Mrs. LEWIS. No. Mr. WHEELER. Were you a member of the Communist Party from 1941 to the present date? Mrs. LEWIS. No. Mr. JACKSON. During the period of time, Mrs. Lewis, that you were an officer in the American Federation of Teachers, did you have any personal knowledge of any efforts by the Communist Party to influence in any way the actions or the policy of the organization? Mrs. LEWIS. No; I didn't. Mr. WHEELER. I have no further questions. Mr. JACKSON. Is there any reason why the witness should not be excused? Mr. WHEELER. None at all. (Whereupon, at 10: 40 a. m., Monday, April 13, 1953, the executive session adjourned.) INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA-PART 5 MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1952 UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXECUTIVE STATEMENT' Hollywood, Calif. An executive statement given at 1:30 p. m. December 22, 1952, at room 1118, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, Calif. Present: William A. Wheeler, investigator. TESTIMONY OF ANNE KINNEY 2 Mr. WHEELER. Will you state your full name? Mr. WHEELER. Where were you born? Miss KINNEY. Chicago. Mr. WHEELER. What has been your educational background? Miss KINNEY. Well, I am a graduate of Chicago Normal College; now Chicago Teachers' College. Mr. WHEELER. What has been your employment background? Miss KINNEY. I taught for a year after I graduated from college. Later most of my employment was in clerical capacities. I worked as an inspector during the war. Mr. WHEELER. Where were you employed during the war? Miss KINNEY. From 1942 to 1944 I worked for Studebaker Corp. in Chicago. Mr. WHEELER. Have you been employed since that time? Miss KINNEY. From the fall of 1944 until December of 1946, I worked for the United Office and Professional Workers. Since then I have had temporary jobs of maybe 2 to 4 weeks' duration, 3 or 4 of those. Mr. WHEELER. Where do you presently reside? Miss KINNEY. Los Angeles. Mr. WHEELER. Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party? Miss KINNEY. Yes; I was. Mr. WHEELER. When did you join the Communist Party? Mr. KINNEY. August 1933. Mr. WHEELER. Have you been known by any other name? 1 Released by the committee. 2 Anne Kinney was sworn in as a witness by the court reporter. Mr. WHEELER. Was this a Communist Party name? Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr WHEELER. For what purpose did you use the name Jane Howe! Miss KINNEY. Principally as a means of protecting the person with whom I was living at the time I joined. It was common practice for people to use a different name in the party. Mr. WHEELER. What were the reasons for your becoming a member of the Communist Party? Miss KINNEY. Like many people, I was appalled by what happened during the depression, by the conditions under which people were forced to live. Being both idealistic and without any knowledge of political science or economics, I was easily convinced that Marxism was the answer. When the Socialist Party seemed to be doing nothing that was effective, I began to wonder if perhaps the Communist Party was where I would find more immediate activity. I did some reading in the public library which led me to believe that they and not the Socialists were following Marxist principles. Therefore, in August 1933, I applied for membership by going to the county office and asking to join. Mr. WHEELER. Were you recruited by any specific person? Miss KINNEY. No. Mr. WHEELER. After becoming a member of the Communist Party, to what branches were you assigned? Miss KINNEY. First to a neighborhood branch. Mr. WHEELER. You correct me if I am wrong about this. I understand that from October 1933 to February 1934 there was a special group within the Socialist Party. Miss KINNEY. I had forgotten about that. Mr. WHEELER. February 1934 to May 1934, Hollywood street group. May 1934 to September 1934, a Burbank street group. From September 1934 to the fall of 1935, a member at large. Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. The fall of 1935 to December 1938, a teachers' unit. December 1938 to August 1939, 56th assembly district, which is in the 13th Congressional District. Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. From August 1939 to the fall of 1940, section organizer, 15th Congressional District. The fall of 1940 to May 1942, working on the county membership commission, organizer of the 65th assembly district, and for a short period of time county membership director. Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. From May 1942 to the summer or fall of 1944, a Studebaker plant unit in Chicago. Miss KINNEY. Just a minute. There is actually a gap of a few months there, while I was in transit, so to speak. Mr. WHEELER. We will explain that when we cover each group. Miss KINNEY. I was going from here to there. Mr. WHEELER. Transferred. That can be clarified. Miss KINNEY. That covers almost 6 months. Mr. WHEELER. From the fall of 1944 to the fall of 1945, the Hy de Park branch in Chicago, a street unit. Is that correct? Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. Have you reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation what knowledge you have of the Communist Party? Miss KINNEY. Yes; I have. Mr. WHEELER. When and to what office did you give your information? Miss KINNEY. I think it was March 1951, in Phoenix. Mr. WHEELER. Who were the members of the Communist Party assigned to the Socialist branch? Miss KINNEY. I remember Harold and Mildred Ashe, John Spears, Marjorie Hay. Mr. WHEELER. Would you describe a little more fully each individual? Miss KINNEY. Harold Ashe was at that time State secretary of the Socialist Party. John Spears was unemployed. Marjorie Hay was teaching in the Los Angeles city schools. All were members of the Socialist Party at that time. Mr. WHEELER. Were you given any instructions by any member of the Communist Party as to your activity within the Socialist Party? Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. Would you explain your answer more fully? Miss KINNEY. Well, I don't remember now too well, except we were supposed to build up this rank and file group, which was sort of an opposition group to the State leadership. Mr. WHEELER. Did the members of this Communist Party unit within the Socialist Party have anything to do to disrupt the normal proceedings of the Socialist Party? Miss KINNEY. Well, I think the group tried. Mr. WHEELER. Did they have any success? Miss KINNEY. To a certain extent, yes. There were perhaps 3 locals of the Socialist Party that withdrew. Two of them, I think, turned into unemployed organizations, and I think the third one may have become a branch of the American League Against War and Fascism. Mr. WHEELER. How was this accomplished? Miss KINNEY. At this point I really couldn't tell you. Mr. WHEELER. Will you identify the members of the Hollywood street branch to which you were assigned? Miss KINNEY. I think the only one I remember is Dr. Tashjian.1 Mr. WHEELER. How many individuals comprised the Hollywood branch? Miss KINNEY. I think there were about 10. Mr. WHEELER. Then you recall no additional individuals at this time? Miss KINNEY. No, I don't. Mr. WHEELER. You testified that you were a member of a street branch in Burbank from approximately September 1934 to the fall of 1945. Can you identify the members of the Burbank group? Miss KINNEY. Bill and Nina Ingham, Albert Lockett. That is all I can remember now. Mr. WHEELER. How many individuals comprised this group? Mr. WHEELER. From September 1934 to the fall of 1935, you stated you were a member at large. What is meant by the term "member at large?" 1 Dr. Vaughan A. K. Tashjian. Miss KINNEY. You are not attached to any branch of any sort. Mr. WHEELER. For what reason? Miss KINNEY. Because I was given a special assignment. Mr. WHEELER. In your opinion, would you say that you were a member at large and not assigned to any group because of security reasons of the party? Miss KINNEY. I presume so. Mr. WHEELER. Were you assigned to any particular person? Mr. WHEELER. Will you further identify Mr. Harrison George? Miss KINNEY. Harrison George was apparently carrying out some special assignment which had to do with publishing what I think was a trade-union paper that was sent to Japan. I knew very little about it, because all I was supposed to do was pick up mail for him that was sent to various addresses and take it to him. Mr. WHEELER. Do you recall from whom you picked up the mail? Miss KINNEY. No, I don't. I never made the arrangements for the use of the addresses. I simply went and got the envelopes and took them to George. Mr. WHEELER. Do you recall any of the addresses where you picked up the envelopes? Miss KINNEY. No, I don't. Mr. WHEELER. Did you at any time acquire any knowledge as to what the envelopes contained? Miss KINNEY. No, I didn't, nor did I ever know where they came from. Mr. WHEELER. When assigned to Harrison George, did you at any time have any knowledge of a branch of the party known as the Philippine committee? Miss KINNEY. No. Mr. WHEELER. According to your testimony, you were assigned to a teachers' unit from the fall of 1935 to December 1938. Who were the members of this group? Miss KINNEY. I don't remember when they came in, with rare exceptions. Mr. WHEELER. Who were the members of this group during the time you were a member? Miss KINNEY. Marjorie Hay, who was teaching in the Los Angeles schools. Harry Shepro. I think you should assume that, unless I mention anything to the contrary, all of them were in the city schools. Mr. WHEELER. All right. Miss KINNEY. Sam Wixman. I think his wife was a member. Mr. WHEELER. Do you recall her first name? Miss KINNEY. No. Norman Byrne. Mr. WHEELER. Do you recall a member of this unit by the name of Honoré Moxley Carey? Miss KINNEY. Yes. Mr. WHEELER. Do you recall whether or not you recruited this individual? Miss KINNEY. Yes, I did. She subsequently dropped out, I think, probably about 1937, but I am not sure exactly when. I do know she did drop out. |