Oh, I remember that we were told that there would be a rotating chairman each time so that each one would gain the experience of conducting a meeting.

Then there was a discussion of another pamphlet on Marx, which I didn't understand. That is about all I remember about the meeting.

I think yes; I think the dues were explained to us, that if you were working you were supposed to pay 5 percent of your salary. If you weren't working, which I wasn't, it was either 10 cents or 50 cents a month; I forget which.

Mr. TAVENNER. During the time that you attended those meetings, did functionaries of the Communist Party on higher levels appear before your meeting?

Mr. DARE. I couldn't swear to that, but I got the impression that Mr. Biberman might have been. But the others didn't seem to be.

Mr. TAVENNER. What interest did this particular group of the Communist Party, to which you were assigned, have in the alliance group that you first referred to?

Mr. DARE. At that time I don't know whether it had any distinct relationship with the Hollywood Theater Alliance, although the Hollywood Theater Alliance show was discussed in there. Perhaps after I left there was some purpose in this particular unit being formed, and I am sure there must have been some motive in having these particular people in this group, but I don't believe I ever found out exactly why. Incidentally, to give you another date, at the time Mr. White solicited my membership in the party was around March of 1939.

Mr. TAVENNER. Let us go back and consider further the work that was being done by the Theater Alliance in the production of the play. I think you volunteered for a part in the production of that play? Mr. DARE. Yes; to direct it.

Mr. TAVENNER. To direct it?

Mr. DARE. Yes.

Mr. TAVENNER. What was the name of the play?

Mr. DARE. It became-there was no name at that time. It became known as Meet the People.

Mr. TAVENNER. Meet the People?

Mr. DARE. Yes.

Mr. TAVENNER. Was it a successful production?

Mr. DARE. Yes; quite.

Mr. TAVENNER. Did it make money?

Mr. DARE. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAVENNER. How long did the play run in Los Angeles?

Mr. DARE. Over a year. I would say approximately a year and 3 months; somewhere around there.

Mr. TAVENNER. Do you know whether the production went on to New York?

Mr. DARE. Yes, a second company was formed while this company was playing here, and the second company went on the road and then eventually opened in New York.

Mr. TAVENNER. Now, you have stated that Mr. White advised you during the progress of the work on this play, that you needed political education and indicated that you did not understand the political implications from this play.

Have you made a study of that production to determine what the implications were from it?

Mr. DARE. I certainly have, since my invitation by the committee. I have done some research, and what I thought was perfectly innocuous and amusing in those days, as I read it now, I can see the connection and what it actually was meant to accomplish.

Mr. TAVENNER. Just in a general way, what would you say that it was meant to accomplish, by the production of this play?

Mr. DARE. Well, to propagandize and expound the theories that at that time was the Communist Party line.

Mr. MOULDER. May I ask a question?

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Moulder.

Mr. MOULDER. I would like to ask a question for my information. Do I recall the first name of Mr. White, or who he is

Mr. DARE. Irving.

Mr. TAVENNER. Irving White. How do you spell Irving?

Mr. DARE. I-r-v-i-n-g.

Mr. TAVENNER. Well, do you recall any particular features about this play that would demonstrate what you have just had to say, namely, that the play was intended to propagate the Communist Party line as it existed at that time?

Mr. DARE. Yes

Mr. VELDE. May I ask at what time again?

Mr. JACKSON. And what was the Communist Party line at that time?

Mr. DARE. I think it might be best explained-I am not qualified to per se give a long explanation of the Communist Party line. I can only cite the relation of the material that went in the showMr. JACKSON. Were the Communists at that time with Hitler or against him?

Mr. DARE. It depends on the day you are asking about.

Mr. JACKSON. You mean during the course of this the line changed? Mr. DARE. Yes. Maybe not so much as being against Hitler-I think they were always against him-but as regards Mr. Roosevelt, I think their sympathies changed.

Mr. TAVENNER. Well, what is the first thing that occurred which would indicate political significance?

Mr. DARE. Of course, this show had quite a long rehearsal period due to the lack of success in raising money and resistance to certain opinions contrary to the opinions in Hollywood, what was not a Communist opinion at that time, and there were certain groups that refused to rent space to the groups respecting their motives.

There was trouble getting a police and fire permit for a certain building, because pressure was put on the fire department not to issue the permit. As a result, the show was in rehearsal and preparation for quite a long time; I would say 6 months.

When the show first started to be prepared there was a song written called, Mr. Roosevelt, Won't You Please Run Again?, which was a plea to Mr. Roosevelt for a third term, and to forget all the opposition to a third term.

By the time the show opened, which by that time the Nazi-Soviet pact had occurred, this never wound up in the show, and, as a matter

31747-53-pt. 1-2

of fact, there was some fairly anti-Roosevelt policies sketches in the show.

Mr. JACKSON. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Jackson.

Mr. JACKSON. "Meet the People" was not a play, was it? It was a series of specialty acts?

Mr. DARE. It was a musical revue.

Mr. JACKSON. A musical revue rather than a play.

Mr. DARE. Yes, consisting of songs, skits with no story line, but what was called a thread of a story.

During this period, of course, when this number did not get into the show, this was around May or June of 1939, and by that time, by the time the show opened after Roosevelt had supported Finland, as a result of Russia's attack on Finland, the song was eliminated from the potential list of material.

Mr. DOYLE. May I ask a question?

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Doyle.

Mr. DOYLE. How long after Roosevelt supported Finland did this song disappear from the script, was it a matter of days or weeks or months?

Mr. DARE. I couldn't say. It was on a potential list of material for the show and then it just never got into the show. I couldn't be specific about the exact date when somebody said, "This does not go into the show."

Mr. DOYLE. Your conclusion is it was on account of the United States supporting Finland's position?

Mr. DARE. Plus Mr. Roosevelt giving aid to the Allies who were fighting Hitler.

Mr. CLARDY. May I ask a question?

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Clardy.

Mr. CLARDY. How was that handled, Witness? In other words, was there some discussion amongst the entire group, or did someone in particular merely hand down the order that, "This does not go in the play"?

Mr. DARE. This I don't know, because I had been in and out of the Communist Party, and while I continued to direct the show there was a committee that selected the material for the show, of which I was one. Who, what, why decided this, I couldn't say. I do know it never got into the show, but I actually couldn't say how.

Mr. CLARDY. Based on the knowledge that you have acquired since that event, would you say that the order, however it came, was from a group of Communists?

Mr. DARE. I am pretty sure of that.

Mr. CLARDY. Thank you.

Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. Dare, you mentioned the fact that the President gave aid to the Allies during a certain period.

Mr. DARE. Yes.

Mr. TAVENNER. Was there any change made in the script that reflected the Communist Party line on that question, that is, the question of aid by this country to the allies?

Mr. DARE. Yes, sir, I have before me two of the scripts from the show, one dated February 20, 1940, and the other dated January 20, 1941.

In the version of 1940 there was a sketch which was a prelude to a song and a dance, which had the United States Senate as the setting. The only implication in that was that the scene was based on two fairly successful pictures at that time which were "Mr. Deeds Goes To Washington" and "Mr. Smith Goes To Town," which was the only reason for the setting being in the Senate.

In the first script it had no political implication at all, and was merely a setting for a song and a dance. By January of 1940 the same sketch had been changed to attack, ridicule Mr. Roosevelt and ridicule his domestic policies, satirized his giving destroyers to England and satirized the building of the factories for defense, satirized his-or, accusing him of stretching the Monroe Doctrine and ridiculed the idea any Senator would ask for a small amount for relief.

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Dare, this script was dated January 20, 1941, was it not?

Mr. DARE. Yes.

Mr. VELDE. I think you said 1940. This is just to get the record straight.

Mr. DARE. I am sorry. The second script was 1941. This was the same sketch, only rewritten at that time. At what point it was rewritten I can't say, but by the time January 1, 1941, arrived, this was the state it was in.

Mr. TAVENNER. Now, would you give the committee a little clearer idea of just the way in which that satirization took place, by reading pertinent parts of the script?

Mr. DARE. The Senate is in session. Senior Senators, secretaries and one junior Senator are all seated.

Two gavel knocks.

Voice off stage says, "The President of the United States of America."

A comedian came out with a fishing rod and old fishing hat, such as Roosevelt used to wear.

A hand comes out from the wings and takes the fishing rod away from him.

He turned and said, "Thank you, Wendell."

This was during the Willkie-Roosevelt campaign.

He said, "I have served you faithfully for 8 years."
The Senators applaud.

"And I hope to serve you for 4 more."

Senators almost applaud, but show resentment instead.

"My message today is this: We have troubles in our country-now. We have unequal distribution of wealth-now. We have strife and havoc on all sides—now. And I plan to do something about it— later." Much applause. Two gavel knocks.

Junior and senior Senators: "Mr. President."

A voice says, "The Chair recognizes the senior Senator."

Senior Senator: "I move we appropriate $1 billion for monkey glands for overage destroyers."

All but junior Senator applaud.

Junior and senior Senators: "Mr. President."

"The Chair recognizes the senior Senator."

Senior Senator: "I move we appropriate $5 billion to build factories for underprivileged millionaires."

All but junior Senator applaud.

Junior and senior Senators: "Mr. President."

"The Chair recognizes the senior Senator."

Senior Senator: "I move we appropriate $12 billion for rubber bands to stretch the Monroe Doctrine."

All but junior Senator applaud.

Junior Senator (angrily): "Mr. President."

Over the PAV (very tired): "Oh, all right. The Chair recognizes the junior Senator."

Junior Senator: "Thank you, Mr. President. I move we appropriate $1 for relief."

Everybody gasps in horror.

Senior Senator reaches for gun. Everybody jumps up. There is a struggle for the gun, which developed into a jitterbug dance. Mr. VELDE. What was the date of that script, Mr. Dare?

Mr. DARE. January 20, 1941.

Mr. VELDE. Mr. Counsel, would this be a convenient breaking-off point for a recess?

Mr. TAVENNER. Yes.

Mr. VELDE. The committee will be in recess until 5 minutes after 11. (Short recess was taken.)

Mr. VELDE. The committee will be in order. Proceed, Mr. Counsel. Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. Dare, you referred earlier in your testimony to the attack made by the Soviet Union on Finland.

Mr. DARE. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAVENNER. Was there anything in this sketch or in any of the sketches or any part of this play which carried the Communist Party line with regard to Finland?

Mr. DARE. I think so. If I may quote from the script. There was a sketch in the show that

Mr. TAVENNER. The show you are referring to is "Meet the People"? Mr. DARE. That is right, sir. There was a sketch in the show which concerned two tramps out of work, sitting on a bench discussing conditions. A policeman comes in, and, incidentally, during this sketch there were jibes at Mr. Roosevelt and the domestic policies at the time. At the finish of the sketch a policeman comes in and tells the two men to get moving.

As he says this, a woman comes in with a receptacle asking for contributions. She says, "Officer, would you care to make a contribution?"

The cop says, "What is it for?"

The woman says, "Mr. Roosevelt's fund for needy Finns."

The cop very warmly says, "Why, sure, Lady. Poor things." And he drops a quarter in the can.

"Thank you," says the woman, and she exits.

The cop said to the men, "I thought I told you two bums to clear out."

The two men start off and, as they walk, the first man says, "Hey, are you a Finn?”

The second man says, "No. Are you?"

The first man says, "No."

The second man says, "Too bad."

The implication, of course, being there was money for Finland but for nobody at home that needed any money.