MOSTEL EXHIBIT No. 5 Arts, Sciences and Professions for MAY DAY Labor's cause is our cause. May Day is one of the proudest holidays America knows. Like Thanksgiving, May Day was born in America. The first May Day was held in Chicago in 1886-and in the years since, May Day has become a part of the best American tradition. For those who practice in our fields in the arts, the sciences, and the profes sions, May Day has an added significance this year. Never before has the tide of reaction in America run so strong; never before was the threat of fascism, of the extinction of all civil liberties so great. If fascism should triumph in America, we would pay the fullest price. We in particular can live and work only as free men. Therefore, we join with labor in the great May Day demonstration for peace, security and freedom. We add our strength to the strength of the masses of people who cherish democracy. WE ASK YOU TO JOIN WITH US! WE ASK YOU TO MARCH WITH US! ONLY THE STRENGTH OF THE PEOPLE CAN HALT THE TIDE OF REACTION! AND ONLY ON DAYS LIKE MAY DAY CAN THE STRENGTH OF THE PEOPLE BE SO CLEARLY SHOWN! Our section of the parade assembles at 38th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues at three o'clock on May 1st. LOOK FOR OUR BANNERS! Whether you be physician, dentist, lawyer, artist, writer, musician, teacher, clergyman, actor, dancer, accountant - or just a plain citizen who wants to march by his fellow man, your place is with us. JOIN US THERE! SPONSORS Maxwell Gordon Maxim Leiber Rev. David N. Licorish Rev. Jack R. McMichael Eve Merriam Dr. Marc Moreland Samuel A. Neuburger Viola Brothers Shore Jerome Snyder Joseph Spencer Rev. William B. Spofford, Jr. Harry Sternberg Rev. Dr. Harry F. Ward Max Weber Irving Wexler Charles White Mr. TAVENNER. I have before me a photostatic copy of a lette bearing date of June 16, 1947, on the letterhead of Voice of Freed Committee, which shows on its margin the names of the sponsors of the organization. Will you examine it, please, and state whether e not you see there the name of Zero Mostel underscored in red as our of the sponsors? Mr. DOYLE. For his convenience I call the attention of the witness to a red line under the name of Zero Mostel on that letter. Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer this question on the same stated grounds, constitutional liberties. Mr. TAVENNER. In the following of your profession, Mr. Mostel. did you become a member of Actors' Equity Association in New York City? Mr. MOSTEL. Well, I am a member of the Equity. Otherwise. I couldn't work on the stage. Mr. TAVENNER. Are you Mr. MOSTEL. I am a senior member of Equity. Mr. TAVENNER. Did you also become a member of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists? Mr. MOSTEL. No, sir. I have been blacklisted on television. Mr. TAVENNER. You are now a member of Actors Equity Association? Mr. MOSTEL. Yes; I have to be. Mr. TAVENNER. During the period of your membership in 1948 were you aware of an effort made by a group of individuals within the Actors Equity to solicit the assistance of Actors Equity in behalf of the 11 Communists on trial under the Smith Act in the City of New York? Mr. MOSTEL. Your question is, am I aware of this? Mr. TAVENNER. Yes. Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question on the previously stated constitutional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Have you at any time been aware of the existence of an organized group of members of the Communist Party in the city of New York who were members-or, at least, most of whom were members of Actors' Equity? Mr. MOSTEL. I have to decline to answer that question as well, on my constitutional privileges. Mr. TAVENNER. I have no further questions. Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Jackson? Mr. TAVENNER. I want to ask another question or two. Have you been a member of the Communist Party at any time while you have been a member of Actors' Equity Association? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question, on the same constitutional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Are you now a member of the Communist Party! Mr. MOSTEL. I am not. Mr. TAVENNER. You are not? Mr. MOSTEL. No, sir. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you a member of the Communist Party on July 7, 1955, when you were subpenaed before this committee? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question on the previously stated constitutional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you a member of the Communist Party at e time your counsel requested a postponement of your appearance efore the committee, which was on August 17, 1955? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question as well, on my constiitional privileges. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you a member of the Communist Party when ou received your subpena to appear here today? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question as well, on my constiitional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you a member of the Communist Party when ou entered this hearing room? Mr. MOSTEL. No. Mr. TAVENNER. When did you cease to be a member of the Communist Party? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question on my constitutional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. Were you a member of the Communist Party yesterday? Mr. MOSTEL. I decline to answer that question, on my same constitutional grounds. Mr. TAVENNER. I have no further questions. Mr. JACKSON. I have no questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. DOYLE. I wish to make this statement briefly for the committee. Mr. Jackson and I, the subcommittee of the full committee of nine, are here operating under the Public Law 601. The 79th Congress assigned to the Committee of the House on Un-American Activities the duty of investigating un-American subversive activities wherever they exist in our country, whether they come from some foreign country or arise domestically. May I state and I know Mr. Jackson would join me in this-that we never look forward with pleasure to this sort of hearing or any hearing by this committee where any American citizen is being crossexamined. We do not look forward to it with pleasure. Mr. MOSTEL. I sure don't, either. Mr. DOYLE. You must realize that. But it is an assignment that we have by Congress, and we are to do it fully and to the best of our ability. On the other hand, we do know that there are some subversive people in our country who do advocate, when it suits their convenience, the forceful and violent overthrow of our Government. We know they exist. Do you remember Mr. Tavenner asking you if you knew George Hall? And he stated that George Hall had testified that his job in the Communist Party was to entertain. Mr. MOSTEL. Yes. Mr. DOYLE. You remember hearing Mr. Tavenner say that? Mr. DOYLE. I noticed your answer. I wrote it down. I think it is almost verbatim. I don't think I missed more than 1 or 2 words, if any. Here was your interesting answer. It was voluntary, too: It is a far cry from the claim that the sole aim of the Communist Party is to overthrow the Government by force and violence. That, to me, is quite significant, I am frank to say, Witness. Do you remember making that statement? TE Mr. MOSTEL. Yes. Mr. DOYLE. Why did you make that voluntary statement? The was not an issue here. We were asking you about George Hall': entertainment. We were not asking about force and violence. Mr. MOSTEL. If I remember correctly, Mr. Tavenner did not ask me a question at the time, I just volunteered. Mr. DOYLE. I know you volunteered. But why were you so anxious and prompt to volunteer the statement that this matter of entertainment was a far cry from the claim that the Communist Party advo cated overthrow of the Government by force and violence? Why did you volunteer that? Mr. MOSTEL. Well, I volunteered because from what I have read this committee believed that that is the sole aim of the Communist Party, and here suddenly came a new aim, which I was curious about and I remarked on it, from curiosity on my part. And I'm sorry I said anything. Mr. DOYLE. Well, I assure you that it was a very interesting curiosity to me. Mr. JACKSON. Mr. Chairman, the record should reflect that not only does this committee have reason to believe that the Communist Party as such advocates the overthrow of the Government by force and violence, but that that finding has been made in a number of courts where Smith Act defendants were on trial. So it is not peculiar to this committee to believe that. Mr. DOYLE. And of course, Mr. Jackson, my recollection is that under the Smith Act in all the 9 or 10 jury trials in our country in the last 3 or 4 years every defendant, with the exception of 2, has been found guilty of violation. Mr. GLADSTEIN. Let me correct you about that, too, sir. Mr. DOYLE. I may be in error numerically, but only by a few. Mr. GLADSTEIN. Those verdicts are against the individuals on trial in those cases. Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Mostel, I realize the law says that there is no inference to be deduced by the witness' answer, that he ever was a member of the Communist Party unless he says he was. But I cannot help but feel, Witness, that there was a time when you were a member of the Communist Party in my own personal opinion from your testimony, because when you came into the room you were not a member of the Communist Party according to your own testimony. Mr. MOSTEL. That is a feeling, not knowledge. Mr. DOYLE. That is a feeling. It is not a conclusion; it is not my personal knowledge. Mr. GLADSTEIN. You must be aware of Harvey Matusow, and others like him, who admitted that they falsely charged membership. Mr. DOYLE. Harvey Matusow is not before this committee. I am making a frank statement to another American citizen. Mr. GLADSTEIN. I understand that, and every American citizen must be aware of the dangers of prosecution and persecution. Mr. JACKSON. Order, Mr. Chairman. Mr. DOYLE. Just a moment, Mr. Gladstein. Mr. GLADSTEIN. I'm sorry. Mr. MOSTEL. Don't fight, boys. Mr. DOYLE. Now, we have had so many witnesses before us who have said they were not members of the Communist Party when they appeared before the committee; but inferentially, to me as an individual, when they answer that way they were members of the Comnunist Party at some time. I am not speaking for the committee. I am speaking just as an individual member of it. Mr. MOSTEL. Isn't it Justice Warren's decision-I forget the case Mr. DOYLE. You mean in one of the three recent cases? Mr. MOSTEL. Where it says you must not infer anything of that nature. If it is a man's private affairs, he has private reasons for doing what he does do. Mr. DOYLE. That is right, and I am glad you are familiar with those three decisions, because Mr. MOSTEL. I am not familiar; I am casually acquainted. Mr. DOYLE. Yes; casually. Well, we followed those decisions for years. That is nothing new for us, those three recent decisions. May I say this to you: Now, you are in a great field Mr. MOSTEL. Sometimes. Mr. DOYLE. You are in a great field of entertainment of the American public. From now on why don't you get far removed from groups that are known to be Communist dominated or Communist controlled, that sort of thing? Why don't you get so far away from them that the American public will never have any possible claim to think you ever were or ever in the future are a member of the Communist Party? Mr. MOSTEL. I have Mr. DOYLE. Why don't you remove yourself far away from that atmosphere, sir? You can be a much better inspiration and joy to the American people if they just know that there is not a drop, not an inkpoint, not a penpoint of a favorable attitude by you toward the Communist conspiracy. Mr. MOSTEL. My dear friend, I believe in the antiquated idea that a man works in his profession according to his ability rather than his political beliefs. When I entertain, my political beliefs are not spouted. As a matter of fact, I am casual about my political beliefs, which I wouldn't tell anybody, unless you are my friend and you are in my house. Mr. DOYLE. I am not asking about Mr. MOSTEL. And I have bad instant coffee I make, I'll tell you that. Mr. DOYLE. I am not asking about your political beliefs. Mr. MOSTEL. My dear friend, I believe in the idea that a human being should go on the stage and entertain to the best of his ability and whatever he wants to say, because we live, I hope, in an atmosphere of freedom in this country. Mr. DOYLE. That's right, and we will fight for your right to think as you please and be as you please and do as you please, provided you do it within the four corners of the Constitution. Don't you think it is your duty as a great entertainer to at least find out hereafter where the money you help raise is going, whether or not it is going to some subversive cause against the constitutional form of government in our Nation? Don't you think, after this sort of hearing at least, if not before, seeing the effect of these documents appearing in public, don't you think you ought Mr. MOSTEL. Well, you see, I have such a private opinion, which, honestly, I can't speak about these documents. |