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1532 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Townsend. That's possible, yes. Mr. Doyle. Doesn't your testimony go to that point? Mr. Townsend. Well, it would be very difficult for a man openly to support the Soviet Union in a Avar when the Soviet Union is not here. What I mean to say is if they should attack and overcome this country it might be a little simpler for a person to join the Soviet forces. Mr. Doyle. You stated, "It became clear to me that now that the war was over the Soviet Union and the United States were no longer allies and the party line changed.'' That may not be the exact word- ing of it, but it is the substance of it. What did you mean by that ? Mr. Townsend. I meant that when the war was over the Soviet Union no longer needed the United States as an ally. The Soviet Union now was going on its own. I think it had started the process of world conquest and would be very difficult to do in alliance with a democracy. Mr. Doyle. You stated in substance that "some of us felt it was not an American party. Others felt that it was. Sidney Benson was the functionary called in to defeat those of us who held this, what they considered false position. Anti-Soviet position it was called, and Mr. Benson hammered us over the head for a whole evening, and I didn't see him again at any party meeting." What was the basis of that statement by you ? Do I understand that Benson, the Com- munist leader at this meeting, was advocating that you take the posi- tion of the Soviet Union against the position of the United States of America? Mr. Townsend. He was advocating that we follow the party line and that we have no argument with it. Mr. Doyle. The party line was Mr. Townsend. The party line is always the line of the Soviet Union. Mr. Doyle. In other words, you couldn't debate and discuss and have any difference of opinion with the party line as given to you from the top? Mr. Townsend. There was no discussion within the party of any possible, let me say, wrong within the Soviet Union. Mr. Doyle. I will ask you this question. You referred to the Lincoln Book Shop and the Progressive Book Shop in Los Angeles. Did you have knowledge personally, or was it your belief that these book shops were actively supported by and part and parcel of the Communist program in this country? Mr. Townsend. It was my firm belief that the Lincoln Book Shop was set up by the Communist Party in town, yes. (At this point Representative Donald L. Jackson left the hearing room.) Mr. Doyle. How about the Progressive Book Shop? Mr. Townsend. I had no contact with that shop, so I don't know. Mr. Doyle. You stated, "We were all directed to work in mass or- ganizations, we were asked to work in other organizations." You didn't state at that time what you did in other organizations in any detail. What did you do in any other organizations following your