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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 1501 Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the ground of the fifth amendment. Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend a meeting on July 7, 1945, at the home of Albert Maltz to discuss the Duclos letter, which most people are familiar with at this time as being the document which brought about the overthrow of Earl Browder as head of the Communist Party in the United States ? Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the same grounds. Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend other meetings at other places where the Duclos letter was discussed ? Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that other question, sir, on the same grounds. Mr. Tavenner. The committee has information that at one time you were the educational director of branch H of the northwest section of the Los Angeles County Communist Party in, I believe, about the year 1943. Is that information correct? Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the same grounds. That is why I had hoped that this committee would have given me permission to read Senator Kefauver's resolutions in rela- tion to the activities of such legislative committees. Mr. Tavenner. The committee has information that you were trans- ferred as a member of Halden Club of the Los Angeles County Com- munist Party, or rather that you were transferred to that club from what was known as the Hollywood Cultural Club in January of 1947. Were you ever a member of either of those clubs of the Communist Party ? Mr. Blankfort. I will decline to answer that question on the grounds of the fifth amendment. Mr. Tavenner. The committee is in possession of information that you held 1946 Communist Party book No. 35320. Did you hold that book, or any book designating or indicating membership in the Com- munist Party ? Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that question, sir, on the grounds of the fifth amendment. Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Dmytryk appeared as a witness before this committee on April 25, 1951, and during the course of his testimony he made this statement, which I quote: 1 Then there was another group which met for the purpose, I think, of some sort of affair that had to do with the fight against anti-Negro prejudice. This was composed of small committees, as it were, of several cells, several groups, rather neighborhood groups throughout the town. Most of them I didn't know. I knew just a few from Hollywood. The meeting was held at Ben Margolis' house and Mr. Margolis was present, and Mr. Henry Blankfort was present, and a man named George Pepper. Do vou recall that meeting ? Mr. Blankfort. I must decline to answer that question, sir, on the basis of the fifth amendment. Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Wood. Do you have any questions, Mr. Walter ? Mr. Walter. Yes. Mr. Blankfort, you stated that this committee has as its purpose the stifling of all political opposition. Did you mean by that that this 1 See : Communist Infiltration of Hollywood Motion-Picture Industry—Part 2, p. 424.