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1526 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Tavenner. You have described for the committee the general effect of the Duclos letter and the results in this community. What effect did the Duclos letter have upon you, individually ? Mr. Townsend. Well, it was the first indication to me that this organization was not a democratic one. I probably should have left the party at that time. I must say it is rather difficult to leave the party. It seems quite easy to get into it, or did at that time; difficult to leave, because once one lias been in the party for several years he becomes more or less insulated against the outside world. You see only Com- munist people as a rule. Your thinking is done for you by directive. Now, to get out, unless you get out emotionally, which I did not—to get out takes a long period of individual thinking, gradual realization of what this party is, that it is not a political party; that it is not an American party. This, in my case, took a little time to come to these several con- clusions, and I would like to say a few things about that, but before that I would like to say that even after one leaves the party there are still emotional, personal ties which carry on for a certain period, and I want to give two examples. I had been out of the party over a year when Lester Cole came to me, asked me to write a story, an original for the screen with him which would be submitted under my name for sale to the motion picture in- dustry. I agreed on an emotional, personal basis, because Mr. Cole was shortly going to jail. He had a wife and two children. I thought perhaps a little money would help them. The story did not sell. About 2 months after that Mr. Tavenner. Let me ask you in that connection Mr. Townsend. Yes ? Mr. Tavenner. Did anyone in the production—that phase of the business, the producer or director, have any knowledge of this ar- rangement \ Mr. Townsend. Only the agent who was selling the story or was attempting to sell it. Mr. Tavenner. Who was he ? Mr. Townsend. George Willner. Mr. Tavenner. All right. Mr. Townsend. A couple of months after this, in the spring—early spring of 1950, Mr. Willner called me and told me that Dalton Trumbo was in desperate need of money. He, too, was about to go to jail. He had written an original for the screen. Would I lend my name to it ? Well, again, emotionally and personally, I agreed on the basis that if it sold I would get no money. Trnmbo had a wife and, I believe,, three children, none of whom were Communists, who might need money during his incarceration. I agreed to do this. Again, this story did not sell. Now, a month or so after that the North Koreans I think inspired by the Soviet Union, started the Korean war and I realized at that moment one could no longer have emotional or personal ties with the Communist Party or members of it. If I may further answer the question about my leaving the party, what process I went through—if that is in order now. Is it? Mr. Tayi.nner. Yes. I would like for you to describe any condition that you desire to describe relating to your leaving the party and in doing it, the thing that I am certain the committee is interested in is to-