I hereby join in signing the January 1943 message to the House of Representatives opposing renewal of the Dies committee. There were a number of signatories, including Jerry O’Connell. Do you recall that? Mr. CONNELL. I don’t recall, but I voted against the creation of the Dies committee in 1938 and I have constantly opposed it all the time it was in existence. Mr. TAVENNER. Now, in asking the question I am not critical in any sense and don’t mean it in any sense, because of your decision to oppose a congressional committee. That is a right that anyone has. Mr. CONNELL. Well, I was a Member of Congress and I had a right to vote against it. Mr. TAVENNER. Not only as a Member of Congress, but as a citizen you had that right. I don’t intend it in any way as critical, but my purpose in asking it is to find out what connection you had with the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties which put out this message. Mr. CONNELL. So far as I can remember they probably sent me a copy of that message and asked me if I would join in it. And then I think I was the sponsor of a call to organize or set up the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties. Mr. TAVENNER. I think I have already read into the record the citations by the Attorneys General Clark and Biddle of that organization. So I will not repeat it. I asked you this morning about the activity of John Daschbach in connection with the Civil Rights Congress in the State of Washington. According to the committee’s information, he was chairman of the steering committee of that organization. Is that true? Mr. O’CONNELL. I don’t know whether he was chairman of the steering committee. I remember he was the director in charge of the Civil Rights Congress office in Seattle. Mr. TAVENNER. Didn’t he name you as one of the members of the steering committee? Mr. O’CONNELL. If he did, I had no knowledge of it. When did he name me? When was this done? Mr. TAVENNER. In October of 1948. Mr. O’CONNELL. He may have put me on there, but I never served as a member of the steering committee in the Civil Rights Congress. Mr. TAVENNER. Why didn’t you? Mr. O’CONNELL. Well, I just remember I didn’t. In October of 1948 particularly we were in the midst of the 1948 campaign and I was the executive secretary of the Progressive Party. Mr. TAVENNER. The campaign would have been over in November; would it not? Mr. O’CONNELL. Yes, sir; it would have been, but I mean from October--October is always involved in politics, October is the month when the general election campaign is carried on. He, of his own volition, may have made me a member of the steering committee, but I certainly don’t remember getting any notification and I certainly know I didn’t serve on the steering committee.