Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
History
Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
Communism -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
There was also a wilderness area trust. In fact, out in the State of
Montana there is a great wilderness area named the Robert Marshall
Wilderness Area after Robert Marshall.
My distinct feeling about that is that in talking with Bob and talking
to him that he was caught up in the period of the depression situation
where there were all kinds of economic theories advanced at the time,
not only New Deal but all kinds of other movements and I don’t think
there was actually any connection in Bob Marshall’s mind between what
the Communist Party might be advocating at that time and what he
actually put in his will.
Mr. DOYLE. May I ask this about that will? Was it a
typewritten will or a will written by him?
Mr. O’CONNELL. Actually his brother, Jim Marshall, is an
attorney in the city of New York and I think a member of the New York
City Board of Education and the will was actually prepared by Jim
Marshall’s firm, I can’t remember all who are in it, but the copy which
I got was actually a copy of the will which I received through the
surrogate court in New York, actually a printed form.
Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. O’Connell, you mentioned the fact that tax
exempt status of the trust was removed by action of the court. Was that
a result of action taken by the Internal Revenue Bureau?
Mr. O’CONNELL. That is correct.
Mr. TAVENNER. Was it after the Internal Revenue Bureau learned
of the type of grants being made under this trust that it took the
action it did to remove the tax exemption status of the trust?
Mr. O’CONNELL. My best recollection, Mr. Tavenner, is that
Congressman Dies made a speech on the floor, and if I remember
correctly, in which he discussed the Robert Marshall Foundation in
which he went into the various grants that we had made and shortly
after that, on whose initiative I don’t know, the Bureau took up with
the foundation the matter of its one exemption and the Bureau exemption
was removed and I believe as trustees we appealed it to the courts and
the courts decided against us.
We appealed, I am sure the briefs will show that we appealed to the
courts on the basis that the grants were being made for the purpose
of organizing and developing of trade unions and for organization of
unemployed people and not for the theory of production for use rather
than for profit. I am sure the briefs will bear me out on that. I of
course had nothing to do with the preparation of them.
George Marshall, who is Bob Marshall’s brother, was the manager of the
trust funds and as I said, the trustees usually met annually, once a
year.
Mr. TAVENNER. You were aware, were you not, that the Communist
Party in the State of Washington just 2 years prior to the probate of
this will, endeavored or at least proposed a plan for legislation to
set up exactly the same type of economy in the State of Washington?
Mr. O’CONNELL. I knew nothing about that. The first time I
ever went to the State of Washington in August 1944----
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account