Nat Honig was brought into the district by Morris Rappaport to become an agitprop director. I knew Mr. Honig quite well, and I sympathized with the task that he had. He didn’t last very long in that either. He soon found himself as editor of the Woodworkers’ paper, the International Woodworkers of America’s paper. And I had occasion to attempt to get him to carry out the party line, and I was amazed to find a man who was officially holding a position of district agitprop director while he was editor of that paper, and yet, when the May Day issue of that paper came out there wasn’t one single mention of the fact that May Day was the historical day to be commemorated for the 8-hour day in America and was heralded throughout the world as laborers’ day.
Mr. Honig explained it away, that he didn’t think it was appropriate to do it.
I went to Mr. Rappaport complaining, “What kind of a district agitprop is this man anyway?”
And Rappaport had quite a session with Honig, and shortly after that Mr. Honig began to have some disaffection from the party and the party policy, and I believe he appeared before the Canwell committee shortly afterward and gave voluminous testimony about the Communist Party. I have not read his testimony. I do not know how valid it is. I couldn’t confirm or deny what he said. I don’t know.
Mr. Velde. What was the approximate time?
Mr. Dennett. That was in that period 1939, I believe; 1939 or 1940 when that happened.
Mr. Tavenner. Can you recall any other individuals connected with the International Woodworkers of America who were members of the Communist Party?
Mr. Dennett. I have a little difficulty thinking of any others at the moment in that particular union.
Mr. Tavenner. The committee had before it at Albany, N. Y., in July 1953, a Canadian by the name of Patrick Walsh who was connected with that organization in the western part of Canada during one period of time and who later became very prominent in the Canadian seamen’s union strike in 1949.
Did you become acquainted with Patrick Walsh?