TESTIMONY OF OIVA R. HALONEN, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL, JAY G. SYKES
Mr. Tavenner. What is your full name, Mr. Halonen?
Mr. Halonen. Oiva R. Halonen.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you spell it, please.
Mr. Halonen. The first name is O-i-v-a; the initial is R; the last name is Halonen, H-a-l-o-n-e-n.
Mr. Tavenner. It is noted you are accompanied by counsel. Will counsel please identify himself for the record?
Mr. Sykes. Jay, J-a-y, G. Sykes, S-y-k-e-s.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Halonen, when and where were you born?
Mr. Halonen. In Minnesota, in 1912.
Mr. Tavenner. Where do you now reside?
Mr. Halonen. In Seattle.
Mr. Tavenner. What is your occupation?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I am a machinist.
Mr. Tavenner. How long have you worked as a machinist in Seattle?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. The last 12 years.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, briefly, what your educational training has been?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Merely a high-school graduate.
Mr. Tavenner. What employment have you had in Seattle other than the employment beginning 12 years ago which you just described?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Prior to the time that I became a machinist I knocked around in the apple orchards, harvest fields, did odd jobs this way and that way—no particular trade.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Halonen, where did you live in 1932?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. In Minnesota.
Mr. Tavenner. What was your first address on arriving in Seattle?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. 1011 East Columbia Street.
Mr. Tavenner. During what period of time did you live at that address?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. From the middle of 1933, I would say; between the 15th of May and the last of June, somewhere in there, for approximately a year, or a year and a half. I can’t remember.
Mr. Tavenner. I hand you Dennett Exhibit No. 4, purporting to be a test or an examination taken at the Young Pioneer camp at Pine Lake in the State of Washington. Please examine the exhibit and state whether or not the handwriting found thereon is your handwriting.
(Document handed to the witness.)
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. On advice of counsel, that the answer to that question might tend to incriminate me, I must invoke the fifth amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine, please, the name at the top of the test paper and read what name you find there?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I must invoke the fifth amendment again, for the same reasons as stated before.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Chairman, I notice the witness states that he must invoke the fifth amendment.
The fifth amendment is a privilege that you have, and you are under no compulsion to invoke the fifth amendment.
The only question is, do you?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I do invoke the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you examine the exhibit again, please, and state what you see on the line immediately under the name appearing at the top of the page.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Again, I do invoke the fifth amendment for the reasons previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. I am not asking you, Witness, whether or not that is your address. I am asking if you will read what appears on the document? I am asking you no question other than what is it that appears on the document.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I respectfully give the same answer I gave before, on advice of counsel.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you see it before you?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Yes; I see it.
Mr. Tavenner. Rather than lose more time, I will read into the record from this document that the address on the line under the name Oiva Halonen is 1011 East Columbia, Seattle.
Mr. Moulder. Is this the same document that you referred to as an exhibit which was identified by Mr. Dennett?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir; and it is marked “Dennett Exhibit No. 4.” Was that your address in 1933?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. Did he state what his address was at the beginning of his testimony when he first appeared on the stand?
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir; I asked him where he lived when he first came to Seattle, and it is the same address, if I recall the testimony correctly.
So that there may be no uncertainty about it, what was your address in 1933 when you came to Seattle?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. It was 1011 East Columbia.
Mr. Moulder. Is that the same address appearing on this exhibit?
Mr. Halonen. Yes.
Mr. Velde. May I inquire of counsel the year he attended the youth camp at Pine Lake, as testified to by Mr. Dennett. Was that in 1932?
Mr. Tavenner. No, sir. The year was not specified.
Are you acquainted with Mr. Dennett who just testified here a moment ago?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Was the name Dennett or Bennett?
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Dennett.
Mr. Halonen. On advice of counsel, on the grounds that the question might tend to incriminate me, I do invoke the fifth amendment and refuse to answer the question.
Mr. Velde. I can’t possibly see how the admission that you were acquainted with any person would possibly tend to incriminate you. So I ask the chairman to direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer the question.
Mr. Halonen. I do invoke the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. I want you to answer this question.
You say upon advice of counsel you are advised that the answer might tend to incriminate you. Now is it because of the advice of counsel or do you yourself feel that it will incriminate you?
Mr. Halonen. I do it on advice of counsel. Counsel advises me to invoke the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. May I ask you this:
Would your answer tend to incriminate you?
(The witness confers with this counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. It might tend to incriminate me.
Mr. Moulder. Proceed, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend a Young Pioneers summer camp at Pine Lake in the State of Washington?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Could we be more specific as to time?
Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend any “Pioneer” summer camp at any time?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. On advice of counsel, I do again invoke the fifth amendment on grounds of possible self-incrimination.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you acquainted with Barbara Hartle?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Again on advice of counsel, I find myself in the position that I do invoke the fifth amendment on grounds of possible self-incrimination.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Tavenner. Were you present in the hearing room at the time Mr. Dennett identified you as having been a member of the Communist Party?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Yes; I was in the room.
Mr. Tavenner. You heard his testimony?
Mr. Halonen. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Was he correct in stating that you became a member of the Communist Party?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I find myself in the situation of invoking the fifth amendment again on grounds of possible self-incrimination.
Mr. Tavenner. And you do so invoke?
Mr. Halonen. I do so invoke.
Mr. Moulder. Do you decline to answer the question for that reason?
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer the question on grounds of possible self-incrimination under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Mrs. Barbara Hartle testified in June of 1954 before this committee as follows:
Oiva Halonen was a member of the Communist Party in the central region; lived in that area; and was connected with the national group’s work of the district.
Do you desire to explain her testimony in any way or to deny it? Or do you confirm it as being true?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline under the grounds of the fifth amendment, on possible self-incrimination.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you now a member of the Communist Party?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer that question under the fifth amendment for the reasons stated before.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer that question for the same reasons.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you engaged in various activities of the Communist Party within mass organizations in the area of Seattle?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer that question for the reasons stated previously, under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you at any time affiliated with the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline again, under the fifth amendment, to answer that question, as previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you actively engaged in the work of the Young Communist League in 1942?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer that question under the fifth amendment, as previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you traveled outside of the continental limits of the United States?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Sykes. May we have a minute, please.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. Let the record show that the witness is conferring with counsel.
Mr. Halonen. To the last question I again invoke the fifth amendment on grounds of possible self-incrimination, and refuse to answer.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade?
Mr. Halonen. Once again I do decline to answer the question on the grounds of the fifth amendment, as previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you in the Spanish area 14 months during the Spanish Civil War?
Mr. Halonen. Once again I decline to answer the question, under the fifth amendment, on grounds previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you had any affiliation with the International Workers Order?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Once again I decline to answer the question, under the fifth amendment, for previously stated reasons.
Mr. Moulder. In response to the question asked by counsel, which you refused to answer or declined to answer, there are constitutional reasons as to whether or not you served in the armed services in Spain.
Now you declined to answer the question in reference to the Spanish Civil War. I want to ask you this question:
Did you ever serve in any branch of the armed services of the United States of America?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. No; I never did.
Mr. Moulder. Do you refuse to state whether or not you have served in the armed services of another country?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I refuse to answer that specific question; yes.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. In other words, it leaves the impression you were willing to fight for some other country but you are not willing to fight for the United States of America, your own native country.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I refuse to answer the question in regard to the Spanish Civil War.
Mr. Moulder. Proceed, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Halonen, I don’t want to leave an inference that this committee feels that a person should be criticized by it for any position he or she may take regarding any bill before Congress, but if a certain bill before Congress is being opposed by the Communist Party and the Communist Party is instrumental in creating opposition to it, then the committee would be interested in that fact.
Now I am not attempting to criticize any opposition you may have registered to the Walter-McCarran Act, but, if you did oppose it, I want to know whether or not the Communist Party had anything to do with the position that you took in the matter.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I decline to answer that question on the grounds of the fifth amendment, as previously stated.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, I have no further questions.
Mr. Moulder. Mr. Velde?
Mr. Velde. Were you born in Minnesota?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Yes.
Mr. Velde. I note you took refuge in the fifth amendment when questioned about your acquaintanceship with Mr. Eugene Dennett.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. That is correct.
Mr. Velde. You were here in the hearing room while he was testifying about your activities at the youth camp at Pine Lake, were you not?
Mr. Halonen. I so testified earlier.
Mr. Velde. You did see him here, didn’t you?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Yes, I did.
Mr. Velde. Had you ever met him before? Did you recognize him when he was testifying?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I invoke the fifth amendment and decline to answer that question on the grounds of possible self-incrimination.
Mr. Velde. You might have some misunderstanding about what acquaintanceship is. I wanted to know if you ever saw him before. I can see no reason why you shouldn’t answer that question or why that would tend to incriminate you in any way.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Not being too sharp on the legal aspects, I am afraid of waiving my rights under the fifth amendment, and, for that reason, I am invoking the fifth amendment.
Mr. Velde. I am not trying to trap you. Seriously, I can see no reason for not identifying him or anyone else you may have seen before. A lot of people in this room are acquainted with people who have been incriminated and have served jail sentences. I see no reason why an acquaintanceship of that type with a person should incriminate you or me or anyone else.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. Well, I respectfully invoke the fifth amendment again on the question asked for the reasons previously stated.
Mr. Velde. Have you ever known any member of the Communist Party?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I again must decline to answer that question under the fifth amendment, as previously stated.
Mr. Velde. Have you ever met a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Halonen. Again I decline to answer under the fifth amendment for the reasons stated previously.
Mr. Velde. Do you know anyone in this room?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I know my counsel here.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Velde. Why do you admit that you know your counsel and refuse to admit that you know Mr. Dennett?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. My acquaintance with my counsel could not possibly incriminate me in any way.
Mr. Velde. Do you feel that you are engaged at the present time in any activity which is of a subversive nature and subversive to the Government of the United States?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I must decline to answer that question again, under the fifth amendment, for the reasons as stated previously.
Mr. Velde. That is all, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. In connection with the last question Mr. Velde was asking if you had any knowledge, or if you ever committed any act of espionage or engaged in any activity contrary to the interests of the United States, I will ask you this question?
Are you engaged in any organization work or any activities leading toward the overthrow of our present form of government by force or violence?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. I must decline, or I must state that I have never engaged in any espionage, but, as far as the rest of the question is concerned. I must again invoke the fifth amendment on possible self-incrimination.
Mr. Moulder. In other words, you answer by saying that you did not engage in any espionage, but refuse to answer as to whether or not you are actively engaged in any effort to overthrow our Government by force and violence. That is the way I construe your answer.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Halonen. That is correct.
Mr. Moulder. Are there any further questions?
Mr. Velde. No, but I do feel that the witness possesses a great deal of information which would be valuable to the committee in its work, in its obligations that we are duty bound to perform, and I regret the position the witness has taken.
I hope he will reconsider his position and return to give the committee the information he possesses.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is excused.
(Whereupon the witness was excused.)
Mr. Moulder. Counsel, proceed with the next witness.
Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Eugene Frank Robel, please.
Mr. Moulder. Will you hold up your right hand and be sworn?
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony which you are about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Robel. I do.