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
I also came to know the president of the officeworkers union at that
time. That was the United Office and Professional Workers of America,
Mr. Lewis Merrill. He was known to me by that name then. I have heard
from friends since then that that was an assumed name or something.
At any rate, he is doing business in New York City under an entirely
different name as of this date.
Mr. TAVENNER. Do you know that name?
Mr. DENNETT. I do not know that name. I know a person who does, who
lives in the city of Seattle, and who knows him. But I do not know him
myself.
Mr. TAVENNER. How do you spell his name, the name that he went by here?
Mr. DENNETT. L-e-w-i-s M-e-r-r-i-l-l.
Mr. TAVENNER. Will you proceed, please?
Mr. DENNETT. At a much earlier period--I am going back to try to pick
up the loose threads that we left out when we should have mentioned
them, but I was unable to connect all my thoughts consecutively at that
time. In the organization of the Marine Workers Industrial Union Mr.
Harry Jackson, whom I mentioned to you, was the chief leader of that
effort here. But he had 2 or 3 very able assistants, one by the name
of James Archer, A-r-c-h-e-r. Archer is the man to whom I delivered
about $35 which was taken up as a collection when I was in the CCC camp
when I came to Seattle on a visit from the camp. It was a collection
from the men in the camp to assist the maritime strikers at that time,
and Mr. Archer is the man to whom I delivered that money in the
headquarters of the Marine Workers Industrial Union.
Another person who was very active in that work was a person by the
name of Tommy Ray, R-a-y. Later I met Tommy Ray after I was expelled
from the Communist Party. Tommy Ray at that time was a port agent
for the National Maritime Union. And I tried to discuss with him the
question of the disciplinary practices of the Communist Party, and
Ray was so incensed about his own experience that he wouldn’t discuss
it with me except to say, “Don’t talk to me about those so-and-sos. I
don’t want to have anything further to do with them.” And that is about
all I was able to obtain from him. But it was the same person, and I
believe he is still an active person in the National Maritime Union.
But he is bitterly anti-Communist today.
There was another person by the name of Tom Burns. I don’t know how
we can make a distinction for him, because there are so many persons
by that name except to say that he was a seaman. I learned later from
Tommy Ray that Tom Burns became a licensed man, left the Communist
Party long before, and has had nothing to do with it; that is, in
recent years. Although he was a very able man way back in the period of
1932, 1933, and 1934 when he was very active in the organization of the
Marine Workers Industrial Union, and had a great part in organizing the
sailors on the waterfront in Seattle at that time.
I knew Tommy Burns’ wife quite well, a person by the name of--I knew
her originally as Helmi Hutenen.
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