TESTIMONY OF BERNARD FREYD, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL, C. T. HATTEN
Mr. Tavenner. What is your name?
Mr. Freyd. Bernard Freyd—F-r-e-y-d.
Mr. Tavenner. It is noted you are accompanied by counsel.
Will counsel identify himself for the record?
Mr. Hatten. My name is C. T. Hatten. I am an attorney residing in Seattle.
Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Freyd?
Mr. Freyd. I was born in Seattle in 1893.
Mr. Tavenner. What is your occupation?
Mr. Freyd. I am not employed by anyone.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, briefly, what your formal educational training has been.
Mr. Freed. I went through the public-school system, high school of this city, and University of Washington.
Mr. Tavenner. When did you complete your educational training at the University of Washington?
Mr. Freyd. It was about the year 1930.
Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, how you have been employed since 1935?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Freyd. I had no regular employment until the outbreak of the war, and I worked in various war plants until I was incapacitated by an accident in 1943.
Mr. Tavenner. What was your business between 1930 and the outbreak of the war?
Mr. Freyd. Well, I was unemployed.
Mr. Tavenner. During that entire period of time?
Mr. Freyd. Practically, as I recollect.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you engaged in any work of any kind during that period?
Mr. Freyd. Well, there was no work available that I could find.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean you were unemployed until 1941, December 1941?
Mr. Freyd. Yes.
Mr. Tavenner. Where did you live in 1940?
Mr. Freyd. I lived in Seattle.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you engage in any work without remuneration?
Mr. Freyd. No.
Mr. Tavenner. During the period from 1935 to 1940?
Mr. Freyd. No.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you connected with the Civil Rights Congress?
Mr. Freyd. I think I should invoke the fifth amendment on that question as I feel that it may tend to incriminate me.
Mr. Moulder. To clarify the response, do you decline to answer by invoking the fifth amendment of the Constitution, or do you refuse to answer for fear it will tend to incriminate you?
Mr. Freyd. And also the first amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and of the press and the right of people to assemble peaceably.
Mr. Tavenner. The witness who preceded you a few moments ago, Mr. Eugene V. Dennett, described his disagreement with the Communist Party in connection with its policy toward the Civil Rights Congress. He told the committee that the Communist Party had organized the Civil Rights Congress, but that he disagreed with the policy of forming an organization which would defend only Communists. And, for that reason, he incurred the wrath of his superiors in the Communist Party.
He further testified that he was told by the leadership of the Communist Party that it didn’t have time to protect the civil rights of people generally, but it was only interested in the civil rights of members of the Communist Party.
Now it is our information that you held an official position in the Civil Rights Congress. I may be wrong about that. But surely you were in a position to know whether or not Mr. Dennett was telling the truth about the attitude of the Communist Party toward the Civil Rights Congress or the work of the Civil Rights Congress.
Mr. Freyd. I should like to confer with my attorney.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Freyd. I invoke the first amendment and the fifth amendment for the reasons previously stated. And I may add that I am pleased to notice that there has been very widespread doubt expressed prominently in the press about the veracity of a witness testifying before this committee.
Mr. Tavenner. If you have any doubt about that you are now in a position to straighten the committee out on it. In what particular, if any, was Mr. Dennett in error in his testimony?
Mr. Freyd. I would like to confer with my counsel.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Freyd. I claim, again, the first and fifth amendments of the Constitution, and I wish to add that I am reluctant to answer any questions which would require me to claim the protection of the first and fifth amendments.
Mr. Tavenner. Are you now a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Freyd. The answer is the same, for the same reason.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Freyd. The answer is the same, and for the same reason.
Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Velde?
Mr. Velde. No questions.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is excused.
(Whereupon the witness was excused.)
Mr. Moulder. Call the next witness, Mr. Tavenner.
Mr. Hatten. Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Moulder. Yes.
Mr. Hatten. While I am here may I address the Chair with reference to the O’Connell matter again?
Mr. Moulder. Yes.