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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 1455 they could gather arms and ammunition, if needs be, to use in this revolution against our form of government. Now, do I understand you that the Communist Party, as you know it here in California, the leadership would go to that extent, to be interested in gathering arms and ammunition ? Mr. Ashe. I think so. Mr. Doyle. You do think so ? Mr. Ashe. I know so. Mr. Doyle. Well, did you ever hear it discussed ? Mr. Ashe. In 1934-35 when I was in the downtown section, I had been asked on numerous occasions by Nat Praeger, the then chairman of the disciplinary committee, to supply personable women to dis- tribute a subversive paper called the Shipmates' Voice on board battle- ships, cruisers, and other United States naval boats anchored off Long Beach and San Pedro. This Shipmates' Voice was clearly an instru- ment by which the Communist Party hoped to recruit sailors into the Communist Party. At a later date I know that the Communist Party used good-looking women as decoys to entertain sailors with a view to recruiting them. I don't know what the results were, because that was not within my province. I do know it was going on, because I was asked to supply some of these girls, and I know on one occasion I put my foot down and refused to allow some 16-year-old YCLers to be put to this purpose. At the same time the Communist Party was putting out a sub- versive, underground paper aimed at the soldiers who were in the Armed Forces, trying to subvert them, trying to sew tlie seeds of dis- affection in their minds, exploiting every petty grievance that could be found. And, of course, you can always find them in the Armed Forces. They were following the same pattern here as they were in the Navy. At another period—and I can't recall the exact time—we were asked to go through our ranks very carefully and see what men could be persuaded to, or ordered to go into the National Guard, the California National Guard, and some of them went in. Mr. Doyle. Went in for some purpose ? Mr. Ashe. Well, I don't think they went in to play poker. They went in for the precise purpose of getting their hands on guns, getting into positions of leadership, even if it was only that of a noncommis- sioned officer, and awaiting the time when they could, with some de- gree of success, whether it was 10 or 20 years, play the role that is al- lotted to them, namely to turn the Armed Forces against the so-called capitalist state and utilize it for the Communist Party, following the identical pattern, incidentally, that was used in the Soviet Union when power was seized from the Kerensky government. Mr. Doyle. My final question is this, Mr. Ashe. I take it there was a time when you not only had little use, but no use or respect, for the functioning of the Un-American Activities Committee of the United States Congress. I take it by your testimony here this morning that you have changed that opinion. Mr. Ashe. I would like to say Mr. Doyle. What caused you to ? Mr. Ashe. What caused me to change ? Mr. Doyle. Yes.