from the evidence that we have, that in these days a member of the American Communist Party in the classroom has no freedom of thought for himself. (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mr. DOYLE. He can't teach freely because his own thinking is under the domination and control of the Communist theories, procedures, and the subversive Communist conspiracy that is abroad in the world. (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mr. DOYLE. In other words, I'm saying to you that, very sincerely, as a member of this committee and as an American citizen, from the evidence that I know that exists, there can be no freedom of teaching on the part of a professor in college or high schools in America these days if he is truly a member of the American Communist Party. Mrs. FLYNN. Is that what you want me Mr. DOYLE. You talk about freedom in the classroom. How can there be when a man owes his allegiance mentally primarily to Moscow ? (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mrs. FLYNN. I've read a great deal about this in the press in recent weeks, and this Mr. DOYLE. Read about what? Mrs. FLYNN. About the concept that a person is not free. It seems to me that we should go back to the old-fashioned way of judging people on the basis of their conduct, on the basis of how they behave, and not on the-on drawing a conclusion from a premise that he is not free. Now, I can't speak for all teachers, but I know that in general the average teacher feels it his primary duty to have a high loyalty to his material and to teach the material he is teaching in the most detached and objective way that he can in order to encourage young people to think for themselves; and I think you're underestimating American young people when you think that they're easily swayed in one direction or another. Mr. DOYLE. No; I assure you I don't appraise the American young people as being easily swayed, but I do fight very vigorously against placing American young people in classrooms with conspirators of the American Communist Party (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mr. DOYLE. Because I know they have no freedom of thought to teach. Now, you, for instance-I beg your pardon in just being perfectly frank with you-believing, as we do, that you were-whether you are now or not-a member of the Communist Party, giving you credit for being sincere in claiming your constitutional privilege under the fifth amendment of our United States Constitution, apparently believe that it might incriminate you in some criminal relationship if you would come honestly and frankly and tell this committee, "Yes, I was a member of the American Communist Party at such-and-such a time, and I taught so-and-so." You apparently believe that by admitting that and helping us fulfill our official obligations that might incriminate you. Now, I want to say to you, frankly, How in God's world could it possibly incriminate you if the American Communist Party is not a criminal conspiracy to forcefully overthrow our form of government? (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mrs. FLYNN. I decline. Mr. DOYLE. Of course you do. I knew you would. Mr. VELDE. We have had a Mr. KEARNEY. Your thoughts on the teaching in the schools and the colleges by members of the Communist Party, I'll say frankly, don't agree with those of the majority of the professors that we have had before this committee. They take the opposite view. Mrs. FLYNN. Well, I agree with Senator Taft. Mr. DOYLE. Well, you don't claim that Senator Taft agrees with you, do you? Mrs. FLYNN. No; certainly not. Mr. DOYLE. I just want the record to Mrs. FLYNN. On this specific issue. Mr. DOYLE. Well, he doesn't agree with you on this specific issue, either, as I read his statement in the paper. (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mr. DOYLE. He doesn't go the limit to defend the American Communist Party that you go to. Mrs. FLYNN. Well, now, my understanding of what Senator Taft said was that if he were responsible he would not fire a teacher merely because he was a Communist, but he would judge him on the basis of his classroom record and activity. (At this point Mrs. Flynn conferred with Mr. Allen.) Mrs. FLYNN. And I agree with that. Mr. DOYLE. I guess we better let him speak for himself. We have had a call to the House for a quorum. Is there any reason why this witness should not be excused? If not, the witness is so excused and the committee will stand recessed until 2 o'clock, at which time we will be in executive session. (Whereupon, at 11: 50 a. m., the hearing was recessed.) COMMUNIST METHODS OF INFILTRATION (Education-Part 2) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1953 UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, PUBLIC HEARING The Committee on Un-American Activities met, pursuant to recess, at 10:44 a. m., in Room 362, Old House Office Building, Hon. Harold H. Velde (chairman) presiding. Committee members present: Representatives Harold H. Velde (chairman), Bernard W. Kearney, Donald L. Jackson, Kit Clardy, Gordon H. Scherer, Francis E. Walter, Clyde Doyle, and James B. Frazier, Jr. (appearance noted in transcript). Staff members present: Robert L. Kunzig, counsel; Louis J. Russell, chief investigator; Raphael I. Nixon, director of research; and Thomas W. Beale, Sr., chief clerk. Mr. VELDE. The meeting will come to order. Let the record show, Mr. Reporter, that present are Mr. Kearney, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Clardy, Mr. Scherer, Mr. Walter, Mr. Doyle, and the chairman, a quorum of the full committee. Proceed, Mr. Counsel. Mr. KUNZIG. Professor Glasser, will you please come forward? Mr. VELDE. Will you raise your right hand, please? 1 Mr. GLASSER. May I use this again? Mr. VELDE. Certainly. In the testimony you are about to give before this committee, do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. GLASSER. I do. Mr. KUNZIG. Professor Glasser, are you accompanied by counsel? TESTIMONY OF ABRAHAM GLASSER, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL, LEONARD B. BOUDIN Mr. GLASSER. Yes; I am, Mr. Kunzig. Mr. KUNZIG. Will counsel please identify himself for the record? Mr. BOUDIN. Leonard B. Boudin-B-o-u-d-i-n-of New York City. Mr. KUNZIG. Would you give your address, sir? Mr. BOUDIN. 76 Beaver Street. Mr. KUNZIG. You may be seated or did you wish to stand? Bible brought to hearing room by the witness. Mr. GLASSER. I would like to start out standing up, anyway. I'll probably want to sit down eventually. Mr. KUNZIG. All right. Mr. BOUDIN. May I address a question to the committee? Mr. VELDE. You may. Mr. WALTER. Mr. Chairman, before any questions are addressed to the committee, I would like to ask Mr. Glasser a question based on a statement that apparently has been distributed prior to the meeting. Mr. Glasser, you stated: Professor Glasser has been called by the Velde committee after the most unfair type of advance publicity tactics by Mr. Velde. That, sir, is not true. Mr. GLASSER. Well, I Mr. WALTER. So that we start off on a firm basis Mr. GLASSER. I hold Mr. WALTER. Mr. Velde has never discussed this case publicly. Mr. GLASSER. Sir, may I reply to that? Mr. WALTER. Now, you go down into the next paragraph Mr. GLASSER. Will I have an opportunity to reply to that, sir? Mr. WALTER. No; I am merely making a statement for the record in view of the fact you have seen fit to try your case in the newspapers, something that good lawyers never do. Not content with persecuting Professor Glasser under the pretext of these old discredited charges, Mr. Velde is attempting also to use Professor Glasser's case as an opening wedge for mounting an apparatus a well-known Communist term- whereby to terrorize college teachers on the lecture platform. That sir, is also untrue and you are not being used as an opening wedge. You are about the sixth of your type of professor who has testified. Mr. GLASSER. I repudiate any innuendo, sir. Mr. WALTER. Well, all right. I am making that statement in order to straighten out the record before we get started. Mr. KEARNEY. Mr. Chairman, there isn't any innuendo there. The statement speaks for itself, as has just been stated by Mr. Walter. Mr. BOUDIN. May I address the question to the committe I was about to? Mr. VELDE. It has been the rule of this committee-and this rule will be followed that the counsel may confer with his client at any time during the proceedings, but not make any public statement. Mr. BOUDIN. I see. Then, may I address myself, my motion to the jurisdiction of the committee? Mr. VELDE. Be seated. Proceed, Mr. Counsel. Mr. KUNZIG. Mr. Glasser, what is your full name? Mr. GLASSER. Mr. Kunzig, before I answer that, which I will, of course, may I ask the chairman whether I may address motions in my own right to the Chair? Mr. VELDE. Certainly: you may. Mr. GLASSER. May I do that now? Mr. GLASSER. I move respectfully that the hearing be deferred and— first, on the following ground-and if this ground should turn out not to be based on the actual factual situation as of this moment, then I will withdraw the motion: The ground is that the committee members have been furnished with copies of the statement, the documentary history, of my Department of Justice matter, and, of course, that statement was submitted in the hope that, upon examining it, the committee members would see that there was no proper or good reason for calling me. I, therefore, inquire whether the committee members have examined the statement-and if they have not, I will request a brief recess so that any who have not examined the statement might do so-so that if examination has already occurred by all the members present, I then move that the probe be dropped on the strength of that statement. If the statement has not yet been examined by all of the members of the committee, I then move a recess until the committee members may examine it. Mr. KEARNEY. Mr. Chairman. Mr. VELDE. Now, Mr. Glasser, if we grant the recess and the conference, as you have asked, will you then answer all questions without refusing to answer under the fifth amendment of the Constitution, or any other privilege that you might have? Mr. GLASSER. Well, Mr. Velde, I honestly don't know yet what I'm going to do today. Sir, that's the truth. My mind isn't made up. I'm in the position of awaiting the unfolding of the proceedings. Mr. KEARNEY. Mr. Chairman. Mr. VELDE. We will stand in recess for 5 minutes. (Thereupon, at 10:50 a. m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene at 10: 55 a. m., the same day.) (The hearing reconvened at 10:55 a. m.) Mr. VELDE. Proceed, Mr. Counsel, with your questions. Mr. GLASSER. I want to thank the committee for taking the recess, and I have further Mr. VELDE. Proceed with your questions. Mr. GLASSER. I may make no further motions? Mr. VELDE. Not at this time. Mr. GLASSER. All right. Mr. VELDE. After the questions are put to you, if you decide whether you are going to answer or not, then we will consider further motions. (At this point Mr. Glasser conferred with Mr. Boudin.) Mr. GLASSER. My counsel reminds me the chairman stated that I would be permitted to make any motions, and since the motions are addressed to the jurisdiction of the committee Mr. VELDE. Proceed, Mr. Counsel. Mr. KUNZIG. Will you state your full name, Professor Glasser? Mr. GLASSER. Abraham Glasser. Mr. KUNZIG. What is your address, Professor? Mr. GLASSER. My mailing address, the record may show, is 37 Washington Street, Newark. I am not giving my home address. I think you want identification of a mailing address. Is that satisfactory? |