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106 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Jackson. Mr. Chairman, may I ask one question before we ad- journ? Mr. Wood. Yes, Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson. Mr. Parks, why in your opinion were you solicited for membership in the Communist Party? Mr. Parks. Well, I imagine I wasn't working at the time so it was not from a standpoint of getting any kind of working actor. I imagine that it was because I was young and probably, as I said, idealistic, and my views on the underprivileged and the underdog were probably known at the time, and I imagine that this was the reason. Mr. Jackson. You think it had nothing to do with your poten- tialities as an actor? That you were solicited just as someone down on Skid Row might have been taken into the party ? Mr. Parks. Well, perhaps not quite to that extreme. I hope it wasn't quite to that extreme. But at the time—I started to say I hate to admit it, but I really don't—I was not considered to have much talent as an actor by many people. As a matter of fact, I'm rather proud now of a certain progress that I have made I think as an actor myself. I always thought I had possibilities, but I was practically the only one that thought this. And I don't think that it was from that view- point that I was approached at all. I don't mean to give you a face- tious answer, because it's not; this is true. Mr. Jackson. You say that today you are entirely out of sympathy with the Communist philosophy and with its outward manifestations as they have appeared in recent years since your separation from the party ? Mr. Parks. I certainty am. I think that any power that is trying to, in my opinion, take over the world in this manner, I think is wrong. Mr. Jackson. I think a concomitant of that would be, then, that in case of armed conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union you would bear arms in defense of the United States? Mr. Parks. Without question. Mr. Wood. We will take a recess at this time until 2: 30. (Thereupon, at 12: 35 p. m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene at 2: 30 p. m. this date.) AFTERNOON SESSION (The committee reconvened at 2: 30 p. m., pursuant to the recess.) Mr. Wood. The committee will be in order. Let the record show that the members present are: Messrs. Walter, Doyle, Frazier, Velde, Kearney, Jackson, Potter, and Wood. Mr. Mandel (counsel for the witness). Mr. Chairman, Mr. Parks would like to make a further application and talk to the committee about the question of naming names. He would appreciate it if the committee would hear him out a few minutes, what he has to say on the subject. Mr. Wood. I thought he expressed himself pretty fully this morning. We are taking a good deal of time on this hearing. I think counsel has a few more questions. MajHbe they will bring out what he wants to say. Mr. Mandel. What he has to say, I think, is very pertinent at this point. I don't think we can judge it until he says it. It will only take