Mr. Tavenner. Were you aware of a special fund drive conducted by the Communist Party in 1947 for the purpose of fighting anticipated congressional action relating to the Communist Party?
Mr. O’Connell. I had no knowledge of any such—what was it a fund?
Mr. Tavenner. Mrs. Blauvelt testified before the Committee on Un-American Activities within the past 3 weeks on that subject. She was a police detective for the city of New York and was a member of the Communist Party and served the New York City Police Department as an underground agent for a period of more than 8 years before her identity was discovered. Mrs. Blauvelt testified for nearly a week.
In the course of this testimony she stated that upon the agitation for a bill relating to communism in the House of Representatives the Communist Party hurriedly made a fund drive and that they sought to raise a total of $225,000 for the purpose of fighting the opposition to communism. Within 25 days the Communist Party raised $250,000.
During the period that you were chairman of this committee to defeat the Mundt bill—that was over the period from 1948 until some time in 1950 or 1951——
Mr. O’Connell. Yes; but it ought to be explained that in 1948 the only functioning of the committee was from a period I would say probably in June of 1948 until the adjournment of Congress, which was in that year I think, because of the party conventions, the national conventions, was adjourned quite early.
I know there was probably, I was here probably a month or a little over a month in that connection, and then I did not—all during 1949 there was no functioning of the committee whatsoever, as I remember it, and I think the first time I came down in 1950 was, I would say, about March of 1950 and I was here until about maybe the early part of June, when I returned to Montana to take the bar exams I have already talked about.
Mr. Tavenner. As you stated, you came back here in July and were here for a period of time?
Mr. O’Connell. I think the latter part of July or first part of August and I was here until the Congress adjourned sine die about the middle of September.
Mr. Tavenner. That is correct.