Mr. DENNETT. Well, at that time the party was what is generally referred to as underground. They were very much afraid of their own existence and their own identity. And they were particularly fearful of agents of the police entering their ranks. And they viewed all persons with great suspicion, especially these foreign-born workers. And they used to spend a great deal of time talking with me, inquiring into every phase of my life and my background and my existence, giving me in their own way the third degree to determine whether or not I was trustworthy and whether or not I was worth being a member of the ranks. Mr. TAVENNER. Now as you look back upon it, do you think that that careful study of your past and your capabilities was rather in the way of choosing you for future leadership in the party as distinguished from membership in the Communist Party? Mr. DENNETT. No. I think that so far as they were concerned, they looked upon all persons entering the party as equals. That is, they did not predetermine who was going to be a leader and who wasn’t going to be a leader. But they were determined to work each new member to the utmost until they got the most out of each one that they could. And in my case I responded by studying very intensely, and they had great hopes that I would develop into the kind of leader which they needed. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you proceed, please, to tell us about your induction into the Communist Party? Mr. DENNETT. Some of that is rather indistinct at this period. There are only snatches of it that are vivid. One thing that is quite vivid is one of the foreign-born workers warning me that they had to deal rather vigorously with traitors. That seemed to be their chief obsession. Mr. TAVENNER. Do you mean traitors to the cause of communism? Mr. DENNETT. Yes. That seemed to be their chief concern. Mr. MOULDER. In what period of time are we now? Mr. DENNETT. That is still in 1931. Finally they told me that my name had been submitted to the party as a candidate for membership. And after--I think it was about a month delay--they informed me that the membership had passed upon my name, and that I had been accepted. And they invited me to party meetings. Mr. TAVENNER. Did you become a member under your own name or were you given a pseudonym? Mr. DENNETT. I was given what is known as a party name. All the party records and documents were kept in that name. However, it always seemed rather ridiculous to me because alongside of the party name there was always my real name anyway. Mr. TAVENNER. What was your party name? Mr. DENNETT. Victor Haines, H-a-i-n-e-s. Mr. TAVENNER. Did you have anything to do with the selection of it, or was it selected for you?