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
Mr. TAVENNER. Do you recall who solicited the grant?
Frontier Films was cited by this committee as a Communist front on
March 29, 1944.
Mr. O’CONNELL. No, the first name of Paul comes to my mind.
I can’t remember any last name. The party came and talked to us about
it--was there a Paul--Paul comes to my mind. That is all I can recall.
Mr. TAVENNER. Grants totaling $900 were made to the
International Juridical Association. Do you recall the circumstances
under which that grant was made?
Mr. O’CONNELL. No, I really can’t recall the circumstances
now. It is apparently a very small grant. I don’t know what it was
used for. It must have been in connection with some particular labor
legal problem that may have been involved as far as the Wagner Act was
concerned or NLRB or something of that nature.
Mr. TAVENNER. Grants totaling $4,250 were made to the National
Federation for Constitutional Liberties. That is an organization you
did know about; isn’t it? In fact, the amount was increased after 1942
to a total of $56,000. You were acquainted with that organization;
weren’t you?
Mr. O’CONNELL. I knew of the National Federation for
Constitutional Liberties, yes, and I am sure that grants were made, I
would say on an annual basis to the National Federation, I don’t know
what amounts specifically, but whether that total amount is correct or
not I cannot say.
Mr. TAVENNER. Are you familiar with the citation of that
organization?
Mr. O’CONNELL. No; I am not.
Mr. TAVENNER. Let me read it to you. It was cited as
subversive and Communist by Attorney General Tom Clark on December 4,
1947; it was also cited by Attorney General Francis Biddle September
24, 1942, in the following language:
Part of what Lenin called the solar system of organizations,
ostensibly having no connection with the Communist Party, by
which Communists attempt to create sympathizers and supporters of
their program. It was established as a result of a conference on
constitutional liberties held in Washington, D. C., June 7-9, 1940.
The defense of Communist leaders such as Sam Darcy and Robert Wood,
party secretaries for Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, have been major
efforts of the federation.
What purpose did the trustees of your foundation have in making $56,000
of grants to that organization?
Mr. O’CONNELL. Well, of course, if I had the specific
application before me I could tell you, but I am sure that the
application set out that it would be used for the defense of various
labor leaders who were under attack of any kind, particularly from the
civil liberties point of view.
Mr. TAVENNER. Communist or not?
Mr. O’CONNELL. Communist or non-Communist.
Mr. TAVENNER. You were actually one of the sponsors for the
call to the conference, in June of 1940, which was alluded to in the
citation by Attorney General Biddle; were you not?
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