Mr. Velde. Did you know Lee Pressman as a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. Dennett. I didn’t know that personally. I was just under the instruction—I asked Roy Hudson who I should see in the event I got crossed up and didn’t know what policy to pursue or anything, and he said, “See Lee Pressman. Do what he says.”
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, this is a matter which we should follow through. But, not knowing the character of the experience this witness had with Mr. Pressman, I believe it is a matter we should investigate fully before attempting to further examine the witness on the subject.
Mr. Moulder. Very well.
Mr. Tavenner. Do you have documentary evidence of any character on that incident?
Mr. Dennett. I can’t be sure whether I have or not. I don’t recall all the things that I have in my files.
Mr. Tavenner. Proceed, please.
Mr. Dennett. Well, I came in contact with many other leaders in the national CIO. I used to have the habit of attending the national CIO executive board meetings whenever the convention was over. There had been an election of new officials at the close of the convention, and I was usually there in company with the president of the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, who became a member of the executive board. And he usually asked me to come along with him.
And it has always been my habit to take rather copious notes. As a matter of fact, most people screamed to high heaven because the notes I take are a little bit too full and too elaborate. I do that for my own benefit because I try not to rely solely on memory. I have found it very profitable in my own experience to have my full memoranda at hand when I am called upon to testify.
And in this testimony here I am testifying almost completely from memory, but I assure you that I have plenty of memoranda and data which cannot only substantiate what I have been testifying, but enrich it very, very much.