(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Westman. I will decline to answer that under the fifth amendment. And I would like to go into the reasons why I take the fifth amendment, because under——
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Chairman, the witness has stated his reason as being the fifth amendment, which is a ground, under the circumstances here, I think he is entitled to use. And, therefore, it would not require any speech to accompany it.
Mr. Moulder. Please make a direct answer to the question. We will get along more quickly.
Mr. Westman. I said that under the fifth amendment I decline to answer that question, and I would like to just point out, Mr. Chairman, that I do take the fifth amendment because of the fact that it is in the Constitution to protect the innocent, and for the same reason that you gentlemen of Congress have congressional immunity.
Mr. Moulder. You have made yourself clear about the fifth amendment.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you at any time, during the month of March 1955, been the press director of the Communist Party?
Mr. Westman. I will decline to answer that under the first and fifth amendments, as, under the first amendment, that is directly inquiring into the freedom of the press and into matters of like nature, and, under the fifth amendment, I decline because such testimony might be construed as testimony against myself.
Mr. Tavenner. Mrs. Barbara Hartle testified before this committee, in June of 1954. In the course of her testimony in identifying various individuals as members of the Communist Party, she stated:
Lenus Westman was a member of a club in the central region and lived in that area. Most of his Communist Party activities were in mass work at that time, like the Progressive Party or election work.