Mr. Connell. I don’t recall, but I voted against the creation of the Dies committee in 1938 and I have constantly opposed it all the time it was in existence.
Mr. Tavenner. Now, in asking the question I am not critical in any sense and don’t mean it in any sense, because of your decision to oppose a congressional committee. That is a right that anyone has.
Mr. Connell. Well, I was a Member of Congress and I had a right to vote against it.
Mr. Tavenner. Not only as a Member of Congress, but as a citizen you had that right. I don’t intend it in any way as critical, but my purpose in asking it is to find out what connection you had with the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties which put out this message.
Mr. Connell. So far as I can remember they probably sent me a copy of that message and asked me if I would join in it. And then I think I was the sponsor of a call to organize or set up the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties.
Mr. Tavenner. I think I have already read into the record the citations by the Attorneys General Clark and Biddle of that organization. So I will not repeat it.
I asked you this morning about the activity of John Daschbach in connection with the Civil Rights Congress in the State of Washington. According to the committee’s information, he was chairman of the steering committee of that organization. Is that true?
Mr. O’Connell. I don’t know whether he was chairman of the steering committee. I remember he was the director in charge of the Civil Rights Congress office in Seattle.
Mr. Tavenner. Didn’t he name you as one of the members of the steering committee?
Mr. O’Connell. If he did, I had no knowledge of it. When did he name me? When was this done?