COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES in the PEACE MOVEMENT (Women Strike for Peace and Certain Other Groups)
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©» COLLEGE LIBRARY A ^J ' "!? ™. "^ \ / us Doc 2.791 Committee on Un-American Activities House 87th Congress Table of Contents 1. Testimony By and Concerning Paiol Corbin ^\t^ 2, The Communist Party's Cold War Against Congressional Investigation of Subversion 5. Communist and Trotskyist Activity Within ,{,^,^ the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee 4-5. the Distribution Communist Outlets for of '4 01 Soviet Propaganda in the United States. pt.1-2 6. Communist Youth Activities ^»^fc 7-8. U.S. Commimist Party Assistsuace to Foreign -i??,^ Communist Governments, pt.1-2 ('^^P 9. Communist Activities in the Peace Movement ^^^'^ COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT (Women Strike for Peace and Certain Other Groups) HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 11-13, 1962 INCLUDING INDEX Printed for the use of the Committee on Un-American Activities HA«"VM»DGOLLtil Lltf'AS-' OEPOSITEH BY Ti". UMITRD STATES GOVERMHtN^ MAV 10 19bi U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 93367 WASHINGTON : 1963 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.O. - Price 60 cents COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES United States House of Representatives FRANCIS E. WALTER, Pennsylvania, Chairman MORGAN M. MOULDER, Missouri GORDON H. SCHERER, Ohio CLYDE DOYLE, California AUGUST E. JOHANSEN, Michigan EDWIN E. WILLIS, Louisiana DONALD O. BRUCE, Indiana WILLIAM M. TUCK, Virginia HENRY C. SCHADEBERG, Wisconsin Francis J. McNamara. Director Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., General Counsel Alfred M. Nittle, Counsel n —:: CONTENTS Page Synopsis 2047 December 11, 1962: Testimony of Richard A. Flink 2068 Blanche H. Posner 2073 Ruth Meyers 2093 Lyla Hoffman 2103 Afternoon session (executive) Elsie Neidenberg 2114 Sylvia Contente 2118 December 12, 1962: Testimony of— Rose Clinton 2126 Iris Freed 2132 Anna Mackenzie 2138 Elizabeth Moos 2152 Afternoon session (executive) Ceil Gross 2158 Jean Brancato 2163 Miriam Chesman 2166 December 13, 1962: Testimony of William Obrinsky 2178 John W. Darr, Jr 2182 Dagmar Wilson 2187 Index i m Public Law 601, 79th Congress The legislation under which the House Committee on Un-American Activities operates is Public Law 601, 79th Congress [1946]; 60 Stat. 812, which provides: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * * * PART 2—RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Rule X SEC. 121. STANDING COMMITTEES it ***** * 17. Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine Members. Rule XI POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES (q)(l) Committee on Un-American Activities. (A) Un-American activities. (2) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommit- tee, is authorized to make from time to time investigations of (i) the extent, character, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States, (ii) the diffusion within the United States of subversive and un-American propa- ganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution, and (iii) all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in any necessary remedial legislation. The Committee on Un-American Activities shall report to the House (or to the Clerk of the House if the House is not in session) the results of any such investi- gation, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable. For the purpose of any such investigation, the Committee on Un-American Activities, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit and act at such times and places within the United States, whether or not the House is sitting, has recessed, or has adjourned, to hold such hearings, to require the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, and to take such testimony, as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under the signature of the chairman of the committee or any subcommittee, or by any member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person designated by any such chairman or member. Rule XII LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT BY STANDING COMMITTEES Sec. 136. To assist the Congress in appraising the administration of the laws and in developing such amendments or related legislation as it may deem neces- sary, each standing committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall exercise continuous watchfulness of the execution by the administrative agencies concerned of any laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdic- tion of such committee; and, for that purpose, shall study all pertinent reports and data submitted to the Congress by the agencies in the executive branch of the Government. RULES ADOPTED BY THE 87TH CONGRESS House Resolution 8, January 3, 1961 Rule X STANDING COMMITTEES 1. There shall be elected by the House, at the commencement of each Congress, ****** H: (r) *******Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine Members. Rule XI *******POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES 18. Committee on Un-American Activities. (a) Un-American activities. (b) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommittee, is authorized to make from time to time investigations of (1) the extent, char- acter, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States, (2) the diffusion within the United States of subversive and un-American prop- aganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitu- tion, and (3) all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in any necessary remedial legislation. The Committee on Un-American Activities shall report to the House (or to the Clerk of the House if the House is not in session) the results of any such investi- gation, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable. For the purpose of any such investigation, the Committee on Un-American Activities, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit and act at such times and places within the United States, whether or not the House is sitting, has recessed, or has adjourned, to hold such hearings, to require the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, and to take such testimony, as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under the signature of the chairman of the committee or any subcommittee, or by any member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person designated by any such chairman or member. 27. To assist the House in appraising the administration of the laws and in developing such amendments or related legislation as it may deem necessary, each standing committee of the House shall exercise continuous watchfulness of the execution by the administrative agencies concerned of any laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of such committee; and, for that purpose, shall study all pertinent reports and data submitted to the House by the agencies in the executive branch of the Government. VI SYNOPSIS On December 11, 12, and 13, 1962, a subcommittee of the Com- mittee on Un-American Activities held pubUc and executive hearings in Washington, D.C, relating to the Communist Party's "united- front" tactics of infiltrating peace organizations, with particular reference to Women Strike for Peace and its Metropolitan New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut section. The purposes of the hearings were to determine whether Communists are exerting influence upon the so-called "peace movement" in a manner and to a degree affecting the national security and to obtain information to aid the committee and the Congress in determining the need for amendment of the Internal Security Act of 1950 to make its provisions applicable to persons engaged in such activities, or to make unlawful membership in the Communist Party as proposed in H.R. 9944, referred to this committee on January 30, 1962. Subcommittee Chairman Doyle, in his opening remarks, quoted recent statements of U.S. and world Communist leaders to reveal that, although they continue to believe in the eventual necessity of waging war against the free world, they have instructed party members to give top priority to agitating and propagandizing for peace in the United States and all other non-Communist nations. Specifically, he pointed out, Gus Hall, the Communist Party leader in this country, had ordered all rank-and-file members to (1) infiltrate and support existing non-Communist peace organizations, (2) create new peace groups which can be manipulated by the party, and (3) participate in all picket lines, marches, rallies, walks, and other types of demonstra- tions which call for peace. Mr. Doyle reiterated that Communists, while dutifully and inces- santly talldng peace, actually believe there can be no real peace until they have conquered the entire world, eliminating all systems but their own. Thus, in the Communist view, peace is not a sought-after way of hfe, but rather a cold war weapon with which to reduce the free world's alertness in defending itself against the Moscow-directed conspiracy. Mr. Doyle emphasized that although peace agitation and propa- ganda in the United States have been given top priority by Moscow, this does not mean that everyone who agitates for peace is a Commu- nist or a feUow traveler. He pointed out that the cry for peace is universal and that it comes from sincere, patriotic persons and groups as well as from the Communists who, even while crying "peace," foment unrest and war. Mr. Doyle fm-ther cautioned that just because Communists have infiltrated some peace groups, it does not mean that all, or even a majority, of the persons in such groups are pro-Communists.