Investigation of Communist Activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 1United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
History
Investigation of Communist Activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 1
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
Communism -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
Mr. DENNETT. Well, the first period the party consisted
almost exclusively of what we called a skidroad branch. Almost all
the membership of the party was transient workers who lived on or
about the skidroad. And when Rappaport came in--speaking now of the
second period--Rappaport raised cain over the fact that the membership
was all transient, insisting that the party must root itself in the
neighborhoods. It must become acquainted with the permanent citizens,
not those who were called the boomers or the floaters, those who used
Seattle as a mail headquarters and holed up during the winter or off
season but left the city during their construction work, which most of
them followed.
And he used the technique of developing neighborhood branches out of
those who were members of the unemployed citizens leagues or unemployed
councils, and from those, as people went to work in industry, he tried
to develop shop or factory, what we call nuclei.
Most of the success in that field occurred among the lumber workers
because they were among the first to get out and get back to work out
in the woods, the loggers.
So we had still the problem of maintaining contact with them. It was
very difficult to do.
Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, who were
the functionaries of the Communist Party in Seattle during those two
periods.
Mr. DENNETT. The first one I think we have covered, when we
mention Mr. Alex Noral, Fred Walker, Jim Bourne, B-o-u-r-n-e, Mr. John
Lawrie. I think that is L-a-w-r-i-e. John Lawrie, Sr.
There was a Mr. Ed Leavitt, L-e-a-v-i-t-t.
They were the leading functionaries with whom I worked at that time.
Mr. TAVENNER. After you were removed as agitprop what was your
next activity in the Communist Party?
Mr. DENNETT. I had to become a good rank-and-file member
and work in the unemployed-citizens leagues. Yes; by that time
the Communists had taken over a number of the locals of the
unemployed-citizens leagues in the city of Seattle, and were making a
strong bid to take over the top leadership, the central UCL. And I was
working in the skid-road local of the unemployed-citizens leagues, and
was living in the soup line.
Mr. TAVENNER. How long did that continue?
Mr. DENNETT. That continued until I went into the CCC’s.
Mr. TAVENNER. Can you give us the approximate date?
Mr. DENNETT. I think it was in April 1934.
Mr. MOULDER. In what capacity did you go into the CCC?
Mr. DENNETT. As an enlisted man.
Mr. MOULDER. Wasn’t that a program where there was a chairman
in each community or county? Or section of a city?
Mr. DENNETT. No. This is the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Mr. MOULDER. Yes; I know. And they were given so much
employment in each county or each section of the city, and someone had
to pass upon those. Is that the program where you were paid so much and
the parents would receive so much?
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