Mr. WHEELER. Did you know that Mrs. Hartle, in her testimony as a witness before this committee in June 1954, identified you as a member of the Communist Party? Mr. KROENER. Again I invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr. WHEELER. Have no comment other than that concerning her testimony? Mr. KROENER. No. Mr. VELDE. Mr. Wheeler, do you have the testimony of Mrs. Hartle there? Mr. WHEELER. I do, sir. Mr. VELDE. Will you read it for the record, please? Mr. WHEELER. Mrs. Hartle, during a portion of the testimony discussing the industrial branch of the Communist Party, was questioned by Mr. Tavenner: Will you tell the committee, please, whether or not there was any important function that Elmer Thrasher performed in the industrial section of the party? Mrs. HARTLE. He was chairman of a branch in the industrial section, in the building trades. He was a member of one of the building-trades unions--the carpenters union. Another one whom I recall is Ed Kroener. He lived in the Duwamish Bend area, in the Duwamish Bend housing project, with his wife, Donna Kroener, who was a member of the south King region and the Duwamish Bend Club, but he was a member of the industrial section inasmuch as he was a member of the Machinists Union, Local No. 79. Do you wish to comment on that testimony, Mr. Kroener? Mr. KROENER. No. Mr. VELDE. To what period of time was Mrs. Hartle referring? Mr. WHEELER. To what period of time, Mr. Kroener, was she referring? Mr. KROENER. Again I wish to invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr. WHEELER. Mr. Kroener, did you at any time participate as an individual within the Progressive Party in 1948 in the State of Washington? Mr. KROENER. Again I wish to invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr. WHEELER. Are you a member of the Communist Party today? Mr. KROENER. Again I wish to invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr. WHEELER. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. MOULDER. Mr. Velde? Mr. VELDE. I have just one brief question. How could your acquaintanceship with Mrs. Hartle or Mr. Johnston or the other witnesses whom you were asked about tend to incriminate you? (The witness confers with his counsel.) Mr. KROENER. The answer to that question may open up a whole field of other questions, and, therefore, I wish to invoke the fifth amendment on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr. MOULDER. Do you have anything else you wish to say in explanation of your presence or your appearance here? Are you married? Mr. KROENER. Yes. Mr. MOULDER. Do you have a family? Mr. KROENER. Yes. Mr. MOULDER. Did you serve in the Armed Forces of the United States? Mr. KROENER. Yes. Mr. MOULDER. In what capacity and what branch? Mr. KROENER. I was in the Marine Corps, 1944, 1945, and 1946, South Pacific and China.