Investigation of Communist Activities in Seattle, Wash., Area, Hearings, Part 1

by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1955

United States House of Representatives,
Subcommittee of the
Committee on Un-American Activities,
Seattle, Wash.

PUBLIC HEARING

A subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a. m., in room 402, County-City Building, Seattle, Wash., Hon. Morgan M. Moulder (chairman) presiding.

Committee members present: Representatives Morgan M. Moulder (chairman) and Harold H. Velde.

Staff members present: Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., counsel, and William A. Wheeler, staff investigator.

Mr. Moulder. The subcommittee will be in order.

Let the record show that the Hon. Francis E. Walter, chairman of the Committee on Un-American Activities of the House of Representatives of the Congress, pursuant to the provisions of law creating this committee, appointed Hon. Clyde Doyle of California, Hon. Harold H. Velde of Illinois, with myself, Morgan M. Moulder of Missouri as chairman, a subcommittee to conduct hearings in Seattle, Wash.

The membership of the subcommittee, with the exception of Mr. Doyle, is present. Mr. Doyle has asked that I express his regret that a legislative assignment by the Speaker of the House makes it impossible for him to leave Washington at this time.

Following an extensive investigation by the staff, the Committee on Un-American Activities held hearings here during June 1954, and also in Portland during that same period. These hearings were productive of outstanding results in that the committee was furnished by numerous witnesses with facts reflecting the extent of Communist Party activities in the great Pacific Northwest, and the infiltration methods used in this area by the Communist Party.

Mrs. Barbara Hartle will be remembered as a witness whose knowledge of the Communist movement in the Pacific Northwest was very extensive, and the careful and intelligent consideration she gave to her testimony has been excelled by few if any other witnesses which this committee has heard.

In the time allotted for that hearing the committee could not hear all the witnesses who had been summoned, and could not hear fully some of the witnesses who testified. The committee desires at this time to continue with the hearings begun in June of 1954, last year.

Before calling the first witness I desire to recognize the Hon. Charles P. Moriarty, United States attorney for the Western District of Washington, whose office has rendered outstanding service to the Congress of the United States in matters of importance to this committee which have been referred by the Congress to him.

I also desire to extend the committee’s thanks to Mayor Pomeroy and the board of county commissioners who made it possible for us to use this room as a hearing room, United States Marshal William B. Parsons, also Sheriff Tim McCullough and Chief of Police H. J. Lawrence, and members of their respective staffs for their great assistance to this committee.

I also desire to announce at this time—and I trust that it will not be necessary to repeat it at any time during the course of the hearing—that a disturbance of any kind or audible comment on the part of persons other than witnesses during the course of the testimony, whether favorable or unfavorable to the committee or any witness appearing before it, will not be tolerated by the committee. For any infraction of this rule the offender will be ejected from the hearing room.

I also wish to announce that Congressman Velde and I have conferred with respect to the use of cameras and the taking of pictures in the hearing room. Each House of the Congress has its own rules. The rules of the House prohibit the use of cameras, the taking of pictures and televising proceedings of the Congress in the House while it is in session. The Speaker has ruled that that applies to committee hearings wherever they may be held in any part of the United States. However, Congressman Velde and I have decided that it would not be in conflict with the ruling and the interpretation placed upon the rules by the Speaker of the House to permit photographs to be taken at any time in the hearing room except when a witness is testifying, and in the course of his testimony.

Therefore, photographs will be permitted to be taken of the witness while he is being sworn in and after that. While he is testifying no additional photographs will be permitted to be taken.

Mr. Velde. I certainly want to say, Mr. Moulder, that I concur with you in the statement you have just made about the matter of taking photographs. However, I do feel that we should also protect the freedom of the press as much as possible, instead of merely protecting the so-called rights of some of the witnesses who will appear here.

It is very important in my opinion, and I think the Chair will concur with me in this, that we do give the public, especially in the great Northwest area of our country, the benefit of all the information we are able to obtain. And I do feel that within the rules of the House of Representatives we should do everything we can to give that information to the public here in Seattle.

I also want to say that it is great to be back here. I enjoyed very much being here last June for at least 3 days, as chairman of the full committee at that time.

Mr. Moulder. I am in complete agreement with you as to the committee televising and giving the public all information possible as to those who have proved to be active in the Communist Party. However, the rules of the House and the ruling of the Speaker of the House prohibit the televising of the hearings we are going to hold today.

Are you ready to proceed, Mr. Counsel?

Mr. Tavenner. Yes.

Mr. Moulder. Call your first witness.

Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Eugene V. Dennett, please come forward.

Mr. Moulder. Hold up your right hand.

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony which you are about to give before this committee shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?

Mr. Dennett. I do.