Mr. WHEELER. To refer to the testimony of Barbara Hartle, page 6094, part 2 of the hearings held in June 1954: The business agent for several years of the machinists union during this time was Harold Johnston, who was a member also of the district committee of the Communist Party of which I was a member. Was Mrs. Hartle correct in making that statement? Mr. JOHNSTON. I will have to again invoke the fifth amendment in that it is liable to incriminate me. Mr. WHEELER. Were you ever at any time a member of the district committee of the Communist Party of King County? Mr. JOHNSTON. I will again have to invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds it will possibly incriminate me. Mr. WHEELER. Were you a member of the district committee of the Communist Party of King County while business agent for the machinists union? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. JOHNSTON. I will again have to invoke the fifth amendment on the ground possibly to incriminate me. Mr. WHEELER. Is it not a fact that there was a group of machinists of 8 or 10 who were members of the Communist Party within that union? Mr. JOHNSTON. Again will I have to invoke the fifth amendment for the same reason. Mr. MOULDER. Let me understand that question, Mr. Wheeler. Mr. WHEELER. I will repeat it. Is it not a fact that there was a branch or cell of the Communist Party within the machinists union of which you were a member? Mr. MOULDER. Can you specify the date? Mr. WHEELER. The date, sir, runs during the war years and before, a continuing date. Mr. MOULDER. Do you have any knowledge or information concerning the question propounded to you by Mr. Wheeler? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. JOHNSTON. I didn’t get that complete. I am a little bit hard of hearing. Would you read it over again? Mr. MOULDER. My question is, Do you have any knowledge or information concerning a Communist cell in the machinists union? Mr. JOHNSTON. On the question of knowledge, it is liable to incriminate me. So again I have to invoke the fifth amendment. Mr. WHEELER. Mr. Johnston, do you believe the Communist Party has a place in organized labor? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. JOHNSTON. Well, I couldn’t answer that yes or no. I am no expert. You have experts here, and I am not one. I am sorry I couldn’t give you an intelligent answer on that. Mr. MOULDER. You can express your approval or disapproval of it. That is, in the form of the question you could express your approval or disapproval of it. (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. JOHNSTON. I just can’t; I can’t formulate any answer for that one way or the other. So I just couldn’t answer that question one way or the other. I can’t understand what exactly, what kind of an answer would have to be on that. I am not clear. My education is very little. Mr. MOULDER. Do you mean to say you haven’t made up your mind about it? (The witness confers with his counsel.)