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102 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Kearney. Well, were there members of the Communist Party who appeared at your meetings and spoke to your group? Mr. Parks. We were all at that particular time members of the Communist Party. Mr. Kearney. I mean from other cells outside of your own. Mr. Parks. There was one instance that I do recall when this did happen. Mr. Kearney. Can you give his name ? Mr. Parks. Again I wish you would not press me. Mr. Wood. I will state for the benefit of the members we are going to take a recess perhaps for a very short time for lunch, at which time I ask the committee to assemble back in the room for the purpose of determining this matter of policy, and after we resume the witness will be advised what the disposition of this committee is with reference to his apparent disinclination to answer questions. Mr. Velde. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask one question. I don't propose to prolong this discussion very much further. But, as I remember it, you stated that you now believe that the Communist Party of the United States is a subversive organization. Is that true ? Mr. Parks. I thought you were going on. Is that the end ? Mr. Velde. Is that true ? Mr. Parks. Yes; I do. Mr. Velde. But at that time that you went into the Communist Party, you felt that it was not a subversive organization ? Mr. Parks. That is quite correct. Mr. Velde. Well, do you now know that at the time you belonged to the Communist Party it actually was a subversive organization— at that time ? Mr. Parks. Again this is only a personal opinion. What I ob- served at that time, I cannot say that this was true. What I observe personalty, the experiences that I had with the small group of people that I knew, this is the only way that I can judge. Mr. Velde. Well, you have a pretty strong feeling, though, even at that time that you were duped, that you didn't actually know the purposes of the Communist Party? Isn't that true, Mr. Parks? Mr. Parks. No. Again I say I will make no apologies, you see, for what I did except the mistake in judgment, and it's debatable. Mr. Velde. Well, your judgment was at that time that it was not a subversive or disloyal organization ? Mr. Parks. This is my considered judgment. Mr. Velde. And you realize now that that judgment was wrong? That it actually was a subversive organization at that time? Mr. Parks. I can only give you what I experienced myself, you see, what little I knew about it, and this is the only way that a man can judge. Mr. Velde. I'm asking for your judgment at this time as to whether or not you were mistaken in your judgment and actually that the Communist Party was a subversive organization at that time. Mr. Parks. Well, this is very hard for me to say. It really is. Be- cause I honestly don't know. What I felt about it during that time, what I observed—that nothing wrong was ever done, you see. Mr. Velde. It's not what you felt during that time, Mr. Parks. It's what you feel now about the Communist Party at that time.