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1524 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY to the branch and material for this report would be obtained, as a rule, from one of the party publications such as Political Affairs. Mr. Tavenner. We have had considerable testimony from witnesses who were members of the Screen Writers' Guild, and others, as to the effort made by the Communist Party to capture both the guilds and the unions in the industry and we have had considerable evidence relating to strikes which occurred. I would like to ask you whether during any of the wage disputes, or jurisdictional disputes, or strikes, you, as a Communist, received any instructions or directions from the Communist Party as to your participation in any manner or form. Mr. Townsend. Yes. I was asked, or I believe all of our branches were asked—members in the branches were asked—to volunteer as ob- servers of the picket lines. Observers were supposed to report any show of violence or brutality on the picket lines. I didn't see any. I suppose the reason for this now was that if there were such an activity the Communist Party could use it for propaganda means. Mr. Tavenner. Did any incident come to your attention where members of the Communist Party purposely provoked an incident which could be used by them for propaganda purposes? Mr. Townsend. I can't say that I know of such an incident. You mean that the Communists provoked a show of violence? Mr. Tavenner. Yes. In order to be able to use it. Mr. Townsend. I'm sorry; I don't know. I was asked, as other Communist members of the guild were asked during the strike, to help write pamphlets and leaflets for the Conference of Studio Unions. Mr. Tavenner. Did you receive any direction from the Communist Party to aid in any manner in the propaganda work that was done, in connection Mr. Townsend. You may not have heard my last answer. Mr. Tavenner. Maybe I did not. Mr. Townsend. I said that I, as well as other writer Communists, were asked to write pamphlets and leaflets in support of the Con- ference of Studio Unions. Mr. Tavenner. When you spoke of acting as observer, were you re- quested to act in that capacity by the Communist Party? Mr. Townsend. As I recall it, I was requested to act in that ca- pacity. The request came through a branch meeting of the Com- munist Party. There had been a committee set up, I don't recall now whether this was set up by the Communist Party, but there were non-Communists on the committee, as I recall. Mi-. Tavenner. Are you acquainted or did you become acquainted while a member of the Communist Party with a person by the name of Ben Barzman, B-a-r-z-m-a-n? Mr. Townsend. Yes, Ben Barzman was in a branch with me. I did not name him this morning. I had forgotten that name. Mr. Tavenner. Are there any others whose names that you can now recall? Let me ask you at that point, do you know whether or not his wife was a member of the Communist Party ? Mr. Townsend. Yes, she also was a member of the same branch. Mr. Tavenner. What was her name? Mr. Townsend. Norma. Mr. Tavenner. Describe Mr. Barzman a little further for the committee.