Mr. Tavenner. Was Hugh DeLacy known to you to be a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. O’Connell. NO.
Mr. Tavenner. He has been identified by both Barbara Hartle and Eugene Dennett. He was produced as a witness before the committee in Ohio in September of last year and he refused to answer any material questions relating to Communist Party affiliations, relying upon the fifth amendment as the reason for so doing.
Mr. O’Connell. Senator Neuberger wrote a chapter in a book published by Bob Allen called Our Fair City, and wrote the article in connection with the city of Seattle, and he gives me credit in that book, if I remember correctly, for having forced Hugh DeLacy on the Democratic Party in the State of Washington, but Hugh DeLacy had actually been nominated for Congress on the Democratic Party ticket before I ever went to the State of Washington.
He was actually the Democratic nominee.
Let me say, Mr. Neuberger also gives me credit for—Senator Neuberger—for taking over. He said I took over the Democratic organization and so on. I don’t think I did. I had served in the House with Senator Wallgren who later became Governor and Senator Magnuson, who was in the House, and I knew them well and Senator Mitchell, who was secretary to Senator Wallgren at that time, and who later became Senator and Congressman and all of that, and I think they were appreciative of the kind of job I had done out there, and so on.
Mr. Velde. Did you have any suspicion or inkling that Mr. Hugh DeLacy was a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. O’Connell. I couldn’t say, I wouldn’t want to say.
Mr. Velde. Why would you not want to say?
Mr. O’Connell. You see, I really didn’t get to know him. He was elected to Congress shortly after I came out there and then he came down here to Washington and then after his defeat for Congress he was only back in the State of Washington a short time and went to work, if I recall correctly, in the national office of the Progressive Party and was working outside the State of Washington so that my contact with DeLacy was not very great. I didn’t get to know him like the people that were out in the State day in and day out and were in the Democratic Party meetings.