Mr. WHEELER. For what companies have you worked? Mr. ROBEL. I have worked for Todd’s, Pacific Iron Foundry, Isaacson Iron Works, and Sahlberg Equipment Co. Mr. WHEELER. Where are you employed now? Mr. ROBEL. Todd’s. Mr. WHEELER. Todd Shipyards? Mr. ROBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. WHEELER. Are they engaged in defense work or defense contracts? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. I think so, indirectly. I don’t know how they get their contracts. Mr. WHEELER. Do you have a security clearance? Mr. ROBEL. No, sir. Mr. WHEELER. Have you been denied security clearance? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. No, sir. Mr. WHEELER. Are you a member of any labor union? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. On the advice of counsel, because to answer that might tend to incriminate me, I will have to invoke the fifth amendment and refuse to answer that. Mr. VELDE. May I again say you are not under any compulsion to take refuge under the fifth amendment. It is a privilege. The question is do you invoke the fifth amendment? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. I do invoke it. I recognize I am not under compulsion, but I do invoke it because of the possibility that I might be incriminated. Mr. VELDE. Mr. Chairman, again let me say that I cannot possibly see how a membership in a labor union, admission that you are a member of a labor union, could possibly tend to incriminate a person, and I ask the Chair to direct the witness to answer the question. Mr. MOULDER. Certainly your being a member of a labor union could not in any way tend to incriminate you. So you are directed to answer that question. (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. Well, membership in a particular labor union might incriminate me, and that is the reason I invoke the fifth amendment. One question leads to another. Mr. MOULDER. It might lead to another question, but certainly if the other question would tend to incriminate you that is an entirely different matter. But the simple question as to whether or not you are a member of a legitimate labor union could in no way whatsoever tend to incriminate you. (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. I wouldn’t like to waive my rights under the fifth amendment by answering a previous question and then be forced to answer another one. That is the reason I took the position that I do. Mr. MOULDER. Proceed. Mr. VELDE. Do you belong to any labor union? That was the original question of counsel. (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. ROBEL. Because that question might lead to the particular labor organization that I belong to, I will decline to answer that question. Mr. VELDE. If it does lead to that question, you can then invoke your privilege under the fifth amendment of the Constitution. (The witness confers with his counsel.)