Mr. TAVENNER. Was he active in the Progressive Party in the District of Columbia? Mr. SCHERER. I want to ask the witness the same questions I did about Silberstein. When did you last see Stone? Mr. O’CONNELL. I think the last time I saw Stone was in 1948. Mr. SCHERER. Where was that? Mr. O’CONNELL. That was here in Washington, D. C. Mr. SCHERER. In connection with what activities? Mr. O’CONNELL. Doing press work for the National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill. Mr. SCHERER. Is that the last contact you had with him? Mr. O’CONNELL. Yes. I had no--that was the last contact and the only contact I have had with him outside of the fact that when he lived out in Montana and because of my political activity and prominence out there, I knew him at that time. I was just wondering when he became--when Rob Hall nominated him for membership or whatever he did--does she date that any time? Mr. TAVENNER. Her membership in the party was from 1943 to 1949, so it would be within the limits of that period. Mr. O’CONNELL. I got the impression from what you said that he was recommended because of the work he had done in the National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill. Mr. TAVENNER. No; I may not have stated that clearly. I would like to restate it. When Mrs. Markward was asked as to her knowledge of Stone’s activities within the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill, she testified: “I know Robert Hall suggested him for membership”--that meant membership in the Communist Party--“due to his activity with the Progressive Party.” Mr. O’CONNELL. The Progressive Party wasn’t organized until 1948. Mr. TAVENNER. That would indicate that it must then have been about 1948 or 1949 when this occurred. Mr. O’CONNELL. My distinct feeling--I don’t know what he may have done, but my distinct feeling about Mr. Stone is he was not a member of the Communist Party as long as I knew him. Mr. SCHERER. Do you know what Stone is doing today? Mr. O’CONNELL. No, I really don’t. Mr. SCHERER. The last contact you had with him then was, as you said, 1949? Mr. O’CONNELL. I would say, I think the last contact I had with him was in 1948. Mr. SCHERER. Do you know what his activities were following 1948? Mr. O’CONNELL. No; I really don’t. I haven’t kept up with him. I think--well, I know at the time he was writing some stories, children’s stories, or something of that kind. He was talking about it. Mr. TAVENNER. Did you select Stone as the publicity man for the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill? Mr. O’CONNELL. I probably had more to do with his selection than anybody because of course I knew him as a newspaperman. Mr. TAVENNER. How many persons normally composed the staff of the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill?