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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 1459 Mr. Jackson. You mean less time that it would take to eradicate the House Committee on Un-American Activities ? Mr. Ashe. I would say so. Mr. Jackson. I suppose the same thing goes for freedom of religion and all the other freedoms that we know in our Bill of Rights and Constitution ? Mr. Ashe. That's correct. Mr. Jackson. How much actual regard do members of the Com- munist Party hold for the Bill of Rights, with particular reference to the fifth amendment? Mr. Ashe. Well, I understand at the moment that they are very much attached to the first and fifth amendments. I am not sure whether they know anything about the rest of the Constitution or not. Mr. Jackson. I would question at times whether they know any- thing about the first and fifth Amendments without the advice of counsel. Mr. Ashe. I didn't say they knew anything; I said they were at- tached to it. Mr. Jackson. Mr. Ashe, in conclusion I want to thank you for your appearance here today. I think that every word of your statement has gone to the heart of this question. It would be my hope that every citizen of this country would have an opportunity to read what you have had to say. I congratulate you on it. I don't think communism has anything to do with a political party. It is an international con- spiracy and I think-you are entirely right when you say it should be outlawed lock, stock, and barrel. I have no further questions. Mr. Wood. Mr. Potter of Michigan. I would like to ask the guards, if there is another demonstration in this hearing room during the progress of these hearings, to immedi- ately eject whoever is guilty of it. Proceed. Mr. Potter. Mr. Ashe, was any effort made to recruit you back into the party after you disassociated yourself from the party ? Mr. Ashe. Directly, no. For a long time I don't think that the leadership of the Communist Party knew what had happened, because when I came back to town after being on a tour for the Spanish refu- gee committee as an organizer, I found that my old branch, the forty- fourth Assembly District branch, had been reorganized and broken down into small units. Apparently each of the unit organizers as- sumed that I was in some other unit, which was precisely what I wanted them to think, and I didn't disabuse them. However, I will say this, that along about 1946, after the war was over, I received a communication from the one-time organizer of the Communist Party here in Los Angeles County, a man by the name of Jack Moore, whom I had personally known at one time. Jack wrote a letter to my home, told me that he was back from service overseas, had had a lot to think about, had changed his mind about a lot of things and indicated he was interested in writing. He knew that I was professionally engaged in writing, indicated that I might be helpful to him professionally and indicated that he would like to talk things over, possibly resolve some of his own doubts. So I thought, well, I went through the mill, maybe this guy is going through the mill, so I 81595—51—pt. 4 4