Mr. Wheeler. Are you a member of any labor union?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Robel. On the advice of counsel, because to answer that might tend to incriminate me, I will have to invoke the fifth amendment and refuse to answer that.
Mr. Velde. May I again say you are not under any compulsion to take refuge under the fifth amendment. It is a privilege.
The question is do you invoke the fifth amendment?
(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Robel. I do invoke it. I recognize I am not under compulsion, but I do invoke it because of the possibility that I might be incriminated.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Chairman, again let me say that I cannot possibly see how a membership in a labor union, admission that you are a member of a labor union, could possibly tend to incriminate a person, and I ask the Chair to direct the witness to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. Certainly your being a member of a labor union could not in any way tend to incriminate you. So you are directed to answer that question.
(The witness confers with his counsel.)