "last boat" back to the United States on October 30,
1941, the Tatsu Tamaru. He did not return to the United States to
stay; "I expected to go back to Japan; I had no way of knowing
about the war." He had made a trip to the United States in 1940,
arriving in Los Angeles in May. He registered with the United States
Department of State July 10, 1940, and returned to Japan on August
23, 1940. He claimed that he had not received pay from Japan while
in the United States, "during the time I was registered as an agent"
(p. 2734). He denied having received money from Japan for the
period between May 1, 1940, and August 1, 1940. He claimed that he
had received no pay whatsoever from Japan prior to the time he
registered as an agent of the Japanese Government with the United
States State Department (p. 2734), but later (p. 2735) stated: "I was
in New York from about July 1st to about the 4th or 5th of August
* * * and they were paying my expenses; the men who were with
the Consulate General there * * * " He stated that while in New
York he was advising the Japanese Consulate attaches "on what was
happening back in Tokio." On being pressed for elaboration, he
explained that he was merely relating the political gossip current in
Japan.
He claimed that his translating work for the Japanese Government
was confined to American newspapers and that the Japanese Govern-
ment employed Englishmen to translate the newspapers of the British
Empire.
He ate in the same restaurant in Tokio where the German diplomats
took their meals and stated that he did this because it was the "only
place to eat." He claimed that he could not travel in the same class
with the diplomatic corps because of the smallness of his salary, 500
yen a month. Sometimes, he admitted, he received extra money. He
explained that 500 yen in Tokio had the buying power of about $450
in America. (Perkins testified at one point that his salary of 500 yen
a month was sent to his home in South Pasadena, and at another point
(p. 2737-8) he stated that he received it in Tokio.)
He stated that the Japanese' were unable to understand the slang
used in the American newspaper articles because their English teachers
had been British or Canadian. He stated that his job in translating
headings from American newspapers consisted largely in translating
the meaning of American slang phrases for the Japanese. He said
that the Japanese Government was only interested in articles which
pertained to Japan "or references to American history." They were
also interested in reports on relationship between Japan and the United
States.
During his first four years in Japan, Perkins taught in the education
department and served as an advisor to American companies in Japan,
helping them secure "a correct sales approach." He also assisted with
the writing of manuscripts on Japan.
He stated that he had been working for one faction of the Japanese
Government and checking on whether or not other political factions
were being set up against the others. He related the incidents of a
332 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
strike in the State Department in Japan in which the younger men
were pitted against the older men. He claimed that it was this type of
news that he carried to the Japanese Consulate in New York. He
denied that he had carried documents of any nature to the United
States.
He admitted that his fare to and from Japan had been paid by the
Japanese Government and explained that this arrangement was made
for all teachers who go to Japan.
While in New York he had conveyed " inside'7 information to the
Japanese Consulate of the relations between Japan, Germany, Italy
and Russia "at the time Germany shook hands with Russia." He
stated that factions had grown up in Japan over the issue of collabora-
tion with Soviet Russia. Oshima and Shiratori were "very much"
pro-Axis. "The consul in New York was not, unfortunately," Perkins
added. When pressed to explain what he meant by "unfortunately,"
he stated that it was meant for the man and not as opinion on his part
(p. 2743). The Japanese acting-Consul in New York at the time of
the bombing of Pearl Harbor was not pro- Axis, he explained.
He stated that he would have been interned had he remained in
Japan.
He did not believe that the United States Government ought to take
chances at this time, and stated that he believed that it would be better
for the Japanese to be out of the coastal area, because some one might
make trouble and "blame it on the Japanese"; they would be forced
to "take the rap for it."
He had helped the American-born Japanese who were in Japan for
educational purposes. He stated that many of them were homesick
for America; missed Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. In
this connection he declared thaf the training of American-born Jap-
anese in Japan depended on the financial ability of the parents and
claimed the Japanese Government did not finance Nisei training ' ' They
don't want the Nisei back there, especially the girls. Men, yes; they
have use for men, but a girl, under the Japanese code gets married
when she's 21 * * so they are a nuisance."
He admitted that he had contact with the Japanese Consul in Los
Angeles since returning from Japan. He denied having made any
report to the Consul and stated that he called on him merely because
he knew his son in Japan.
6
JAPANESE PROPAGANDA
Togo Tanaka is an American -born Japanese. (Volume X, pp. 2843-
2889. ) He was born in Portland, Oregon, and was brought to southern
California when he was three months old and has resided in the City of
Los Angeles since that time. He attended the Los Feliz Elementary
School and the Thomas Starr King High School, the Hollywood High
School and the University of Southern California, where he graduated
in 1936. He majored in Political Science. He stated that he was no
relation, as far as he knew, to Baron Tanaka, after whom the Japanese
Tanaka Memorial is named.
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 333
Since graduating from the University of Southern California, Tanaka
has been employed on the staff of the English section of Rafu Shimpo,
a Japanese daily newspaper published in the City of Los Angeles. The
newspaper was dual in character, containing both an English and a Jap-
anese language section. He stated that these two sections were edited by
different staffs. Tanaka was the editor of the English section. He
became the English editor of Rafu Shimpo about six months after he had
associated with the newspaper. The paper had its circulation prin-
cipally in southern California among the Japanese, some State-wide
circulation and a small circulation in Hawaii. Hiroshi Zuski was the
managing editor of the Japanese language section of the Rafu Shimpo.
The English editors had voice on the policy of the paper only in the
English language section. He had never expressed himself in refer-
ence to the policy of the Japanese section. His knowledge of the Jap-
anese language was very limited, according to his testimony.
He admitted that after Pearl Harbor he had come to realize that the
Japanese section of Rafu Shimpo was subversive. He also admitted
that many articles and much of the material printed in Rafu Shimpo
had been sent from Japan and had appeared in the paper in its orig-
inal form. The paper made considerable use of reprints because of
its limited staff. He admitted, under examination, that much of this
material was pro- Axis in flavor.
He stated that there were three Japanese daily newspapers in the
City of Los Angeles before Pearl Harbor and contended that Rafu
Shimpo was the oldest and the largest. He branded the other Japanese
language newspapers as pro- Axis.
He had been the publicity manager of the Japanese- American Citi-
zens' League and had handled publicity for this organization on the
Rafu Shimpo. This was the largest Nisei organization in southern
California and the most active. It was composed of 20 or 21 chapters.
The organization had a Coordinating Committee known as the United
Citizens' Federation which was composed of delegates from about 30
different organizations, including fruit-stand workers' unions, Y. M.
C. A., Y. W. C. A. and Buddhist groups.
He placed the average age of the Nisei at around 21 years and the
average age of the Issei at 59 to 60.
He admitted that most of the existing Japanese organizations were
dominated by the Issei because of their more mature years. He stated
that as the Issei passed away and the Nisei came into adulthood they
more and more were taking over the organizations and, because of this
situation, the Issei influence was waning. The influence of the Issei, or
alien older generation, it was explained, was partly due to the fact
that the older Japanese held the purse-strings of the community.
Because the Japanese Nisei showed great respect and reverence for Issei
parents and obeyed them, they did not attempt to change the pro-Japan
attitude of their parents.
He stated without equivocation that the 1940-41 Directory of Rafu
Shimpo, published by the older generation group on the paper, was
about nine-tenths subversive.
The older generation, or pro-Japan group, influenced the thinking
of the younger Nisei generation on the matter of the Sino-Japanese
war. This accounted for the Nisei's activity in propagandizing the
334 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Japanese cause against China. The Issei influence was very strong in
this connection. The Nisei had been taught that the Japanese were
embarking on a great missionary crusade in China and building a New
Order in the Far East. He stated that the non-Japanese, Caucasian
American propagandists who were hired by Japan, did the same sort
of propagandizing and he named "Wiggie" Williams one of the hired
propagandists for Japan. ("Wiggie" Williams was subsequently
indicted for failing to register as a Japanese agent with the United
States Department of State.) Tanaka believed that the Nisei had
been drawn into this ideological position because of emotional ties and
that the younger generation of American-born Japanese found it impos-
sible to become objective in face of their parents' prejudice.
He stated that the agencies that had been set up by the Japanese
Consulate on the West Coast had disseminated much of the pro-Japan
propaganda in relation to the Sino-Japanese war. He admitted that
funds had been collected in the Japanese and Japanese- American
societies for the prosecution of the Japanese war in the Far East and
that this drive had started back in 1937 at the outbreak of hostilities in
China and had continued through 1940 when the feeling had grown
tense between the United States and Japan. He admitted that Rafu
Shimpo had aided and had advertised these collections for the Japanese
war effort in China, but added that the Rafu Shimpo had also engaged
in "very good American activities. "
He declared that there was considerable reluctance on the part of the
Nisei to admit subversive activities on the part of themselves or their
parents, which was quite natural because of dual loyalties and partly
because they were confused. He stated that they tried to "gloss over"
these things.
He was familiar in a general way with the Japanese language schools
in southern California. The Rafu Shimpo Year Book listed these
schools in its issues. He believed that Shintoism is worship of the
Japanese Emperor an$ stated that the Shintoists were rabid militarists
and very imperialistic.
He claimed that he did not know the exact meaning of the term
"Yamato Domoshi" but believed that it referred to the Japanese race
and culture. He admitted that "one reads in the legends" about the
three Japanese symbols, the mirror, the jewel and the sword. The
fanatic teachings of the Japanese "under the military clique"
demanded that the Japanese people believe that they were actually des-
cended from the Sun Goddess. It was his opinion that the Nisei in the
United States did not generally believe this fiction and he stated that
pro-Japanese consider Japan their homeland and believe that it is their
God-given mission to do something for her. It was his opinion that the
American-born Japanese who were educated in the United States were
not generally pro-Japan; that only about 3 or 4 per cent of the Nisei
were in the pro-Japan column.
Because he believed that Shintoism is not a religion in the strictest
sense of the term, but an ideology subversive and dangerous to the
Government of the United States, he stated that Shintoism has no
place in this Country.
Like most Americans born of alien parents, he believed the language
schools contribute considerably to bridging the gap between the Issei
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 335
and the Nisei in that these schools give the children an understand-
ing of their parents and the beliefs and language of their parents.
He stated that he believed the American-born Japanese have bene-
fited considerably from the Japanese language schools and that this
education had helped many of them to secure jobs where knowledge of
the Japanese language was essential. He ventured the opinion that
these schools could be separated from subversive indoctrination. He
suggested that such schools be brought under the supervision of boards
of education. He was willing to admit that there had been, perhaps,
"too much indoctrination going on" in the Japanese language schools
in California. He admitted, under examination, that those persons who
spoke and thought in Japanese, were the type who would be most apt
to be loyal to Japan and Hirohito, while those who spoke and thought
in English were more apt to be loyal to the American ideology and the
United States.
He stated that the Japanese Consular offices in Los Angeles con-
tacted Japanese-American students in the universities and schools for
the purpose of obtaining personnel for Japanese Government work.
He claimed to know nothing of the rumor that the Nisei had received
threats for their lack of cooperation with Japanese Consular agents.
Generally, he stated, the Nisei, who have relatives living in Japan, avoid
answering questions concerning subversive activities on the part of the
Japanese in the United States. He knew of Issei who feared retalia-
tion by the Japanese Government on relatives in Japan, but stated that
this fear was greatly diminished by the growing fact of permanent
Japanese residence in the United States. He said that there were very
few Japanese in the United States who desired to return to Japan since
1924 when immigration from Japan was stopped. He stated that the
ties between Japanese residing in the United States and relatives in
Japan was not as close as the relationship between persons recently
arrived from Europe and their relatives across the water.
He admitted that the majority of Issei are Japanese in their views
and more or less thoroughly indoctrinated. He stated that this was not
true in all cases. Many Japanese who came to the United States when
they were very young, although counted as aliens, are American in their
viewpoint. He ventured the hope that this group would receive special
recognition.
Prior to December 7, 1941, the Nisei generally, regarded the Japanese
Imperial Veterans' Association as "simply a society of old men. " (The
members of the Imperial Veterans ' Association are Japanese who served
in the Russo-Japanese war.) He admitted that, after the Federal
Bureau of Investigation roundup of these veterans, that the Nisei
learned that these members of the Imperial Veterans9 Association had
been doing more than getting together for the purpose of drinking
saki. He admitted that the meetings of the Imperial Veterans' Associa-
tion had been the centers of Japanese subversive activities in California.
He had heard ' ' everything ' ' concerning the activities of the Japanese
fishing fleet off of California. He stated that the truth was "some-
where in between" the two extremes that had been brought to his
attention; that not all of the fishing boats harbored spies, but that
undoubtedly, some of them were engaged in this practice. He had
heard of the Japanese fishing boats hoisting Japanese Flags when out
336 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
to sea and he had heard of the "fishermen" taking soundings and
photographs. He had no personal knowledge of any of these things.
He stated that many of the volunteer evacuees to Manzanar were
entering into the situation in a spirit of adventure. He stated that
some were bitter about it and that others were ' l taking it with a shrug. ' '
He felt that Manzanar should not be referred to as a "concentration
camp. "
Questioned regarding the Rafu Shimpo Directory for 1940-41, he
admitted that the picture plates in the book showed Shinto priests,
Shinto altars, pictures of the Emperor and Empress and other pictures,
illustrating the pro- Japan leanings of the book. He stated that "we
have always ripped ' ' the pages containing the pictures of the Japanese
Emperor and Empress out of the directory because the Nisei felt that
it had no place in an American book. He identified a Japanese char-
acter on a page at the beginning of the book and explained that it
meant "Khakko Ichiu" and, translated, it signified the Japanese "New
Order" in the Far East. He stated that this was another page that
was ripped out by the Nisei before the book was passed out. Characters
appearing beside the names of certain Japanese listed in the directory,
according to Tanaka's testimony, referred to the individual's "Ken,"
or Japanese "clan" or "state." It indicated where the roots of the
family of the individual were.
He admitted that the directory had always been printed in Japan
and stated that this was because the rates for printing were cheaper,
even when the cost of transportation was included. It was distributed
free of charge to advertisers and subscribers to Rafu Shim,po and used
as a circulation builder. It listed everyone of Japanese descent of
whom information could be obtained.
He explained that an illustration showing a map of the Pacific with
secret American battleship information was an illustration to a story
in a Japanese magazine, "King" (Ken) ; that it was pro- Axis and was
the work of pro- Axis authors. He stated that this was typical of all
magazines which came over from Japan. Japanese editorial writers
on the Rafu Shimpo had to overcome and work against such material
coming out of Japan.
The editorial policy of the Rafu Shimpo after December 7, 1941, was
in support of the United States against Japan. Tanaka filed a number
of copies of the issues of the Rafu Shimpo with the Committee in proof
of this assertion.
He contended that community hysteria constituted a serious problem
for the loyal Nisei. He hoped that the Americans could help the situa-
tion by attempting to secure a balanced picture of Nisei activities.
He admitted that Rafu Shimpo had maintained a Tokio Bureau for
news and business arrangements. Around 10,000 copies of the direc-
tory had been printed and most of them had been distributed in south-
ern California. A few were left in Japan and the State Departments
of Japan and the United States had received copies.
Tanaka concluded his testimony by stating that he believed that many
of the Japanese, and especially the younger Japanese- Americans, had
been merely "misdirected" in their so-called subversive activities. He
begged the Americans to give the Japanese and the Japanese-Americans
credit for the things they had done in developing and furthering com-
munity interest and welfare.
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 337
JAPANESE SUBVERSIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Dr. John Lechner- testified that as late as April 15, 1941, the Japanese
Niseis in the Los Angeles area were challenged to indicate their loyalty
to the United States Government by conducting a house-cleaning of
subversive elements within the Japanese colony and cooperating with
the Federal Bureau of Investigation in routing subversive individuals
and groups. To this end, Dr. Lechner stated, a conference was held
at a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles and plans were laid for a mass
demonstration on May 10, 1941. He stated that more than 1,000 Nisei
gathered at the Hollywood Legion Club House in Los Angeles where
the meeting was held. He stated that both Fred Tayama and Togo
Tanaka, the most active leaders among the local Nisei, ignored the
challenge for cooperation against un-American activities existing in the
Japanese colony. Both Tayama and Tanaka vehemently denied the
existence of subversive groups, and individuals among the Japanese
and Tayama angrily refused to organize any effort for cooperation
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Nothing was done to indi-
cate that these American leaders of Japanese ancestry were disposed
to cooperate in counteracting Japanese espionage in California. Dr.
Lechner listed the Japanese representatives who attended the April
15th meeting as Bob Sato, Executive Secretary of the Japanese Retail
Clerks' Union, A. F. of L., Robbin Keneko, President, Junior Produce
Union, Fred Tayama, President, Los Angeles Chapter Japanese-Ameri-
can Citizens' League, Shigemi Aratania, Vice President, Los Angeles
Chapter, Japanese-American Citizens' League, Togo Tanaka, Editor,
English section, Rafu Shimpo, H. Hori, President, Japanese Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, S. Nagata, Vice President, Japanese Cham-
ber of Commerce and Industry, and Ted Akahoshi, Executive Secretary,
Japanese Produce Merchants' Association. Shuji Fuji, a Communist,
writing in the September 1, 1941 issue of the Doho Sha, Japanese pub-
lication in Los Angeles, urged ''immediate action to rout out by public
denunciation, every sign of organization, activity, policy and propa-
ganda that inclines to promote the pro-Nazi element in Japan among
us, such as the Japanese Military Service Men's League." Shuji Fuji
branded the Japanese Military Service Men's League as a dangerous
fifth column structure among the local Japanese.
The Japanese Military Service Men's League is reported to be the
work of Tadaaiki Ilzuka.
The Imperial Comradeship Society is allegedly the American arm of
the Imperial Black Dragon Society, the most powerful and most feared
secret organization in the Japanese Empire. The Imperial Black
Dragon Society is said to have been organized over 50 years ago for
the purpose of eradicating Occidental influence in the Far East.
The Dragon leaders have fostered an intensified and deep hatred for
the British and the Americans. Tadaaiki Ilzuka reorganized and
strengthened the Imperial Comradeship Society and Dr. Lechner esti-
mated its strength at the end of 1941 as 4,800. The ostensible leader-
ship of the society was in the hands of Sakugaro Kubota, a retired
22— L-2275
338 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Japanese officer, whose son, stated Dr. Lechner, is Takaki Kubota, an
American-born citizen and an active leader in the " patriotic" Jap-
anese-American Citizens' League of Los Angeles. The Imperial Com-
radeship Society and the Japanese Military Service Men's League,
stated Dr. Lechner, had 74 branches in 65 localities and exerted a
powerful influence on the entire Japanese-American population on
behalf of Japan.
The Japanese- American Citizens' League under the leadership of
Takaki Kubota collaborated with the Imperial Comradeship Society
and the Japanese Military Service Men's League in a campaign to sell
Japanese war bonds on the Pacific Coast. The Japanese Minister of
Finance, Seinen Ikeda, requested the Japanese- American Citizens'
League to raise 1,000,000 yen to be deposited in the Yokohama Specie
Bank in San Francisco.
Representatives of the committee, in preparing for public hearings
on Japanese activities, inspected maps of the interior valleys of the
State, whereon were depicted with the greatest fidelity highways,
country lanes, bridges, police, fire and radio stations, hospitals, air-
ports, and the detailed topography of the area. These representatives
obtained considerable evidence of Japanese "Vegetable" Associations
spotted throughout the agricultural regions of California soliciting
funds from their members for the purchase of Japanese war bonds
from the Japanese Consulate in San Francisco.
The committee's representatives also inspected photographs of the
San Pedro fishing boats far out at sea, flying the Japanese flag. Jap-
anese-Americans told committee representatives that Americans should
no longer laugh at the industrious little Jap fishermen because they
were "foolishly" taking soundings along the coast when they could
easily buy Geodetic Survey maps which contained the information that
they apparently desired. The Japanese fishermen knew that. What
they were actually doing was finding whether or not the ocean floor
at designated localities was soft and level and sandy, or whether it
was rough and rocky to such an extent that it might injure the belly of
a submarine, such as the one which lobbed its shells off the coast of
Santa Barbara at American oil installations.
Dr. Yu-Shan Han, Chinese lecturer and educator, stated that the
Japanese Black Dragon Society is both a military and ' * underhanded ' '
organization. (Volume IX, pp. 2692-2715.) He stated that the mem-
bers of the organization perpetrated vengeance on the enemies of
Japanese plans in China. The Black Dragon Society indulges in sabo-
tage, blackmail and assassination.
He testified concerning Japanese Fifth Column activities in China.
He related incidents of sabotage and espionage in China by the Jap-
anese. He told of Japanese disguised as Buddhist priests who measured
the distances in the interior of China for future marches of the Japa-
nese armies. He stated that agents of Hirohito tabulated the metals in
the Chinese temples and other places for future Japanese confiscation.
Dr. Han related instances of Black Dragon kidnappings and Black
Dragon terror in China. He said that the Society maintains an
extremely efficient espionage system in China. The members of the
Society had detected his return to China and had been bold enough to
publish the fact in the newspapers. Dr. Han smiled and said that he
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 339
"beat it." He stated that the Black Dragon Society sows seeds of dis-
cord and is efficient in disseminating sugar-coated propaganda. He
stated that the Japanese are highly trained in sabotage and expressed
the opinion that it would be very foolish for the people of the United
States to trust any of them during this time, whether they were born
in the United States or not.
Japan had been an admirer of Germany for a considerable length
of time and this admiration has been manifested by the Japanese in
China. All German Nationals had been treated well in the Far East
by the Japanese. He stated that the Japanese do not feel friendly to
the Americans in the Orient. It was his opinion that the German
Nazis have been putting pressure on the Japanese in China to compel
them to follow policies beneficial to Germany 's war aims.
He declared that the Japanese troops had been very brutal to
Chinese captives and that they had been particularly vicious and cruel
in torturing Chinese women. Chinese books were destroyed and the
Japanese invaders took whatever caught their fancy in occupied ter-
ritories. He had watched the Japanese load the property of civilians
into steam launches on Soochow Creek across from the university where
he had taught. He saw a Japanese Colonel take a valuable painting
at the point of a gun in Hanchow.
Although he believed the Japanese people had been suffering severely
because of heavy war expenditures over the past several years, that,
because of their training, they would not complain. The Chinese people
will resist to the very end, Dr. Han declared, because they were con-
vinced that life would not be worth living if they were conquered by
the Japanese.
P. D. Perkins was teaching the Japanese language at the University
of Southern California when he testified February 24, 1942. (Volume
IX, pp. 2716-2747.) He stated that he had taken the place of a
Japanese on leave in the Department of Asiatic Studies under Dr.
Chaening. Perkins was born in Windsor, Vermont. He had resided
in Japan since 1935 and had taught English in a school in Kyoto,
Japan, from 1935 to 1939. In 1939 he went to Tokio as a " Shokutabu,"
or a "specialist." He stated that he visited in the United States in
1940 and returned again to Tokio and remained there until October
30, 1941 when he returned to the United States. He established resi-
dence and a bookstore in South Pasadena in 1940 and his wife remained
there to sell books which were sent from Japan. He was acquainted
with Ralph Townsend and a Mr. Williams, both of whom were con-
victed as agents of Japan, because, stated Perkins, "they were in the
United States and I was in Japan." (p. 2718.)
On July 10, 1940, Perkins registered with the United States Depart-
ment of State as an agent of the Japanese Government. He claimed
that he had been released from this registration on January 9, 1942.
He registered, he claimed, because he had been notified by the State
Department that it would be necessary for him to do so. He had listed
himself as a "public relations" counsel for the Japanese Consulate
in New York. He stated that his duties were "a little bit technical,"
and explained that they were actually "not duties," but financial
arrangements with the Japanese Government. He contended that the
Japanese Government refused to allow any foreigner to send more than
340 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
100 yen out of Japan and that this amount was not sufficient for
the living expenses of his family in the United States. One hundred
yen, he explained, amounted to about $23.50 in American money.
After the Matsuoka Ministry came into power in Japan, Perkins
stated, pro-American friends asked him to resign from his position
there. "Friends and former students" arranged for him to trans-
fer out of the State Department in Tokio so that he would be "beyond
their control, ' ' and thus enabled him to get funds out of Japan. Per-
kins had registered with the United States Department of State as
"Public Relations Advisor for the Japanese Consulate" and this also
was his title in the Personnel Office in Tokio.
Being closely examined in reference to his duties, Perkins explained
that about 90 per cent of his work consisted in translating American
newspaper headlines and by-lines into the Japanese language or "the
Japanese equivalent." These translations, he admitted, were then
turned over to the Japanese State Department in Tokio. It is to be
noted that Perkins did not turn the translations over to the depart-
ment for which he was supposed to be working, the Japanese Con-
sulate. His salary for this work from 1930 until 1940 amounted to
500 yen a month.
He stated that he "thought very highly of Yoshida Kuno," now
deceased. Yoshida Kuno once taught the Japanese language and cul-
ture at the University of California at Berkeley and also at Stanford
University. Perkins stated that he had taken courses under Kuno at
Stanford.
He had a "very general" knowledge of the Okubo Decade System.
He stated that the Okubo family was "one of the main families" of
Japan and that the Okubo program was a plan for the expansion
of Japan as a world power. He also was familiar with the Tanaka
Memorial in a general way.
He claimed that the literature sold in his bookstore in Soutn Pasa-
dena was neither pro- nor anti-Japanese and described it as consisting
merely of "language books" used in the university and in the Army
and Navy Academy. He emphatically stated that these books did not
contain propaganda and that the books he had given away were "only
review copies." He admitted that he had once distributed a book
comprised of the addresses on the Sino- Japanese conflict given in
America by Yakachuro Suma, a Japanese. He admitted that Suma
was the Director of the Information Bureau of the Foreign Office in
Japan and that he had formerly been attached to the Embassy in
Washington. "He was my superior, after Mr. Obai. " (p. 2723.)
He had brought the book of addresses with him from Japan. (The
Director of the Information Bureau of the Foreign Office of Japan
is similar to the German Propaganda position held by Dr. Goebbels in
the Nazi Ministry of Education and Enlightenment.) Under further
questioning Perkins admitted that Yakachuro Suma had published the
book in question for him. He had "less than 50" of the books on
hand at the time of testifying and stated that he had received "either
$2 or $2.50 apiece for them." (p. 2724.) Perkins offered in evidence
the Customs slip listing the books he had brought with him from Japan.
He stated that he had also submitted this list to the United States
Consular Office in Tokio.
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 341
Joseph Shinoda, a wholesale florist, testified that he was born in
Oakland and lived in Southern California for about 20 years. (Volume
X, pp. 3120-3126.)
He stated that he had known George Knox Roth for about a month
and a half at the time of testifying. He denied that he had con-
tributed money to Roth though he admitted having offered to "help
him on some other expenses, but he refused. ' ' These ' i expenses ' ' were
explained as expenses that would necessarily arise out of trying to
"help us" — the Japanese- American citizens. "We felt, * * *
we had something to contribute and we didn't think the things that
were being thrust upon us were to our best interests * * *. " He
stated that the offer of assistance to George Knox Roth was made at
the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. He had become acquainted with
Roth while he (Shinoda) was "temporarily in the produce business"
at the Seventh Street Terminal. Roth came there and he had seen him
several times in Little Tokio.
Tokie Slocum is a Japanese member of the American Legion.
(Volume X, pp. 3038-3048.) He had been active for several weeks
before testifying in assisting Federal and State investigating groups
concerned with the Japanese problem. He admitted having known
George Knox Roth for about two months.
He was chairman of the Anti-Axis Committee, succeeding to the
chairmanship after Fred Tayama had vacated it. He stated that the
Issei looked upon the Anti-Axis Committee as a "policing group." A
lack of discipline existed in the committee and there was much dissen-
sion and he believed that the disruption was possibly due to pressure
from the Issei. (Alien Japanese.) He was also the chairman of the
Intelligence Unit of the Ant i- Axis Committee. The membership of
this group was drawn from various organizations and was representa-
tive of the Japanese community. He claimed that the Anti-Axis Com-
mittee had investigated the Japanese language schools and that the
committee had clamped down on them when the schools tried to reopen.
He had heard of large sums of money being collected through the
Japanese vegetable associations for Japan and that the money was
reported being sent to Japan through the Japanese Consuls to help
the war effort of Nippon. He branded the Japanese Veterans' Associa-
tion as a pro-Japanese patriotic organization. He stated that there
were a large number of alien vegetable growers in Southern California
and because of the money they had invested in their ventures, it would
necessarily be expeditious for them to attempt to prevent evacuation.
Joe Shinoda had invited George Knox Roth to appear before the
Anti-Axis Committee and Slocum had seen Roth a half a dozen times
since then. It was possible, he believed, that Shinoda had given Roth
money for his radio broadcasts. He stated that Shinoda owned the
San Lorenz Nursery which is the largest Japanese nursery in Southern
California. He had overheard Shinoda tell Roth that he (Shinoda)
would underwrite something. This conversation took place in the
Biltmore Hotel.
Tokie Slocum denied having given George Knox Roth money in
Simon's Restaurant as had been alleged.
342 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He stated that he was a naturalized citizen of the United States by
a special Act of Congress in honor of his services in World War I. He
served in France with Sergeant York.
He declared that he had been "sandwiched in between two political
feuds" and felt that city councilman Koy Hampton had been careless
in his statements. He emphatically denied that he had been 'a
' ' go-between ' ' giving money to Eoth raised by the Japanese.
City Councilman Edward L. Thrasher stated that shortly after the
declaration of war, 39 or 40 Japanese employees under Los Angeles
city civil service were informed that they would be forced to retire.
(Volume X, pp. 3126-3129.) He stated that George Knox Koth
appeared before the Civil Service Commission of the City of Los
Angeles and demanded of the Commission that the Japanese be retained
in their jobs. Councilman Thrasher placed the date of Roth's appear-
ance before the Commission as around March 1, 1942.
Thrasher was later informed by a representative of the Mayor's
office that Roth had appeared before the Mayor and had insisted that
the Japs be kept on the pay roll.
Thrasher later observed a number of Japanese congregating in Coun-
cilman Norris E. Nelson's office in the City Hall. He learned that
Roth was appearing in Nelson's office with the Japanese, attempting to
induce Nelson to intercede for them to retain them on the city pay
roll. According to Thrasher, Roth offered Nelson large insurance
contracts from the Japanese if Nelson would intercede in their behalf.
Thrasher testified that he received this information from one of the
Japanese who had attended the meeting in Councilman Nelson's office.
He concluded his testimony by stating that Councilman Norris E.
Nelson was in the insurance business.
George Knox Roth first testified October 15, 1941. (Volume III,
pp. 845-861.) He had been subpenaed in connection with the testi-
mony of Tom Kirk regarding alleged wire-tapping activities in con-
nection with Los Angeles city politics and elections. At that time,
Knox testified, he had been working as a stenographer in the Depart-
ment of Agriculture for the State of California and that this employ-
ment had ceased about a week before his appearance before the com-
mittee. He had been connected with the Clifford E. Clinton organiza-
tion up to January 1, 1940. He offered the committee a book entitled
Los Angeles County Government; Departmental Services, 1934, and
read portions from it by Dr. Samuel C. May from the University of
California outlining Dr. May's political philosophy.
After Pearl Harbor, Roth started a series of radio broadcasts over
Radio Station KMTR in Los Angeles. The theme of these broadcasts,
generally, opposed the evacuation of the Japanese from California's
coastal area. The broadcasts were alleged to be under the auspices of
the Public Affairs Committee of Los Angeles. The committee's repre-
sentatives obtained transcriptions of Roth's broadcasts and he was
subpenaed March 24, 1942, for examination concerning them. (Volume
X, pp. 2908-2932; 2966; 2973-2987.)
He stated that he was the secretary of the Public Affairs Committee
of Los Angeles. He was extremely vague and evasive as to just what
the Public Affairs Committee of Los Angeles was, who its organizers
were, the identity of its members and when it came into being. He
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 343
stated that "Late in 1940 a group of former college friends
felt that something ought to be done * * * to improve conditions
in local affairs. ' ' Acting on this ' ' feeling ' ' of his friends, Roth stated
that he mailed out about 200 letters addressed to persons whom he knew
to be interested in municipal and county affairs, and thus a Public
Affairs Committee was " organized. " It apparently had no constitu-
tion, by-laws or regulations and did not have a president, a board of
directors or officers other than Roth himself. He stated that the organ-
ization met from time to time with ' ' different ones. ' ' He claimed that
he had held these meetings ' ' for the past three months ' ' ; the last one
having been held two weeks previous. He stated that the policies of
the organization were the policies of the persons who contributed funds
to it.
He stated that he was born in Denver, Colorado, and had resided
there until 1920 when he came to Los Angeles. He did special research
work under Samuel May at the University of California and attended
Claremont College and the University of Southern California, where
he graduated with a Masters7 Degree in June of 1934. He stated that
he became interested in politics about that time and had worked in
Upton Sinclair's Epic campaign. Later he was engaged in the Unem-
ployed Cooperatives. He stated that he headed the Department of
Rehabilitation under the Los Angeles County board of supervisors and
functioned in this capacity until June 1, 1936, when it was abandoned.
He became an investigator for Clifford E. Clinton in October of 1938
and continued in this position until March of 1939. He was again
employed in this capacity in June of 1939 and continued until January
of 1940. He then served with the Citizens' Independent Vice Investi-
gating Committee (CIVIC). Later he was employed in the State
Department of Agriculture as a stenographer and severed his connec-
tion with this department on February 28, 1942. He stated that his
actual duties with the Department of Agriculture were those of a
"bench chemist.'* He claimed that it was his job to analyze the
"sprays." He was not allowed to go to those places where vegetables
were displayed except when picking up samples offered by commission
merchants. He stated that Japanese aliens and citizens came to his
laboratory "in response to a summons" or "came in for information
which was given by the chief Qhemist."
He claimed that the administrative assistant of the State Department
of Agriculture, Mr. Cramer, had notified the Tolan Investigating Com-
mittee (investigating the Japanese situation in California) that he had
not been employed in the State Department of Agriculture since Febru-
ary 28, 1942, and that this accounted for the discrepancy in his testi-
mony before the Tolan Committee. He explained this by stating that
a vacation period had been extended to him from February 28 to March
8, 1942. He added, "I didn't realize I was severed from the pay roll."
He admitted that his radio broadcasts discussed the effect of the
evacuation of the Japanese from southern California. The first broad-
cast in the name of the Public Affairs Committee was on the evening of
February 28 or March 1, 1942. He broadcast six times a week follow-
ing the first broadcast, from 7.15 to 7.30 p.m. over Radio Station KMTR.
He contended that he did not have a list of the names of the members of
the Public Affairs Committee but stated that there were some 25 people
344 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
on the committee. It was these people, Roth explained, who contributed
the money to him out of which he paid for the broadcasts. The mem-
bers of the Public Affairs Committee did not have membership cards
and the organization did not maintain a bank account in the name of
the committee. He stated that he did not keep books but estimated
that he had received $625 or $635 altogether.
He admitted having stated over the radio that he hoped the Army
would listen to reason and that the Japanese citizen-farmers would be
permitted to remain in the coastal areas to produce vegetables. He
stated that he had given statistics to indicate how vegetable production
in California would suffer if the Japanese were evacuated and estimated
that $60,000,000 worth of produce would not be produced if the Jap-
anese were sent away. He stated that this figure was based on statistics
given to the Tolan Committee and predicted on public records. He
contended that Caucasians are unable to produce vegetables as effici-
ently or as inexpensively as the Japanese. He stated that his radio
broadcasts pertained to Los Angeles County conditions. (Transcrip-
tions of his broadcasts indicated strong pro- Japanese feeling and con-
tained such allegations as "the Japanese have been and are our
friends, "etc.)
He denied the allegations of Los Angeles city councilman Roy Hamp-
ton that he had received money from a Japanese in Simon 's Restaurant
in downtown Los Angeles on March llth or 12th of 1942.
Under close questioning he finally admitted he had received some
money from persons of Japanese descent for his Public Affairs Commit-
tee broadcasts and finally estimated that the amount was "something
like $510." He said that the money had been given to him by close
personal friends and he refused to name these persons. He first con-
tended that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would object if he gave
the committee the names of the Japanese who had contributed funds
to him for the broadcasts. He was excused while the chairman of the
committee telephoned the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The
bureau not only denied Roth's statement but sent two representatives
to the Assembly Chambers in the State Building where the hearing was
being held. Roth conferred with them in the corridor of the building
and was told that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had no objection
to him testifying. He was recalled to the stand and the questions were
put in many ways and he still refused to name the Japanese. Charges
were preferred against Roth and he was tried and convicted for viola-
tion of Penal Code Section 87 in the Municipal Court of Los Angeles.
Fred Masaru Tayama was a former restaurant operator, insurance
broker and, at the time of testifying, an evacuee at Manzanar. (Vol-
ume X, pp. 2961-2965—2968-2972—2988-2990.) He was born in Hono-
lulu and had received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engi-
neering from the A. R. Muir Institute of Technology of Chicago. He
stated that he had resided in southern California since 1929.
He was familiar with the Japanese- American Citizens' League witli
headquarters located at 2031 Bush Street in the City of San Francisco.
He stated that there were 66 chapters and approximately 20,000 mem-
bers with about 7,000 of them in southern California. He stated that
to be eligible for membership in this organization, the applicant
must be an American citizen of Japanese parentage, 18 years of age
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 345
or over. He stated that the organization checked up on the birth cer-
tificates of applicants for membership and that applicants were com-
pelled to sign an oath of the truth of the statements contained in their
application. He stated that he was, at the time of testifying, the chair-
man of the Southern California District Council of the Japanese-
American Citizens' League and that he had held this position since
September of 1941. He stated that the chairman heads 20 chapters in
the Southern District Council, which covers San Luis Obispo south with
one chapter in Phoenix, Arizona.
After December 7, 1941, the Japanese- American Citizens' League had
created an Anti-Axis Committee. It had been formed voluntarily and
Tayama had called the Nisei leaders together in Los Angeles imme-
diately upon receipt of the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He
stated that by 5 p.m. on the day of December 7, 1941, the Anti-Axis
Committee had been organized in the office of the Eafu Shimpo. An
Intelligence Unit was set up in the Anti-Axis Committee to assist Fed-
eral officials with problems pertaining to Japanese- Americans and aliens
and to report 011 subversive activities.
He was also a member of the Japanese Y. M. C. A. and served on
its Board of Directors. He was a member of the Japanese Union
Church (Christian). In support of his contention that he had been
expatriated from Japanese dual citizenship, he offered the committee a
letter from the Japanese Consul General in San Francisco dated
December 10, 1925, confirming his expatriation. He stated that he had
been advised in 1923 that he must apply to the Japanese Consul General
for military extension or exemption and learned, at that time, that he
was considered a* citizen of Japan and subject to military duty. He
investigated and learned the details and found that he had been regis-
tered by relatives in Japan. With this knowledge he took steps to
expatriate himself.
He contended that he had been "too busy with other affairs" to
learn of subversive activities 011 the part of the Japanese-Americans in
Los Angeles prior to December 7, 1941.
He placed the average age of the Nisei at around 19J or 20 years.
Because they were mostly minors, he stated that, therefore, they
do not control the business organizations of the Japanese and do not
have much influence. He believed that the Issei had endeavored at all
times to maintain the traditions of Japan in the United States. It was
his opinion that if the war had been deferred for five or six years until
the Niseis would have had an opportunity to have taken over the Jap-
anese organizations and the operation of the businesses; had become
heads of families, etc., the situation would have been far different
from what it was at the time of testifying. He stated that the Issei
expected to be placed in detention camps in the event of war with Japan
and said that the Nisei were willing to go.
He had heard of the Black Dragon Society as an organization headed
by an elderly man, Mitsuru Toyama, who lived in Japan.
He presented the committee with a copy of a radiogram purported
to have originated in Honolulu and signed by the Chamber of Com-
merce there, denying rumors of Japanese Fifth Column activities in
Honolulu on December 7, 1941.
346 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He believed that the majority of the Issei are loyal to Japan and
that the majority of the Nisei are loyal to the United States. He
believed that this was because the Issei had been refused United States
citizenship, and felt that if they had been permitted to become citizens,
they might have been loyal.
He had known Tomo Kasurui, Consul of Japan who had been located
in Los Angeles. He stated that Kasurui was the spokesman for the
Japanese Foreign Office in Japan, at the time of Tayama's testifying.
He stated that Kasurui had confided to him in 1935 that there was apt
to be a conflict between the United States and Japan.
8
ACTIVITIES OF JAPANESE EVACUEES
Dr. John Lechner stated that a tremendous movement is on foot to
soften up the American people in reference to the Japanese in the
relocation centers. He stated that the Japanese in the centers are
taking advantage of this situation. (Volume XVI, pp. 3933-3980.)
In this connection he offered the committee a sheaf of notes that were
made by a Japanese- American at one of the camps. He stated that the
notes were in the Japanese-American 's own handwriting. He explained
that the Government had decreed that Japanese-American citizens
and other Japanese in the evacuation centers were not permitted to
listen to radio broadcasts, but that the Government had given permis-
sion to small groups to act as committees to listen to radio news
broadcasts of the day and then, in turn, to rebroadcast over a camp
radio-broadcasting system, the news as compiled by tHe Japanese com-
mittee for the benefit of the evacuees. These broadcasts, of course,
were in the Japanese language. He stated that the notes taken by his
Japanese informant are significant in that they prove that all of the
information rebroadeast to the Japanese evacuees was pro-Jap. The
Japanese losses were never rebroadcast. The following translations
from some of the broadcasts are typical :
' i France might as well fly the swastika. ' '
' ' Tokio is waiting for a complete collapse of the Soviet. ' '
"When the Japanese attack Siberia it will be sudden
and decisive."
"Japanese Russian propaganda is very aetive against
the Communists and the Communist United States. ' '
"When Russia is beaten she will become like China."
"Britain, after losing Singapore and Hong Kong, can
not expect to get them back in British hands again. ' '
"Why should India remain under British rule to make
India a British sphere which will eventually turn India
into future British frontier?"
"Unless Britain can influence Jinnah and Nehru against
Gandhi's idea, which is too late, Britain can not turn
India's tide to British satisfaction."
"Big, important meeting in Moscow is another develop-
ment of Allies' discord."
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 347
"Nazi blitz speed is astonishing."
"All of the Pacific will be blacked out and Japanese
may attack the Pacific Coast with submarines."
"Japanese air force is wiping out the United States-
Chinese air force."
"Japanese activities in Australia are on the increase.
The Australians say the air strength is not sufficient to
check the Japanese assault. ' '
' * Japanese planes attack Queensland for the first time. ' '
"Four Japanese planes bomb Tourinville. Japanese
also bornb Darwin. Japanese threat via Buna also
serious. ' '
"One-twentieth of the United States population is in
Australia. Japanese secretly landed in Australia a
month ago when Japanese landed in New Guinea. Jap-
anese again landed at Buna. Allies have not checked
their threat. New United States plane, Mustang, 1,400
horsepower, may out-do Japanese Zero. Burma Japanese
may invade in China or India."
All of these excerpts are from the rebroadcast of August 5, 1942.
On August 4, 1942 similar broadcasts were made. The following
are typical:
"Japanese destroy 55,000 tons of Allied shipping in
last week. Japanese sent more reinforcements. Allies
advancing Buna-Gona area. Japanese submarine sinks
British ship. Another large naval engagement coming.
British attack Burma force and lose."
1 1 Big quake in north of New Zealand. Japanese cruiser
was bombed for second time, but Japanese established an
air field in Cocoda. Gandhi says: 'Unless Allies give
complete independence India may welcome Japs.' The
Japanese at Burma are preparing to start fresh move-
ment into India. Next Friday is the deadline for India 's
independence. Two hundred and nineteen Japanese
planes attack United States air base."
Dr. Lechner stated that no censorship whatever is exercised on the
part of the War Relocation authorities.
On July 28, 1942 :
' ' Japanese landed in Australia in submarines. In New
Guinea Japanese set up at Cocoda, 50 miles from Moresby.
Japanese attack Darwin and Tourinville. In New
Guinea the Japanese are advancing by bicycle troops. ' '
On July 27, 1942 :
"Allies attack Buna. More Japanese landed at Buna;
more at Gona, 160 miles north of Buna. Japanese attack
British force near Moresby. Tojo said: 'Japan holds
the initiative in the Western Aleutians ; Japan will go the
limit to crush the United States and Britain.' "
348 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
On the same date the Japanese announcer stated :
" United States is losing this war because they can not
fill orders for spare parts. Nazis using transport planes.
United States is trying to convert bombers into cargo
planes. C. I. O. Auto Workers' Union demands double
pay for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. During the
first six months of the war 4,000 seamen's lives were lost.
India's situation is more critical. Gandhi demands nego-
tiation with British to grant India complete and immedi-
ate independence or India will become turmoil of trouble.
Our (United States) June production is behind schedule.
Gandhi says: 'Britain is India's friend. India neither
sides with nor rejects the United States or the Axis coun-
tries. India asks the United States, China and Stalin to
induce Britain to accept India's independence plea, but
no one acts. ' Gandhi has political power but not military
power — naturally India relies on Japanese aid. Britain
today ordered all essential commodity dealers closed.
What next?"
On July 21, 1942:
" Japanese attack Fort Moresby with 41 planes.
'Don't neglect Australia for Japanese pilots are darn
good and are a good match for United States fliers.' "
Under date of July 19, 1942 :
"Japanese carried out their plans. India will become
yoke of Japan after this Friday."
On August 7, 1942 :
"Only 1 per cent of United States production, or
three days production in Australia. How can Australia
stop the Japanese? United States is losing this war
unless it can produce more war material, and the United
States can make this a total war. Only a trickle of sup-
plies come into Australia. Japanese are undoubtedly
occupying many important coastal regions on the conti-
nent of Australia. We are beaten in India, Turkey and
losing in Siberia and Australia. If Russia gives in the
United States must lose China and Australian interests.
There may be a negotiated peace."
Dr. Lechner testified that it was his opinion that the United States
Government is making a big mistake in the civilian administration of
the Japanese relocation centers. He stated emphatically that he
agreed with the American Legion that the administration of the camps
should be under the supervision of the Army and not in civilian hands.
He told of a Mr. Myers, who had had no experience before his associa-
tion with the War Relocation Board or Authority, and who knew
nothing of the Japanese, being sent to the West Coast as an expert in
charge of the Japanese relocation centers. He stated that Mr. Myers
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES 349
had delivered an address on the Fourth of July, 1942, in which he
apologized to the 12,000 Japanese at Manzanar for the big mistake
that the United States Government had made in evacuating them in
the first place. Dr. Lechner rendered the opinion that every able-
bodied Japanese male should be put to work in agricultural centers
under strict Army control.
He related incidents occurring at Manzanar in which groups of 10,
12 and 15 Japanese were allowed to travel through Inyo County in
trucks without any restriction whatsoever.
He related an incident which occurred at Camp Lordsburg, New
Mexico. He stated that a number of Japanese prisoners captured dur-
ing the Solomon Islands campaign were brought to the relocation center
at Lordsburg and interned there with the Japanese evacuees. He
stated the civilian administration of the camp permitted the Japanese
prisoners to mingle and talk with the evacuees in the Japanese lan-
guage. On October 29, 1942, Camp Bulletin Number 56 was issued in
mimeographed form by the evacuees. It was in the Japanese language.
The bulletin described the number of Japanese prisoners who had been
brought into the camp a day or two before and gave minute details as
to where they had come from and named the boat that brought them to
the United States ; information, Dr. Lechner contended, withheld from
our own metropolitan newspapers. He stated that the Japanese pris-
oners from the Solomon Islands painted an encouraging picture of
Japanese victories for the Japanese- Americans in the camp, and as a
result, the camp was "all fired up." The following morning saw a
big demonstration staged by both the Japanese- American evacuees and
the Japanese prisoners. He stated that there were several thousand
Japanese participating in the demonstration, marching up and down
through the camp, singing and having a "great time." A loyal Japa-
nese, placed in the camp by the Federal Government, and whose name
was withheld, reported that two or three officials in charge of the camp
felt quite happy concerning the demonstration. One of them said:
' ' Our policy for the relocation board is pretty good ; we are giving them
all the leeway possible; look how happy they are!" The Japanese
informant turned to the official and said : "Do you know what they are
singing?" The official answered, "It doesn't make any difference.
They are happy." The Japanese informant then told the official that
"They are singing the Japanese National Anthem." The official became
alarmed and said, "They can't do that here !" The Japanese informant
then stated: "If you will look at the flag-pole you will see what they
can do!" The official looked at the flag-pole and saw a home-made
Japanese Flag flying from it. During the night the Japanese had run
up the Japanese Flag. Dr. Lechner stated that his report revealed
that it took the threat of Army machine-guns to enable a man to take
down the Japanese Flag.
Dr. John Lechner testified that on August 8, 1942, nearly 500 Ke~bei,
Issei and Nisei gathered in Mess Hall 15, at Manzanar, under the chair-
manship of Ben Kishi. (Volume XVI, pp. 3933-3980.) The meeting,
Dr. Lechner stated, was conducted in the Japanese language by the con-
sent of the center administration and was purportedly called for the
purpose of discussing living conditions. He stated that the meeting
developed into a bitter denunciation of Manzanar policy. He stated
350 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
that one of the scheduled speakers, Kujohi Hashimoto, calling himself
a Kibei-Nisei, hinted that he dared not say how the Kibei-Nisei felt
regarding this country. Joe Kurihara, born in Hawaii, sprang to his
feet and demanded the floor. Kurihara is reported to have said :
"I have never been in Japan, but in my veins flows
Japanese blood ; the blood of Tamato domashii. We citi-
zens have been denied our citizenship rights; we have no
United States citizenship; we are 100 per cent Japanese."
Dr. Lechner stated that a roaring applause and stamping of feet
echoed this declaration on the part of Joe Kurihara. When Carl
Yoneda, another scheduled speaker and the chairman of the War Par-
ticipation Committee, attempted to speak on the need for cooperation
with the Government of the United States in winning the war,
Dr. Lechner stated that he was "booed" and "jeered," so that only
a portion of his speech could be heard. Masajo Tanaka spoke next,
and said :
. »
I am a Ki~bei-Nisei, but the Kibei-Niseis are not
American; they are Japanese. (Loud applause.) The
Kibeis are not loyal to the United States and they might
as well know about it ! But the Kibeis should use their
citizenship rights for their own benefit. I can not under-
stand why there are a few Nisei who still talk about their
citizenship rights, and about American democracy."
Dr. Lechner stated that, realizing the temper of the meeting would
be revealed to the authorities at Manzanar and that such meetings in
the future might be banned, some of the Issei were heard to remark that
"The Japanese soldiers will soon be here to liberate us."
He stated that some time before the meeting in question, at a private
conference between Ted Akahoshi, Issei Chairman of Block leaders at
Manzanar, and two other individuals, Akahoshi made the following
statement in the heat of an argument concerning certain government
orders :
"I want to say this, and I want this to be kept just
among us three. If one of you should happen to tell it to
someone else, I am going to deny it. If Japan loses this
war, we — and I include you citizens, too — will all become
slaves of this country. If Japan wins, we will then tell
them how to run this country."
9
PRO-JAPANESE SYMPATHIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Dr. John Lechner contended that there now exists in the United
States a nationally organized movement to soften the American public
against the time when the Japanese- Americans will be released from
internment centers. (Volume XVI, pp. 3933-3980.) He described this
effort as "a tremendously powerful movement." He stated that there
are several organizations now engaged in a campaign to discredit the
JAPANESE ACTIVITIES . 351
United States Army 's policy of evacuating the Japanese and the policy
of the Government in holding the Japanese in concentration or restricted
areas. Beginning at page 3963 of Volume XVI, Dr. Lechner states :
"This group is comprised largely of church and educa-
tional leaders.
"Here is an article which was written by Norman
Thomas, head of the Socialist Party, and distributed by
the Post -War Council.
"I understand that several hundred thousand (copies)
were sent out. This is a scathing indictment against the
United States policy employed so far as the Japanese are
concerned, and he (Norman Thomas) advocates the imme-
diate release of all Japanese-Americans. Two months
ago Dr. Palmer announced that he had over 1,600 lead-
ing ministers in this country who had signed up as active
members. (Churchmen's Committee for Christian Peace;
Dr. Albert Palmer, chairman and head of the Chicago
Seminary.) Palmer's statement on the unconditional
surrender of Japan is this, as is described. In such
things as these we are getting the first announcement of a
very carefully worked out plan of all of these groups I am
going to mention, for a negotiated peace with Japan.
Speaking of unconditional surrender he said, * This goal is
not likely to be reached by any method of total military
victory ; some kind of negotiated peace is a desirable alter-
native. ' This statement was made in December, 1942.
"They claim to have 12,000 or more active members
throughout the United States. The principal theory is
that war is not compatible with the teachings of Christ.
In addition to that there is the National Committee for
Prevention of Wars. This organization held its National
convention in Philadelphia, November 11, 12, and 13, 1942.
One of the aggressively active leaders is Theodore Walser,
an American missionary to Japan for twenty-three years.
"He spoke before the members of the Pilgrim Church,
one of the large churches(in Washington, D. C. This was
his statement: 'Japan was justified in her attack on Pearl
Harbor. ' He gave for his reason, first, that America had
no right to interfere with Japan's 'Asia for the Asiatics'
policy in the Far East. Secondly, Japan is only doing
what America did to Mexico and to Central and South
American Republics.*
"The National Committee for the Prevention of War
in its convention adopted the following aims for 1943, and
I list five or six points. First, is a negotiated peace with
the Axis powers, following Dr. Albert Palmer's idea.
Second, to give financial and moral aid to conscientious
objectors; three, to give financial aid and scholarships to
Japanese- Americans so that they may complete their uni-
versity education ; four, to release the Japanese from the
relocation camps and give the relocation civilian authori-
352 • UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
ties power to act, because they were, apparently, from
their statements, already conscious of the fact that they
were wielding a great deal of influence over these civilian
authorities. Five, give favorable publicity to the Japa-
nese-Americans and the Japanese point of view in the
public press, and particularly stress that point of view in
church publications throughout America; set up an
employment agency to aid the Japanese as fast as they are
released from the relocation camps.
1 1 Incidentally, one point here about the church publica-
tions. From our information it is very apparent that a
definite policy is being employed to create a favorable atti-
tude toward Japanese-Americans in this country, and so
favorable that naturally we will build up a sympathetic
attitude for Japan. That is what we call the 'softening-
up process' so that these various organizations can put
across with full speed, by the end of 1943, a terrific cam-
paign for a negotiated peace with Japan, and it is a very
clearly worked out scheme.
"As an indication of how far they will go * * * ,
from December 4th to December 14th in Quebec, Canada,
the Institute of Pacific Relations, which has a very power-
ful branch here, held what they called 'a Pacific confer-
ence' for the purpose of discussing post-war problems in
the Pacific area. At that conference the leaders refused
admission of a Korean participant, although they claimed
that they were interested in establishing the Atlantic
Charter of the Four Freedoms in all of the subjugated
nations in the world. Finally after a threat was made to
expose the Pacific Conference held by the Institute of
Pacific Relations, they agreed to allow a Korean as an
observer. The opposition came from some of the mission-
aries who came from Japan, representing the Far East.
"Underneath that whole conference was this underlying
motive, to build there at that Pacific Conference in
Quebec the structure for the cooperation of the Institute
of Pacific Relations for a negotiated peace and the leaders
in that conference were former missionaries and educators
of Japan. Why they had this antipathy for the Korean
was because they felt that if he were a part of the confer-
ence he would expose the things that were going on inside.
That is a matter of fact that Mr. Haan testified to.
"The purpose of these groups, as I stated, is to soften
American public opinion against Japanese and pave the
way for a negotiated peace with Japan."
Dr. John Lechiier, it should be stated, is an ordained minister.
PARTVn
MANKIND UNITED
INTRODUCTION
Early in 1934 a small group of people assembled in the Hotel Leam-
ington in Oakland. A mysterious individual known only as "The
Voice" or "The Speaker" was the principal figure at the meeting. He
was meticulously attired, slender and aloof. He affected a Messiah
attitude and when his eyes were not dreamily intent in contemplation
on matters far removed from his mundane surroundings, they glowed
with intense magnetism on the little group who reverently drank in his
every utterance.
He told them a strange and fantastic story. He went back to a
Christmas Day in 1875 and told of the meeting of a group of mysterious
men. Their names were never known and never will be known. The
Voice designated them as "The Sponsors." They had gathered from
the four corners of the globe, projecting their physical bodies through
space, as The Voice was able to project his own at unbelievable speed,
covering the distance between the United States and China in but a few
seconds. They had gathered to discuss the deplorable conditions exist-
ing in the world — even in 1875. They had not only gathered to discuss
the situation but met with a full determination to do something about
it. They solemnly resolved to launch a world-crusade against war and
poverty and out of the discussions of the meeting emerged an organiza-
tion which became known as "Mankind United."
It was The Sponsors who contacted the superhuman race of little
creatures with large metallic heads who dwell in the center of the earth,
passing the time controlling earthquakes and floods. The support
of this race of little supermen was enlisted in the crusade against
war and poverty and the supernatural powers of the little creatures
were placed at the disposal of The Sponsors. Supernatural control
over men, mystic forces and devices were to be placed in the hands of
Mankind United when the designated day came. These powers, con-
trols and mystic forces included' devices and apparatus whereby traffic
might be brought to a halt and airplanes stopped in midflight;
steel melted from a distance of miles and shells and ammunition ren-
dered incapable of exploding. The little creatures with large metallic
heads would gladly lend of their powers in making all instruments of
war ineffective.
The eyes of The Voice must have glowed with mystic intensity and
meaning as he warned his listeners of the death they would meet if they
ever dared to reveal the secrets of Mankind United.
Since that Christmas Day in 1875 Mankind United had spread
throughout the world. The intervening years had seen branches estab-
lished everywhere. A subsidiary or auxiliary organization was estab-
lished, the International Institute for Universal Research and Adminis-
tration. The members of this scientific institute, working, no doubt.
23— L-2275 ( 353 )
354 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
with the little creatures in the center of the world, developed hitherto
unknown, tremendous and mysterious forces to be harnessed and used
when the proper time came to establish Mankind United in control of
all the governments of the earth.
The Voice spoke to the little group of starry-eyed people in the Leam-
ington Hotel in mysterious terms. He told of the International Legion
of Vigilantes. It was related to them under solemn oaths of secrecy.
Mankind United fought a vicious and heartless group of exploiters and
slavers known as the Hidden Rulers. These powerful rulers were
determined ruthlessly to crush Mankind United-, it was a war to the
death between the two groups. The Hidden Rulers controlled the
world 's wealth and knew that if the crusade initiated by The Sponsors
succeeded that they would be completely destroyed.
Der Tag was near at hand, The Voice notified his entranced listeners.
The Sponsors had determined that the time had come for action. Alas!
There was a catch to it. Before Mankind United might take over all
the governments of the earth, The Sponsors had decided that Mankind
United must have not less than 200,000,000 members. The time, how-
ever, was ripe, The Voice declared, and he had been selected to bring
the 200,000,000 members into the crusade of Mankind United. He had
been granted supernatural powers for this purpose and, because of the
magnitude of the job assigned to him, had been given hundreds of " dou-
ble^"— "automatons," resembling him in every detail and endowed
with his conscience and will, so that he might actually be in many
places simultaneously performing the many duties imposed upon him
by The Sponsors. Within two or three seconds his physical body, or
those of his "doubles" might be transported to any given place in the
world. It was nothing at all for him to go to sleep in San Francisco
and wake up a few seconds later in China or India. This art of ' ' leap-
ing through the air with the greatest of ease ' ' had been brought to such
perfection that The Voice was able to travel from San Francisco to a
ship in mid- Atlantic in but a few seconds and find himself in a state-
room on the ship. It was a very convenient arrangement because The
Voice was not only able to transport himself in this miraculous manner
but was able to bring bales of documents and other physical material
with him, without the inconvenience of customs and immigration offi-
cials.
The selected few who had met with The Voice in the Leamington
Hotel in Oakland had been signally honored. To them was assigned
the task of organizing Mankind United in California. The Sponsors
had caused a book to be written and it was appropriately entitled
"Mankind United." They were to go forth and recruit members for
Mankind United and to sell copies of The Sponsors' book. The volume
itself had mysterious and supernatural qualities that would be
explained to all of the members at a later day. The job before them
for the present was to find 200,000,000 people to buy the books so that
the day of reckoning for the Hidden Rulers and the existing govern-
ments of the world would be hastened.
MANKIND UNITED 355
MANKIND UNITED FANTASY
Literature of the organization was soon in circulation and the mem-
bership grew at such a pace that it became necessary for The Voice to
divide the State of California into bureaus. The men who conducted
these bureaus became known as "Bureau managers." The Nordic
Service Bureau, the Latin Service Bureau, the Ray of Light Bureau,
the Star of the East Bureau and more than a hundred others sprang
into existence throughout California, A pioneer edition of the book
Mankind United sold for $100 a copy. Ordinary volumes, printed and
bound in the same manner as the $100 copy, sold for $20 each and
even as low as $2 each. The membership fees were $20. By 1935 and
1936 groups were meeting throughout the State and learning of the
little creatures with large metallic heads who dwell in the center of the
earth and who control the earthquakes and the floods. They began to
hear the stories of the miraculous devices invented and developed by
the International Institute for Universal Research and Administration ;
of death rays and strange inventions that could paralyze automobile
traffic and bring airplanes to an abrupt halt in midflight. Each Man-
kind United Bureau group believed that they were small units of a
world-wide organization waiting only for the appointed day to end
war and poverty and to take over all the governments of the world
simultaneously. They spoke in awe and reverence of The Voice or The
Speaker, as he was sometimes called. They believed The Voice was
merely a connecting link between the bureaus and The Sponsors of the
great international organization.
In 1940 and 1941 the citizens of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno
and other cities in California, might have seen yellow mimeographed
circulars generously and profusely circulated in downtown districts.
They advertised the secret showing of a motion picture and outlined
a method whereby an interested party might view the film. Devious
ways and means were provided for gaining permission to view the
mysterious picture. Absolute secrecy was demanded of each applicant
who was granted this privilege. The Fact-Finding Committee on
Un-American Activities in California learned that these films were
being exhibited during this period both at the headquarters of the
German-American Bund and the Communist Party headquarters in
San Francisco and in Los Angeles.
Within a few days of the bombing of Pearl Harbor investigators for
the committee learned that the bureaus of Mankind United throughout
the State had suddenly become beehives of activity. Members had been
ordered by bureau managers to lay in supplies of food and clothing,
to secure blankets and water in sealed containers in preparation for
the time of confusion and siege which would necessarily be incident
to Mankind United taking over the government. They were ordered
to cooperate in the preparation of large maps detailing the location of
airplane factories, shipyards, police and radio stations, hospitals, tun-
nels, railroad lines and bridges. They were ordered to time themselves
in order to ascertain how long it would take to go from certain central
points to the homes of non-members within certain specified limits.
356 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Bureau managers were summoned to San Francisco for a conference
with The Voice and returned to tell their respective members that they
must not purchase United States War Bonds or Stamps. The members
were informed by the bureau managers that military units such as
the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps had been formed for the purpose
of providing the armed forces of the United States with uniformed
prostitutes. They were informed that the government had deliberately
sent most of the armed forces abroad in order to leave the Nation
defenseless against invasion and that the few remaining troops were
being rapidly shifted about the country to create an illusion of a large
protective force at home. They were told that President Roosevelt had
personally ordered the bombing of Tokio in his desire to provoke
Japanese retaliation in a bombing of the Pacific Coast. This was
desirable on the part of the President, they declared, in order to create
an excuse for the declaration of martial law so that he might be set up
as a permanent dictator.
The members of the committee were convinced of the subversive
character of the organization and its leaders. In this mystic realm of
strange mental distortions several thousand distressed people were
groping through the mist of their own bef uddlement in search of some
panacea for their ills; activated by an insane web of fantasy spun
from the brain of a designing charlatan and working with frantic zeal
to thwart the war effort of their own government.
The committee decided to subpena the known leaders of the organi-
zation. Those called to testify are as follows :
George Governeur Ash well Guy McKinley Wright
Arthur Lowber Bell Chester Cleveland Cook
Dr. Eugene Wadsworth Brown Walter Henry Chris Peters
P. J. Cardoza Eugene W. Laisiie
A. Ray Elsea Bay Burns Sharp
Willard E. Franke Dema Jane Fleming
Fern Ruth Lewis John William Peck
Orlando Meniketti James Everett Coe
Cora Wickham Robert M. Schuler
2
MANKIND UNITED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Mrs. Fern Ruth Lewis has been a resident of San Bernardino for
15 years. (Volume X, pp. 3004-3027.) She had been a member of
Mankind United for about two years. She had become affiliated
through her acquaintance with a woman she had met in a beauty shop
where she was working as a cosmetologist. The woman gave her
(Lewis) a copy of Mien Kampf and Mrs. Lewis gave her $5 as her
initiation fee for membership in Mankind United. The woman told
Mrs. Lewis of a miraculous ' ' ray machine ' ' that was to be demonstrated
by the organization at a cottage near Lake Arrowhead. Mrs. Lewis
became a member of the Ruth-Ann Bureau, headed by Dr. Eugene
W. Brown. The bureau met in Los Angeles and had between 50 and
100 members.
Dr. Brown told the members of the Ruth-Ann Bureau that they
were all protected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mrs.
MANKIND UNITED 357
Lewis stated that the bureau was in possession of maps of all cities
along the coast of southern California and that these maps were
displayed in meetings of the Ruth-Ann Bureau. Dr. Brown told the
members that if the inactive affiliates failed to obey the orders of the
active members that dire things might happen to them. "You know
what the Gestapo did to the people of France ! ' ' Mrs. Lewis reported
Dr. Brown as significantly declaring. She described the maps of the
areas in question as being very thorough and stated that the homes of
members of Mankind United were marked with colored pins indicating
active and inactive members. The white pins were for the active
members and the pink pins for those who were inactive. She said that
all public buildings were marked and that the number of employees
working in the buildings were listed together with any members of
Mankind United who might also work with them. She never learned
the exact purpose of the maps, although she claimed that Dr. Brown
had hinted that they were to be used for sabotaging the war effort
when the time came.
Following the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dr. Brown
had advised the members to lay in supplies of food and bedding. All
members of Mankind United were to be ready when sabotage hit the
country so that they would be prepared to take over the government.
He warned them that they should lay in sufficient food for three
months and should be supplied with boiled water, first aid kits, etc.
He strongly indicated that there would be general chaos at some time
in the very near future. The active members of Mankind United had
little to wony about, according to Dr. Brown, as he indicated that
they would be protected. He told them to ascertain how long it
would take each of them to go to each others homes in their particular
community because when the " message " came, it must be relayed to
each of the members and that "an hour was all the time" they would
have.
^ Mrs. Lewis stated that Dr. Brown told the purchasers of the book,
"Mankind United/' that there was a secret message contained in it
and that this message could be clearly brought out with a simple
household appliance. She declared that she had ruined two books
attempting to find the message.
The map for the City of Los Angeles was very thorough, Mrs. Lewis
stated. It indicated everything very clearly in the area, including
tunnels and power outlets.
The objectives of Mankind United, as outlined by Dr. Brown were
the achievement of complete unity of all people and the establishment
of equal wages and equal living conditions. This objective was to be
attained by the use of force and the world-wide sabotage of war efforts.
Mrs. Lewis told the committee that she had come to the conclusion
that the members were held in the organization by fear and that the
real purposes of its leaders were being concealed from the members
and the general public. She stated that she believed the organization
to be subversive. She estimated the number of members in southern
California as more than 11,500. She had heard of The Speaker and
had also heard him referred to as The Voice.
The place where the demonstration of the ray machine was held was
alleged to have been located in Cajon Pass and was known to be the
358 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
headquarters of the Nazis. She stated that the caretaker of the place
was a German who could barely speak English.
Dr. Brown had exhibited a picture to the members of Mankind
United in San Bernardino and Mrs. Lewis stated that during the show-
ing of the film he "pranced up and down and had the people in tears
through fear.'7
She had heard Dr. Brown tell of The Speaker's ability to transport
himself about the earth at will and of the little men in the center of
the earth who controlled the earthquakes and floods.
She stated that while the regular initiation fee was $20 she had only
paid $5.
A man by the name of Eugene Messenger collected the membership
money in San Bernardino for delivery to Dr. Brown in Los Angeles.
She stated that Dr. Brown had reported to the membership a meet-
ing of bureau managers which had been held in San Francisco, in
September of 1939. He stated that an army of 10,000 saboteurs were
ready in the United States.
Mrs. Lewis testified that she knew of groups of Mankind United in
Colton, but that there were none in Riverside to her knowledge.
A. Ray Elsea had been the manager of the Eay of Light Bureau of
Mankind United since December of 1938. (May 12, 1942 Hearing,
pp. 87-104.) He had been a student of metaphysics. He admitted
having heard The Voice speak. He had heard The Speaker tell of his
travels and of having "lost consciousness ' ' and waking up in other
parts of the world. He denied ever having heard of saboteurs main-
tained by Mankind United and regarded the accomplishments of the
organization in the same light as the miracles performed by Jesus. He
denied ever having heard of instructions from The Speaker regarding
the preparation of maps.
He stated that the source of his income was through the "normal
channels" of bureau collections and that he devoted his entire time to
the work of the bureau and lived by it. He claimed that he made
financial reports at bureau manager meetings and that the money col-
lected by him was turned over to a Mrs. Bess D. Comfort and a Mrs.
Erwin, who constitute a financial committee for the purpose of receiving
money. A Max Miller of the A. P. Roberts Bureau of Palo Alto also
served on the ' ' financial committee. ' ' He denied having any knowledge
of the disposition of the funds.
He was able to recall a description of the mechanisms of Mankind
United published in the bulletins of the organization. The committee
had heard of a device allegedly developed by the International Institute
of Universal Research and Administration which, when properly in
operation, caused people's eyes "to pop out of their head." Mr. Elsea
admitted that he believed that this device had been described in the
text of the book, "Mankind United" or some of the organization's
literature.
Dr. Wadsworth Brown was subpenaed and testified February 24,
1942 (Volume IX, pp. 2658-2678). He was drugless physician and
doctor o.f chiropratic by training and his profession was that of "lec-
turer." He was a graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic
and had resided in Los Angeles since 1916.
MANKIND UNITED 359
He was not acquainted with a man by the name of Arthur L. Bell
and had only heard of this individual through the newspapers and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was acquainted with a man who
was known by the name of George Ashwell and had known him for
about three years. He had met him at various gatherings of "teachers
and seekers," — seekers after the truth. While he was not acquainted
with Arthur L. Bell, he admitted having seen and heard The Speaker,
who was sometimes also referred to as The Voice. He stated vaguely
and mysteriously that he had seen one who seemed to be The Speaker
or The Voice on many occasions, intimating that it might not have been,
after all. He had heard The Voice mention an apparatus which could
destroy all war machinery (p. 2668). "We are against war because
it causes suffering and poverty," he added. He believed the inter-
national bankers represent the "hidden powers" that cause wars. All
instructions to the bureau managers and its members come "through"
The Speaker, he alleged.
He averred that Mankind United had existed since Christmas day in
1875. He had belonged to the organization since August of 1938 and
was the manager of the Ruth- Ann Bureau. He had knowledge of the
Ray of Light Bureau in Los Angeles and the George Ashwell Bureau,
whose location he did not indicate. He knew of no other bureaus. The
Ruth-Ann Bureau had sold between two and three hundred copies of
the book, "Mankind United." He claimed to know nothing of the
financial status of Arthur L. Bell or the organization of Mankind
United in California. He had no knowledge of where the books were
printed. He remembered having attended bureau managers meetings
but could not remember when or where or how many he had attended
or who was present with him. He claimed to know nothing of "trained
saboteurs ' ' maintained by the organization.
He knew vaguely of the International Registration Bureau but did
not know where it was located or anything about it. He claimed he
had never heard of "the little men in the center of the earth with
metallic heads who control floods and earthquakes." He would not
dispute their existence.
He denied that Mankind United actually had members. He explained
that there was no actual membership in the organization and its sup-
porters were only interested persons. The objective of the organiza-
tion was "security and abundance" for the "persons interested."
Being pressed for the number of members in the Ruth-Ann Bureau, he
finally stated that it consisted of "possibly a thousand" persons who
were merely "interested." He stated that the goal of Mankind United
for membership (or "interested persons") is 200 million people. He
stated mysteriously that the policies of the organization change "suffici-
ently to cooperate with the law" (p. 2676). The bureau managers
receive no salary. They do receive certain revenues from the sale of
books.
He admitted having seen the organization's motion picture, "Dealers
in Death."
He stated that there was no accounting of the funds in the organiza-
tion and that it was not deemed necessary. The members do not
demand audits and the bureau managers never question the disposition
of the money they turn into the San Francisco headquarters.
360 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Dr. Brown was recalled May 12, 1942 (May, 1942, Hearing, pp. 2-62
and 104-109). At this hearing he reiterated much of his previous
history. He stated that the greater part of his duties as the manager
of the Ruth-Ann Bureau was relaying messages to ' * interested people ' '
from The Speaker. He stated that these messages came on the average
of once a month and that the Ruth-Ann Bureau put out bulletins con-
veying the messages to its members or 1 1 interested people. ' '
The last meeting of the bureau managers was held on May 4, 1942.
"At least one of him," (meaning one of The Speaker's doubles) was
present and he "thought" that less than 20 bureau managers were in
attendance. He contacted George Ashwell while in San Francisco for
the meeting. The meeting was held in the St. Francis Hotel. At that
time he received instructions from The Speaker.
The Speaker occasionally sent messages by telegraph to bureau man-
agers and Dr. Brown identified one such telegram of February 14, 1942,
which was signed "Division Superintendent." He stated that the tele-
grams were sometimes signed "Department A."
He had never heard of Mrs. Ruth Lewis until he read her name in
the Los Angeles newspapers after she had testified before the com-
mittee. He later found her name on his records as an " enrollee. ' ' He
ventured the opinion that she was a "detective." He stated: "We
are not quite as green as we might look" (p. 19).
He explained that he had become interested in Mankind United
because of the similarity of its philosophy to Edward Bellamy's "Look-
ing Backward.'' He had then joined the Faith Grace Bureau, which
was headed by Bess D. Comfort. This bureau was located on South
Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles and the meeting place was at Ninth and
Grand. He had known Eay A. Elsea, the manager of the Ray of Light
Bureau, since the fall of 1938, although he had never attended any of
the meetings of the Ray of Light Bureau. He stated that he knew
Mrs. Gertrude W. Erwin, who was manager of the Hall-Gardner
Bureau. He identified other bureau managers.
He received some revenue from the sale of health food products and
had filed an income tax return for the year 1941. His bookkeeper,
Alice Erdman, was responsible for making tax returns for the Ruth-
Ann Bureau. "We are told to lean backwards," he commented, "in
obeying the law * * *" (p. 27).
He related some of the "peculiar happenings" concerning the
"doubles" of The Speaker. He identified bulletins, telegrams, and
other documents connected with the organization which were entered
in the committee's record. He stated that his files for the bureau
were maintained at 1325 Ingraham Street in Los Angeles and that it
included the lists of "registrants" with their addresses. Marion Huff
kept a set of books for the San Bernardino Division of the Ruth-Ann
Bureau. She maintains a "captain's unit" there, he added.
He stated that the chief source of the bureau's income was from
collections taken at the meetings. He described these collections as
"love offerings."
He declared that Mankind United was divided into four territories
in the State and that a bureau manager was in charge of each county.
The counties were broken down into districts when the membership
warranted and each district was divided into areas and the areas into
MANKIND UNITED 361
sections. He explained that the entire structural plan of Mankind
United had not been completely put into operation and that the dis-
tricts had been abolished at the time he testified. The bureaus had
taken them over.
He claimed that no fee had been paid by him in order to become the
bureau manager. He had purchased books, forms, etc. At the time
of testifying, he claimed that no new bureau managers were being
appointed. He admitted that his bureau had carried out instructions
to map certain areas and to clock the time it took to get to members'
homes. He stated that a report on these matters had been sent to San
Francisco but hedged in naming to whom it was sent. The reason for
the mapping and timing was explained as preparation for a time of
chaos and the belief that "there will be an uprising of fifth columnists
synchronized with an invasion from the outside. " He stated that the
United States Government would break down at the critical moment
and that it would then be necessary for the people to have food and
supplies. Therefore the members of Mankind United had been
instructed to store necessary food and supplies in advance. He stated
that the "inventions in the hands of The Sponsors" would enable
Mankind United to come into power.
The Ruth-Ann Bureau had five captains and 30 lieutenants since
February of 1940. He "did not know" the number of "enrollees" or
the number of "registrants" carried on the rolls of the Ruth- Ann
Bureau. He estimated that there were around 200 "registrants" and
400 "enrollees." He explained that the statements printed in the bul-
letins claiming more than the figures quoted by him were ' ' rather loose
statements. ' '
The term ' ' pioneer ' ' was explained as indicating those who had pur-
chased the "Pioneer Edition" of the book, "Mankind United" for $100
per copy.
He denied that he had ever threatened any of the members with
physical violence. He claimed that The Speaker told a southern Cali-
fornia meeting of bureau managers that "This organization will never
do anything to sabotage or act as a channel of espionage of this coun-
try's armed equipment" (p. 60).
He branded as ridiculous allegations concerning a Mankind United
apparatus which would cause the eyeballs of people to pop out and
claimed that the organization had never been told of any such equip-
ment. He added that if there existed apparatus capable of sabotaging
the war effort it would be used to stop all, not a part, of war machinery.
He added that the "warmongers" were those who were portrayed in
such motion pictures as "Dealers in Death."
He concluded his testimony by declaring that the doors of Mankind
United were open to all races and all creeds.
MANKIND UNITED IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
The committee subpenaed eight witnesses in its investigation of Man-
kind United in Fresno, May 22 and 23, 1942.
John "William Peck had affiliated with Mankind United in the latter
part of April, 1939 (Volume XI, pp. 3208-3294). He had attended a
362 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
meeting of the organization the Wednesday night preceding the hear-
ing. The meeting was presided over by Bay Burns Sharp. There
were about 30 people present and the meeting was held at the corner of
Kearney and Arthur Streets, in the home of Walter Henry Chris
Peters.
Peck recalled that he had known A. R. Lawn since May of 1939. He
recalled having received a bulletin from Mankind United in reference
to the disaffiliation of Lawn. The bulletin had explained that Lawn
had voluntarily resigned and the affiliates of his bureau would be
informed of the bureau to which they would be transferred.
Peck admitted having heard of the International Institute of Uni-
versal Research and Administration, of the Universal Service Corpora-
tion, the Pacific Registration Bureau, the Division Superintendent, The
Voice, The Speaker, the Hidden Rulers and the Unknown Sponsors.
He stated that all of these organizations and individuals had been men-
tioned from time to time. No one had ever taken the trouble to tell
him who The Sponsors were and the Hidden Rulers had never been
referred to by name. He had heard of strange and mysterious mech-
anisms and devices having power to paralyze human animation and
motor traffic. He had been told of a device which had been developed
by Mankind United or one of its affiliate-organizations which had the
power to melt steel at a distance of 30 miles. He recalled that Dr.
Lawn had described this device to him. He recalled hearing of an
experiment which had been demonstrated somewhere south of the City
of Fresno. He had been told that all highway traffic had been tied up
for a period of 20 minutes and that police cars going to investigate
failed to operate their motor vehicles during the time of the tie-up.
Peck had been informed that the traffic tie-up was the result of the
operation of the device developed by Mankind United. Discussions con-
cerning the success of the experiment took place between the members
of Mankind United in March of 1942.
He had been told that the organization was controlled in California
by an individual known only as The Voice or The Speaker. He had
been told that the Division Superintendent was the same individual
otherwise described as The Voice or The Speaker.
He knew Harry Smith Simmons and admitted having attended meet-
ings of the A. P. Burns Bureau with him. He had heard Carol Purcell
speak at meetings of Mankind United during the previous two months.
He stated that he had been present at a meeting when Bay Burns
Sharp had spoken concerning the bombing of Tokio. Sharp had stated
in substance that the Yanks had bombed Tokio for the purpose of
bringing the present conflict home to the people of America, and that
this act was to be the final step used by subversive forces in bringing
the war to America. Sharp declared in substance that the bombing of
Tokio would result in the Japanese bombing the West Coast, and that
martial law would follow. Sharp stated that the armed forces and
equipment of the United States were being sent out of the country,
leaving the Nation defenseless. Peck stated that there had been talk
at the meetings concerning the possibility of the bubonic plague stalk-
ing California and of germicidal warfare.
He was recalled to testify May 23, 1942 (Volume XI, pp. 3295-3305).
He told of a meeting which had been conducted by a woman by name
"MANKIND UNITED 363
of Howard in the Spring of 1940 of active affiliates of the Star of the
East Bureau which was then under the management of Dr. A. R. Lawn.
He stated that Mrs. Howard presided and that there were 15 affiliates
present.
He claimed that he had been invited to become a bureau manager and
that the invitation had been extended to him by Dr. Lawn around the
twenty-second of October, 1939. He stated that there did not appear
to be particular qualifications necessary for a bureau manager and at
the time the invitation was extended, qualifications were not discussed.
Dr. Lawn requested him to take charge of all of Mankind United in
Fresno County. He did not accept the invitation and Dr. Lawn con-
tinued to press him to do so. Subsequently, qualifications for bureau
managers were discussed at Peck's home. Bay Burns Sharp, Peck and
his wife were present during the discussion. Sharp wanted to know
why Peck had not taken a more active part in the affairs of Mankind
United. Peck told him that it was because he had certain doubts and
that there were certain questions in his mind, which, up to that time,
had not been answered. Sharp expressed a desire to discuss the ques-
tions with Peck and called at his home later in order to clear up the
points in Peck's mind. This discussion, which was on or about the first
of March, 1942, included the spiritual phases as well as all of the
mechanical phases and principles of Mankind United. Financial
requirements and other qualifications for bureau managership were also
discussed.
Peck stated that Sharp told him that the application for enrollment
would cost $20. This amount would cover the cost of certain classes
which Peck must attend and which would be held at a later date.'
Bight dollars and thirty-three cents was necessary for certain equip-
ment and "protection," also to be supplied at a later date. The equip-
ment consisted of printed matter, such as bulletins and instructions,
and the "protection" was described as applying to every form of
"protection" the witness might need. On March 6, 1942, Peck paid
Sharp $1 which was part payment on the bureau managership's pledge
and^ at a later date he applied $18 on the enrollment fee of $20. He
testified that he had never completed his qualifying requirements in
order to become a bureau manager and that, in fact, he had never
actually been a bureau manager.
He told of a meeting at Walter Henry Chris Peter's home on March
18, 1942, when mysterious radio transmitting equipment developed by
Mankind United was discussed. This equipment was to be used, he was
told, in giving a world-wide program of Mankind United. Other
mysterious devices were also discussed which, it was. said, were to be
<nven to members of Mankind United to enable them to tune in on the
world -wide program of the organization.
Peck stated that he had heard Sharp declare that everything that
Mankind United could do to hold back the war effort would result in
the saving" of millions of lives.
Walter Henry Chris Peters admitted having attended a meeting of
Mankind United at his residence on the Wednesday preceding the hear-
ing- (Volume XI, pp. 3171-3177). He declared that he had been inter-
psted in the movement for about three years and that he first became
nffiliated in the latter part of 1939. His wife, Winona Peters, was also
364 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
interested and had been so for about the same length of time. Many
of the meetings were held in his home or at the home of a Mrs. Marks.
He was a "lieutenant" of the A. P. Burns Bureau and had been so
"commissioned" for a year or longer. He did not know who had
appointed him a "lieutenant," and, as a matter of fact, admitted that
"nobody had appointed him." When he came to think about it, he
did not know exactly how he had obtained the title of "lieutenant."
When asked to describe his duties in the capacity of "lieutenant," he
stated that he did not know what the duties were because he "had
never performed them." He said that he did not sign his title to cor-
respondence because he "did not have correspondence." After think-
ing the matter over he stated that he had been elected a "lieutenant"
after all, but was unable to remember who "elected" him, but
' ' guessed ' ' that it must have been those who comprised the local -group
interested in Mankind United. He did not know whether the vote
electing him had been oral or written or who had presided at the meet-
ing when the vote was taken or when the meeting was held. He was
able to recall that Dr. Lawn was the bureau manager at the time he had
been made a "lieutenant." He stated that there were captains in con-
nection with the Mankind United movement and that the captain in
Fresno happened to be his wife, Winona. He knew as little about her
"commission" as he knew about his own. He stated that he did not
know whether she had been elected or appointed and could not remem-
ber whether or not he was present at the time she received her "cap-
taincy." He did not know what the duties of the captain were.
He received bulletins from the organization from time to time but
claimed that he did not know where the bulletins came from.
Chester Cleveland Cook had been a chiropractor in Watsonville and
salesman for the Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company in King City.
At the time of testifying, May 22, 1942, he was residing in Hanford with
his wife and four children (Volume XI, pp. 3150-3170).
He was familiar with Mankind United and had been a member for
about three years. He ventured the belief that the Universal Institute
for Research and Administration was the parent body or the "institu-
tion" behind Mankind United. He stated that it had been created on
December 25, 1875. He did not know where the headquarters were
located. He had heard of the Pacific Coast Registration Bureau, but
did not know its location. He had heard of the Universal Service Cor-
poration but could not recollect anything concerning it at the time of
testifying-. He declined to identify a book entitled "Question and
Answer Bulletin B" which contained "Forms 97 and 98," published
by the Pacific Coast Division of the International Bureau. He stated
that he would first have to confer with legal counsel before making such
identification. He explained that he did not personally desire to refuse
to answer the question but that he did not want to get into trouble.
After being advised of his rights before the committee, Cook admitted
that he had seen the exhibit and that he was familiar with "Question
and Answer Bulletin C." He also was familiar with a printed sheet
entitled "Mankind United Creed."
Much of Cook's testimony was similar to that of other witnesses and
he corroborated former testimony concerning the structure of the
organization, its divisions and bureaus, bureau management and bureau
MANKIND UNITED 365
administration under a "manager," "captains" and "lieutenants."
He testified, in addition, that seven divisions had been planned for
Fresno County to be known as ' l districts ' ' and that each district was to
be divided into ten "areas" and each area in turn was to be divided
into "sections."
He had been acquainted with Bay Burns Sharp for a year and a half
and had met him in Tulare County. Sharp had always been in charge
of the A. P. Burns Bureau with its headquarters in Fresno. The A. P.
Burns Bureau had jurisdiction over Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera
Counties.
He claimed that he had never heard anyone connected with Mankind
United referred to as The Speaker. He had heard of the "Superin-
tendent" of the Pacific Coast Registration Bureau and had seen this
designation in printed matter. He admitted that he had heard of an
individual connected with Mankind United referred to as The Voice.
He had become affiliated with the movement originally through a
book which had been sent to him by Dr. A. R. Lawn from Salinas. Dr.
Lawn, at that time, he stated, was the manager of the Star of the East
Bureau. He denied ever having heard of the A. P. Roberts Bureau.
His entire family belonged to Mankind United in Hanford. There
were others who had belonged but they were now away doing defense
work ' ' or something. ' ' He held meetings of the movement in his home
on Braydon Avenue in Hanford and presided over them. He stated
that he believed that "Mankind United belongs to the affiliates" of the
movement and that "the affiliates did not belong to Mankind United."
He believed that a unit of the organization existed in Visalia but stated
that most of the meetings in the valley were held in Fresno at the
Peters residence.
He recalled having seen a motion picture entitled "Dealers in Death"
but could not state whether or not it was sponsored by Mankind United
or the Registration Bureau. In the next breath he said that Mankind
United was a subdivision of the Registration Bureau. He denied ever
having seen a motion picture entitled "Things to Come" sponsored by
either the Registration Bureau or Mankind United. He admitted hav-
ing seen two motion pictures in connection with the activities of the
organization. "Dealers in Death" was shown on either Irving Street
or Dowdy Street in Hanford. The other picture had been exhibited on
some camp ground, "or something," in Visalia. He had read of
mysterious mechanisms developed by the Research Department of Man-
kind United or the International Institute for Universal Research and
Administration. He understood that these mechanisms might be inven-
tions, or forces, or vibrations, "or something" of the International
Institute for Universal Research and Administration.
The fundamental and basic principle of Mankind United, according
to Cook, was opposition to war from a Chrisfian standpoint. He stated
that when a certain number of individuals become sufficiently interested
in the movement and sufficient money is raised to warrant the release of
a certain program "(concerning which nobody knows very much),"
there would then ensue a 30 day educational program which would be
released to all the people affiliated with Mankind United. This would
happen when there existed a "representative audience," of at least
200,000,000 people. He denied that he had ever heard of the hidden
366 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
race of little men with metallic heads who are alleged to be destined to
play an important part in the final accomplishment of Mankind United's
goal. He stated that the heads of great church organizations had been
offered ' ' this great power to end war and bring about a new world ' ' but
the heads of the churches had not appeared willing to "take it up."
Dema Jane Fleming had been acquainted with Bay Burns Sharp
since February of 1942 (Volume XI, pp. 3271-3280) . She had attended
several meetings of the A. P. Burns Bureau of Mankind United and
had heard Sharp state that the bombing of T'okio was an invitation to
the Japanese to bomb the West Coast of the United States. Sharp had
explained that the "powers that be" "(probably the government),"
intended to declare martial law in order to bring about a dictatorship
in the United States. Sharp contended that the only way this dic-
tatorship could be prevented would be to put over the program of
Mankind United and thus bring forth all the equipment in the organiza-
tion's possession for the purpose of stopping the war. Mrs. Fleming
stated that she had learned that this equipment was capable of sus-
pending animation in a human being and that whole armies could be
disarmed while in such a state. Mankind United, she had been told,
was prepared to use this force and disarm the armies of the world just
as soon as the required number of persons were secured. Sharp had
stated that the armed forces of the United States were being sent
abroad, leaving the United States inadequately defended and that troops
were being shifted back and forth to make the people believe that a
sufficient number were left to defend the country. She stated that she
had heard Sharp state on several occasions that Mankind United was
in possession of a technique for "throwing monkey-wrenches into the
war effort." She had also heard this statement made by a Mr. Sim-
mons. Sharp had stated that for every day he or the defensive branch
of the organization did something to hold back the war effort in the
United States that ' ' we are saving millions of lives. ' '
On the evening before testifying, Mrs. Fleming stated that John
William Peck had come to her house and asked her to go to his home
to meet Mr. Sharp who was coming over to discuss the committee's
subpenas and the contemplated hearing. She accompanied Peck to his
home and Mr. Sharp told them that he had consulted an attorney by
the name of Collins in reference to the subpenas received from the
legislative committee. Sharp, according to Mrs. Fleming, laid down a
line of conduct which he stated he intended to follow before the
inquiry. He stated that he intended to make the examiner angry and
advised those present at the meeting of ways and means to avoid answer-
ing questions. He told them that a "lapse of memory" was a good
subterfuge for refusing to answer questions. He told them that people
who were subpenaed by such committees could refuse to answer ques-
tions and "stand on their Constitutional rights."
Mrs. Fleming stated that John William Peck had given her a copy of
T. W. Hughes' book, "The Truth About England."
Eugene W. Laisne is an optometrist in Fresno, California (Volume
XI, pp. 3177-3210.) He first became interested in Mankind United
when a Dr. Wallace in Sacramento gave him a book to read entitled
"Mankind United." He frankly declared that the idea of Mankind
United "captivated" him.
MANKIND UNITED 367
He later contacted Dr. Lawn of Salinas. Lawn came to Fresno and
later sent Dr. Laisne several sets of the books. Laisne then induced
some of the doctors in Fresno to interest themselves in the movement,
as he sincerely believed it was worthy of consideration at the time.
The book itself declared that the movement had been organized on
December 25, 1875, and that it was international in scope — " world-
wide." He knew of the International Institute for Research and
Administration and the existence of a corporation in a nebulous state
which, some time in the future, when a sufficient number of people had
become interested, would be brought into full existence to be known as
the Universal Service Corporation. The movement had as one of its
basic objectives the economic security and happiness of all the people.
Another basic principle was the assurance of world-wide peace based
on the doctrines of the Christian religion.
Dr. Laisne testified that he saw an individual in the St. Francis
Hotel in San Francisco who was referred to as The Voice or The
Speaker. He saw him from a great distance. He stated that there
were several thousand people in attendance at the meeting in question.
He had never heard of Arthur L. Bell.
He could not recall whether he first affiliated with the Ray of Light
Bureau or the Star of the East Bureau. He had been asked to make
contributions to the movement through the purchasing of copies of the
book "Mankind United" and, because of his great enthusiasm in the
beginning, he contributed some seven or eight hundred dollars in addi-
tion to contributing office work and space for the local bureau. He
still had some 50 or 60 copies of the book.
He had heard of the Ruth-Ann Bureau in southern California and
of the George Ashwell Bureau in the City of San Francisco. He
claimed that he had attempted to contact George Ashwell on a number
of occasions but had never been able to do so.
He had never been a bureau manager. He stated that Dr. Lawn
had appointed a Mr. Dibble as bureau manager in Fresno and that
Mr. Dibble came down from San Francisco and spent considerable
time in the valley.
He pointed out that rumors of mysterious mechanisms and devices
allegedly developed by the Research Department of Mankind United
or one of its affiliate organizations, was the chief inducement used in
recruiting new members into the organization. The first mechanism
described to prospective recruits was a contrivance that, when attached
to home radios, enabled them to listen in to radio programs that no one
else could hear — Mankind United programs, or programs of one of the
other organizations, such as the Universal Service Corporation, the
Institute of Universal Research and Administration, etc. The members
had become very enthusiastic over the descriptions of this contrivance
and it was the high point in selling the organization. Dr. Laisne had
never seen one of the contrivances or attachments and declared that he
had never heard of anyone who had seen one. Leaders of the movement
claimed from time to time that Mankind United had stopped Hitler
' * from doing this or doing that, by his forces, underground forces, that
nobody knew except the man at the head. ' ' Among the other develop-
ments of the Institute of Universal Research and Administration was a
368 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
device which, when properly operated, paralyzed all electrical appa-
ratus.
Dr. Laisne identified the subject matter of a mimeographed bulletin
marked "A. P. Burns Bureau, P. 0. 77, Palo Alto, California" as
typical of claims made by the organization. The bulletin described
a situation in which "all over the earth, very suddenly, every weapon
of modern warfare is rendered useless, bombers refuse to fly, warships
float aimlessly * * *." The bulletin asked the following question:
"Do you suppose that humanity would cooperate with a plan — work
with a movement that would render useless all machines of death, if
such a plan was offered them ? ' '
He testified that no one had ever explained to him how bombers could
be rendered incapable of flying or how explosives might be rendered
incapable of exploding, but admitted that he had heard these state-
ments made and that Mankind United was alleged to have developed
the means of performing these very miracles.
He finally severed his affiliation with the organization because of
the many inconsistencies that it promulgated. Promises were con-
tinually being made and repeated from time to time of certain things
that were about to take place and contradictory statements were fre-
quently made. He came to the conclusion that no good could come
from that sort of thing and that the men behind the organization
were taking an unfair advantage of people who were merely striving
to better their lives and their neighborhoods.
Laisne said that Dr. Lawn was "quite an individual." He stated
that he exercised an evangelistic influence over people. He confronted
Dr. Lawn repeatedly with statements that he had made and pointed
out to him that the organization had no right to sell 50-cent books for
$2 ; that if the leaders were really sincere, no one should be kept from
reading the books because of their price. He wanted to know where the
profits made by the books went. He never found out. After a con-
versation of this kind with Dr. Lawn, in Dr. Laisne 's office, no more
meetings were held in his office. The next meeting was held on Ash
Street in Fresno and Dr. Laisne attended for the purpose of attempting-
to right the wrong which he felt he had done to people and friends who
had become involved in the organization due to his early enthusiasm.
Among other things, Mankind United bulletins always advertised
the "thirty-day program" which was always "just about to be
released" — the thirty-day program in which the radio "gadget" would
be distributed to the faithful and through which The Sponsors would
outline the new world order. This "thirty-day program" was invari-
ably postponed due to unforeseen contingencies and lack of funds.
Dr. Lawn had told Dr. Laisne that it was very necessary to conceal
the identity of the leaders of the movement and that it was for this
reason that the California link between the membership and The Spon-
sors was only referred to as The Speaker or The Voice. To reveal his
identity would be to place him in grave danger; that he would be
"done away with" in some fashion or persecuted so that the work
could not continue. He had been told that the movement originated in
England and that the Hidden Rulers also were in that country. The
great objective of Mankind United was continually to combat the Hid-
den Rulers. These rulers, he had been told, were men who exercised
MANKIND UNITED 369
great power over money and who, ultimately, desired to subject all
of the people to slavery. The Hidden Rulers would be automatically
removed when a sufficient number of people had affiliated with the move-
ment ; when Mankind United reached the 200,000,000 mark, the Hidden
Rulers would simply be replaced. All existing governments, Dr. Laisne
had been told, were controlled by the Hidden Rulers and consequently
all governments must be removed from the control of the Hidden Rulers.
He testified that he had heard of a device which allegedly had been
developed by Mankind United, which could paralyze traffic and that he
had been told that it could be used to control or upset existing condi-
tions. Dr. Lawn had conveyed this information to him and the mem-
bers had discussed it very seriously.
Bay Burns Sharp had called on Dr. Laisne some two or three months
before and had attempted to induce him again to come back into the
movement. He had refused to do so. Laisne was acquainted with
John Peck and had known him for two or more years.
He stated that he believed the majority of the members of Mankind
United hoped the miraculous things that had been told them concern-
ing the movement were true rather than actually and fully believing
them and that they had placed their confidence in the speakers who
brought them the messages.
The purpose of the San Francisco meeting attended by Dr. Laisne
was to inform the bureau managers and the members why the " thirty-
day program" which had been set for a certain day, would not take
place. The fault, they were told, by The Speaker was in the people for
failing to interest a sufficient number of others in the movement. The
Speaker admonished the members for failing properly to perform and
declared that there were slackers among them who had not done their
duty. The Speaker said that the "thirty-day program" would have
taken place, as scheduled, had the bureau managers and the members
not failed. Inasmuch as they had failed, and the "thirty-day pro-
gram" was postponed, it would be necessary for them to reorganize.
The "thirty-day program" depended upon securing of 200,000,000
affiliates and the quota for California was 200 thousand. A new organ-
izational structure was outlined with a new set of terms, such as "cap-
tains," "lieutenants," etc. The price of the book "Mankind United"-
was to be boosted to $200. Dr. kaisne said that The Speaker at the San
Francisco meeting was "very dictatorial."
Bay Burns Sharp gave his occupation as carpenter (Volume XI,
pp. 3211-3270). He was the manager of the A. P. Burns Bureau of
Mankind United and had occupied this position for four years. He
stated that the bureau has jurisdiction over Tulare, Kings, Fresno and
Madera Counties. The organization had been active in Visalia and still
functioned there under his supervision. He testified that the A. P.
Burns Bureau had received its name from the word "Palo Alto," the
initials being in reverse, and that ' ' Burns ' ' was taken from his middle
name, thus making up the designation, "A. P. Burns Bureau." He
had selected the title for the bureau himself.
He had become interested in Mankind United and had become a
bureau manager because of the "ideals presented and promulgated in
the book called 'Mankind United'." He had applied for affiliation in
24— L-2275
370 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the organization through the A. P. Mason Bureau. Max Mason, the
manager of the A. P. Mason Bureau, had mailed or transmitted his
application to The Voice. He stated that shortly after making applica-
tion, he assumed his duties as manager of the A. P. Burns Bureau.
Sharp was familiar with the International Institute of Universal
Research and Administration but denied that it was a part of Mankind
United. The International Institute of Universal Research and Admin-
istration was the whole and Mankind United was a part, he declared.
He claimed that there existed a branch of the International Institute
of Universal Research and Administration in California but did not
know where its headquarters were located. He added that there was no
way of corresponding with the California unit.
He admitted having attended a meeting of bureau managers "last
week — last Sunday." When asked where the meeting was held, he
stated "I think I will have to refuse to answer. I am under oath not
to divulge that place" (p. 3216). When asked if the meeting was held
in Room 210 of the St. Francis Hotel in the City of San Francisco, he
again refused to answer (p. 3217).
He identified a photograph of Dr. Eugene Wadsworth Brown, man-
ager of the Ruth-Ann Bureau of Los Angeles. When shown a photo-
graph of Arthur L. Bell, he refused to identify him but stated that he
would do so as " a form, " or "a figure. ' ' He was willing to state that
the individual portrayed in the photograph was known to him as The
Speaker, The Voice and l'The Superintendent.19 He was willing fur-
ther to describe him as the Superintendent of the Pacific Coast Divi-
sion but added that the Pacific Coast Division "has never been accu-
rately described, excepting as we understand it is the Pacific Coast of
the International Institute of Research and Administration." He was
willing further to admit that the individual portrayed in the photo-
graph had been present at the bureau manager's meeting in San Fran-
cisco ' ' for a part of the meeting. ' '
Upon being cautioned regarding his refusal to answer questions prop-
erly put to him and germane to the investigation, Sharp stated that it
appeared to be "immaterial" whether he answered the questions or
not as the committee apparently knew the answers anyway. He there-
upon admitted having attended a meeting in Room 210 of the
St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on or about April 7, 1942, and on
Sunday, March 27, 1942, and March 8, 1942.
He identified a manuscript which had been taken from a shorthand
transcription of a speech made by The Voice or The Speaker and
admitted that its substance was familiar to him. The manuscript was
entitled "Re-Mankind United. Remarks of Arthur L. Bell, The
Speaker, to approximately 250 bureau managers of Mankind United
assembled in the Italian Room of the St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco,
at 8.30 p.m., September 23, 1939."
He was familiar with the contemplated Universal Service Corpora-
tion, and the Pacific Coast Registration Bureau. He denied ever having
heard of the North American Bureau of Registrations, Classifications
and Standards. He did not know the number of people affiliated with
Mankind United and had never heard the matter discussed. He
explained that there were no "members" in the organization; that
"affiliates" were known as "registrants" and "enrollees." The A. P.
MANKIND UNITED 371
Burns Bureau had 280 registrants and enrollees. He made monthly
reports to the division superintendent at regular meetings. These
reports were made in person to The Speaker. The money collected by
him for the sale of books were always taken to San Francisco together
with such other contributions he had received and turned over to a
committee of three persons.
He recalled the exhibition of a motion picture throughout the valley
entitled "We Are Not Cattle" and admitted having received one copy
of the film. He superintended the exhibition of the film and admitted
that it had been used by groups other than Mankind United.
The place of business for Mankind United in the valley was main-
tained in his home. He contended that the books of the organization
were not kept there. He claimed that he did not have access to them
except periodically and then for a very short time. He did not know
where the books were kept. He contended that he did not know how
or who took them to their hiding place. When pressed for an explana-
tion, he stated that he "had a way" of contacting certain people
who would bring the books to him when needed. The books were
taken away after he used them and he gave instructions which were
"issued in a way I do not know where they go." He contended that it
was impossible to secure the books upon short notice. It would be
necessary for him to notify certain people, who in turn would contact
others who would know where the books were kept. When pressed for
the name of the person he would first notify in order to secure the
books, he appealed to the committee to protect him from the necessity
of revealing the procedure by which the books were hidden. When
pressed for an answer, he finally stated that he would contact his Fresno
County Captain, Mrs. Winona Peters. He contended that he did not
know what Mrs. Peters would do after he contacted her, or whom she
would contact. He explained this procedure was necessary to protect
the organization from sinister groups that were working against it.
Much of Sharp's testimony corroborated the evidence given by other
witnesses in reference to the structural organization of Mankind
United within the State of California. He stated that Fresno County 's
seven Mankind United districts had been mapped and that he had
personally done the mapping. He admitted that the work of mapping
had gone on throughout the entire State. The maps indicated residences
of active affiliates of the organization and the residences were indicated
by various colors. The inactive affiliates were shown by white-pins and
the active enrollees were designated by green-pins. He admitted that
he had received instructions from the division superintendent to ascer-
tain the time it would take to go to the front or rear doors of residences
in different areas and admitted that this had been done in his juris-
diction by estimation. He explained that the purpose of this record
was to determine in advance the length of time it would take in case
of an extreme emergency to make contact with the affiliates of the
organization.
He had never heard of a Jew affiliating with Mankind United.
He contended that Mankind United was not an international organi-
zation but that the International Institute of Universal Research and
Administration was international. He admitted, under questioning,
that he had never seen or met a representative of the International
372 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Institute of Universal Research and Administration from a foreign
country.
He was familiar with T. W. Hughes' book, "The Truth About Eng-
land" and admitted having read it. He stated that it had been circu-
lated by individuals connected with the organization but not by the
organization itself. He said that the book was derogatory to the British
Empire.
He testified that he had heard it stated that the Hidden Rulers were
responsible for the present war and that he had made such statements,
with qualifications, himself.
He admitted having heard of strange mechanisms and devices in
connection with Mankind United. He had seen statements in depart-
ment bulletins to the effect that, should necessity arise, Mankind United
would control ammunition so that it would fail to function.
He contended that the organization was opposed to Communism but
that the bureau managers had never received instructions from the
division superintendent to combat it. He added that it was not the
objective of Mankind United to combat any group, but merely to mind
its own business.
He conducted a meeting of the organization on the previous Wednes-
day and told the affiliates in attendance that they should i l read between
the lines" of the bulletin, particularly the bulletin issued on May 4,
1942. He explained that he had meant, by this statement, that the
bulletins contained a "deep spiritual significance." He denied that
he had stated that the bulletin of May 4, 1942, had been issued because
of a statement allegedly made by Winston Churchill regarding the use
of poison gas. He had stated, according to his testimony, that Ameri-
can soldiers had actually been gassed and had already returned from
foreign lands. He explained that he had received this information from
sources in San Francisco. He had told the audience that the warring
nations were making no attempt to bomb factories or war manufac-
turing plants and explained that he had received this information from
the bulletin issued by the division superintendent. He admitted that
he had stated, in substance, that the United States was making no
attempt to defend the Philippines, which was proof, in his opinion, that
the leaders of the United States were not interested in the colonies and
that "our leaders" would rather see the colonies taken by a foreign
power and have people slaughtered rather than to grant them just
rights. He admitted having stated that the air raid wardens would
soon visit the homes of the people for the purpose of seeing that they
were buying war bonds and stamps in sufficient quantities.
He admitted (with qualifications) most of the allegations made by
Mrs. Fleming in reference to the meeting held the night before the
inquiry in reference to the conduct of witnesses appearing before the
committee. He stated that he had not had "a lapse of memory"
so far because * ' it was unnecessary. ' '
He denied that he had stated that subversive forces had caused Tokio
to be bombed but admitted having said that ' ' war forces, powers behind
war, some power," caused Tokio to be bombed. He admitted that he
had said that Tokio was bombed due to the fact that the persons
responsible for the bombing wish to provoke an attack by the Japanese
on the United States. He had said that an attack on the United States
MANKIND UNITED 373
would be an excuse for the Hidden Eulers to bring about a state of
martial law and that martial law would lead to the establishment of a
dictatorship in this country. He denied having ever stated that mem-
bers of Mankind United were entrenched in high governmental posi-
tions in Washington, D. C., but admitted having stated that the
organization had sources of information in all departments of Govern-
ment.
He admitted addressing a meeting at the home of Mrs. Marks in
Fresno and having stated in substance that "every day we, or our
defense branch (of Mankind United'} can do things to hold back the
war effort, we are saving millions of lives. ' '
He was acquainted with the following bureaus: George' G. Ashwell
Bureau, A. P. Roberts Bureau, Sunshine Bureau, Faith Grace Bureau,
Eay of Light Bureau, Jessie Addison Bureau, Hall Gardner Bureau,
Literary Service Bureau, Star of the East Bureau, Olive Branch
Bureau, True Equality Bureau, Guiding Light Bureau, Progressives
Bureau, A. P. Mason Bureau, Kathleen Bureau, A. P. Burns Bureau,
Tatum-Washburn Bureau and the Three Names Bureau. The Olive
Branch Bureau was located at 468 Perkins Street, in Oakland, and was
operated by Ruby S. Lutz.
Bay Burns Sharp was recalled for examination the following day,
May 23, 1942 (Volume XI, pp. 3306-3322). He produced a sheaf of
mimeographed sheets, printed on a golden colored paper, and identified
them as duplicates of the file in the A. P. Burns Bureau and stated that
they were department bulletins issued by Mankind United and the
Pacific Coast Registration Bureau.
He related in detail the structure of the organization and described
its "centers," "districts," and "bureaus." He explained the dif-
ference between a "registrant" and an "enrollee." A "registrant,"
he explained, is one who became affiliated with the organization through
the purchase of a book whereas an "enrollee" was one who had signi-
fied a desire to affiliate by enrolling for classes of instruction. He
explained the complicated system of bookkeeping used by bureau man-
agers and the use of colored stickers pasted before and after the names
of "registrants" and "enrollees."
He had never served in the armed forces of the United States. He
admitted that no particular effort had been made by the organization
to encourage its members to join either the Navy or the Army. He
claimed that the affiliates are instructed to comply with every law and
that shortly after the enactment of the Selective Service Law, the
division superintendent had issued a bulletin, ordering all affiliates
to comply with the law.
When questioned regarding the so-called classes of instruction, he
stated that enrollees paid $20 for class instruction and that the classes
will be held when 20,000 enrollees have been signed up. The payment
of the $20 is in expectation of taking class instruction when the
required number of enrollees in a Division are attained. He stated
that only one class had been released, a small group, less than the
required 20,000. As far as he knew, he testified, there had never been
class instructions given to 20,000.
Robert M. Schuler is a radio engineer and, at the time of testifying,
was employed by the police department in the City of Fresno (Volume
374 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
XI, pp. 3330-3334). He testified that on May 21, 1942, he had been
sent to 326 Peralta Way, in Fresno, and had installed equipment
designed to record a conversation in that residence. He independently
recalled the entire conversation and produced records and identified
them. While he did not have an occasion to see the people engaged
in the conversation, he testified that he had good reason to believe that
they were Bay Burns Sharp and James Everett Coe.
James Everett Coe testified that he resided at 326 Peralta Way in
the City of Fresno (Volume XI, pp. 3322-3329). He testified that he
was acquainted with Bay Burns Sharp and had known him since
April of 1942. He had never affiliated with the Mankind United move-
ment but had attended its meetings from time to time. He stated
that he had heard Mr. Sharp, in various meetings, remark that the
organization of Mankind United was in the process of "throwing
monkey wrenches" into the machinery of the United States war effort.
He recalled meeting with Sharp in his home on Thursday, May 21,
1942. He stated that only Sharp and himself were present. The
conversation between them lasted a little over an hour and a half.
He said that Sharp discussed the war effort of the United States with
him and made certain derogatory statements concerning the armed
forces of the country. He reiterated many of the statements attributed
to Sharp by witnesses who had already testified.
At this point of the proceedings, Robert M. Schuler, of the police
department of the City of Fresno, played the records taken of the
conversation between Sharp and Coe. The following are quotations
from the recordings:
«* * * when we realize that our own Nation is doing
nothing in the world to bring about peace ; that it has no
intention of doing anything to bring about peace, one
begins to realize many things. * * * Our own Chief
Executive wants to fight through to the limit, even though
it means poverty and suffering and death for us right at
home * * *.
"We have no protection from our own government.
We have nothing to protect ourselves with; it
has all been shipped out, all been given away * * *.
"We have nothing to protect ourselves with. San
Francisco could be bombed any time, Los Angeles, Fresno,
any other town * *. We have no fighter planes
whatever * * *. When you analyze the whole thing,
you see that we are not trying to stop the war. We are
only trying to keep it going * * *."
Sharp told Coe that at the time of the first World War, over 90 per
cent of the farms throughout the United States were privately owned
by the individual farmer, but that today, as a matter of fact, as long
as 10 years ago, less than 10 per cent of the farm land was privately
owned in the United States. All "they" need to do, he stated, to
enslave us is to own the land, which they will do and are doing by
manipulating money, so-called, to impoverish the people. When a
man puts $18.75 in a $25 Bond, the dollar will become valueless.
MANKIND UNITED 375
11 Consequently, " he said, "if and when the government ever does
repay the $25, that $25 will be valueless." He stated in substance
that the bonds, in time, would not be worth the paper they were
written on. "As a matter of fact," he added, "it is today, as you
can't cash it in today, but the time will come when it will be absolutely
rescinded, extended."
In response to a question from Coe concerning the term "they,"
Sharp replied : ' ' Subversive forces, the world 's hidden rulers, a group
of people that amount to a limited number of families in whose hands
is the absolute control of the financial structure of all the world, not
only in the United States but the world." He further elaborated on
this subject by stating that five individuals control and dictate to all
other dictators. He added that these five individuals dictate when
wars are to be fought, what the purpose of the war is to be and how
it is to be handled. He stated that the National Government of the
United States is not a government of the people, or "representative of
the people." He stated that a Congressman, even though he desired
to do everything for the people, found that when he arrived in Wash-
ington that his hands were tied.
He stated that if, by any chance, the organization (Mankind United)
should fail to complete its job, that the tempo of killing would increase
so rapidly that it would be "right here upon us." "It is only the
defensive branch of our organization that has kept that from happening
since 1937. When the quota is reached, and when * they 'have the
financial backing with which to bring into the territory equipment
already prepared ; when they have 2,048 new bureaus trained to receive
and use the equipment," then nothing in the world can stop "them."
He outlined the "thirty-day program" and described it as a world-
wide election. He stated that "the organization" was ready to act,
both in Germany and in Russia. He told of the special radio attachment
which will be used to enable affiliates to tune in on the broadcast for
the "thirty-day program" and stated that certain other equipment
would also be released to the 2,048 bureau managers.
Coe desired to know what would happen if, becoming a bureau mana-
ger, he then was drafted. Sharp assured him that it would take some
time for training before he would be sent out of the country and that
before that happened, the program of Mankind United would be on.
Sharp stated that within 60 days following the completion of the
bureaus that the "thirty-day program" could be expected. He
explained that it was very doubtful if Coe would ever be called by the
draft board in May because the draft board's plans had been "some-
what obstructed." He explained that the organization was delaying,
"holding them up, delaying them — delaying the machinery of the war
board, the war — not the production of the material or anything of that
kind, just setting monkey wrenches in the way of the plans of the
coordinators. ' ' He pointed out that ' ' throwing wrenches into the war
activity" was probably the best trained branch of the organization and
one that had been operating for many years. He claimed that the
organization had mechanical means for "protecting" itself. He told
Coe that it possessed a power that might be described as "different
rays" and that these "rays" could be sent great distances and then
exploded,
376 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
He stated that when the "thirty-day program" got under way that
nothing in the world would be able to stop it. When the program
started the war would come to an end and any soldier who refused to
carry out the order ending the war would find that the shells in his
gun would not fire. The war would be stopped, Sharp reiterated, even
if it became necessary for the organization to use the mysterious powers
in its possession. If people should refuse to listen to reason, Sharp
elaborated, The Sponsors always had an ace up their sleeve and if they
had sufficient support behind them, they would not hesitate to use it.
All that was needed was 20,000 people who would sign up to take the
classes and to buy the books in California.
The transcription of the conversation between Coe and Sharp brought
out clearly most of the allegations made concerning Sharp and his
activities as the bureau manager for Fresno County.
MANKIND UNITED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Orlando Meniketti is an accordion teacher in San Francisco (Volume
V, pp. 1494-1501). He testified that Arthur L. Bell had come to his
place of business in Oakland several years before and had arranged to
take accordion lessons. After Bell had taken some lessons, he asked
Meniketti for the use of his students list. Bell told him about a race
of little men with metallic heads who lived in the center of the earth
controlling earthquakes and floods and who had the power to "snuff
us out like that." (Meniketti snapped his fingers to illustrate what
Bell meant. ) He stated that Bell was a very mysterious and dreamy
sort of individual. He had told Meniketti of journeys he had taken
while asleep, and, among other things, told him that he had been
responsible for Technocracy.
Meniketti concluded his testimony by stating that Bell had not been
a very good music student.
Willard E. Franke had appeared very anxious to testify concerning
Mankind United and Arthur L. Bell until called to the stand Decem-
ber 2, 1941 (Volume V, pp. 1464-1471). He stated that he had been
connected with the organization and had met Arthur L. Bell in Oak-
land. He became very frightened as he testified and was obviously
afraid to admit knowing Bell, or in saying anything further. He
finally admitted that he had been a bureau manager and had con-
tracted to dispose of 500 copies of the book "Mankind United." He
apparently had done so and was given a ring as a reward.
Referring to Arthur L. Bell who was present in the hearing room,
he stated, "this man here is not the same man" that he had met as
Arthur L. Bell in Oakland.
He had previously written a letter exposing Arthur L. Bell as a
"scheming promoter" and when the letter was shown to him on the wit-
ness stand he refused to identify it, and stated that he did not write
it. He became evasive and more frightened. He admitted having
written another letter in which he had agreed to turn over certain
information. He finally admitted having said in a letter that Bell had
a "million dollar racket" and that "Al Capone was a piker compared
to Bell. ' ' He explained that he was very angry at the time he wrote it.
MANKIND UNITED 377
He admitted knowing George Ashwell and stated that he had sent
him a check for $300 for the last consignment of Mankind United books.
The check was sent to Department A, International Registration
Bureau. He had put $100 or more in the organization.
When asked his opinion concerning the trips Bell was alleged to have
taken when asleep, he answered : ' ' Who knows f They can be true. ' '
When Franke was excused from the witness stand, he approached
the committee and stated half apologetically: "After all he may be able
to do the things they say he does."
Guy McKinley Wright was once a " center manager" for Mankind
United at 529 Adams Road in Oakland (Volume VI, pp. 1758-1767).
He had served in this capacity for a little over four years and was
acquainted with Arthur L. Bell and George Ashwell. He had sold
several Mankind United books and had turned the funds over to the
bureau manager. He believed that the manager kept half of the funds.
He stated that the bureau manager bought the books for $1.25 each and
sold them for $2.50. He became a ' ' lieutenant ' ' to the bureau manager.
He declared that many elderly people had been attracted to the
organization and stated that he felt very sorry for some of them.
The talk of stopping war and creating a world based on love and kind-
ness was emphasized by the speaker, particularly at large meetings
when five or six thousand people were in attendance. The old people
sold their valuables, cashed life insurance policies and raised money in
every way possible to contribute it to the organization so that a world
in which mankind would be united could soon be realized. The great
day had once been set for April 29, 1939, and when the promised Utopia
failed to materialize, many of the supporters of the organization lost
heart. Wright considered the organization a cruel racket to obtain
money.
In 1937 a dozen bureaus existed in the East Bay with thousands of
members. Many people had bought "centers" in the bureaus which
amounted to contracting for a number of books which they agreed to
distribute. The price of a "center" was $62.50 and many people
bought a number of them. A great deal of money was spent in pre-
paring the meeting halls and in getting ready for ' ' the wonderful time ' '
when there would be "music in the air" and "certain codes would
come through little gadgets and the International Headquarters would
speak to everyone who was properly equipped. ' ' The ' ' gadget ' ' was to
be attached to an ordinary radio receiving set. Wright stated that he
had never seen one of them. College professors, doctors, lawyers,
dentists and many apparently intelligent people had been taken in by
the "hokus-pokns. " He claimed that one man from the University of
California was one of its most sincere workers. He believed that the
people had been hypnotized.
Around Christmas time in 1938 the members of Mankind United
were informed that there existed 176,000,000 members in the world
and that when this number was augmented to 200,000,000 the millenium
would arrive. The day was set for the following Easter and eternally
postponed from that day to other days while the money kept rolling in,
and the people went down to poverty.
He told the committee of renting a summer home with his son and
spending between $35 and $40 in fixing it up in readiness for the
378 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
mysterious radio prog-ram and stated that many people did similar
" silly things."
The book "Mankind United" was issued in many different " editions"
and each edition varied but slightly from those preceding it. Every-
one had to buy a new edition to replace the old one, thus exploiting
those who were already working in the movement. He stated that one
"edition" contained the change of but three words.
No one was permitted to know Arthur L. Bell and the members were
forbidden to even pronounce his name. Bell had warned everyone,
including George Ash well and other close "lieutenants," that they
must not come near the platform when he was speaking. Wright stated
that Bell placed himself "just a little above God Almighty." He
believed that the bureau managers had become hypnotized by Bell and
that they actually believed the tales that were rumored concerning
Bell's mysterious disappearances and journeys to far places.
He recalled a meeting of Mankind United at the San Francisco Civic
Auditorium. There were some 7,500 in attendance. The purpose of
the meeting was to inform the members of the postponement of the
millenium from Christmas, 1938, to Easter of 1939. Wright stated:
"I saw more downhearted people than I ever saw in my life before,
including in the World War." Many old people felt that they would
not live to see the millenium and they "wobbled out of the building
almost fainting."
He claimed that Bell ridiculed other orthodox religious beliefs, the
Catholics and Christian Scientists in particular.
He recalled a little old lady who had sat beside him in the meeting
of May 20, 1939, and who had spoken in awed tones of Mankind United
as a movement of "love and kindness." Some people had put several
thousand dollars into the movement and many old people were left
with nothing to live on with a life expectancy of less than 10 years.
1 1 Bell bled the people dry of their money, ' ' Wright contended, and then
told them that it might be 1951 before the millenium would arrive.
He once had challenged the bureau managers and asked them why they
did not corner Bell and force him to prove the existence of the radio
"gadget." He stated that the bureau managers replied that they had
faith in Bell and that Bell had faith in his superiors and so all the way
up to the International Headquarters. WTien Wright asked them
"Where are those International Headquarters?" the bureau managers
had replied, "underground."
The last meeting attended by Wright was on either the fifteenth or
the twenty-second of June, 1939. He said he just "dropped out"
after that.
P. J. Cardoza was engaged in the bookbinding business in the City
of San Francisco (Volume V, pp. 1350-1360). He testified that he had
bound the "Mankind United" books for Arthur L. Bell since 1936.
Bell had always paid in cash, he said, and always picked the books up
personally, instead of having them delivered. He had no difficulty in
readily identifying Bell who was in audience at the hearing room. The
last job he had done for Bell was on February 8, 1941.
MANKIND UNITED 379
He listed the amounts collected from Bell for binding the books as
follows :
1936 $448.00
1937 1,576.97
1938 13,094.00
1939 (approximate) 21,000.00
1940 1,740.00
1941 (incomplete) 1,610.00
George Governeur Ashwell was the manager of the George Ashwell
Bureau of Mankind United (Volume V, pp. 1509-1542). He testified
that Arthur L. Bell was known throughout the organization as The
Speaker and that he was never referred to by name. He stated that he
had heard him referred to as The Voice of a Right Idea. He admitted
that he had once operated the 44834 Discussion Club in connection with
his bureau at 26 O'Farrell Street in San Francisco but that the club
no longer exists. He explained that the name of the club was taken
from the time necessary for one to earn his keep in a model society — 4
hours a day, 4 days a week, eight months a year, and added that the
rest is a mystery.
He claimed that the Mankind United system was based on Christian
principles. He testified as to the sale of the books and the system
governing "registrants" and ' ' enrollees. " He claimed that he used
his own money to live on and did not make much out of the organi-
zation.
He stated that he had heard of Arthur L. Bell's mysterious trips and
that he believed them. He contended that a great mystery surrounds
The Voice and that it is done for his protection because he is "a great
leader of mankind" and therefore his life is always in jeopardy.
He offered into the committee's records a copy of a Fortune Maga-
zine article pertaining to "Arms and the Men," from which he con-
tended the picture, "Dealers in Death9' was made.
He said that he regarded patriotic organizations as "stuffed pillows."
He explained that important people in the Mankind United move-
ment are able to identify each other with symbols and that their cre-
dentials consist of such indicia as torn postage stamps, etc.
THE VOICE
Arthur Lowber Bell could not be completely sure that he was appear-
ing before the committee in person or whether he might be one of his
doubles (Vol. V, pp. 1361-1428 ; 1447-1463). He spoke in a soft, confi-
dent and faintly tolerant manner. He explained that "doubles" had
been prepared for him and were substituted for him in the conduct of
his business because of the heavy schedule that had been imposed upon
him. He stated that the "doubles" received their orders from his
superiors in the organization and that he could not give their identities.
With the assistance of his "doubles" he was enabled to be in many
places at the same time. The members of the committee had hardly
recovered from the shock of this statement when Bell sent them reeling
again by blandly stating that he was often placed in a coma by his
"superiors" and, while in that condition, whisked to various points in
380 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
the world where his presence was required. He illustrated this state-
ment specifically by relating an instance when he lost consciousness in
San Francisco and recovered aboard a British merchant vessel in mid-
Atlantic a short time later.
He claimed that he had been connected with Mankind United for
about 22 years. He identified the International Institute of Universal
Research and Administration as one of the affiliates of Mankind United,
and explained that it was formerly known as the International Legion
of Vigilantes in California, prior to 1934. The Pacific Coast Division
of International Registration Bureau was also identified as one of Man-
kind United's organizations. He was familiar with the International
Discussion Club, or International 44834 Club of 26 O'Farrell Street in
San Francisco. He stated that it was no longer active. He identified
several Mankind United bureaus and admitted that he had had some-
thing to do with the establishment of each. He claimed that the
organization was world-wide but became very vague concerning bureaus
outside of California. He named the Donaldson Printing Company as
the printers for Mankind United books and admitted that the books had
been bound by the Cardoza Bindery. He identified several bulletins,
forms, pamphlets and manuals of the organization. He admitted that
Mankind United had advertised and exhibited the picture, (t Dealers in
Death," but denied any knowledge of the same film having been used
by the Communist Party and German- American Bund units in Cali-
fornia.
He outlined membership qualifications and the details of training
members. He stated that applicants paid $20 for a "course of instruc-
tion " and admitted that only one lesson had been given in California
so far. Applicants receive "a great many instructions" and a "field
kit" containing manuals, etc., he added.
He was willing to admit that over 150,000 volumes of the Mankind
United book had been sold, or given away. Seventy thousand had sold
for the tidy sum of $97,500 during 1939. Many of the books were
sold through the organization's bureaus and the bureau managers
retained half of the sales price. He claimed that he made no profit
from the books but that a deficit remained to him which was met by
his relatives. The records, he explained, had become "tangled" as a
result of Federal investigations. He stated that the Timely Books
Bureau was one of Mankind United's organizations and denied that it
had any connection with "Sound Money Press."
He explained that the leaders of Mankind United must remain anony-
mous for their personal protection and the organization from attacks by
"subversive influences." He met the leaders and sponsors of the
organization from time to time but claimed that they had so altered
their voices and appearances that they could not be described. He
claimed that he did not know their names. He received all instructions
from this mysterious source. He frankly admitted that the chief objec-
tive of the organization was to render all instruments of war useless
but that this great plan would not be put into effect until a certain
number of members had affiliated with the organization. He claimed
that there were Communists working in the post offices throughout the
country and for this reason Mankind United had been compelled to
devise its own system of communications and no longer used the United
States mails.
MANKIND UNITED 381
He told of receiving messages on the train while traveling up and
down the Pacific Coast and told of once being awakened in his Pullman
berth. He explained his unique method of travel; how he went to
sleep and woke up in a foreign country. He claimed that he could
make a round trip to China, for instance, in a matter of a few hours.
He never bothered to use passports or other conventional methods while
traveling. He became very specific in reference to the mid- Atlantic
episode. It was on the day that war was declared on England, Sep-
tember 3, 1939. He merely went to sleep in San Francisco and woke
up on the Steamer, City of Richmond in the mid-Atlantic. He
explained that he took "vital records" from a Mankind United mes-
senger and changed places with one of the regular passengers so that
his presence was not noted. He could not explain the mechanism of
these mysterious trips. He once brought back a large amount of lug-
gage, 18 or 20 trunks, which were not inspected by customs officials.
He was informed by ' ' message ' ' that war was to be declared and ordered
to pick up important documents. He claimed he had been making
these "Magic Carpet" trips for the last 20 years.
He explained tolerantly that machines had been developed by cer-
tain agencies which were capable of vibrating the eyes out of the
sockets of persons within a radius of 100 miles and that large power
plants could be created that would exterminate "1,000,000,000 per-
sons. ' ' He calmly stated that Mankind United intended to destroy this
type of machinery by methods now being perfected.
He claimed that he had used over 200 names during his various
travels (p. 1447).
He could not recall ever depositing funds in any bank in the City
of San Francisco. If funds had been deposited credited to him, he
stated, it might have been done by one of his many "doubles."
When questioned by Assemblyman Kellems as to the source and
explanation of his mysterious powers, he replied that he could no more
expect the members of the committee to understand his methods and
powers than to expect an African savage to understand a radio.
He claimed that his wife, Ruby V. Bell, sometimes accompanied him
on his mysterious trips. He added that she was not, however, con-
nected with his work.
He concluded his testimony by offering into the committee's records
a letter from Senator Gerald P. Nye in which the Senator praised the
motion picture "Dealers in Death."
The committee started the investigation of Mankind United before
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A number of witnesses were questioned
and a mass of documentary evidence was analyzed by the committee
and its representatives. It appeared to be a racket of considerable
magnitude but the members of the committee were not convinced at
that time that the organization was engaged in out and out un-Ameri-
can activities. It all was good business, of course, for Arthur Lowber
Bell and as The Speaker or The Voice he continued to live in splendor
in his residence in the exclusive Cathedral Apartments atop San Fran-
cisco's Knob Hill at the expense of the poor people he was hoaxing
and victimizing.
When the committee learned of the activity of the bureaus of Man-
kind United shortly after Pearl Harbor, the laying in of supplies of
382 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
food and clothing, blankets and water in sealed containers, the mapping
of cities showing airplane factories, shipyards, police and radio sta-
tions, hospitals, tunnels, railroad lines and bridges, the committee
decided to look closely into the matter. From that time the committee
and its investigators were convinced of the seditious character of the
organization and cooperated closely with agents of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation in ferreting out the facts concerning the bureaus, its
managers and members. The result of this close cooperation has
resulted in the indictment by a Federal Grand Jury of Arthur L. Bell,
George G. Ashwell, Harold Von Norris, Max Miller, Jacob Gloecker,
Eugene Wadsworth Brown, Shanna Jakeman, A. Ray Elsea, B. B.
Sharp, Homer G. Wilcox, Lawrence Cook, Maude Askew, Pauline Kelso,
J. F. Burke and Ed Gilson.
PART VIII
RECOMMENDATIONS
The committee finds that Communism, Nasiism, and Fascism are dis-
tinguished one from the other only in minor details. Each ism is fully
as subversive and un-American as the other. The committee finds that
all three isms have been directed and subsidized by foreign governments.
The committee finds that the sympathies of the adherents of the three
groups are whole-heartedly with the foreign government to which they
owe their allegiance. The committee finds that the philosophies, activi-
ties and objectives of all three groups are inimical to the Constitution,
Democracy and traditions of the United States. The committee finds
that the Communist Party, the German-American Bund and the Fascist
organizations in the United States have a common objective in the
destruction of our form of Government by sabotage, force and violence.
The general and ultimate objective of the three groups is the substitu-
tion of the totalitarianism of their respective fatherlands for our con-
stitutional Democracy.
It should be emphasized that the committee has barely scratched the
surface of subversive activities in California. The members of the
committee and the committee's attaches have labored diligently, and
in many cases at their own expense, in ferreting out the facts. Due to
lack of funds members of the committee traveled to Los Angeles in the
latter part of 1942 at their own expense in order to conduct hearings on
certain phases of the investigation. The committee, during its exist-
ence, has continually been under the handicap of insufficient attaches to
carry on compilation, filing and coordination of evidence and material.
In spite of these handicaps, the committee has gathered voluminous
evidence, as this report indicates.
The very existence of a committee such as the Joint Fact-Finding
Committee on Un-American Activities in California has acted as a
deterrent to un-American groups and, to some extent, has served as a
brake to more brazen and open activities against the Government and
our institutions. An energetic and active committee in this field is the
greatest bulwark of protection for Americanism and Democracy. Sub-
versive organizations wither and die under the glaring light of publicity.
The Communists, the Nazis and the Fascists have little influence among
Americans who are aware of their tactics and objectives.
All of these isms will live after the war. The Nazis and the Fascists
may be beaten on the battlefields but the vicious and inhuman ideas
they have unleashed will live to plague the world after their origina-
tors have disappeared. Communism will be activating the minds of
ignorant men and women, offering escapes to frustrated and inferior-
{ity-complexed people who grope through fogs of confused thinking
ihopelessly seeking a place in a topsy-turvy world of their own making.
IJThose of us who cherish our American traditions, the Constitution and
the American Way of Life, dare not relinquish, through smug apathy,
( 383 )
384 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
all that our forefathers have established for us. Eternal vigilance is
the price we must pay.
New fronts will replace the old ones and new leaders will carry on
the activities of the Browders, the Kunzes and the Schwinns. New
"lines" will be projected tomorrow. We must be vigilant!
Your committee therefore recommends :
1. That a similar committee be empowered and authorized to func-
tion for 1943 and 1944. It recommends that sufficient funds be appro-
priated to provide an adequate staff of attaches and competent investi-
gators.
2. Enactment of a State law to prohibit any person in California
from knowingly participating in the activities of any organization
receiving financial support from a foreign government.
3. Exerting influence on Congress to deny citizenship to any person
born in the United States who is subject to dual citizenship in the
country of his or her parents ' birth.
4. Strengthening the act of 1940 denying the Primary Ballot to
subversive political organizations such as the Communist Party.
5. Strict enforcement of the Subversive Registration Act of 1941.
6. Enactment of legislation prohibiting any person not eligible to
United States citizenship from commercial fishing off the coast of
California.
7. Enactment of legislation providing for the disbarment of attorneys
who are members of the Communist Party or other subversive and
un-American groups.
8. Legislation authorizing and mandating governing boards of all
professions to exercise disciplinary action including the revocation of
licenses of members of the respective professions who are members of
subversive and un-American groups.
9. Enactment of legislation charging the State Board of Education
with the responsibility of investigating complaints filed against members
of the teaching profession holding credentials issued by the State Board
where such members are charged with being members of, or participat-
ing in, subversive and uii- American activities.
10. Establishment by law of a rebuttable presumption of subversive
and un-American activities in accord with established historical policies
and " lines " of subversive groups and organizations.
11. Enactment of legislation to provide procedure for the ousting
of subversive employees from civil service status in the Government of
California.
12. Memorialize Congress to cancel the citizenship of any former
alien who, since receiving citizenship, has been a member of any sub-
versive organization.
13. Enactment of State legislation prohibiting aliens from holding
elected or appointed offices in any labor union within the territorial
boundaries of California.
14. Enactment of legislation designed to supervise and censor
foreign language broadcasts and the foreign language press.
RECOMMENDATIONS 385
15. Enactment of appropriate legislation prohibiting any person
who is a member or affiliated with any organization or group domi-
nated by a foreign government or which advocates the undermining,
weakening or the overthrow of the Government of the United States
by force and violence, from occupying any office or position, supported
in whole or in part by public funds in the State of California.
16. Enactment of legislation providing for the right of private
industry, engaged wholly or in part in the production of armaments
or other materials essential to the war effort or our National defense,
to discharge any known, proven or admitted persons connected with
the Communist Party, the Nazi Bund, Fascist organizations or other
groups whose objectives are inimical to the United States.
17. Recommended to Congress that pro-Axis Japanese in the various
camps be segregated and that the control of all Japanese activities be
placed in the hands of the United States Army for the duration of
the war.
18. That State legislation be enacted mandating compulsory courses
of Americanism in the tax-supported schools of the State emphasizing
American history, American heroes and leaders and its traditions con-
trasted with the techniques, tactics and totalitarian objectives of the
vicious isms extant in the world today.
19. Enactment of State legislation bringing all foreign language
schools under the strict supervision and control of the State Board
of Education.
In concluding, the committee wishes to reiterate what it stated in the
beginning of this report. We are fighting a total war. We should
demand nothing less than total victory. It is the responsibility of the
Legislature to enact suitable laws for the protection of the community,
the State and Nation from subversive attack and sabotage, but laws are
not enough. We must instill a fighting faith in our people if our
Democracy, our Flag, our Constitution and our American Way of Life
are to be preserved for posterity.
Respectfully submitted.
JACK B. TENNEY, Chairman
HUGH M. BURNS
NELSON S. DILWORTH
JESSE RANDOLPH KELLEMS, Ph.D.
JAMES H. PHILLIPS.
25 — L.-2275
APPENDIX A
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13
CHAPTER 28
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 13 — Relative to the creation of a
Joint Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities in Cali-
fornia to investigate the activities of persons and groups known or
suspected to be foreign dominated or controlled and recommend
legislation for their regulation.
[Filed with Secretary of State January 27, 1941]
WHEREAS, These are times of public danger. Subversive persons and
groups are endangering our domestic unity so as to leave us unprepared
to resist aggression. Under color of the protection afforded by the Bill
of Eights these persons and groups seek to destroy our liberties and our
freedom by force, threats and sabotage and to subject us to the domina-
tion of foreign powers.
Recent announcements by responsible officials of the Federal Govern-
ment indicate the seriousness of the problem. In his message to the
Congress on January 3, 1941, the President said: "The first phase of
the invasion of this hemisphere would not be the landing of regular
troops. The necessary strategic points would be occupied by secret
agents and their dupes — and great numbers of them are already here,
and in Latin America." State legislation to meet the problem and to
assist law enforcement officers can best be based on a thorough and
impartial investigation by a competent and active legislative committee ;
now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That there is hereby created a Joint Fact-Finding
Committee on Un-American Activities in California which shall investi-
gate, ascertain, collate and appraise all facts causing or constituting
interference with the National defense program in California or render-
ing the people of the State, as a part of the Nation, less fit physically,
mentally, morally, economically or socially; and be it further
Resolved, That in addition to other duties imposed upon the commit-
tee, the committee shall investigate the activities of groups and organiza-
tions whose membership includes persons who are members of the
Communist Party, the Fascist organizations, the German Nazi Bund,
or any other organization known or suspected to be dominated or con-
trolled by a foreign power, which activities affect the preparation of
this State for National defense, the functioning of any State agency,
unemployment relief and other forms of public assistance, educational
institutions of this State supported in whole or in part by State funds,
or any political program ; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee shall consist of four members of the
Assembly, appointed by the Speaker thereof; and three members of
(386)
APPENDIX A 387
the Senate appointed by the Committee on Rules thereof; and be it
further
Resolved, That the committee hereby created in exercising the powers
and performing the functions vested in it by this resolution shall have :
(i) all the powers conferred upon legislative committees by Article 8,
Chapter 2, Title 1, Part 3 of the Political Code; (ii) except when incon-
sistent with this resolution, all the powers conferred upon committees
by the Rules of the Assembly, the Rules of the Senate, and the Joint
Rules of the Senate and Assembly as they are enacted and amended
from time to time and such rules are herebj7 incorporated herein and
made a part hereof the same as if they were set forth in this resolution
in full. The powers specified in such rules may be exercised by the
committee after the final adjournment of this session; (iii) all powers
necessary or convenient to accomplish the objects and purposes of this
resolution, including but not limited to the following duties and powers :
(1) To select a chairman from its membership and to employ and fix
the compensation of a secretary and such clerical, expert and technical
assistants as it may deem necessary ;
(2) To create subcommittees from its membership, assigning to the
subcommittee any study, inquiry, investigation or hearing which the
committee itself has authority to undertake or hold, and the subcom-
mittee for the purpose of this assignment shall have and exercise all of
the powers conferred upon the committee limited by the express terms
of the resolution or resolutions of the latter defining the powers and
duties of the subcommittee, which powers may be withdrawn or termi-
nated at any time by the committee ;
(3) To adopt and from time to time amend such rules governing its
procedure (including the fixing of its own quorum and the number of
votes necessary to take action on any matter) as may to it appear
appropriate ;
(4) To contract with such other agencies, public or private, as it
deems necessary for the rendition and affording of such services, facili-
ties, studies and reports to the committee as will best assist it to carry
out the purposes for which it is created ;
(5) To hold public hearings at any place in California at which
hearings the people are to have an opportunity to present their views
to the committee ;
(6) To make a complete study, survey and investigation of every
phase of the subject of this resolution, including but not limited to the
operation, effect, administration, enforcement, and needed revision of
any and all laws in anywise bearing upon or relating to the subject of
this resolution ;
(7) To meet at any and all places in this State, in public or executive
session ;
(8) To act during this session of the Legislature, including any
recess hereof, and after final adjournment hereof, until the commence-
ment of the Fifty-fifth Legislature ;
(9) To file a report with the Legislature during any session of the
Fifty-fourth Legislature and with the Legislature during the regular
session of the Fifty-fifth Legislature ;
388 tiN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
(10) To summon aud subpeiia witnesses, require the production of
papers, books, accounts, reports, documents, and records of every kind
and description, to issue subpenas and to take all necessary means to
compel the attendance of witnesses and procure testimony ; and
(11) To do any and all other things necessary or convenient to
enable it fully and adequately to exercise its powers, perform its duties,
and accomplish the objects and purposes of this resolution; and be it
further
Resolved, That the committee, each of its members, and any repre-
sentative of the committee thereunto authorized by the committee or by
its chairman, is authorized and empowered to administer oaths; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly, the Sergeant-
at-Arms of the Senate, or other officers designated by either of them
are hereby directed to serve any and all subpenas, orders and other
process issued by the committee, when directed so to do by the chair-
man or by a majority of the membership of the committee; and be it
further
Resolved, That every department, commission, board, agency, officer
and employee of the State Government, including the Legislative
Counsel, the Attorney General and their subordinates, and of any
political subdivision, county, city, or public district of or in this State
shall furnish the committee and any subcommittee, upon request, any
and all such assistance, and information, records and documents as the
committee or subcommittee deems proper for the accomplishment of the
purposes for which the committee is created ; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of the committee shall serve without
compensation but shall be allowed mileage at the rate of five and one-
half cents ($0.05^) per mile each way incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee and other actual and necessary expenses
for living accommodations and meals, incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee, or in lieu of such expenses for accommo-
dation and meals an allowance of eight dollars ($8) per day; and be
it further
Resolved, That the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or so much
thereof as may be necessary is hereby made available from the Contin-
gent Funds of the Senate and of the Assembly for the expenses of the
committee and its members and for any charges, expenses or claims it
may incur under this resolution, to be paid equally from the Contingent
Funds of the Senate and of the Assembly and disbursed, after certifi-
cation by the chairman of the committee, upon warrants drawn by the
State Controller upon the State Treasurer.
APPENDIX B
House Resolution No. 277
(Assembly Journal, 1941, page 4328)
[Adopted June 13, 1941]
Relative to the creation of an Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on
Un-American Activities in California to investigate the activities of
persons and groups known or suspected to be foreign dominated or
controlled and recommend legislation for their regulation. .
WHEREAS, These are times of public danger. Subversive persons and
groups are endangering our domestic unity so as to leave us unprepared
to resist aggression. Under color of the protection afforded by the Bill
of Rights these persons and groups seek to destroy our liberties and our
freedom by force, threats and sabotage and to subject us to the domina-
tion of foreign powers.
Recent announcements by responsible officials of the Federal Govern-
ment indicate the seriousness of the problem. In his message to the
Congress on January 3, 1941, the President said: "The first phase
of the invasion of this hemisphere would not be the landing of regular
troops. The necessary strategic points would be occupied by secret
agents and their dupes — and great numbers of them are already here,
and in Latin America. " State legislation to meet the problem and
to assist law enforcement officers can best be based on a thorough and
impartial investigation by a competent and active legislative com-
mittee; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That there is
hereby created an Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American
Activities in California which shall investigate, ascertain, collate and
appraise all facts causing or constituting interference with the National
Defense Program in California or rendering the people of the State, as
a part of the Nation, less fit physically, mentally, morally, econom-
ically or socially ; and be it further
Resolved, That in addition to other duties imposed upon the com-
mittee, the committee shall investigate the activities of groups and
organizations whose membership includes persons who are members
of the Communist Party, the Fascist organizations, the German Nazi
Bund, or any other organization known or suspected to be dominated
or controlled by a foreign power, which activities affect the prepara-
tion of this State for National defense, the functioning of any State
agency, unemployment relief and other forms of public assistance,
educational institutions of this State supported in whole or in part
by State funds, or any political program ; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee shall consist of five members of the
Assembly, appointed by the Speaker; and be it further
(389)
390 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
Resolved, That the committee shall continue the work of the Joint
Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities in California,
created by Assembly Concurrent Kesolutioii No. 13 ; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee hereby created in exercising the
powers and performing the functions vested in it by this resolution
shall have: (i) all the powers conferred upon legislative committees
by Article 8, Chapter 2, Title 1, Part 3 of the Political Code; (ii)
except when inconsistent with this resolution, all the powers conferred
upon committees by the Rules of the Assembly, the Rules of the Senate,
and the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly as they are enacted
and amended from time to time and such rules are hereby incorporated
herein and made a part hereof the same as if they were set forth in this
resolution in full. The powers specified in such rules may be exercised
by the committee after the final adjournment of this session; (iii) all
powers necessary or convenient to accomplish the objects and purposes
of this resolution, including but not limited to the following duties
and powers:
(1) To select a chairman from its membership and to employ and
fix the compensation of a secretary and such clerical, expert and tech-
nical assistants as it may deem necessary ;
(2) To create subcommittees from its membership, assigning to the
subcommittee any study, inquiry, investigation or hearing which the
committee itself has authority to undertake or hold, and the subcom-
mittee for the purpose of this assignment shall have and exercise all of
the powers conferred upon the committee limited by the express terms
of the resolution or resolutions of the latter defining the powers and
duties of the subcommittee, which powers may be withdrawn or termi-
nated at any time by the committee ;
(3) To adopt and from time to time amend such rules governing its
procedure (including the fixing of its own quorum and the number of
votes necessary to take action on any matter) as may to it appear
appropriate ;
(4) To contract with such other agencies, public or private, as it
deems necessary for the rendition and affording of such services, facili-
ties, studies and reports to the committee as will best assist it to carry
out the purposes for which it is created;
(5) To hold public hearings at any place in California at which
hearings the people are to have an opportunity to present their views
to the committee ;
(6) To make a complete study, survey and investigation of every
phase of the subject of this resolution, including but not limited to the
operation, effect, administration, enforcement, and needed revision of
any and all laws in anywise bearing upon or relating to the subject of
this resolution ;
(7) To meet at any and all places in this State, in public or executive
session ;
(8) To act during this session of the Legislature, including any recess
hereof, and after final adjournment hereof, until the commencement of
the Fifty-fifth Legislature j
APPENDIX B 391
(9) To file a report with the Legislature during any session of the
Fifty-fourth Legislature and with the Legislature during the regular
session of the Fifty-fifth Legislature ;
(10) To summon and subpena witnesses, require the production of
papers, books, accounts, reports, documents, and records of every kind
and description, to issue subpenas and to take all necessary means to
compel the attendance of witnesses and procure testimony ; and
(11) To do any and all other things necessary or convenient to enable
it fully and adequately to exercise its powers, perform its duties, and
accomplish the objects and purposes of this resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee, each of its members, and any repre-
sentative of the committee thereunto authorized by the committee or by
its chairman, is authorized and empowered to administer oaths ; and be
it further
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly, or other
officers designated by him are hereby directed to serve any and all
subpenas, orders and other process issued by the committee, when
directed so to do by the chairman or by a majority of the membership
of the committee ; and be it further
Resolved, That every department, commission, board, agency, officer
and employee of the State Government, including the Legislative
Counsel, the Attorney General and their subordinates, and of any
political subdivision, county, city, or public district of or in this State
shall furnish the committee and any subcommittee, upon request, any
and all such assistance, and information, records and documents as the
committee or subcommittee deems proper for the accomplishment of the
purposes for which the committee is created ; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of the committee shall serve without
compensation but shall be allowed mileage at the rate of five and one-
half cents ($0.05J) per mile each way incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee and other actual and necessary expenses
for living accommodations and meals, incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee, or in lieu of such expenses for accommoda-
tions and meals an allowance of eight dollars ($8) per day; and be it
further
Resolved, That the sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or so
much thereof as may be necessary is hereby made available from the
Contingent Fund of the Assembly for the expenses of the committee and
its members, and for any charges, expenses or claims it may incur
under this resolution, to be paid from the Contingent Fund of the
Assembly and disbursed, after certification by the chairman of the
committee, upon warrants drawn by the State Controller upon the
State Treasurer,
APPENDIX C
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8
CHAPTER 37
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 — Relative to the creation of a Joint
Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities in California to
investigate the activities of persons and groups known or suspected
to be foreign dominated or controlled and recommend legislation for
their regulation.
[Filed with Secretary of State January 30, 1943]
WHEREAS, These are times of public danger. Subversive persons
and groups are endangering our domestic unity so as to leave us unpre-
pared to resist aggression. Under color of the protection afforded by
the Bill of Rights these persons and groups seek to destroy our liberties
and pur freedom by force, threats and sabotage and to subject us to the
domination of foreign powers.
State legislation to meet the problem and to assist law enforcement
officers can best be based on a thorough and impartial investigation by a
competent and active legislative committee ; now, therefore, be it
Resolved ~by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That there is hereby created a Joint Fact-Finding
Committee on Un-American Activities in California which shall investi-
gate, ascertain, collate and appraise all facts causing or constituting
interference with the National defense program in California or render-
ing the people of the State, as a part of the Nation, less fit physically,
mentally, morally, economically or socially; and be it further
Resolved, That in addition to other duties imposed upon the commit-
tee, the committee shall investigate the activities of groups and organi-
zations whose membership includes persons who are members of the
Communist Party, the Fascist organizations, the German Nazi Bund, or
any other organization known or suspected to be dominated or con-
trolled by a foreign power, which activities affect the conduct of this
State in National defense, the functioning of any State agency, unem-
ployment relief and other forms of public assistance, educational insti-
tutions of this State supported in whole or in part by State funds, or
any political program ; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee shall consist of three members of the
Assembly, appointed by the Speaker thereof; and two members of the
Senate appointed by the Committee on Rules thereof ; and be it further
Resolved, That the committee hereby created in exercising the
powers and performing the functions vested in it by this resolution
shall have: (i) all the powers conferred upon legislative committees by
Article 8, Chapter 2, Title 1, Part 3 of the Political Code; (ii) except
(392)
APPENDIX C 393
when inconsistent with this resolution, all the powers conferred upon
committees by the Rules of the Assembly, the Rules of the Senate, and
the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly as they are enacted and
amended from time to time and such rules are hereby incorporated
herein and made a part hereof the same as if they were set forth in this
resolution in full; (iii) all powers necessary or convenient to accom-
plish the objects and purposes of this resolution, including but not lim-
ited to the following duties and powers :
(1) To select a chairman from its membership and to employ and fix
the compensation of a secretary and such clerical, expert and technical
assistants as it may deem necessary;
(2) To create subcommittees from its membership, assigning to the
subcommittee any study, inquiry, investigation or hearing which the
committee itself has authority to undertake or hold, and the subcom-
mittee for the purpose of this assignment shall have and exercise all of
the powers conferred upon the committee limited by the express terms
of the resolution or resolutions of the latter defining the powers and
duties of the subcommittee, which powers may be withdrawn or termi-
nated at any time by the committee ;
(3) To adopt and from time to time amend such rules governing
its procedure (including the fixing of its own quorum and the number
of votes necessary to take action on any matter) as may to it appear
appropriate ;
(4) To contract with such other agencies, public or private, as it
deems necessary for the rendition and affording of such services, facili-
ties, studies and reports to the committee as will best assist it to carry
out the purposes for which it is created;
(5) To hold public hearings at any place in California at which
hearings the people are to have an opportunity to present their views
to the committee;
(6) To make a complete study, survey and investigation of every
phase of the subject of this resolution, including but not limited to the
operation, effect, administration, enforcement, and needed revision of
any and all laws in anywise bearing upon or relating to the subject of
this resolution;
(7) To meet either during sessions of this Legislature or during any
recess thereof at any and all places in this State, in public or executive
session ;
(8) To act only during this session of the Legislature, including any
recess hereof;
(9) To file a report with the Legislature during the session of the
Fifty-fifth Legislature;
(10) To summon and subpena witnesses, require the production of
papers, books, accounts, reports, documents, and records of every kind
and description, to issue subpenas and to take all necessary means to
compel the attendance of witnesses and procure testimony ; and
(11) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county, city,
city and county and other local law enforcement agencies in investigat-
ing any matter within the scope of this resolution, and to direct the
394 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
sheriff of any county to serve subpenas, orders, and other process issued
by the committee ; and
(12) To do any and all other things necessary or convenient to enable
it fully and adequately to exercise its powers, perform its duties, and
accomplish the objects and purposes of this resolution ;
Resolved^ That the committee, each of its members, and any repre-
sentative of the committee thereunto authorized by the committee or
by its chairman, is authorized and empowered to administer oaths ; and
be it further
Resolved, That every department, commission, board, agency, officer
and employee of the State Government, including the Legislative Coun-
sel, the Attorney General and their subordinates, and of any political
subdivision, county, city, or public district of or in this State shall
furnish the committtee and any subcommittee, upon request, any and
all such assistance, and information, records and documents as the
committee or subcommittee deems proper for the accomplishment of the
purposes for which the committee is created ; and be it further
Resolved, That the California Highway Patrol and all officers and
members thereof shall furnish such assistance to the committee as the
chairman may direct ; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of the committee shall serve without com-
pensation but shall be allowed mileage at the rate of five and one-half
cents ($0.05J) per mile each way incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee and other actual and necessary expenses
for living accommodations and meals, incurred in connection with their
services upon the committee, or in lieu of such expenses for accommoda-
tions and meals an allowance of ten dollars ($10) per day (no expenses
or mileage shall be payable during the session of the Legislature except
that this shall not prevent the payment of expenses or mileage during
the constitutional recess) ; and be it further
Resolved, That the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or so much
thereof as may be necessary is hereby made available from the contin-
gent funds of the Senate and of the Assembly for the expenses of the
committee and its members and for any charges, expenses or claims it
may incur under this resolution, to be paid equally from the contingent
funds of the Senate and of the Assembly and disbursed, after certifica-
tion by the chairman of the committee, upon warrants drawn by the
State Controller upon the State Treasurer.
INDEX
A
ABASCAL, SALVADOR— Page
reference to, as leader of Sinarquism . 200
ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
ACADEMIC AND CIVIL RIGHTS COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA—
purpose of 97
ADAMS, LAURETTA—
reference to, as Communist organizer 87
ADORATSKY, A.—
excerpts from writings of 28
ADVERTISING CLUB OF LOS ANGELES—
investigation by 103
statement of __ _ _ 103, 104
AFFIDAVITS—
Honeycombe, John G 117-122
Vale, Rena M 122, 175
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB—
testimony re 300
AFTER WORK CLUB—
testimony re 300
AGIT-PROP—
department of Communist Party known as 34
AGITATION AND PROPAGANDA—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
AIDLIN, JOSEPH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 143
AIDLIN, MARY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 143
AIMS OF SPANISH COMMUNIST PARTY—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
AKAHOSHI, TED—
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
statement of 350
ALBERT, SAMUEL—
as hostile witness " 60
ALBERTS, GEORGE W.—
description of 178, 180
description of murder of L 182
murder of 177
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
ALLEN, HENRY D.—
testimony of, re American White Guards 259
ALSBERG, HENRY G.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 139
ALTMAN, MISCHA—
as hostile witness 60
member Communist Party school 85
ALTROCCHI, RUDOLPH—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 293, 294
AMERICA FIRST COMMITTEE—
activities of, in California become subversive 274
members of, isolationists 273
newspaper account of meeting of, in Pasadena 274
penetration of, by German-American Bund 254
(395)
396 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
AMERICA FOR AMERICANS— Page
reference to 280
AMERICAN ARTISTS UNION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 130
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION—
classification of 92
AMERICAN COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141
AMERICAN COMMUNIST—
objectives of . 116, 117
ultimate aim of 103
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130, 134, 137
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR —
standards of 88
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS—
reference to —
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135
as front organization 115
AMERICAN FLAG—
display of, in meetings 229
AMERICAN GUARD—
activities of 259
AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT—
recommendations presented by committee to preserve 76
AMERICAN LEAGUE AGAINST WAR AND FASCISM—
change of name of 93
AMERICAN LEAGUE OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN—
reference to 259, 260
AMERICAN LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135
AMERICAN LEGION—
assistance given by 7
protest by, of application of Aubrey Grossman for membership in 99
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION—
statement of 104
AMERICAN PEACE CRUSADE—
organization of 93
AMERICAN PEACE MOBILIZATION—
creation of 96
AMERICAN STUDENT UNION—
reference to, as front organization 115
AMERICAN WRITERS' UNION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128, 129, 130
AMERICAN YOUTH CONGRESS—
reference to, as Communist front organization 98
AMERIKADEUTSCHER VOLKSBUND—
organization of 229
AMSTER, LOU—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
ANDERSON, GEORGE—
reference to, as counsel for Earl King 186
ANDRIANO, SYLVESTER—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
removed from Western Defense Command for duration 321
testimony of —
inconsistency of 306
re Ex-Combattenti 302, 303
re Fascism 291, 292
re Italian Chamber of Commerce 306
re Italian Consulate 307
re Italian language newspapers 309, 310
re Italian language schools 318, 319
re Scavengers' Association 297
testimony re __300, 301
INDEX 39?
ANTI-AXIS COMMITTEE — Page
formation of 345
ANTI-COMMUNIST FEDERATION—
organization of 259
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE—
assistance given by 7
ANTI-HEARST EXAMINER—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
ANTI-NAZI LEAGUE—
beginning of, in United States 42
ANTI-R. O. T. C. COMMITTEE —
reference to, as Communist front organization 98
ANTI-SEMITIC POLICY—
use of, to Nazi Party 248
ANTI-SEMITISM—
beginning of, in Fascist Party . 284
growth of, in California 248, 253
importance of, in Nazi philosophy 247
ANTISEPTIC SQUAD—
activities of 65
group known as 65
ANTI-WAR COMMITTEE—
reference to, as Communist front organization 98
A. P. BURNS BUREAU—
mimeographed subject matter of 368
re origin of name of 369
reference to 362, 365, 366, 373
A. P. MASON BUREAU—
reference to 373
A. P. ROBERTS BUREAU—
reference to, re Mankind United 365, 373
ARATANIA, SHIGEMI—
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
ARDEN, BETTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130, 135
ARMENTA, JESSE—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
member of committee organized bv Mrs. LaRue McCormick 210
ARTMAN, FLORENCE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 136
ARTS UNION COUNCIL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 165, 166
ARYAN BOOK STORE—
operated by Hans Diebel 226
reference to 229, 234
ASHWELL, GEORGE GOVERNEUR—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury u.
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 377-379
ASKEW, MAUDE—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 13—
committee instructed by 5
provides for appointment of committee 5
text of 386-388
ASSIGNMENT IN UTOPIA—
recommended as reference 19
AUSTRIAN, SPENCER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125
AYEROFF, JOSEPH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159, 160
B
BABB, SONORA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 164, 166
398 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
BACOCCINI, ANGELO— Page
testimony re 304
BAKER, GEORGE T.—
activities of, in Citizens No Foreign Wars Coalition 251-253
listed as witness —
re America First Committee 275
re Fascist activities 284
testimony of —
re America First Committee 281
re Fascism . 291
BAKESY, CHARLES G.—
as friendly witness 61
BALL, LUCILE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 127
BALLARD, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN—
organizer of American Guards 258
BALLILA—
testimony re 301
BALLOU, WALTER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 161
BANK OF AMERICA—
testimony re 286
BARON, LOU—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159, 162
BARRIGAN, ANDY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155
BARRY, FRANK D.—
as member of America First Committee 277
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
BARRY, KATHERINE DIXON—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
BASS, CHARLOTTE—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth. 217
BASSETT, W. K.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
BAUER, HANS F.—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
testimony of 242, 243
BAUER, WILLIAM P.—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
background of 235
testimony of 235, 230
BAVARIA—
control of, by Hitler 219
first groups or cells of Nazi Party formed in 218
BAXTER, DAVID—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
testimony of 243
BAYER, THEODORE—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119, 120
BAZAZOWSKY, HANK—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale _. 149
BEERY, BEN S.—
commendation of 7
investigation by, of Nazi activities . 276
listed as witness —
re America First Committee 275
re Friends of Progress 266
re German-American Bund 225
presents circular to committee 251
statement of, re World Events Forum 257
testimony of —
re Copperheads 259
re Friends of Progress _ 263
INDEX 399
BELGIUM— Page
occupation of, by Hitler 221
BELL, ARTHUR LOWBER—
ability of, to be in many places simultaneously 379, 380
held aloof as head of Mankind United 378
identification of manuscript of 370
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
reference to 359, 370, 376, 379, 381
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 379-381
BELL, RUBY V.—
reference to 381
BEMIS, GRAY—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American youth. _ 217
BENZIGER, OTTO W.—
as hostile witness 60
BERLIN-ROME AXIS—
establishment of 220
BERTHOLON, GEORGE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129
BIBERMAN, EDWARD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129
BIBERMAN, HERBERT—
one of organizers of American Peace Crusade 93
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124, 129
BIBILY, PAUL—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 293
BIGELMAN, DR. LEO—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 127, 143
BIGNAMI, ARTHUR—
testimony re 310
BILL OF RIGHTS—
used as cloak by Nazis and Communists 247
BLACK DRAGON SOCIETY—
reference to 325, 345
BLACK LISTS—
created for opposition 79
BLAIR, AUBREY—
as friendly witness 61
testimony of 82
BLIX, LEW C. G.—
testimony of 82
"BLOODY THURSDAY" PARADE—
advocating participation in, by Berkeley students 99
BOARD OF PRISON TERMS ANp PAROLES—
subterfuge of 192
BODDY, MANCHESTER—
excerpt from Views of the News by 54- 56
BODLE, GEORGE E.—
as hostile witness 60
background of 94
reference to, re letter to George Wallace 197
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
testimony of 94
BOGIGIAN, ELENORE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159, 163
BONO, PIETRO—
testimony re 312
BOOKNEGA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale ]26
BOROUGH, REUBEN W.—
activities of 91, 92
admission of, as substitute chairman for meeting of Blackout of Civil Liberties 92
as hostile witness 60
400 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
BOROUGH, RUBEN W.— Continued Page
denial of, as substitute chairman for meeting of Blackout of Civil Liberties 92
statement of, regarding Communism and labor movement as synonymous__ 92
BOWRON, FLETCHER—
name of, used for nefarious purposes 106
testimony of 109
BOYD, ROSE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152, 154, 155, 160
BRADEN, DR. M. H.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 127
BRANCH, JAMES—
reference to, as speaker at first meeting of Social Problems Club at Univer-
sity of California _ 114
BRANCHI, CAMILLE—
testimony re _ 306
BRANSTEN, LOUISE R.—
as hostile witness 60
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
testimony of 96 97
BRANT, CARL—
admissions of 83
as hostile witness 60
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale __135 145-147
BREEDEN, WILMER—
as hostile witness 60
BREIT, HARVEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152
BRIDGES, HARRY R.—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
listed as witness, re Fascist activities _ 284
reference to —
as sponsor of Consumers' Union 100
re visit to George Wallace 197
statement of, re Scavengers' Association 296, 297
testimony of —
re German-American Bund 234
re Nazi and Fascist activities _ 294
BRIGHT, JOHN—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
subpenaed by committee 1 207
BROGDEN, SAMUEL L.—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of 281
testimony of, re Citizens' No Foreign Wars Coalition 253
BROMBERG, J. EDWARD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148
BRONSTEN, SEDOV—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
BROOKS, MIRIAM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 164
BROOM, THE—
edited by C. Leon de Aryan 240
BROWDER, EARL—
author of —
Communism in the United States 21
Fighting for Peace 21
The People's Front 19
Victory— And After 13
What is Communism? 21
declaration of 91
excerpts from testimony of, before Dies Committee 25
excerpts from writings of . 32
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121, 122
testimony of, re event of war between Russia and United States 35
INDEX 401
BROWN, ARCHIE— Page
activities of 75
as hostile witness 60
candidate for supervisor for City and County of San Francisco 75
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
sponsors of, for supervisor, list of 75, 76
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case j. 176
testimony of, re German Day Celebration 294, 295
BROWN, BARNEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147, 159, 164
BROWN, DR. EUGENE WADSWORTH—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
preparations advocated by, for taking over government 357
reference to, as head of Ruth-Ann Bureau 357
relaying of messages from The Voice by 360
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 358-361
BROWN, GRACE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158
BROWNELL, ROBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150, 168-171
BRUSCHERA, MRS. CAROLA—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of —
re Fascism 297
re Italian language schools 314
BRYAN, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140, 141, 159
BUCHANAN, LARRY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
BUERKLE, JOHN G.—
as volunteer witness 240
BUKHARIN, NIKOLAI—
breaks with Stalin 36
BULGARIA—
occupation of, by Hitler 221
BUREAUS OF MANKIND UNITED—
as friendly witness re German-American Bund 225
duties of 361
BURFORD, JAMES H.—
as hostile witness 60
committee recommended charge and trial for perjury, of 84
meeting held at home of 182
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138, 139, 159, 160, 163
testimony of 84
BURGE, FRANCES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
BURKE, BEE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 132, 145
BURKE, J. F.—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
BURKE, J. FRANK—
as friendly witness 61
owner and operator of radio stations KFVD and KPAS 61
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 151
BURKE, SID—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134, 136, 141, 154"
BURNS, HUGH M.—
appointed member of committee 5, 6
BURY THE DEAD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
BUZZELL, J. W.—
as friendly witness 61
BYRNE, NORMAN—
activity of, in American Peace Mobilization 96
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144, 157, 158
26— L.-2275
402 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
C
CABRAL, MANUEL— Page
as hostile witness 60
denial of 188
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
CALAHAN, PAT —
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137, 141
CALIFORNIA STAATS - ZEITUNG—
reference to 233, 242
CALIFORNIA YOUTH LEGISLATURE—
purpose of 96
CAMP LORDSBURG—
activities of Japanese in 349
CANADIAN LEAGUE AGAINST WAR AND FASCISM—
change of name of 93
CANNON, JAMES—
expelled from Communist Party 36
CARDONA, ROGER—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth- 217
CARDOZA BINDERY—
reference to 380
CARDOZA, P. J.—
amounts collected by, for binding Mankind United Books 379
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 378, 379
CARLSON, OLIVER—
as friendly witness 61
background of 61
CARO, JACOBINA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 146, 150
CARTER, MARVIN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153, 1(>4
CARTWRIGHT, JACK—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 157
CATHOLIC CHURCH—
religious freedom of 219
CAVETT, THOMAS L.—
as friendly witness 61
commendation of 7
CAYTON, REVELS—
reference to, as Negro communist secretary 87
CENALOCO—
testimony re 301
CENTRO ANTI-COMMUNISTA—
change of name of, to Union Nacional Sinarchista 201
CHADWICK, JOHN E.—
reference to, re employment of released felons 191, 192
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
CHAMBERLAIN, ERNEST R.—
activities of 109
quotations of 110
sincerity of 110
CHAMBERLAIN, HOWLAND—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 145, 147, 150, 164
CHAMBERS, PAT—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
CHAMPION, CLYDE—
reference to, as Communist organizer 87
CHANDLER, HARRY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 1(55
CHERIN, ROSE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale __125, 126
INDEX 403
CHILDRESS, NAOMI— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 157
CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF MEXICAN-
AMERICAN YOUTH—
cited as Communist front organization 216
letter circulated by 216, 217
list of sponsors of 217
CITIZENS NO FOREIGN WARS COALITION—
organization and activities of 251-253
CIVININI, JOSEPH—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 292
CLARK, JOHN GEE—
reference to, re parole of King, Conner and Ramsay 188, 194
replacement of, by Booth Goodman 189
CLARK, MARGARETS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149
CLEMENT, ADA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137
CLEMENT, GRACE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129
CLIFTON, JOHN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144
CLINE, MINNABELL—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
CLINE, PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 146, 147, 159, 167
CLINTON, CLIFFORD E.—
employer of George Knox Roth 343
CLOSED COMMUNIST PARTY CAUCUSES—
defense committees for King, Conner, and Ramsay, evolved from 188
COE, JAMES EVERETT—
conversation with Sharp, re U. S. War Bonds 374, 375
records played of conversation between Sharp and Coe 374
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 374
COGLIANDRO, A. M.—
designated in press as "X-2" 299
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
target of assassin 299
testimony of, re Fascism 299
COHEE, JOHN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155
COLE, ROBERT—
reference to —
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 146, 147, 148
as offering legal help to George Wallace 197
COLEMAN, DR. JAMES C —
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119, 120
COLUMBIA MOTION PICTURE STUDIO—
strike at 83
COMBS, R. E.—
selected Chief Investigator 7
trap laid for 7
COMEY, MARGE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134
COMING STRUGGLE FOR POWER, THE—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 118
COMINGORE, DOROTHY—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
COMINTERN—
Communist International, known as 39
creations of 93
founding of 39, 40
404 UN-AMEKICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
COMMITTEE ON JAPANESE ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA— Page
witnesses called by 322
COMMUNISM—
avoidance of reference to, in prosecution of King, Conner, Ramsay and
Wallace 186, 187
defined 9, 16, 19
differs from Naziism and Fascism
findings of committee, re 383
infiltration of, into University of California, Berkeley 114
witnesses friendly to committee investigating 61
witnesses hostile to committee investigating 60
COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL—
excerpt from 93
founding of 39, 40
known as Comintern 39
COMMUNIST INTRIGUE—
method of, in Hollywood track unions 80, 81
COMMUNIST MANIFESTO—
recommended as reference 19
COMMUNIST PARTY—
activities in California 58
Agit-Prop, department of 34
belief of 59
cells, subdivisions of 64
change of strategy of, following German attack on Russia 50, 51
Chicago convention of, (1919) 41
collaboration of, with Nazi Party, reviewed 256
commercial account of, in San Francisco . 73
Control Commission, duties of 72
denial of membership in 79
division of 64
documents and reports of, on file with committee 20
Doho Jin Sha, Japanese section of 63
excerpt from constitution of 21, 22, 25
fiction as political party 35
findings of committee, re 383
fraction meetings of 106
fractions, subdivisions of 64
framing by, of John'Mustak 196
Gregovich, Lee, case of : 59
Gregovich, Lee, sponsor for nominee of Assembly 59
Hollywood invasion, by 91
Kuqbas, organization of 69
lack of conscience 59
loyalty of members of, to Russia 53
Musicians' Union of Los Angeles under control of 86
Negro commission of 140
one of conditions for admission to 22
organization and operation of 64
outlawing of, by signing of bill by Governor 190
power in American labor movement . 52
registering of members of 72
schisms within 62
schools of, in principal cities of State 77
synonymous terms for 127
when created . 21
COMMUNIST PARTY IN CALIFORNIA AND UNITED STATES—
reference to control of, by Comintern in Russia 116
COMMUNIST PARTY CONVENTIONS—
singing of Internationale at close of 73
COMMUNIST PARTY MANUAL—
excerpts from 65
COMMUNIST PARTY OF ITALY—
activities of, at close of World War I__ _ 282
INDEX 405
COMMUNIST PARTY OF UNITED STATES— Page
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
COMMUNIST, THE—
excerpts from 28, 104-106, 115, 116
COMMUNISTS ON STATE PAY ROLL—
recommendation to dismiss, by committee 116
COMPAC—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 167, 168
COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE—
establishment of, by Hitler 220
CONGRESS FOR INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION—
infiltration of Communists, in 89
CONNELLY, PHILIP—
as hostile witness 60
as leader of Communist-dominated union 50
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
denial of membership in Communist Party 80, 213
digest of testimony of 212, 213
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale . 154
reply of, to Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities in
California 207
subpenaed by committee 207
testimony of, re Sinarquista 210, 211
CONNER, FRANK—
appeal of 177
confession of 185, 186
illness of 192
instigation of trouble on board Point Lobos, by 180
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
statement by Attorney General re parole of 176
CONNER, RAMSEY, KING AND WALLACE—
history of case of 177-199
CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE UNITED
STATES—
recommended as reference 19
CONSTITUTION OF U. S. S. R.—
excerpts from 29
CONSUMER MOVEMENT—
reference to, as ideal set-up for communism 101
CONSUMERS' EMERGENCY COUNCIL—
change of, to Consumer's National Federation 102
CONSUMERS' NATIONAL FEDERATION—
change to, from Consumers' Emergency Council—
list of directors, of
reference to, as important "transmission belt" 102
CONSUMERS' UNION—
formation of —
by Arthur Kallet
by Susan Jenkins 102
by Walter Trumbull
names of identified members of, listed 102
CONSUMERS' UNIONS AND LEAGUES—
names of identified members of, listed 100
CONTEMPORARY THEATRE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130, 134
CONTINENTAL BOOK STORE—
operated by Franz K. Ferenz 241
CONTROL COMMISSION—
abandonment of 74
COOK, CHESTER CLEVELAND—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of 364-366
COOK, LAWRENCE—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
406 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
CORLEY, JAMBS— Page
reference to, as comptroller of University of California 113
CORNELL, CHARLES—
activities of, in Workers' Party 39
CORONA, BERT—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
COUNTERFEIT—
cited as Communist propaganda 103
reference to, as play written by Arthur Kallet 104
CRAIG, EARL C.—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of 253
CRIMINAL SYNDICALISM—
Caroline Decker charged with 38
Communist aid for members charged with 38, 39
Norman Mini charged with 38
CROSS, HELEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137, 138
CROW, JAMES FRANCIS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155, 157
CULLEN, TOM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153
CULTURAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS ASSOCIATION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149
CUTLER, EMMA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159
D
DAILY WORKER—
excerpts from 100
DANIEL, URCEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153
DANTE ALIGHIERI SOCIETY—
testimony re 287, 303
DARCY, SAM—
activities of 37, 98
reference to, as speaker at first meeting of Social Problems Club at Univer-
sity of California 114
DARLING, CHARLOTTE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 167
DAS KAPITAL—
cited one of basic texts of Communism 21
recommended as reference 19
DAVIES, JOSEPH E.—
author, Mission to Moscow 18
DAVIDSON, SIDNEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128, 164, 165, 172, 173, 175
DAVIS, TESS SLESINGER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124, 125
DAWSON, ERNEST—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
DEALERS IN DEATH—
reference to 359, 365, 379, 380
DE ARYAN, C. LEON—
background and activities of 249, 250
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
policies of, as editor of The Broom 249
testimony of —
re Copperheads 259
re Friends of Progress 268, 269
re German-American Bund 240
DE BRIGHT, MRS. JOSEPHINE—
member of committee organized by Mrs. LaRue McCormick 210
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth- 217
subpenaed by committee 207
INDEX 407
DECADE SYSTEM— Page
reference to re Japanese imperialism 329
DECKER, CAROLINE—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
charged with criminal syndicalism 38
DECKER, FRANCES—
as hostile witness 60
DE LAP, T. H.—
appointed member of committee 5
resigned from committee 6
DEMOCRACY—
defined 10
isms versus 9
DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM—
Communist definition of 37
DEMOCRATIC FRONT, THE—
excerpt from 91
DEMOCRATIC PARTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158, 160, 161
DEMOCRATIC YOUTH FEDERATION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale _ 161
DENMARK—
invasion of, by Hitler 221
DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTIONS—
infiltration of Communism in 111
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR—
infiltration of Communism in 111
DEPARTMENT OF WELFARE—
infiltration of Communism in 111
DEPUTY STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER—
reference to Dorothy Ray as 111
DE SHISHMAREFF, PAQUITA LOUISE—
reference to, re Anti-Communist Federation 259
DEVELOPMENT OF JAPAN—
plan for 324
DIAZ, JOSE—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
DIEBEL, HANS—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
list of books published by 226
testimony of 225-227
trip of, to Germany 226
DILWORTH, NELSON S.—
appointed member of committee , 6
DIMITROFF, GEORGI—
reference to —
affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 133, 161
DIMITROV—
author of The United Front 21
DINKIN, MIRIAM—
reference to, re visit to George Wallace 197
DISCUSSION CLUB, 44834—
reference to 379, 380
DOHO SHA—
excerpt from, by Shuji Fuji 337
DONALDSON PRINTING COMPANY—
reference to 380
DOOSE, C. L.—
reference to, as Lieutenant of the Guard at San Quentin Prison 191
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
DORAN, DAVE—
reference to 120
DORIAS, LEON—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 15,0
408 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134
DOUGLAS, MELVYN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 161
DOWDEN, BISHOP TARKINGTON—
activities of, in America First Committee 277, 278
excerpt from reported speech of 278
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
DREHER, ROSE —
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
DREISER, THEODORE—
one of organizers of The American Peace Crusade 03
DUAL CITIZENSHIP—
exercised by Fascist Sympathizers 287
practice of by Japanese 323
DUFFY, CLINTON T.—
reference to, re special privileges San Quentin 190
statement of 112
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
DUNKIRK—
evacuation of British troops from 221
DUNKS, JUDY—
as hostile witness 60
DUNNE, PHILIP—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160, 161
DURNING, ETTA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
E
EAT, DRINK, AND BE WARY—
cited as Communist propaganda 103
ELSEA, A. RAY—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 358
EL SINARQUISTA—
excerpts from 201, 202
END POVERTY IN CALIFORNIA—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
ENGELS, FREDERICK—
co-author of Communist Manifesto 19
ENLARGED CAUCUSES—
list of 81, 82
ERDMAN, ALICE—
reference to 360
ESTAVAN, LAWRENCE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137
EUGENE LYONS—
author of The Red Decade 17
EXCERPT FROM ADDRESS ON ARRIVAL IN SPAIN—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
EX-COMBATTENTI SOCIETY—
testimony re 287, 290, 301-303, 305, 309
F
FACCI, DR. JOSEPH—
testimony re, in anti Fascist work 286
FAITH GRACE BUREAU—
reference to 360, 373
FALAWN, BETTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147
FANUCCHI, ROSE M.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of —
re Fascism 289
re Italian language schools 314
re Sons of Italy 303
INDEX 409
FARM LABOR PARTY— Page
activity of Aubrey Grossman in 99
reference to, as Communist front organization 98
FARMER, MARY VIRGINIA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 145-148, 150, 164
FASCIO—
term explained 287
FASCISM—
defined 9
differs from Communism and Naziism 9
findings of committee, re 383
list of witnesses, re 284
theory of 283, 284
FASCISM AND SOCIAL REVOLUTION—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 118
FASCIST ORGANIZATIONS—
findings of committee, re 383
FASCIST PARTY—
gains control of Italian Government 282, 283
FASCIST PROPAGANDA—
summary of committee, re 319-321
use of radio to further 285, 286
FASCISTS—
opposition of, to Italian Communists 282
organization of 282
FATE AND REVOLUTION—
cited as one of basic texts of Communism 21
FAULLIN, EARL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147
FEDER, GOTTFRIED—
statement of —
re Hitler 219
re Jews 222
FEDERAL ART PROJECT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 131, 133
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION—
committee cooperated with 8
FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 146
FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126, 128-132, 138, 139, 150, 151, 166
FEDERATION OF ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135
FERENZ, FRANZ K.—
as hostile witness —
re German-American Bund i 225
re Nazi propaganda 241
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
propaganda activities of 241
reference to, re World Events Forum : 257
testimony of 241
vs. Peter Riccardi —
case of 241
FIELD WORKERS' SCHOOL—
reference to, as organizers' school 87
FIORE, ANTHONY S.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Sons of Italy 304
FISCHER, LOUIS—
author of Men and Politics 19
FLANAGAN, HALLIE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 146, 147
FLEMING, DEM A JANE—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 3.r>6
testimonv of _ _ 366
410 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
FLORINSKY, MICHAEL T.— Page
reference to, as quoted in Fascism and National Socialism 218
FLORISTS ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO—
testimony re . 288
FOISIE, FRANK P.—
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
testimony of 192
FOLLMAN, NORAH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale "_ 138
FORD, JAMES W.—
reference to, as Communist candidate for vice president in 1936 115
FOREIGN POLICY OF NAZIS—
statement of 222, 223
FOSTER, WILLIAM Z.—
excerpts from statement of, when accepting presidential nomination 27, 35
excerpts from testimony of, before Congressional Committee 24
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 171
visits Kremlin, seeking power 36
FOX, LUBA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134, 145
FRAM, FAIGA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
FRANCE—
surrender of, to Hitler 221
FRANCHI, DAVIDA COREY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 133, 134
FRANCHI, FRED—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 130, 132, 135-137, 142, 145
FRANKE, WILLARD E.—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United : 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 376, 377
FRANKEL, J. ALLEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125, 158
FREED, EMIL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 159, 160
FREITAG, ELMER—
cited as strike leader 53
FRIENDS OF NEW GERMANY—
reference to, as first organization in United States 225
FRIENDS OF PROGRESS—
activities of 260, 272
as transmission belt of Nazi origin 256
meeting interrupted by committee 261
members convicted under Subversive Registration Act 272
witnesses called to testify concerning 266
FRIENDS OF THE SOVIET UNION—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
FRONT ORGANIZATIONS—
technique of, by Communist Party 101, 102
FRY, MRS. LESLIE—
reference to, re Anti-Confmunist Federation 259
FRY, PERCIVAL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130, 137
FUGII, SHUGI—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
FURMAN, JULIUS—
as hostile witness 60
secret workers with Communist Party listed by 85
testimony of 85
FURMAN, MAXINE—
as hostile witness 60
FUSS, OSCAR—
as hostile witness 60
called as witness, re Sinarquista 211
denies membership in Communist Party 214
INDEX 411
FUSS, OSCAR — Continued Page
digest of testimony of 213, 214
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144
subpenaed by committee 207
G
GAGE, LOREN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147
GALDIERI, CHRISTINE—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian Consulate 308
GALLAGHER, LEO—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125
GANAHL, HERBERT—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
GANNON, WILLIAM—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
GARCIA, DR. FABIAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
GARDNER, PHILIP—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of . 93
GARRIGUES, CHARLES H.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 151, 153, 156-158, 169
GARTZ, KATE CRANE—
as hostile witness 60
listed as witness, Friends of Progress , 266
testimony of . 269
GENERAL STRIKE OF 1934—
reference to 178
GEORGE ASHWELL BUREAU—
reference to, re Mankind United 359, 373
GERMAN REPUBLIC—
democratic system of 218
GERMAN-AMERICAN ALLIANCE—
composition of 242
GERMAN-AMERICAN BUND—
divisions of 227
findings of committee, re 383
growth of 225
instructions received by members of 254-256
membership cards of 228
national headquarters of L 225
Nazi mouthpiece in America 10
organization of, in San Diego 235
witnesses subpenaed for examination of 225
GESTAPO—
reference to, as secret state police — 220
GILSON, ED—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
GIORDANO, DR. MODESTO—
decorated by Italian Government 302
listed as witness, re Fascist activities __: 284
testimony of, re Fascism — 302, 303
GITLOW, BENJAMIN—
author of / Confess 19
visits Kremlin seeking power 36
GLEICHMAN, HASKELL—
reference to, as delegate from Motion Picture Cooperative Buyers' Guild 108
GLOECKER, JACOB—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
412 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
GOEBBLS, DR.— Page
means of communication and information placed in 220
GOLDBLATT, LOUIS—
one of organizers of American Peace Crusade 93
reference to, as speaker at first meeting of Social Problems Club at Univer-
sity of California 114
GOOD SOLDIER, A—
credited to Jack London 264
GOODMAN, BEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 145
GOODMAN, BOOTH B.—
appointment of 189
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case , 176
testimony of 192, 193
GORDON, WILLIAM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
GORIN, B. S.—
as hostile witness 60
GRANT, ALFRED—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
GREAT BRITAIN—
signing of naval agreement with, by Hitler 220
GREATER GERMANY—
formation of 221
GREECE —
attack on, by Hitler 221
GREENBAUM, PEARL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
GREENBERG, JACK—
as hostile witness . — _: 60
GREGOVICH, LEE-
RS hostile witness : : 60
GRIFFITH, LAWRENCE R.—
activities of j. 250, 251
as organizer of United Minute Men and Women of -America 250
author of Why Do You Hate Hitler? .__ 250
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
reference to, re United Minute Men and Women , ,_. 258
GROSSMAN, AUBREY—
activities of : ,-_____.. 99
as hostile witness ;_ 60
attorney for United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of
America 86
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case_i____ '. 176
testimony of 99
GRUEN, EDDIE—
member Communist Party school ___.. r 85
GSOVSKI, VLADIMIR—
excerpts from writings by :__ 29, 31
GUIDERA, MATTHEW G.—
as friendly witness j. 61
expelling of, from Marine Cooks and Stewards Association 188
placement of dictaphone in room of 184
report of, to district attorney 182
statements of 180
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
testimony of 77, 177, 178, 184, 185
warning by 180
GUIDING LIGHT BUREAU—
reference to : 373
GUIDO, MUSTO—
testimony re 302
GUINEA PIGS NO MORE—
cited as Communist propaganda _ 103
INDEX 413
GYSSLING, DR. GEORGE— Page
reference to 239
H
HAGBERG, GENE—
as friendly witness —
re Communism . 61
re German-American Bund 225
as investigator 230, 231
testimony of 63
HAIEG, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 167
HALL-GARDNER BUREAU—
reference to 360, 373
HAMPTON, ROY—
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California ; 322
HAN, DR. YU-SHAN—
background of 324
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
history of Japanese government, stated by . 324
statement of, re Black Dragon Society 338
HANMAN, BERT—
activities of —
in Communist Party 37- 39
in United Farmers' League 37
in Workers' Party 39
as friendly witness 61
as "political derelict" 39
expelled from Communist Party 38
HANOFF, ELMER—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
known as Red Star Man -. 37
HANSON, JOE—
activities of, in Workers' Party 39
HARLAN, HUGH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 139, 150
HARMON, ROSE—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
HARRIS, HERB—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128
HASHIMOTO, KUJOHI—
intimidation of 350
HEALY, DON R.—
cited as strike leader 53
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162
HEALY, MRS. DON—
testimony of 86
HEARINGS—
dates of 6
held at 6
HEIM, EDWARD—
friendly witness '. 61
testimony of 82
HELGREN, GEORGE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
HELGREN, NORA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124, 125
HELM, L. C.—
as friendly witness 61
testimony of 83
HELTNESS, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144
HENDERSON, DONALD—
National President of United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied
Workers of America 86
414 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
HERRICK, MARTHA— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135
HERRICK, ROBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128, 130, 131, 135, 139
HERRICK, WALTER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 131, 135, 145
HEUSCHELE, KARL AUGUST—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
business contracts with Japanese, by 238
discovery of incriminating evidence in home of 238
examination of, by committeee, in home of 236
members of family of, in Germany 236
refusal of, to appear before committee 236
strategic position of home of 236
HEUSCHELE, MRS. KARL AUGUST—
refusal of, to admit photographers 236
HIDDEN RULERS—
reference to in Mankind United 368, 369, 375
HIROSHIMIA SEINEN KAI—
Kebei organization 323
HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126, 127, 138
HITLER, ADOLPH—
arrest of 219
supreme power of 220
unsuccessful wooing of, by Russia 42
warned democracies in Mein Kampf 54
HOLLAND—
occupation of, by Hitler 221
HOLLYWOOD ANTI-NAZI LEAGUE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 136
HOLLYWOOD CULTURAL COMMISSION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148, 164
HOLLYWOOD TRADE UNIONS—
control of, by Communist Party 78
HOLMSTOCK, ETHEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 143
HOLTHER, WILLIAM B.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129
HOLTZ, MIRIAM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 1 157, 163
HONEYCOMBS, JOHN G.—
affidavit of 117-122
accepted as member of Communist Party of United States 117
activity in Friends of Soviet Union 119
activity in publication of Anti-Hearst Examiner 119
activity in raising money for support of Longshoremen strike at San Pedro
and San Francisco 120
address of Earl Browder 121, 122
attended classes pertaining to Marxism, Leninism, and Stalinism 117
creating bitterness and disrespect for employers and law enforcement 118
direction to carry out aims of Spanish Communist Party 121
pointing out manner of overthrow of capitalistic classes 118
pointing out that Members of the Congress of United States are mouth-
pieces of exploiting capitalists, etc 118
promoted agitation and propaganda on both trips to Orient 120
quoting and discussing Communistic books 118
requiring thorough study of John Reed's book, Ten Days That Shook the
World 118
statement that Communist Party of United States is branch of Communist
Third International 122
testimony of 117-122
training and adaptation 117
training in art of subtle penetration into unions 118
training in science of agitation among labor unions 118
INDEX 415
HONEYCOMBS, JOHN G.— Continued Page
affidavit — Continued
training members in tactics of revolution 118
transfer of membership from United States Communists to Communists qf
Spain 121
trip to Shanghai, visiting Russian Embassy 120
visit to office of Ministry of War at Barcelona, Spain 122
volunteered services to Spain 120
as friendly witness 61
HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN—
extract from 325, 326
HORI, H.—
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 277—
appropriates sum for committee-- — -. . 6
text of — — 389-391
HOWE, ANN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 133, 140, 146
HOWE, JANE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 143, 158
HOYT, RALPH E.—
details of murder of George Alberts, recited by 187
position of . 187
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 176
HUDSON, ROY—
reference to, re helping Wallace and Sakovitz _: 197
HUFF, MARION—
reference to : 360
HUGHES, CHARLES EVANS—
excerpts from report of 23
HUGHES, T. W.—
author of The Truth About England 258
founder of League to Save America First 258
HULL, MORGAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155
HUMANIST SOCIETY OF FRIENDS—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
HUMPHREY, MILES G.—
activities of, in Communist Party 38
activities of, in Russia 68
as friendly witness 61
teacher of Communism in Oakland 68
testimony of 68, 115
trade union organizer for Communist Party 69
transfer of, from Communist Party of United States to Communist Party of
Soviet Russia t 69
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
HUNGARY—
occupation of, by Hitler 221
HUNNWELL, CARROL E.—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of 62
I
I CONFESS—
recommended as reference 19
IL CORRIERE—
testimony re 309, 310
IL CORRIERE DEL POPOLO—
reference to 285
IL LEONE—
listed as pro-Fascist publication 285
testimony re 303
ILACQUA, NICHOLAS—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian language schools 314, 315
416 UN- AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING COMMISSION— Page
infiltration of Communism in 111
IMPERIAL BLACK DRAGON SOCIETY—
organization of Japanese Empire 337
IMPERIAL COMRADESHIP SOCIETY—
leadership of, in Sakugaro Kubota 337
IN FACT—
quotation from 247
INDUSTRIAL UNION COUNCIL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 1M.1
INGALLS, LAURA—
addressed National Legion of Mothers of America 256
reference to, testimony of Mrs. Eleanor Morris 257
INGSTER, BORIS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
INNES, LETITIA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
INSTITUTE FOR THE EDUCATION OF OVER-SEA JAPANESE—
purpose of 327
INSTRUCTIONS OF BUND LEADERS—
photostatic copies of, in possession of committee 229
INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSION CLUB—
reference to 380
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF UNIVERSAL RESEARCH AND
ADMINISTRATION—
reference to
testimony of Arthur Lowber Bell 380
testimony of Dr. Laisne 367
INTERNATIONAL LABOR DEFENSE—
reference to, as Communist front organization 98
INTERNATIONAL LEGION OF VIGILANTES IN CALIFORNIA—
reference to 380
INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN'S ASSOCIATION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale . 141
INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' ORDER—
requirements of eligibility of applicants for membership in 94
INZER, HUGH BEN—
as friendly witness 61, 225
testimony of, before committee 46, 50
IRONS, MARTIN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134, 163
ISSEI, THE—
Japanese alien, known as 322
loyalty to Japan, of 346
ITALIAN ACTIVITIES IN AMERICA—
testimony re . 290
ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE—
testimony re 306, 307
ITALIAN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS—
testimony re 309-314
ITALIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS—
excerpt from reader used by 317
testimony re 286, 287, 300, 309, 314, 319
ITALIAN LEGION—
testimony re 300
ITALY—
joining Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan and Germany 220
J
JACOBSON, ELI—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale __130, i:t<»
JACOBSON, LIBBY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale __128, 133
JAKEMAN, SHANNA—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury • _ 382
INDEX 417
JAPAN— Page
entered Anti-Comintern Agreement with, by Hitler 220
JAPANESE—
loyalty of 328
JAPANESE-AMERICAN CITIZENS' LEAGUE—
collaboration of, to sell Japanese war bonds 338
eligibility for membership in 344
reference to, as Nisei organization 333
JAPANESE-COMMUNIST GROUP—
known as Doho Jin Sha 230
JAPANESE EMPLOYEES OF LOS ANGELES—
retirement of 342
JAPANESE FIFTH COLUMN—
activities of, in China 338, 339
JAPANESE FISHERMEN—
activities of 338
JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA—
nationalism taught by _ — _ — 326
number of pupils attending 326
similarity of, to Workers' Schools of the Communists 328
JAPANESE LOCATION CENTERS—
administration of 348
advantages taken by Japanese in 346
JAPANESE MILITARY SERVICE MEN'S LEAGUE—
reference to 337
JAPANESE NATIONAL ANTHEM—
reference to 349
JAPANESE ORGANIZATIONS—
domination of, by the Issei 333
JASMAGY, FRIEDA—
as hostile witness 60
JENKINS, SUSAN—
formation by, of Consumers' Union 102
JEROME, V. J.—
as Communist worker in Hollywood 42
excerpt from writing of 45
organization of Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, supervised by 42
JESPERSEN, CHRIS N.—
appointed member of committee 5
resigned from committee 6
JESSIE ADDISON BUREAU—
reference to 373
JEWS—
attacked by both Nazis and Communists 247
JOHNSON, 'GROVER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125
JOHNSON, HEWLETT— *, '
author of Soviet Power 52
JOHNSON, PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128, 130, 138
JOHNSON, ROGER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
JOHNSTON, VELDA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale
127, 128, 131, 132, 136, 145, 151, 153, 156, 169
JOINT FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN
ACTIVITIES—
deterrent to un-American groups
invitation of — to Guy T. Nunn to appear __ __206, 207
to John Bright to appear 206, 207
to Josephine de Bright to appear 206, 207
to Mrs. L Rue McCormick to appear__ 206, 207
to Oscar Fuss to appear 206, 207
to Philip M. Connelly to appear —206, 207
27— L.-2275
418 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
JOINT FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN
ACTIVITIES— Continued Page
press release of 208, 209
recommendations of 384, 385
JONES, DARBY-
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 164
JONES, ELLIS O.—
as codirector of Friends of Progress 260
convicted of contempt of committee 262
convicted under Subversive Registration Act 272
director of Friends of Progress 256
letter to, from unnamed Senator 262, 263
listed as witness —
America First Committee 275
Friends of Progress 266
organizer of National Copperheads of America 258
reference to-
re America First Committee 277
re American Civil Liberties Union 96
re National Copperheads '. 232
statement of, re Jews 251
subpenaed by committee 261
testimony of —
re Friends of Progress 270
re Front Organizations 92
re German-American Bund 230
JONES, EVELYN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
JONES, JOHN A.—
activities of 63
as hostile witness 60
JONES, LILLIAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154, 166, 171
JUDSON, CHARLES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153
K
KAI NIPPON SEINENKAI—
Kebei organization ' 323
KALININ, MICHAEL—
head of U. S. S. R 15
KALISH, SAMUEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 136, 156, 163
KALLET, ARTHUR—
formation by, of Consumers' Union 102
reference to, as co-author of One Hundred Million Guinea Pigs 104
statement of 102
KANA, GAWA DESHIKAI—
Kebei organization 323
KANDEL, ABEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
KAPLAN, MAURICE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 171
KASHINS, BEULAH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
KASURUI, TOMO—
reference to 346
KATHLEEN BUREAU—
reference to 373
KAY, HELEN—
as secretary of League of Women Shoppers 100
KEENE, ALBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
KEBEI—
definition of__ 322
INDEX 419
KEBEI DIVISION YMCA— Page
Kebei organization 323
KEBEI DIVISION OF ZENSHU ZI—
Kebei organization 323
KEBEI ORGANIZATIONS—
list of 323
KEBEI SEINEN OF BUDDHIST CHURCH—
Kebei organization 323
KEBEI SEININKAI OF KINTO KYOHAI—
Kebei organization ! 323
KELLEMS, JESSE RANDOLPH—
appointed member of committee 5, 6
KELLOGG PACT—
subscribed to by Russia 42
KELSO, PAULINE—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury ; 382
KENDZIA—
reference to, as treasurer for German-American Business Association 226
KENEKO, ROBBIN—
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
KENNY, ROBERT W.—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162
KIBRE, JEFF—
alias Barry Wood 82
cited as strike leader 53
photostatic copies of letters of 82
KIDWELL, GEORGE C.—
reference to, as Olson appointee 88
KIEVITS, JULES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158, 159, 163
KILBOURNE, KATHERINE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124, 125, 163
KING, CONNER, RAMSAY CASE—
conclusion of 198, 199
subpenaed witnesses of 176, 177
KING, EARL—
absence of, from San Francisco 183
appeal of 177
conversation of, in room of Matthew G. Guidera 184
duties of, in San Quentin 190, 191
employment of, C. I. O. unions 192
photostat of copy of letter by 178, 179
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
statement by Attorney General re parole of 176
KING, FRANK—
activities of, in Friends of Progress 267
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
testimony of, re Robert Noble 266-268
KING, RAMSAY, CONNER AND WALLACE—
history of case of _ 177-199
KIRK, THOMAS—
activities of 63, 64
as friendly witness 61
KIRKPATRICK, NATHAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
KLEIN, HERBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 174
KLEIN, MINNA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154, 169
KLEIN, SAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125
KOSHER SLAUGHTER—
anti-Semitic film _ 241
420 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
KOTTERMAN, HUBERT— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 151, 155
KREUGER, OLGA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140, 145
KIT KLUX KLAN—
principles of 280
reference to 229, 230, 245, 246
KUBOSE, MASAO—
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
testimony of 325, 328
KUBOTA, SAKUGARO—
reference to 337
KUBOTA, TAKAKI—
leader in Japanese-American Citizens' League of Los Angeles 338
KUNZE, WILHELM—
reference to, as last leader of German-American Bund 225, 235
KURIHARA, JOE—
statement of 350
L
LA CAVA, BERYL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 136
LAISNE, DR. EUGENE W.—
severing connection with Mankind United 368
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of 366-369
LAMBERT, RUDY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125, 126
LAMONT, CORLISS—
excerpts from writings of 32
LANDWACHE—
creation of, to subdue opposition or war-weariness of German people 220
LANE, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130, 137, 141, 142, 146, 159, 163
LANGTON, FREDERICK—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of 113
LANING, CLAIRE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 139
LANZONI, RINO G.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
LA RASSEGNA COMMERCIALE—
listed as pro-Fascist publication 285
testimony re 299, 312, 315, 316
LASKY, PHILIP G.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
statement of, re Fascism 289
LA VOCE DEL POPOLO—
listed as pro-Fascist publication 285
testimony re 299, 310, 313
LAWN, DR. A. R.—
reference to—-
testimony of Eugene W. Laisne 367-369
testimony of John William Peck 362
LAWSON, JOHN HOWARD—
activities of, in Hollywood 42
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148
LAZONI, RINO G.—
testimony of, re Fascism 301, 302
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WRITERS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149, 165
LEAGUE OF NATIONS—
withdrawal of Germany from, by Hitler 219
INDEX \ 421
LEAGUE OF WOMEN SHOPPERS— Page
reference to —
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124, 132, 133
as Communist controlled 100
LEAGUE TO SAVE AMERICA FIRST—
activities of 258
LECHNER, DR. JOHN—
article in Rafu Shimpo, quoted by 327, 328
assistance given by 7
author of Playing With Dynamite 7
examined by committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
quotation from Hawaiian Sentinel, by 322
references to article by Norman Thomas, given by 351, 352
testimony of 326, 327
LEE, CAPTAIN WALTER—
reference to, as head of campus police at University of California 113
LEECH, BERT S.—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of : 71, 72
LEFT WING COMMUNISM—
cited as one of basic texts of Communism 21
LENIN—
author of —
Fate and Revolution 21
Left Wing Communism 21
What Is to Be Done 21
belief in objectives of, by Communists in California and United States 68
LENINISM—
cited as one of basic texts of Communism 21
excerpts from 22, 111
LERNER, TILLIE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128, 139
LEROY-LADURIE, JACQUES—
reference to —
as appointed to Cabinet of Pierre Laval 203
as chief of French Sinarquists 203
LEWIS, FERN RUTH—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of 356-358
LEWWITSKI, BELLA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145
LIGHT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 151, 154
LINDBERGH, CHARLES A.—
nomination of, by True Americans 256
reference to I 227, 230
LINDNER, EUGENE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 171
LION, CAPTAIN WILLIAM D.—
reference to, re warning 180
L'lTALIA—
listed as pro-Fascist publication 285
testimony re 299, 310, 312
LITERARY SERVICE BUREAU—
reference to 373
LITTORIO—
testimony re 287
LODAHL, EMIL—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
organizer of National Patriots 231
reference to 230
testimony of 231
LONDON, JACK—
article credited to 264
LOS ANGELES COUNCIL OF DEFENSE—
infiltration of Communism in, attempted by John M. Weatherwax 109
422 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES COUNTY CULTURAL COMMISSION— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 164
LOS ANGELES COUNTY POLITICAL COMMISSION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159, 161
LOS ANGELES COUNTY TRADE UNION COMMISSION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER—
editorial from 57, 58
news item, charging Stalin suppressing facts of U. S. aid to Russia 56, 57
LOS ANGELES MUSICIANS' UNION, NO. 47—
extension of closed fraction of, to non-Communist members 84
reference to photostatic copy of minutes of 85
LOS ANGELES NEWSPAPER GUILD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 141, 151-157, 162
LOVESTONE, JAY—
visits Kremlin, seeking power 36
LOVESTONEITES—
Lovestone supporters known as 36
"LOYALIST" SPAIN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140, 140
LUBELL, EVA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
LUNINE—
testimony re 310
LYM, LA VERNE FRANCES—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of 72
LYONS, ARCHIE—
attempt to subpena 192
bribe offered to 194
LYONS, EUGENE—
author of —
Assignment in Utopia 19
Red Decade, The 17
Stalin, Czar of All the Russias 19
classifies Communist development in United States 40
Soviet Power, discussed by 52
MACARTHUR, DOUGLAS—
reference to 266
MACBETH, HUGH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
MACHELL, HARRY T.—
commendation of 7
MADDOX, CHARLES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 164
MANIFESTO—
cited one of basic texts of Communism 21
considered bible of Communism 21
excerpts from 26
MANKIND UNITED—
belief of 355
bulletin of 372
classes of instruction of 373
conclusions of committee re 381, 382
elderly people attracted by 377
equipment of 1 362, 363, 365, 366, 367, 372
excessive activity by members of 355
explanation of structure of 373
history of 353, 354
intelligent people hypnotized by 377
list of bureaus of 373
mapping of State by members of 371
membership qualifications outlined 380
obedience of members of, re Selective Service Law 373
objectives of 357
place of business of, in home of Bay Burns ShaTp__ 1 --. 371
INDEX 423
MANKIND UNITED — Continued Page
powers of 375
principle of . 365
purpose of 354
refusal by members of, to buy war bonds or stamps 356
sale of books by 380
showing of motion picture at German-American Bund headquarters 355
structure of 364, 365
textbook of followers of 354
MANUILSKY, G.—
author of The World Communist Movement 19
MANZANAR—
reference to —
by Togo Tanaka 336
re meeting of Japanese in 349, 350
MAP OF PACIFIC—
reference to 336
MAPS OF INTERIOR VALLEYS OF CALIFORNIA—
depicting of highways, etc., on 338
MARCUS, DR. SAMUEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 143, 144
MARCUS, DR. SIMSON—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 157
MARINE FIREMEN, OILERS, WATERTENDERS AND WIPERS
UNION—
connection of —
E. G. Ramsay with 177
Earl King with 177
Frank Conner with 177
George W. Alberts with 177
MARITIME FEDERATION OF PACIFIC—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale . 141
MARRAZZINI, RENATO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 289
MARTENS, GEORGE ERNEST—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund_ 225
testimony of 241, 242
MARTIN, CHUCK—
article by, re Robert Noble — 272, 273
MARTIN, SIDNEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 128
MARTY, ANDRE—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
MARX, KARL—
author of Das Kapital I 19
co-author of Communist Manifesto 19
MASON, HUGH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 145, 167
MASON, WILLIAM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162
MATHEWS, ALLAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159
MATTHEWS, FLOYD—
as friendly witness • ,- 61
testimony of 85
MATLIN, SEEMA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 132, 134, 135, 145
MATLIN, WALTER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
MATSUO, KINOAKI—
outline of plan of, to invade United States— _r—
reference to 329, 330
MAYER, LOUIS B.—
reference to, as "Jewish Fascist" 247
424 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
MATES, BARNEY— Page
The Voice of the Federation, editor of __38, 31)
MAZZINI SOCIETY—
testimony re 287, 288, 315
McBRIDE, JAMES MORRISON—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
as member of America First Committee 276
listed as witness —
America First Committee 275
Friends of Progress 266
reference to, re America First Committee 277
testimony of 231, 232
McBRIDE, LYDIA JOAN—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
birthplace of 232
listed as witness —
America First Committee 275
Friends of Progress 266
picketing of Wendell Willkie meeting, by 276
previous marriage of 232
testimony of 232, 271
MCCARTHY, ESTHER A.—
as friendly witness 61
McCORMICK, LA RUE—
as hostile witness 60
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
McCORMICK, MRS. LA RUE—
digest of testimony of 214-216
list of members of committee organized by 210
reference to, as investigator of Sinarquist Movement 203
subpenaed by committee 207
testimony of, re Sinarquista 209, 210
McCULLOUGH, MRS. FAITH—
reference to, re American League of Christian Women 260
MCELROY, WALTER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale
128, 129, 131, 133, 135, 136, 139, 142, 144, 170, 173
McGENTY, LEONA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale
135-137, 140, 142, 144, 146, 147, 150, 164, 166, 171, 173
McMICHAEL, JACK—
one of organizers of American Peace Crusade 93
MCNEIL, LUCILE—
as hostile witness 60
McWILLIAMS, CAREY—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth- 217
reference to, as instructor at Field Workers' School 87
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129, 149, 156, 158, 159, 163
statement of, in People's Daily World 203
MEANING OF THE SOVIET-GERMAN NON-AGGRESSION PACT,
THE —
excerpts from 43, 44
MEDICAL AND TECHNICAL AID TO SPAIN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
MEHL, EMIL B.—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
testimony of 238, 239
MEIN KAMPF—
democracies warned in 54
reference to 218
MELELLA, VINCENT—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Sons of Italy 303, 304
INDEX 425
MEMBERSHIP OF MANKIND UNITED— Page
growth of 355
MEN AND POLITICS—
recommended as reference 19
MENIER, LEONE—
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
reference to, testimony of Robert Noble . 265
testimony of, re Friends of Progress ' 268
MENIKETTI, ORLANDO—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United H_ 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 376
METCALFE, ALLEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 163
MICHELSON, CLARINE—
reference to, as sponsor of League of Women Shoppers 102
MICHENER, LEW—
as leader of Communist-dominated union : 50
cited as strike leader 53
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 167
MILITANT CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS—
reference to 259
MILL, JOHN—
Communism defined by 16
MILLER, MAX—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
MILLER, WILLIAM GOLF AX—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149, 150
MINI, NORMAN—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
charged with criminal syndicalism 38
MINISTRY OF WAR, BARCELONA, SPAIN—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 122
MINOR, ROBERT—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
representative of Communist Party of United States in Soviet Russia in
Communist International 69
MIRACLE OF HAPPINESS, THE—
excerpts from 264, 265
MISSION TO MOSCOW-
studied by committee 18
MOLOTOV, V. M.—
excerpt from —
article by 43, 44
report of, to Supreme Soviet 44, 45
statement of 43
founds Comintern Commission L 36
MONEY RAISING FOR SUPPORT OF LONGSHOREMEN STRIKE—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
MONROE, LILLIAN—
activities of —
in Communist Party 37
in Workers' Party 39
MONTEREY PENINSULA HERALD—
testimony re 312
MOORE, FRANCES—
as hostile witness 60
testimony of 112
MOORE, JACK—
activities of, in Communist Party 67
affiliation with Young Communist League by 67
as hostile witness 60
as paid Communist functionary 25, 26
background of 67
excerpts from testimony of 77
head of Young Communist League 67
426 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
MOORE, JACK — Continued Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141
testimony of 68
MOORE, WARD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152
MORRIS, MRS. ELEANOR—
testimony of, re National Legion of Mothers of America 257
MORTIMER, WYNDHAM—
cited as strike leader 53
MORTON, DON—
as friendly witness 61
identification of James Burford by 84
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
testimony of —
re anti-Hearst papers 65
re King, Conner, Ramsay case 115
re meeting in home of James Burford 182, 183
re spies in Communist Party 36
MOSS, JAY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140, 141, 153, 154
MOTION PICTURE COOPERATIVE BUYERS' GUILD—
contact with, by John M. Weatherwax 108
MOTION PICTURE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 161
MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY—
infiltration of Communist Party in ^ 79
MOTOR VEHICLES, STATE DEPARTMENT OF—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 134
MUEHLKE, FRANK—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
purpose of joining Bund 239
resignation of, from Bund 239
testimony of 239, 240
visit of, to Germany 240
MUIR, ROBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
MUNICH—
control of, by Hitler 219
MURPHY, A. M.—
reference to, as assistant secretary of union 181
return of money to : 183
MURPHY, MAURICE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 161
MURRAY, DONALD A.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 143, 144, 147, 148, 150, 153, 171
MUSSOLINI, BENITO—
given power by Italian Government 283
organizer of Fascists 282
unsuccessful wooing of, by Russia 42
MUSTAK, JOHN—
as friendly witness 61
conviction of, for robbery 196
kidnaping of . 196
reference to —
as acquaintance of Ramsay, Conner and Wallace 196
as doing undercover work for American Legion 195, 196
selection of, by Lawrence Ross for sabotaging Merchant Marine 196
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
N
NAGATA, S.—
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
NATIONAL BOOK MART—
reference to >___, 232, 233
INDEX 427
NATIONAL COPPERHEADS OF AMERICA— Page
organization and activities of 258, 259
reference to 232
NATIONAL LAWYERS' GUILD—
creation of 98
names of prominent members of 98
reference to, as Communist front organization : 98
resignation of A. A. Berle, Jr., from 98
NATIONAL LEGION OF MOTHERS OF AMERICA—
addressed by Laura Ingalls 256
members of, subpenaed by committee 256, 257
penetration of, by German-American Bund 254
NATIONAL NEGRO CONGRESS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135
NATIONAL PATRIOTS—
purpose of 231
reference to 233
NATIONAL SOCIALIST GERMAN WORKERS' PARTY—
objectives of 221
NATIONAL SOCIALISTS (NAZIS) —
power of, in Reichstag 219
NATIONAL STUDENT LEAGUE—
reference to —
as Communist front organization 98
in connection with "Bloody Thursday" parade 99
NAZI ACTIVITIES
history of 218-221
NAZI GOVERNMENT—
nationalization of annuity system 223
nationalization of businesses, by 223
NAZI PARTY—
collaboration of, with Nazi Party, reviewed 256
organization of, by Hitler 218
union of Germans from all countries, by 222
use of anti-Semitic policy by 248
NAZI PHILOSOPHY—
design of 224
NAZI PRIMER—
reference to 218
NAZI UTOPIA—
manner of attaining 224
NAZIISM—
defined 9
differs from Communism and Fascism 9
findings of committee, re 383
NEGRO COMMISSION OF COMMUNST PARTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
NEIL, STEWART—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth — 217
NELSON, NORRIS E.—
reference to 342
NELSON, ROSE—
as one of organizers of Consumers' Protective Committee 103
NELSON, VICTOR—
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
testimony of 191
NELSON, W. D.—
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
NEP
New Economic Policy, known as 41
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY—
launching of, in Russia 41
NEW ORDER—
points of, as enumerated 221, 222
428 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
NEW PIONEER— Page
excerpt from (50
NEW THEATRE LEAGUE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
NEWPORT, BEATRICE —
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 148
NISEI, THE—
activities of, against China 333, 334
age of 345
gathering of, in Los Angeles 337
loyalty to United States, of 346
second generation, known as 322
NOBLE, ROBERT—
as codirector of Friends of Progress 260
background of 260
convicted under Subversive Registration Act 272
director of Friends of Progress 256
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
quotation from Brewery Gulch Gazette, re 272
subpenaed by committee 261
testimony of, re Friends of Progress 260, 261, 263-266
NORAL, ALEXANDER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 144
NORTH AMERICAN AIRCRAFT COMPANY—
committee findings re strike at 52, 53
NORTH AMERICAN COMMITTEE TO AID SPANISH DEMOCRACY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
NORWAY—
invasion of, by Hitler 221
NUGENT, HERBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137
NUNN, GUY T.—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican- American Youth 217
member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
statement of, re Mexican youth 204
subpenaed by committee 207
NYE, GERALD P.—
reference to 381
O
O'CONNOR, TOM—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155
ODETS, CLIFFORD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK FOR SCHOOLING THE HITLER YOUTH—
reference to 21 S
OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
OF THE SOVIET UNION—
recommended as reference 11)
OKUBO DECADE SYSTEM—
reference to 340
OLIVE BRANCH BUREAU—
reference to 378
OLIVER, WILLIAM E.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
OLSON, CULBERT L.—
pardoning by, of Branislaus Joseph Zukas and 23 others convicted of misde-
meanors 112
reference to —
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
in contemplated pardon of King, Conner and Ramsay 190
statement by 189
ONE HUNDRED MILLION GUINEA PIGS—
cited as Communist propaganda 103
reference to, as play written partly by Arthur Kallet 104
INDEX 429
OPINION OF CALIFORNIA APPELLATE COURT— Page
excerpt from 198, 19
ORANS, ALICE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 163
ORIENTAL EXCLUSION ACT—
reference to 322
ORNITZ, SAMUEL —
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123, 149
ORR, JUNE—
as hostile witness 60
ORR, PAUL—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
ORR, VIOLET—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
OSSMAN, PEARL—
as hostile witness 60
denial of, of being member of Communist Party 113
OSTAGGI, LEO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 289, 290
OURSLER, FULTON—
statement of 104
OVERTURE—
excerpt from 107
P
PACIFIC COAST DIVISION OF INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION
BUREAU—
reference to 380
PACIFIC COAST REGISTRATION BUREAU—
reference to, re Mankind United 364, 378
PACIFIC WEEKLY—
reference to, affidavit of Reua M. Vale 150
PARAMOUNT STUDIOS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
PARISI, MARIO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism 288, 289
testimony re 301
PARKER, DR.—
alias Dr. Vaughn A. K. Tashjian 74
PARTNERS IN PLUNDER—
reference to, as book written by J. B. Mathews 104
PASADENA INDEPENDENT—
article in, re meeting of America Fivst Committee 274
PATCHEN, KENNETH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152
PATRIZI, ETTORE—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
removed from Western Defense Command for duration 321
testimony of —
re Italian Chamber of Commerce 306
re Italian language newspapers 311-314
re Italian language schools 317, 318
testimony re 300, 301, 310, 315
PATTERSON, CARL—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
organizer of United Farmers' League 37
PATTERSON, ELLIS E.—
reference to —
affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
in parole of King, Conner and Ramsay 188
PATTERSON, KENNETH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147, 148, 164
430 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
PECK, JOHN WILLIAM— Page
invitation to, to become bureau manager of Mankind United 868
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 856
testimony of 361-868
PEOPLE vs. TAYLOR—
citation from case 34
PEOPLE'S DAILY WORLD—
appearance of 70
articles in, by Tom Cullen 203
chronology in, of agitation of Mexican youth 203, 204
excerpts from 70
raising money for 62
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 164
report in, of committee appointed to investigate Mexican youth problems 204
statement in, of Carey McWilliams 203
PEOPLE'S FRONT, THE—
inauguration and purpose of 100
recommended as reference 19
PER AS SO, MARIO L.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of —
re Italian Chamber of Commerce 306
re Italian language schools 316
PERKINS, P. D.—
activities of - 331, 332
bookstore of 340
duties of 340
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
registered as agent of Japanese government 339
testimony of —
re affiliation with Japanese government 339, 340
re Japanese language schools 328
re Okubo and Tanaka plans 330
PERRY, PETTIS—
activities of 73
as hostile witness 60
PETERS, WALTER HENRY CHRIS—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re becoming lieutenant of Mankind United 363, 364
PETERS, WINONA—
reference to 364, 371
PEZMAN, THEODORE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147, 148, 150, 166, 168, 171
PHELPS, G. ALLISON—
activities of 243, 244
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of 244
visit of, to Washington 244
PHILLIPS, JAMES H.—
appointed member of committee 5
PHOTOPLAY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
PINE, W. BRUCE—
attacked 7
commendation of 7
PINSKY, PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158, 167
PIONEER EDITION—
reference to 361
PISANI, GIOVACCHINI—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Fascism '. 307, 308
PITTS, THOMAS L.—
resignation of, from Consumer Council 109
PLACT, WERNER—
reference to _ 243
INDEX 431
PLAYING WITH DYNAMITE— Page
recommended re Japanese problem 7
PLUNKERT, MRS. FRANCES MOORE—
reference to, as employee of Department of Labor 111
PLUNKERT, WILLIAM J.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 163
POINT LOBOS—
removal of, from Howard Terminal in Oakland 181
POLAND—
demand of Polish Corridor from, by Hitler 221
invasion of, by Hitler 221
nonaggression pact signed with, by Hitler 219
POLICE FORCES OF GERMANY—
control of, by Frick and Goering 219
POSNER, JEROME—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth__ 217
member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
PRAGER, MOLLIE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 168, 169
PRO-FASCIST PUBLICATIONS—
list of 285
PROGRAMME OF THE PARTY OF HITLER—
reference to 218
PROGRESSIVES BUREAU—
reference to _ 373
PRO-JAPANESE SYMPATHIES—
movement for 350, 351
PROPAGANDA AND AGITATION ACTIVITIES—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
PROWELL, ALPHEUS—
reference of, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF LOS ANGELES—
organization of 342, 343
PURCELL, CAROL—
reference to 362
Q
QUESTIONS, PLEASE—
reference to 278, 279
QUINN, ANTHONY—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
R
RABINOWITCH, JOSEPH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152
RADIN, DR. MAX—
as hostile witness • 60
testimony of 116
RADIN, DR. PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 139
RADIO—
mysterious transmitting equipment of Mankind United ; 363
RADIO BROADCASTS—
committee appointed by government to listen to 346
RADIO PROGRAMS—
conducted by 61
testimony concerning : 61
RADIO REBROADCASTS IN JAPANESE LOCATION CENTERS—
excerpts from 346-348
RAFU SHIMPO—
aid of, for collection of funds 334
editorial policy ,of 336
maintenance of Tokio Bureau, by 336
pages torn from 336
printing of, in Japan 336
subversive articles of — 333
432 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
RAMSAY, E. G.— Page
appeal of 177
employment of, by C. I. O. union 192
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
statement by Attorney General re parole of 176
RAMSAY, KING, CONNER AND WALLACE—
history of case of 177-199
RATHBONE, DAVID HENRY—
convicted of libel 272
listed as witness, Friends of Progress 266
testimony of, re Friends of Progress 271, 272
RATHBORNE, MERVYN—
as hostile witness 60
reference to, in denial of membership in Communist Party 188
statements of 189
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
RAY, DOROTHY—
activities of 87, 88
as hostile witness 60
excerpt from oral examination of, read to 88
reference to, as Deputy Labor Commissioner 88
testimony of 86, 87, 88, 111
RAY OF LIGHT BUREAU—
reference to, re Mankind United 359, 373
RED DECADE, THE—
quotation from 17
recommended as reference 19
RED STAR MAN—
defined 37
RED-BAITER—
A. H. Webber branded as 84
groups known as 16
REICHSTAG—
elections of 219
RELIGION AND COMMUNISM—
excerpts from 32
RENZETTI, MAJOR—
testimony re 295
RESNER, HERBERT—
reference to —
as attorney for Frank Conner 186
re visit to George Wallace 197
REYNOLDS, ROTH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 164
RHEINHEIMER, HELENE—
reference to, by Heuschele 238
RIEMER, JOHN L.—
activities of 245
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
as member of American First Committee 277
listed as witness, American First Committee 275
testimony of 232, 233, 245, 246
RIESE, JOHN HENRY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153, 169
ROBBIN, ED—
activities of 61
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
ROBERTO—
testimony re 287
ROBESON, ESSIE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
ROBESON, PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 123
ROBINSON, THEODOR—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152, 155, 156, 165, 168
INDEX 433
RODGERS, DAVID— Page
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case _ 177
RODIN, DOROTHY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 145, 147
ROGERS, MRS. WILL, JR.—
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth- 217
RONCHI, OTTORINO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian language schools 316, 317
ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D.—
reference to —
affidavit of John G. Honeycombe _. 119
re Copperheads 258
ROSENHOUSE, BETTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 166
ROSS, LAWRENCE—
participation of, in King, Conner, Ramsay case 199
reference to, as editor of Western Worker 183, 187
ROSSI, ANGELO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Nazi and Fascist activities 298, 299
testimony re 287, 294, 302
ROTH, GEORGE KNOX—
appearance of, before Civil Service Commission of Los Angeles 342
broadcasts of 342
conviction of 344
educational background of 343
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
reference to 341
statement of, over radio 344
testimony of 342
RUBILAO, GENERAL—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
RUMANIA—
invasion of, by Hitler 221
RUSSIA—
invasion of 221
RUST, DR.—
universities and schools placed under supervision of 220
RUTH-ANN BUREAU—
maps of all Southern California cities displayed in meetings of 357
reference to, re Mankind United 356
RUTHENBERG, CHARLES E.—
death of 36
position of, sought by many 36
RYAN, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
RYAN, MAURINE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 140
S
SAHLI, WILLIAM H.—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of 280, 281
ST. CYR, JOHN F.—
as hostile witness 60
SAKOVITZ, "WIMPY"—
activities of, preceding murder of George W. Alberts 180-182
flight of
non-apprehension of 177
SALEMSON, HAROLD J.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149, 152, 154
SAPHIRSTEIN, CHARLES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
28— L-2275
434 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
SAPIRO, ESTHER— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 163
SARGENT, JOHN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141, 142
SATO, CARL, KAZUFUMAI—
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California . 322
testimony of 329
SATO, BOB— •
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
SAWVELLE, DOROTHY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137
SCAVENGERS' ASSOCIATION—
testimony re 286, 296, 297
SCHACHNER, EUGENE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 156, 169
SCHACHTMAN, MAX—
expelled from Communist Party 36
SCHARLAN, ELF—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 133
SCHECHTER, AMY—
reference to, as student at Lenin School in Moscow 87
SCHLICHTER, KARL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
SCHMIDT, DR. DAVID G.—
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
testimony of 195
SCHNEIDERMAN, WILLIAM—
as hostile witness 60
as paid Communist functionary 25, 26
background of 97
reference to, as member of American Civil Liberties Union 96
statement of 114
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
testimony of —
re illegal methods of Communist Party 22
re theory and practice of Communist Party 72
re Trotskyites and X«ovestoneites 37
SCHOLTZ, DR. HENRY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 137, 138
SCHREITER, OSCAR—
organizer of movement called Centro Anti-Commimista 200
SCHULER, ROBERT M.—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United 373, 374
SCHUMACKER, DR.—
reference to 230
SCHUTZ STAFFEL (S. S.) —
reference to, as army and bodyguard of Hitler 220
SCHWINN, HERMANN MAX—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
reference to 230
testimony of, as director of Western Division of German-American Bund-228, 229
SCOTT, MEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 155
SEGRE, ALFREDO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities : 284
testimony of, re Fascism 288
SEGURE, ROSE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160, 163
SELDES, GEORGE—
author of In Fact 247
SELFRID, DR. LAO—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158, 159, 164
SELIGSON, LOU—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
INDEX 435
SEMANAR1O, CLARA— Page
testimony re 306
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8—
provides for appointment of Senate committee 6
text of 392-394
SETARO, HENRIETTA—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of 310
SEVENTH WORLD CONGRESS—
held in Moscow (1935) 42
SHAEFFER, GEORGE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153
SHAFTEL, GEORGE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 166
SHANGHAI VISIT TO RUSSSIAN EMBASSY—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
SHANKS, AL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160, 163
SHARP, BAY BURNS—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 382
statement of 362
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of —
re A. P. Burns Bureau 369
re interest in Mankind United 369, 370
SHAW, FRANK L.—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
SHAW, IRWIN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 138
SHERMAN, JOHN A.—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152, 153
SHERRILL, FRANCES—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of, re National Legion of Mothers of America 256
SHINODA, JOSEPH—
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
owner of San Lorenz Nursery 341
testimony of 341
SHINTO PRIESTS—
reference to 329
SHINTOISM—
religion of Japanese 323-326
SHINY KAI—
Kebei organization 323
SHIRE, MARION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153
SHOGUNATE—
military class of Japan, known as 324
SHOL, EDITH MARION —
listed as witness, America First Committee — 275
testimony of 246
SHORE, VIOLA BROTHERS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148
SIDERY, LILLIAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale
SILVERTON, EDNA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 129
SIMMONS, HARRY SMITH—
reference to 362
SIMON J. LUBIN SOCIETY—
organization of 86
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148
SIMPSON, SHARLEY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147
436 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
SINARQUISM— Page
origin of 200
SINARQUIST MOVEMENT—
activities of, by regional chiefs of 202
background and history of 200, 201
branches of, in cities of southern California 201, 202
explanation of 200
Fascist tendencies of 201
German origin of 201
temporary abandonment of attack on, by People's Daily World 204
uniform of 201
SINARQUISTA—
committee accused of "whitewashing" 212
SINCLAIR, UPTON—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
SKAAR, SVEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 132, 138, 139
SKIN DEEP—
cited as Communist propaganda 103
SLESINGER, TESS—
reference to, as sponsor of League of Women Shoppers 102
SLOCUM, TOKIE—
examined by committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
testimony of 341, 342
SMITH, LAURANCE B.—
as hostile witness 60
excerpts of testimony of 34
SMOLAN, MORRIE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153, 154
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY AND THE WAR—
excerpt from 45
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GERMANY—
fought by Communists 218
SOCIAL FASCISTS—
in Communist Party 41
SOCIAL WORKERS GUILD—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141
SOLATOY, EVE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
SOLONIA SVIGGERRA—
testimony re 312
SONDERGAARD, GALE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
SONS OF ITALY—
testimony re 303-305
SORENSEN, PAUL M.—
letter to, from Earl King 178, 179
SORRELL, HERBERT K.—
activities of 95
as hostile witness 60
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162, 167
testimony of 95
SOUTHWEST UNIT OF FEDERAL THEATRES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 147
SOVIET GOVERNMENT—
as ally of United States 11
Michael Kalinin head of 15
Stalin no position in 15
SOVIET POWER—
discussed by Eugene Lyons 52
SOVIET RUSSIA AND RELIGION—
excerpts from 32
SOVIET-GERMAN NON-AGGRESSION PACT—
effect of, on Communist activities in United States__ 43
INDEX 437
SPARLING, HAROLD A.— Page
as hostile witness re German-American Bund _ *. 225
organizer of True Americans 256
testimony of —
re America First Committee 277
re anti-Semitic pamphlet 251
re German-American Bund 233
SPARKS, R. FREDERICK—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126, 132
SPEAKER, THE—
reference to 362
SPECTOR, FRANK —
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 130
SPONSORS, THE—
reference to, re Mankind United 353
S. S. CITY OF RICHMOND—
reference to 381
STACHEL, JACK—
excerpts from report of 28
STALIN, CZAR OF ALL THE RUSSIAS—
recommended as reference 19
STALIN, JOSEPH—
belief in objectives of, by Communists in California and United States 68
nonaggression pact with, by Hitler 221
no position in Soviet government 15
secretary of Communist Party 15
statement of, to Communist Party of America 26
STANDER, LIONEL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 124
STANDLEY, WILLIAM H.—
news account of, charging Stalin with suppressing facts of United States aid
to Russia 56, 57
STANFORD UNIVERSITY—
existence of Campus Branch of the Young Communist League in 114
STANLEY, DR. LEO L.—
reference to, as examiner of George Wallace 194, 195
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
STAR OF THE EAST BUREAU—
reference to 363, 365, 373
STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL WORKERS OF AMERICA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141
STATE EMERGENCY RELIEF ADMINISTRATION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 126
STATE OF CALIFORNIA—
division of, into bureaus, by Mankind United 355
STEINBECK, JOHN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 148
STEPHENS, J. H.—
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
testimony of 1^4
STEUBEN SOCIETIES—
used as fronts for German-American Bund 229
STEVENS, CLARA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 146
STORM TROOPS—
organization of, in Bavaria 218, 211)
reference to 234
STORM TROOPERS—
testimony re : 294
STREET FRACTIONS—
duties of -• 6."
STREET, PHILANDER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale — 151
438 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
STUETZ, EDWARD— Page
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
testimony of 242
STURM ABTEILUNG (S. A.)—
reference to, as Brown Shirt Storm Troopers 220
SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES OF JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA—
analysis of 322
SUBVERSIVE GROUPS—
attack weaknesses 10
defined 8, 9
SUCHMAN, MRS. EDWARD—
as friendly witness 61
testimony of 96
SUDETEN AREA—
occupation of Nazis, in 220
SUMA, YAKACHURO—
book of addresses published by 340
SUN RISES IN THE WEST—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 147, 149
SUNSHINE BUREAU—
reference to 373
SUSPICION OF COMMUNIST PARTY OF UNITED STATES—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
T
TANAKA, BARON—
proposal of 325
TANAKA, MASAJO—
statement of 350
TANAKA MEMORIAL—
reference to 329
TANAKA, TOGO—
background of 332
belief of, re Japanese language schools 335
denial by, of subversive groups existing 337
examined by committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
reference to —
as editor of English section of Rafu Shimpo 333
Yamato Domoshi 334
statement of, re Japanese fishing boats 335
testimony of 333-336
TARNOFF, HARRY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 166
TASHJIAN, DR. VAUGHN A. K.—
activities of 74
alias Dr. Parker 74
as hostile witness 60
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 153, 155, 168-170, 175
TASKER, ROBERT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160
TATUM-WASHBURN BUREAU—
reference to 373
TAYAMA, FRED MASARU—
background of 343
denial by, of subversive groups existing 337
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
expatriation of 345
Japanese representative at April 5th meeting 337
testimony of 344-346
TAYLOR, FRANK—
reference to affidavit of Rena M. Vale 163
TEACHERS UNION—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 136, 141
TEACHINGS OF MARX FOR BOYS AND GIRLS—
excerpts from 32
INDEX 439
TECHNOCRACY— Page
reference to 376
TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 118
TENNEY, JACK B.—
appointed member of committee 5, 6
selected chairman of committee _ 5, 6
TERRY, MRS. LINNIE—
commendation of 7
THEY TALK AGAIN OF PEACE—
reference to 313
THINGS TO COME—
reference to, re Mankind United _ 365
THIRD REICH—
espionage agents of 248
THIRTY-DAY PROGRAM—
reference to in testimony of Dr. Laisne 368, 375
THOMPSON, LOUISE—
reference to, as sponsor of League of Women Shoppers _ 102
THORNTON, J. W.—
activities of „ 63
as friendly witness 61
expelled from Communist Party 63
THORNTON, OLIVER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 159
THRASHER, EDWARD L.—
examined by Committee on Japanese Activities in California 322
testimony of 342
THREE NAMES BUREAU—
reference to 373
TIDINGS—
article in, quoted 205, 206
TIMELY BOOKS BUREAU—
reference to 380
TOBACK, JAMES—
as hostile witness 60
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 132, 135, 145
TODD, LOUISE—
activities of, in Communist Party 37
TOKIO—
reference to, re bombing of 360, 362, 372, 373
TOLINS, NAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125-127, 133
TOM MOONEY DEFENSE COMMITTEE—
fund-raising campaigns for ' 63
TOWNSEND, L. A.—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian language newspapers 310
TRADE UNION COMMISSION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
COMMUNIST PARTY—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 141
TRADE UNIONS—
domination of, by small unit of Communists 76
TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 121
TRANSMISSION BELT—
meaning of 89
TRANSMISSION BELT FRONT ORGANIZATION—
manner of launching of 89, 90
TRANSMISSION BELTS—
list of organizations known as 102, 103
TROJAN HORSE CAVALRY—
reference to _. 91
440 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
TROTSKY, LEON— Page
closest associate of Lenin 36
exiling of 41
one of group signing Manifesto 36
TROTSKYITES—
Trotsky supporters known as 36
TRUE AMERICANS—
organization of 256
TRUE EQUALITY BUREAU—
reference to 373
TRUMBULL, WALTER—
formation by, of Consumers' Union 102
TRUTH ABOUT ENGLAND, THE—
reference to 258, 366, 372
TUONI, GILBERT—
cites pro-Fascist group 291
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
publisher of Italian Activities in America 290
testimony of, re Fascism 290
testimony re 312
TURCO, RENZO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
removed from Western Defense Command for duration 321
testimony of . 295, 296
testimony re 304
TURNVEREINS—
used as fronts for German-American Bund 229
TUTT, CHARLES HENRY—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian language schools 315, 316
U
UMEHARA, REV. SHINYRU—
quotation of 327
UN-AMERICAN GROUPS—
defined 8, 9
UNEMPLOYED CONFERENCE OF STUDIO UNIONS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 162
UNION NACIONAL SINARCHISTA—
change of name to, of Centro Anti-Communista 201
UNION SPORTS CLUB—
testimony re 300
UNITARIAN CHURCH SOCIETY—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 119
UNITED CANNERY, AGRICULTURAL, PACKING AND ALLIED
WORKERS OF AMERICA—
affiliation of, with C. I. O. 87
UNITED FARMERS' LEAGUE—
organization of 37
used by Communists 37, 38
UNITED FRONT, THE—
cited as one of basic texts of Communism 21
UNITED MINUTE MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA—
organization of 250, 251
UNITED STATES—
declaration of war on, by Germany 221
UNIVERSAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION—
reference to, re Mankind United 364
UNIVERSAL SERVICE CORPORATION—
reference to, re Mankind United 364, 367, 370
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA—
contact of faculty members of, by Aubrey Grossman 115
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY—
existence of Campus Branch of the Young Communist League in 114
INDEX 441
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES— Page
existence of Campus Branch of the Young Communist League in 114
URQUIZU, JOSE—
reference to, as first Chief of Union Nacional Sinarchista 201
V
VALE, RENA M.—
affidavit of 122-175
accepted by Communist Party social set 126
activities in American Writers Union 129
affiliation with League of Women Shoppers 124, 125, 132, 133
alias Irene Wood 127
application for membership in Communist Party 125, 126, 127
as instructor in Political Commission 157, 164
assignment to, and work in, Professional Section Unit, Communist Party
131, 132
assistance given "Loyalist" Spain 140
assists Communist control of WPA projects 128
associations in Hollywood 123
attends Communist new member classes 127, 128
attends meeting of Hollywood Section, Communist Party 127
background of 122, 123
branded as Trotskyite 170
certified for State Relief 126
cites demands of Communist Party upon members 142, 143
cites methods used by Communists to gain control of unions 136, 137
desire to leave Communist Party checked 153
discusses Communism in general 172-175
drafted for duty in Negro Commission of Communist Party 140
drops Communist Party membership 169
early interest in Communist Party 123
expelled from Los Angeles Newspaper Guild 156
experiences as member of Communist Party Cultural Commission 164-166
instruction in labor uprisings 141, 142
lists Communist appointments in State Government 163
lists organizations dominated by Communist Party 162
member of Dues Secretaries Commission 131
membership in Communist Party necessary to hold WPA position 127
name used to further cause of "Loyalist" Spain 149
notes Communist attitude to assassination 150
on WPA payroll 126
receives threats to return to Communist Party 171
transferred to Federal Theatre Project 147
under suspicion of Control Commission _ 168, 169
visits Membership Commission of Communist Party 143, 144
work in organization of American Federation of Government Employees
130, 134, 137
work in unionizing Federal Writers Project - 150, 151
writes Communist play, Sun Rises in the West _ 147
as friendly witness
reference to, re Robert Cole 198
VAN METER, BARON FREDERICK—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund _
as member of America First Committee --- 276
listed as witness, America First Committee _. — 275
testimony of 233
VAN METER, DANIEL E.—
as hostile witness re German-American Bund
in reference to America First Committee - 276
listed as witness —
America First Committee - — 275
Friends of Progress
testimony of —
re Copperheads - — 259
re Friends of Progress
re German-American Bund 234
442 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
VAN METER, JAMES ADAMS— Page
as hostile witness re German-American Bund 225
denial of, in membership of America First Committee 276
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
testimony of —
re German-American Bund 234
re National Patriots 258
VEROSTEK, DR. E. R.—
reference to, re World Events Forum 257
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS—
assistance given by 7
VICTORY— AND AFTER—
attacks Dies Committee 13
VIEWS OF THE NEWS—
excerpt from 54
VOICE OF A RIGHT IDEA, THE—
reference to 379
VOICE OF THE FEDERATION, THE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 154
VOICE, THE—
reference to, re Mankind United 353, 362
VOLUNTEER SERVICES TO SPAIN—
reference to, affidavit of John G. Honeycombe 120
VON HINDENBERG—
death of 219
VON NORRIS, HAROLD—
indicted by Federal Grand Jury 1 382
W
WAHLENMAIER, CLARENCE VERNON—
as hostile witness 60
WAKAYAMA SEINEN KAI—
Kebei organization 323
WALLACE, GEORGE—
activity of 180, 181
alias of 183
as friendly witness 61
attempt of, to go to Mexico 184
denial to, of parole 194
excerpt from testimony of 198
fear by, of members of Communist Party 196, 197
flight and return of 183
ignoring of, by Earl King 183
indicted with King, Conner, and Ramsay 177
refusal of, to accept counsel selected 186
return of, to San Francisco 184
right of, to public defender 188
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
WALLACE, JANE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149, 158, 159
WALLACE, KING, CONNER AND RAMSAY—
history of case of 177-199
WALLING, PAULA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149
WALSH, JULIA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 125
WARD, CLARENCE C.—
appointed member of committee 5
resigned from committee 6
WARNE, CLORE—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick . 210
chairman of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth 217
INDEX 443
WARREN, EARL— Page
as friendly witness :. 51
presentation of photostat of copy of letter, by 178
statements of, concerning case of King, Conner and Ramsay 176, 178, 185, 186
subpenaed witness in King, Conner, Ramsay case 177
WARREN, ROBERT E.—
as hostile witness 60
WAX, HYMAN ELLIOT—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale __152, 154 166
WAXMAN, AL—
as member of committee organized by Mrs. La Rue McCormick 210
member of Citizens' Committee for the Defense of Mexican-American Youth. 217
WE ARE NOT CATTLE—
reference to, in testimony of Bay Burns Sharp 371
WEATHERWAX, JOHN M.—
acquaintances of 108
activities of 107, 108
as hostile witness 60
investigation of, by committee 106
testimony of 108
WEBBER, A. H.—
as friendly witness 61
testimony of 84
WECKRUF—
official publication of German-American Bund 235
WEIMAR REPUBLIC—
undermining of, by Communists 218
WEIR, RITA—
reference to, as delegate from Motion Picture Cooperative Buyers' Guild 108
WEISSENFELD, PRINCE SUR LIPPE—
reference to 243
WELCH, RAMON—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 171
WESLING, ALFRED JOHN LEWIS—
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
WESTERN WORKER—
abuse of Earl Warren in 186
branding of George Wallace, by 187
former publication of Communist Party 70
history of 70
WESTERN WRITERS CONGRESS—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149
WESTON, CHANDLER—
reference to, affidavit of Reria M. Vale 131
WHAT IS COMMUNISM?—
excerpts from 26
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?—
cited as one of basic texts of Communism 21
WHEELER, BURTON K.—
nomination of, by True Americans 256
WHEELER, HELEN—
activities of 95, 96
as hostile witness 60
WHEELER, JOHN L.—
as witness on behalf of America First Committee 278
listed as witness, America First Committee 275
WHITNEY, ANITA—
broadcast of 189, 190
WHO ARE THE YOUNG PIONEERS?—
excerpt from 66
WHY DO YOU HATE HITLER?—
excerpt from 251
WICKHAM, CORA—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
444 UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES IN CALIFORNIA
WILCOX, HOMER G.— Page
indicted by Federal Grand Jury _ 382
WILLIAMS, CLAUDIA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 160, 163
WILLIAMS, PAUL—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158
WILLIAMS, "WIGGIE"—
reference to 334
WILLIAMS, WILLIAM P.—
testimony of 279
WILLKIE, WENDELL—
reference to 232
WILSON, DR. ERIC—
reference to 230
WILSON, PEARL—
reference to 230
WINEBRENNER, DOLPH—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 151, 153, 154, 156, 157
WINKLER, RABBI MAYER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152
WINTER, ELLA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 150
WIRIN, A. L.—
as hostile witness 60
reference to —
attorney for Zukas 113
member of American Civil Liberties Union 96
WOEPPELMANN, CARL—
as hostile witness, re German-American Bund 225
testimony of 227
WOOD, BARRY—
alias Kibre, Jeff 82
WOOD, IRENE—
used as Communist Party name by Rena M. Vale 127
WOODWARD, ALLAN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 152, 153
WOODWARD, ELLEN—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 147
WORDEN, WALTER—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 145, 147
WORKERS' ALLIANCE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 135, 137, 144
WORLD COMMUNIST MOVEMENT, THE—
recommended as reference 19
WORLD EVENTS FORUM—
reference to 257
WRIGHT, GUY McKINLEY—
subpenaed leader of Mankind United 356
testimony of, re Mankind United „ 377, 378
WRITERS TAKE SIDES—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 149
Y
YAMADO (YAMATO) DOMOSHI—
meaning of 325
YMCA WAKAGUSHA KAI —
Kebei organization 323
YONEDA, CARL—
cooperation advocated by _ 350
YORENG, LOUISE—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 136
YORTY, SAMUEL W.—
reference to, as chairman of Assembly Committee of 1940 112
YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE—
activities of G3
INDEX 445
YOUNG DEMOCRATS, INC.— Page
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 158, 160, 161
YOUNG PIONEERS, THE—
youth organization of grade school age 66
YOUR RIGHTS BEFORE THE TENNEY COMMITTEE—
purpose of 97
YUGOSLAVIA—
attack on, by Hitler 221
Z
ZIEMER, THELMA—
reference to, affidavit of Rena M. Vale 132, 138, 139, 147
ZIRPOLI, VINCENZO—
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
testimony of, re Italian Consulate 308, 309
ZITO, CARMELO—
background of 285
listed as witness, re Fascist activities 284
publisher of II Corriere del Popolo 285
testimony of, re Fascism 285-288
testimony re 301, 312
"ZOOT-SUIT" GANG —
style of dress of 203
ZUGSMIGH, LEANE—
reference to, as sponsor of League of Women Shoppers 102
ZUKAS, B. JOSEPH—
activities of 112
as hostile witness 60
reference to, as employee of State Department of Employment 113
ZUSKI, HIROSHI—
reference to, as editor Japanese section of Rafu Shimpo 333
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