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1476 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY I believe at that time I was employed in the theater project as play reader. The head of that department, Mr. Pearlman, had had a play produced by the theater project, and the man who was head of it, Mr. Miller, refused to pay him royalty. He had come to the American Writers' Union as a member and asked us to ask Mr. Miller's removal from the Federal theater project. The Dramatists' Guild at the same time had been asked the same thing-, because Mr. Pearlman also belonged to the Dramatists' Guild. The Dramatist's Guild had supported him. They had sent letters asking for the removal of Mr. Miller. The American Writers' Union had to follow the fraction decision of the Communist Party members at this particular meeting and had voted not to support Mr. Pearlman. As a result we went into the American Writers' Union, and the only people who didn't vote to support it were the Communists, who are supposed to support workers when they are trying to raise wages. I voted to support Mr. Pearlman. In other words, I went against the fraction decision because I felt Mr. Tavenner. You deviated from the Communist Party instruc- tions, or the Communist Party line? Mrs. Ashe. Yes; I did. I maintained it was a mechanical decision which Jim Thorme had forced on us, who at that time, I believe, was the organizational Secretary and representing the executive commit- tee on the Los Angeles section. I felt it was a mechanical decision. I didn't feel that if we were going to support the working class that it Avas right when a thing came up to try to raise money, to get pay for work, that the Communists had any right to say we won't support that. So I supported it. As a result I was called before the disciplinary committee. Mr. Tavenner. In other words, that is an instance of Communist Party discipline for deviation from the decisions made on a higher level ? Mrs. Ashe. Yes; that is correct. Mr. Tavenner. Who represented the theatrical group at this meet- ing; do you recall? Mrs. Ashe. Well, that is a little difficult. Betty Arden was there; Mary Virginia Farmer was there; and aside from Mr. Holther and Mr. McElroy I don't recall any other people. Mr. Tavenner. Were you personally acquainted with Mary Vir- ginia Farmer? Mrs. Ashe. No ; I wasn't. I didn't know her. Mr. Tavenner. Where was she employed at that time? Mrs. Ashe. She was employed by the Federal theater project in rather a high capacity. I remember that one of my objections to the fraction meeting was that this woman presumably was never to be exposed as a Communist Party member, so they bring her into a frac- tion meeting that is not only a fraction meeting of the theater project but a joint meeting with the writers' project- Mr. Tavenner. By fraction meeting, are you referring to a meet- ing of representatives from different branches of the Communist Party? Mrs. Ashe. No. I am referring—a fraction was made up all people who were Communist Party members who were working within any given organization or job or whatever. In other words, Communists, work as a bloc. to