Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 2United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
History
Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 2
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
Communism -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
Mr. DENNETT. There is triple deception in this maneuver, which is
rather hard to follow. I hope I have explained it.
Mr. TAVENNER. I am afraid that the point may not be absolutely clear in
the record, and I want to be sure that it is clear:
If I understand you correctly, it was not the fact that the Communist
Party was supporting this measure that caused its defeat.
Mr. DENNETT. You are correct, sir. That was not the reason. It was the
way we, as disguised Communists, carried on the campaign, ostensibly
for it, but, in fact, against it.
Mr. TAVENNER. In other words, your representations were of such a
character as to make known the weaknesses in the bill; and a person
would actually think you were supporting it.
Mr. DENNETT. True. You understand it quite clearly.
Mr. TAVENNER. I think the bill was properly named when you used the
word “initiative” because that certainly is the use of initiative.
I am glad to know it is Communist Party initiative. It is a very
deceptive type of campaign.
Mr. DENNETT. Mr. Tavenner and Mr. Chairman, I would like to make one
observation about my testimony earlier this afternoon.
I get the feeling, and I have a fear that perhaps people listening to
this presentation might think that because of my testimony I was the
only figure who was active in the Washington Commonwealth Federation
carrying on this activity.
I hope that no one assumes that because I was one of a team. There were
several others.
Mr. TAVENNER. Who composed the team?
Mr. DENNETT. Well, I didn’t mean to bring that up because I don’t like
to have to do that. But I was fearful that people might think I was too
much of a braggart in this thing, and I don’t mean to be because it is
all ancient history and I am simply trying to furnish such information
as I know of my own knowledge about that experience so that other
people may comprehend it in full.
Mr. TAVENNER. I am sure, Mr. Dennett, that the committee, having heard
as many witnesses as it has on the subject of communism, recognizes
that it is teamwork that has enabled the Communist Party to get where
it is, rather than grandstand playing.
Who were the other members of the team?
Mr. DENNETT. Well, that takes me into a description of the district
bureau of the Communist Party in that particular period.
As I look back over it I might call it the golden age of the Communist
Party’s efforts in the Northwest because it did at that time enjoy,
that is, the leaders of the Communist Party did enjoy a relationship
among each other and among themselves, and in the organizations to
which each were members--they did enjoy a very full and rich democratic
experience in procedure.
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