Mr. Willis. Alexander Wright?
Mr. Tavenner. Alexander Wright, W-r-i-g-h-t.
Mr. O’Connell. Communication by the committee was as executive secretary of the Progressive Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Isn’t it a fact, Mr. O’Connell, that the situation which Mr. Cvetic described in Pittsburgh with reference to the strategy and planning by the Communist Party for the fight against the Mundt-Nixon bill was duplicated in many instances and many places throughout the United States?
Mr. O’Connell. As I said, my work was here in Washington and what actually took place, either in Pittsburgh or any other section of the country, I wouldn’t know. Certainly my guess would be and certainly my feeling would be that inasmuch as the legislation was proscribing the Communist Party and affecting it, they certainly worked on it and certainly did what they could to defeat it. I have no doubt about that.
Mr. Tavenner. Was the Progressive Party in the State of Washington active in promoting the fight against the passage of the Mundt bill?
Mr. O’Connell. Yes, sir.
Mr. Tavenner. Wasn’t a good part of the leadership of the Progressive Party in the State of Washington of Communist Party membership?
Mr. O’Connell. As far as the leadership of the Progressive Party was concerned, as I stated yesterday, Mr. Russell Fluent was the chairman; he was at the time of his chairmanship Democratic State treasurer in the State of Washington; I feel sure was not a member of the Communist Party; Mr. L. C. Hunterer was national committeeman; he was Democratic sheriff in Olympia in Thurston County and I am sure was not a member of the Communist Party.
I think at one time he used to be—out in the Western States we have Old Greenbacks and Old Populace and former followers of the Progressive Party under Bob La Follette, but Mr. Hunterer was not. Elsie Hoffman, who was national committeewoman, was president of the Democratic Women’s Club in the city of Spokane, and I am sure was not a Communist.