2428 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW YORK AREA Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I am forced to decline to answer that question for the reasons given previously. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you acquainted with Barbara Hartle, while living in Seattle? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. Now you are asking me questions about my associations and for the reasons given, I must decline to answer that question, and further because it is not merely a privilege, it is a necessity. I believe that it is the duty of a citizen to resist these kinds of incursions into one's private beliefs, one's associations, and one's friendships, and one's acquaintances. Mr. TAVENNER. Barbara Hartle was considered the No. 2 person in the Communist Party in the State of Washington, and was tried as one of the defendants in the Smith Act case which was tried there about 2 years ago. Barbara Hartle did not take the stand in the trial of that case, but after she and the rest were convicted, and after her sentence she testified for a period of 4 or 5 days before this committee. She stated that she desired to testify after being sentenced because she didn't want any persons who were in the Communist Party to feel that she was testifying in order to lighten, in any way, the sentence that may be imposed upon her. She gave one of the most complete explanations of the purpose of the Communist Party and the activities of the Communist Party for her particular area that this committee has heard from any witness. In the course of her testimony, she identified you as a member of the Communist Party, with whom she had had conferences, in the Repertory Branch of North King County. Were you a member of the Repertory Branch of the North King County section of the Communist Party? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. You know, Mr. Tavenner, in asking that question, you are working hand-in-glove with these blacklisters who are trying to see to it that I never earn a livelihood at my profession again. Do you know that? Mr. TAVENNER. Will you answer the question? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I must decline to answer that question. Mr. TAVENNER. You came to New York in 1951; have you been a member of the Communist Party since arriving in New York in 1951? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I must decline to answer that question for the reasons previously stated. Mr. TAVENNER. You have not just passively supported the Communist Party, you have done it in a very active way; haven't you? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. Are you making a statement or asking me a question? Mr. TAVENNER. Were you one of the group who defended the Soviet purges, the purges by Stalin in the Soviet Union, in 1938 ? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. In 1938, that is 17 years ago. (Witness consulted with counsel.) Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I have no recollection of that at all, it is so long ago, but nevertheless, for the reasons stated, I must decline to answer the question. Mr. TAVENNER. I want to be certain you are being done no injustice about that, sir. Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I wish I could believe that. Chairman WALTER. Just keep quiet and it will be proven to you. Mr. TAVENNER. I have before me the statement signed by a number COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW YORK AREA 2449 of people, and I have just noticed that the middle initial is different. from your name as I knew it. What is your middle initial? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. M. Mr. TAVENNER. The middle initial appearing in this list is L. Whether it is AL., as an abbreviation, or whether the initials are A. L. Ottenheimer, I am not certain. Will you examine it please, and state whether or not it is your name? (A document was handed to the witness.) (Witness consulted with counsel.) Mr. OTTENHEIMER. This looks like the initials, two capital letters, A. L., and I must answer as I did before. I have absolutely no recollection of this, but nevertheless I decline to answer on the basis of the reasons previously given. Mr. TAVENNER. Did you sign such a letter? (Witness consulted with counsel.) Mr. OTTENHEIMER. It is the same answer. Mr. TAVENNER. Are you now a member of the Communist Party? Mr. OTTENHEIMER. I think I have already answered that, Mr. Tavenner, but I want it to be clear what my answer is, that I have never committed espionage or sabotage, and I have never knowingly used or advocated the use of force and violence for the overthrow of my Government or for any other reason; but on the contrary, I have always been deeply and unswervingly loyal to the land of my birth. Chairman WALTER. Let us get an answer to the question. Mr. OTTENHEIMER. The answer is that I must decline to answer that question, first of all because I believe it relates to matters outside of the powers of this committee, and secondly, that it violates my rights of free speech and thought and association guaranteed by the first amendment of the Constitution, and thirdly, I proudly adopt the privilege of the fifth amendment Mr. TAVENNER. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. The witness is excused. The committee will stand in recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (The committee thereupon recessed at 4:30 p. m., to reconvene at 10 a. m., Thursday, August 18, 1955.) INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES, (Entertainment) THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1955 UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES, PUBLIC HEARING New York, N. Y. A subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities met 10 a. m., pursuant to recess, in room 1703 of the Federal Building, oley Square, New York, N. Y., Hon. Francis E. Walter (chairman) esiding. Committee members present: Representatives Walter, Willis, and herer. Staff members present: Frank S. Tavenner Jr., counsel; Donald T. ppell and Frank Bonora, investigators; and Thomas W. Beale, Sr., ief clerk. Chairman WALTER. The committee will be in order. Mr. Tavenner, will you call your first witness? Mr. TAVENNER. Mr. Alan Manson, will you come forward, please? Chairman WALTER. Will you raise your right hand, please, Mr. nson? Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the th, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. MANSON. I do, sir. STIMONY OF ALAN MANSON, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS COUNSEL, ELEANOR JACKSON PIEL Mr. TAVENNER. Would you state your name, please? Ir. MANSON. Alan Manson. Ir. Tavenner. Will counsel accompanying the witness identify herf for the record, please? Irs. PIEL. Eleanor Jackson Piel. Ir. TAVENNER. Of New York? Irs. PIEL. Yes, 3 Groveport, and California, I am a member of the in California. Ir. TAVENNER. When and where were you born, Mr. Manson? Ir. TAVENNER. Where do you now reside? Ir. MANSON. New York City. Ir. TAVENNER. How long have you been a resident of New York, or to this immediate time? 68010-55-pt. 7-5 2431 2432 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW YORK AREA Mr. MANSON. I have been a resident all of my life, with the exception of the time I was in the Army, plus the time I have been on the road with shows. Mr. TAVENNER. What is your profession? Mr. MANSON. I am an actor. Mr. TAVENNER. Will you tell the committee please what your formal educational training has been? Mr. MANSON. I went to public school and I went to high school, and I didn't go to college, that is about it, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. You stated that you were in the military service. During what period of time were you in the service? Mr. MANSON. I was inducted on April 10, 1941, and the date of my discharge was on or about November 1, 1946. Í don't know if it was the day before or the day after, but it was a long time. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you engaged in the practice of your profession before entering the armed services? Mr. MANSON. Yes, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. For how long a period of time? Mr. MANSON. From the time I left high school, or even before I left high school, I started acting when I was still in high school at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village, and from there I went to my first summer of professional stock and worked as an actor on and off, mostly off at the time, up until the time I was drafted into the Army. Mr. TAVENNER. On your return from the service in 1946, did you resume the practice of your profession? Mr. MANSON. Yes, I did sir. Would you like a list of my credits! Mr. TAVENNER. Yes, from 1946. Mr. MANSON. I got out of the Army and I went into a play called Call Me Mister, which was a hit, and ran for about a year and a half or so on Broadway, and I then had a period of unemployment in which I did some television and some radio, and I went on the road for Rodgers and Hammerstein in Allegro for about 8 months, and I came back and I did radio and television, and then I did 2 more Broadway shows, Southern Exposure, with the late Margo Jones. and I did a play called Angels Kiss Me, on Broadway, and that was my last Broadway play, and since then I have worked mostly in summer stock, doing packages in the summer and occasionally on television. Mr. TAVENNER. What television credits have you received? Mr. MANSON. I haven't done much recently, but I have done mostly all of the big shows. I have been featured on the Philco Playhouse; the Armstrong Theater; Danger; and so on, right down the line. I did a lot of them up to a few years ago. Mr. TAVENNER. Beginning with your employment in the play Call Me Mister, were you a member of Actors Equity? Mr. MANSON. Yes, sir, I would have to be. You can't work unless you are. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you also a member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists? Mr. MANSON. I am a charter member of that union, and I helped form it. Mr. TAVENNER. What was the date of its formation? |