Mr. O’Connell. It wasn’t even in existence then.
Mr. Tavenner. Probably not. Attorney General Francis Biddle, on September 24, 1942, cited it as a legal arm of the Communist Party.
This committee on January 3, 1939, again on January 3, 1940; on June 25, 1942; and on March 29, 1944, cited it. In this committee’s citation it was referred to as the American section of the MOPR Red International of Labor Defense, often referred to as the Red International Aid.
It was subsequently combined with the National Federation of Constitutional Liberties to form the Civil Rights Congress.
Mr. Velde. Mr. O’Connell, as a former Member of Congress, naturally you were interested in the citations of the Un-American Activities Committee and the citation of the Attorneys General. Surely you must have some recollection that these organizations were subversive and cited as subversive by duly constituted bodies?
Mr. O’Connell. Actually, I mean as far as the International Labor Defense is concerned, I think the latest, according to that record, that I was involved is sometime in 1940. I think its earliest citation was by this committee in 1939.
Then the Attorney General’s citations were many years after that when it was actually in existence.
Mr. Tavenner. 1942?
Mr. O’Connell. 1942.
Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir; you said many years later; 1942 is the date that the Attorney General first cited.