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338 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY been interested in influencing various groups in connection with that strike. Do you have any knowledge on your own part regarding that effort? Mr. Garfield. Well, I have no knowledge of what the Communist Party was doing, because I had no association with anybody like that, but I was on the executive board of the Screen Actors' Guild for 6 years, and during the period of this strike, and I know pretty well what went on in terms of the strike, in terms of the guild's position, and in terms of the general atmosphere at that time. Mr. Tavenner. What effort was made by the Communist Party to influence the action of the guild with regard to that strike? Mr. Garfield. Well, the strike started in 1945. We of the Screen Actors' Guild tried in every way possible to stop it. We played a very impartial role at the beginning. As a matter of fact, some of us were accused of being sympathetic to the CSU, which was the other side, at the beginning. We then proceeded to get all the informa- tion we could, and we did. This took us until about 1946, and we discovered that the culprits in the thing were the CSU. They didn't want to settle the strike. Mr. Tavenner. The culprits were who? Mr. Garfield. The CSU, Conference of Studio Unions. Mr. Tavenner, I have here the minutes of the board of directors of the Screen Actors' Guild from 1945—March 15, 1945, to be specific— to 1947, when the most important decisions were made, with motions and secondings, motions which I personally made, which clearly bear out the statement that .1 make that I was against the strike and felt that this was a strike which was uncalled for and unwarranted. I would like to give this to the committee, if I may, as part of the records, because these minutes show quite conclusively my position, anyway, personally, on how I voted. Mr. Wood. You may leave a copy with the reporter for such use as the committee may see fit to make of it. Mr. Jackson. That is for the use of the committee and not for the record ? Mi'. Wood. That is right. Mr. Garfield. By the way, I would like to make a point here, Mr. Tavenner, if I may. I was making a picture then, and it was against my interests that the strike continue. I was in the process of making a film then, and it was against my interests that the strike continue, and, as a matter of fact, I went through the picket line with many other people to go to our jobs. This is a summary of a meeting of the board of directors of the Screen Actors' Guild on September IT, 1946. A motion was made by Franchot Tone that members of the guild be instructed to go through picket lines and live up to their contract. This motion was carried, and Garfield voted for it. A motion was made by Franchot Tone, seconded by Leon Ames, that the guild make every effort to see that the studios provide ade- quate physical protection for its members when crossing picket lines. I voted for the motion, and it was carried. Mr. Tavenner. Prior to the adoption of that motion, had you fol- lowed a different approach to that subject? What had been your attitude about the picket line prior to that time ?