Mr. O’Connell. I thought you said 1948.
Mr. Tavenner. There was one in 1948.
Mr. Velde. Mr. O’Connell, I understood you to say that you didn’t know that the International Labor Defense was a subversive organization or cited as a subversive organization.
Mr. O’Connell. I actually didn’t know at the time I was involved there. I, for instance, know now that the International Labor Defense has been, and I have known it for some time in the past few years since it was cited.
Mr. Velde. How long have you known it has been cited?
Mr. O’Connell. My best recollection would be that I have probably known since 1945, somewhere in there; maybe a little earlier, but certainly at this time I didn’t know it.
For instance, I am out in the State of Montana. A lot of this material is not covered by the press in Montana, and it does not have any particular interest, and, of course, I was not involved; I was no longer a Member of Congress at that time.
I had a sincere desire, I actually believed, and felt that Tom Mooney had been framed, and I felt that he ought to be released from prison. I worked for his freedom.
I think, in one instance, as far as the International Labor Defense is concerned, I was going into Jersey City to speak against Mayor Frank Hague. The meeting that I was speaking at apparently was sponsored by Norman Thomas’ Socialist Party, or they were the ones that had arranged it, and members of the International Labor Defense requested me not to speak, but I went there and spoke.
At that time, to my best recollection, Mike Quill was the New York labor leader and still is. He was prevailing upon me not to go in there and speak, but I did go into Jersey City and tried to speak there. I felt that Frank Hague was denying civil liberties and particularly freedom of speech.