Mr. TAVENNER. Did the question of Communist Party activity in veterans’ organizations come up at that time? Mr. DENNETT. Yes; it did. Mr. TAVENNER. Just touch on it very briefly, please, because we have very little time. Mr. DENNETT. I was called to a fraction meeting of returned veterans to try to work out some kind of veterans’ policy, and some of these veterans reported boastfully that they had just walked into some veterans’ posts and had captured the leadership--no trouble at all. I chastised them for being so naive as to think that the Communists could capture a veterans’ organization when the purpose of the veterans’ organization was to oppose the Communist Party. And I told them they were foolish to undertake such a task and that they shouldn’t embark upon that policy. They told me I was nuts and that they knew what they were doing because they had the success of having captured a post. Mr. TAVENNER. Time, however, proved that you were correct, did it not? Mr. DENNETT. I think it did. Mr. TAVENNER. You said both you and your wife were disciplined by the Communist Party. Mr. DENNETT. That is true. When I returned from the service it didn’t take very long before rumor was circulated to the effect that I was alleged to be an FBI agent. Mr. MOULDER. Was your wife a member of the Communist Party, too? Mr. DENNETT. Yes, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. I would like to say at this point that it is not the practice of this committee, and it is not my practice to ask a witness any questions relating to the activities of his wife. There have been several occasions when witnesses felt that, in order to give the complete story to the committee, it was necessary to speak of their wife’s activities. But when they did, they did it on their own volition. Therefore, I am not asking you any questions with regard to your wife. If you mention her it is purely on your own volition. Mr. DENNETT. To explain this disciplinary action I have to advise that my former wife and I were expelled from the party on the same document with the same explanation, the same reasons. The documentary evidence will bring her into this part of it. And the account which I wish to make about the discipline against her is of far more importance than the discipline against me, although I am convinced that the purpose of the discipline was to get me out of their hair. It seems as though some people in the district leadership did not like to be reminded of what the party policy used to be, and they objected to my reminding them of the zigzags which they had followed in the intervening period. I was trying to find some way of bringing them to what I considered to be the official party position, and they seemed to have an entirely different attitude than I.