Mr. MERLIN. Yes, sir. I asked the committee to at least put me on to testify regarding that, on the desire of affiliation and to bring matters to your attention as I have found them in my knowledge and my experience that may be of help to your investigation. Mr. TAVENNER. I think the record, Mr. Chairman, should also show that this committee cannot be engaged in the work of constituting a forum for people who have been criticized to come before it. However, in this instance there has been a great deal of testimony before this committee relating to the Radio Writers' Guild, in which this witness held a very important position, and therefore it would be in keeping with the committee's procedure to grant his request to come before the committee. Now, off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. DOYLE. For the record, we will repeat Mr. Tavenner's statement by saying, of course, we would have to take the committee too many places in the Nation, and we just have the physical inability to make ourselves available all over the Nation. Mr. MERLIN. I realize that. Mr. DOYLE. I want to invite you, sir, in your very sensitive position, in your own distinguished self in your own professional capacity, without inferring that you have been-may I put it this way, without inferring that you have been knowingly lax, I want to invite you to be vigorous, with your eyes open, and active to protect this country against these underground termites that are trying to destroy our Nation by force and violence. The country needs men like you on the job with their eyes open. Mr. MERLIN. Also if I may say this for the record, I think that men such as men who have been in as close association with these people as I are better equipped to recognize them in the future. I have no regrets. I tried as honestly as I could to acknowledge my association with so-called front organizations, and I have no regrets, for these two reasons, at the time I belonged to those I realized I didn't like what they did, and I feel personally that I can detect things that I could not detect a year or two ago. That is not caused altogether by the fact that the country has changed, but it is because my experience has taught me if you don't do something about it, then I think you just lose the point. Incidentally, before coming in here, through no invitation of mine, there was a corps of photographers outside and they wanted a statement. I simply said that I came in here to deny my affiliation and be of any assistance I could. I hope there is no objection to that. Mr. TAVENNER. No objection. Mr. JACKSON. Thank you very much. (Whereupon, at 4 p. m., Monday, November 23, 1953, the hearing was closed.) |