Mr. Tavenner. Was it not the purpose of the Communist Party in the United States at that time to foist upon this country just such a plan, namely, to establish a Communist system of production for use and not for profit?
Mr. O’Connell. I, of course, wouldn’t be qualified to say, I wouldn’t be qualified to state whether or not that was their purpose or their program.
As a matter of fact, the program of the Communist Party as I remember it before I came to Congress, while I was in Congress and after the program of the Communist Party in the United States was fluctuating—as a matter of fact, I think there was a removal of Browder because he was advocating—removal of Browder by the Communist Party leadership because he was advocating a companionship or partnership with capital and that capital and communism could exist and there could be as I understand it—that was the program of the Communist Party for a long time until he was removed, I can’t remember when.
But I knew Bob Marshall those years—I think I can positively state that Bob Marshall was not a Communist and that the provisions in that will and certainly the people that were named as trustees in addition to the trade union trust as we called it, the Marshall Foundation Trust, there was a civil liberties trust of which I think Roger Baldwin was the head and I think everyone will agree he is decidedly anti-Communist.
There was also a wilderness area trust. In fact, out in the State of Montana there is a great wilderness area named the Robert Marshall Wilderness Area after Robert Marshall.
My distinct feeling about that is that in talking with Bob and talking to him that he was caught up in the period of the depression situation where there were all kinds of economic theories advanced at the time, not only New Deal but all kinds of other movements and I don’t think there was actually any connection in Bob Marshall’s mind between what the Communist Party might be advocating at that time and what he actually put in his will.
Mr. Doyle. May I ask this about that will? Was it a typewritten will or a will written by him?
Mr. O’Connell. Actually his brother, Jim Marshall, is an attorney in the city of New York and I think a member of the New York City Board of Education and the will was actually prepared by Jim Marshall’s firm, I can’t remember all who are in it, but the copy which I got was actually a copy of the will which I received through the surrogate court in New York, actually a printed form.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. O’Connell, you mentioned the fact that tax exempt status of the trust was removed by action of the court. Was that a result of action taken by the Internal Revenue Bureau?
Mr. O’Connell. That is correct.