Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3

by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities

(Brief recess.)

Mr. Willis. The committee will come to order.

You may proceed, Mr. Tavenner.

Mr. Tavenner. Mr. O’Connell, are you familiar with the testimony of Matthew Cvetic before this committee, relating to the activities of the Communist Party in the western part of Pennsylvania in connection with the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill?

Mr. O’Connell. No; I am not acquainted with that testimony.

Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Matthew Cvetic became a member of the Communist Party at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and after working quite a number of years for the Federal Bureau of Investigation within the Communist Party, withdrew and testified fully before this committee regarding his experience within the Communist Party.

Mr. Cvetic testified that the District Committee of the Communist Party of western Pennsylvania established a branch or a unit of the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill. This branch or unit occupied no office of its own but worked out of the offices of the Communist Party of western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Cvetic further testified that petitions and pamphlets published by the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill were made available in Pittsburgh for distribution by Communist Party headquarters. He personally participated in the distribution of petitions and pamphlets published by the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill at the instruction of the Communist Party functionaries in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Cvetic also testified that the officials of the Communist Party in western Pennsylvania referred to the National Committee To Defeat the Mundt Bill as “One of our organizations.”

Mr. Cvetic revealed that the strategy and planning of the fight against the Mundt-Nixon bill in Pittsburgh was headed by the district organizer of the Communist Party. These plans were carried out by the Communist Party District Committee through the various trade unions, front organizations, Progressive Party, and other organizations which had been created or captured by the Communist Party in western Pennsylvania.