George Parozza, chief deputy United States marshal; Augustus F. Horn, chief field deputy United States marshal; Chief of Police Donald Grover; Capt. Richard Clement, police department, Toms River, N. J.; Harold Friend, Ernest J. Gyarnati, William T. Kelly, Clinton J. Longstreet, Franklin F. Loprete, Leo A. Mault, Nicholas J. Meola, Stanley C. Miller, and Joseph E. Sojka. These gentlemen will pardon me if I have not correctly pronounced their names. These are most helpful deputy marshals and officers and they have helped as public officials. I want the record at this time to show that we appreciate the cooperation of the press, photographers thereof, reporters thereof, in helping to keep the hearing room so quiet. Is there any other business before this session of the committee, Mr. Tavenner? Mr. TAVENNER. No, sir. Mr. JAMES PARADISE. Did you have a piece of unfinished business? Mr. DOYLE. We are going to leave the record as it is in the matter about which you spoke. piece Mr. JAMES PARADISE. Are you going to allow that malicious of name dropping to remain in the record, and malicious name dropping is all it was, and Mr. Scherer knows it. Mr. DOYLE. The committee will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 9:30. (Whereupon, at 5: 20 p. m. the committee was recessed, to reconvene at 9:30 a. m. the following day, Thursday, May 19, 1955.) INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE NEWARK, N. J., AREA-PART II THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1955 UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES, Newark, N.J. PUBLIC HEARING A subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities met at 9:30 a. m. pursuant to recess, in the United States Court House, Newark, N. J., Hon. Francis E. Walter, chairman of the full committee, presiding. Committee members present: Representatives Francis E. Walter, Clyde Doyle, and Gordon H. Scherer. Staff members present: Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., counsel, and Courtney E. Owens, investigator. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Mr. Tavenner, have you a witness? Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. David Rocklin, will you come forward, please? The CHAIRMAN. Will you stand up and hold up your right hand. Do you swear the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. ROCKLIN. I do. The CHAIRMAN. Proceed, Counsel. TESTIMONY OF DAVID ROCKLIN, ACCOMPANIED BY COUNSEL, HARRY SACHER Mr. TAVENNER. State your name, please. Mr. ROCKLIN. David Rocklin. R-o-c-k-l-i-n. Mr. TAVENNER. It is noted you are accompanied by counsel. Will counsel please identify himself for the record. Mr. SACHER. Harry Sacher, 342 Madison Avenue, New York 17. Mr. TAVENNER. When and were were you born, Mr. Rocklin? Mr. ROCKLIN. Poland, October 4, 1899. Mr. TAVENNER. When did you first come to this country? Mr. ROCKLIN. 1908. Mr. TAVENNER. Have you resided in the United States constantly since that time? Mr. ROCKLIN. Yes, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. You have not been out of the continental United States since you first arrived? Mr. ROCKLIN. I have taken trips to Mexico and Canada, pleasure trips. Mr. TAVENNER. But to no other countries? Mr. ROCKLIN. No, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, what your formal educational training has been? Mr. ROCKLIN. Public school and 2 years of high school, in New York. Mr. TAVENNER. Where do you now reside? Mr. ROCKLIN. In Newark. Mr. TAVENNER. How long have you lived in Newark? Mr. ROCKLIN. Since 1930. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, what your employment has been in Newark since 1940? Mr. ROCKLIN. Self-employed to 1951. Mr. TAVENNER. What was that employment? Mr. TAVENNER. That is until 1951 ? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. From 1951 to 1953, I decline to answer. Mr. SCHERER. What was the question? Mr. TAVENNER. What was his employment record. The CHAIRMAN. Why do you refuse to answer? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to be a witness against myself under the fifth amendment. The CHAIRMAN. By that am I to understand you to mean that if you did answer the question you might subject yourself to a criminal prosecution? Mr. ROCKLIN. I didn't say that. The CHAIRMAN. I know what you said, but I am asking you if that is what you meant. Mr. ROCKLIN. I refuse to be a witness against myself, that part of the Constitution that gives me that right. Mr. TAVENNER. What has been your employment since 1953 ? Mr. TAVENNER. Are you still engaged in that business in Paterson? Mr. TAVENNER. When did you transfer your business from Paterson to Newark? Mr. ROCKLIN. In February 1955. Mr. TAVENNER. Is it the same business? Mr. ROCKLIN. It is not my business. I am an optician and I work for somebody. Mr. TAVENNER. It was your business, wasn't it? Mr. ROCKLIN. Up to 1951. Then I sought employment. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell us, please, what your address was in 1950? Mr. ROCKLIN. 525 Elizabeth Avenue, Newark. Mr. TAVENNER. Where were you living in 1949? Mr. ROCKLIN. Same address. Mr. TAVENNER. Is that your present address? Mr. TAVENNER. Where did you reside in 1948? Mr. ROCKLIN. 525 Elizabeth Avenue. Mr. TAVENNER. What is your present address? Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. Rocklin, there was introduced in evidence during the course of the testimony of Mr. Moroze a copy of a certificate of deposit. I hand you a similar copy. Your name as treasurer appears on this certificate of deposit, which is entitled "Bail Fund of the Civil Rights Congress of New Jersey." Will you examine it, please, and state whether or not in 1949, the date of that certificate, you were the treasurer of the Civil Rights Congress? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds, same reasons. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you examine the certificate again and state whether or not you see a list of four names of persons who were trustees of the bail fund? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to to answer that question. Mr. TAVENNER. You decline to answer whether you see it on the document? Mr. ROCKLIN. I see it on there. Mr. TAVENNER. Is your name 1 of the 4 appearing as trustees? Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that. Mr. TAVENNER. For the record I would like to say that David Rocklin's name does appear as one of the trustees of the bail fund. Mr. DOYLE. I am sure, Mr. Tavenner, I heard the witness say that he did see his name on there. Mr. SACHER. The witness did not so state. Mr. DOYLE. If there is any question about it, let's have the record read. You may not have heard him say that, but I am quite sure I heard him say it. I request that the stenographer read the record so there will be no question about what the witness said. Mr. TAVENNER. I asked if he saw four names. I am confident my question was if he saw the names of four people. I had not asked him at that time who the four were. Mr. DOYLE. I think he volunteered he saw his name there. Mr. SACHER. That is not so. Mr. DOYLE. I think the record will so show. Mr. TAVENNER. One provision of the bail fund certificate of deposit is that the trustees of the bail fund shall have sole authority under the regulations and resolutions adopted by the board of trustees to determine for whom bail shall be posted. I would like to ask you whether you participated in decisions to determine for whom the bail should be posted, under the bail fund of the Civil Rights Congress of New Jersey. (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer on the same grounds and for the same reasons. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, how much money was raised for bail-fund purposes by the use of certificates of deposit similar to the one I exhibited to you? Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer for the same grounds and same reasons. Mr. TAVENNER. Do you know whether or not the proceeds of any of these certificates of deposit were used as bail for defendants under the Smith Act in States other than the State of New Jersey. (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds and for the same reasons. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee, please, whether there has been any occasion when the bail funds of the Civil Rights Congress were used for a person who was not a member of the Communist Party or whose case was not being supported by the representations to the Civil Rights Congress by the Communist Party? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds and for the same reasons. Mr. SCHERER. The fact, is, Witness, isn't it, that none of these funds were used for any purpose other than for the defense of Communists and Communist causes? Isn't that a fact? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds. Mr. SCHERER. If my statement were untrue, would you tell us? Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that also on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. We have referred during the course of these hearings to various nominating petitions for candidates on the Communist Party ticket in the State of New Jersey, one for instance was for the election of Louis Malinow as freeholder on March 6, 1951. I hand you the document and ask you whether or not you were the notary before whom this petition was notarized. (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you acquainted with Mr. Malinow? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. In 1951 was he a functionary of the Communist Party in Newark? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you acquainted with Elwood M. Dean? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Do you know whether Elwood M. Dean was a functionary of the Communist Party in Newark, N. J.? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. We have heretofore referred to a Communist Party nominating petition for Elwood M. Dean for the office of county clerk, bearing date of March 9, 1950. I would like for you to examine item 111 and also the notary certificate and state whether or not you recognize your name, both as a petitioner and as a notary. Mr. ROCKLIN. I decline to answer that question on the same grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you examine the name appearing as item 111 and state whether or not you see an address appearing after the name? (The witness conferred with his counsel.) |