Mr. Tavenner. Will you proceed, please, to tell us about your induction into the Communist Party?
Mr. Dennett. Some of that is rather indistinct at this period. There are only snatches of it that are vivid.
One thing that is quite vivid is one of the foreign-born workers warning me that they had to deal rather vigorously with traitors. That seemed to be their chief obsession.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean traitors to the cause of communism?
Mr. Dennett. Yes. That seemed to be their chief concern.
Mr. Moulder. In what period of time are we now?
Mr. Dennett. That is still in 1931.
Finally they told me that my name had been submitted to the party as a candidate for membership. And after—I think it was about a month delay—they informed me that the membership had passed upon my name, and that I had been accepted. And they invited me to party meetings.
Mr. Tavenner. Did you become a member under your own name or were you given a pseudonym?
Mr. Dennett. I was given what is known as a party name. All the party records and documents were kept in that name. However, it always seemed rather ridiculous to me because alongside of the party name there was always my real name anyway.