Communist infiltration of Hollywood motion-picture industry : hearing before the Committee on Un-American activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-second Congress, first session (1951)

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1598 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Tavenner. Do you know anything about the connection of William Pomerantz with the National Labor Relations Board, or any function of that Board, prior to his coming to California? Mr. Berkeley. Yes, sir. He was a member of the Board, I believe, in the South. It may have been New Orleans, I'm not sure. I know he worked with the NLRB down South and he worked with them back East. He was under fire constantly for the stand he took. He was suspected of having sympathies too far to the left. Either about the time he was to lose his job with the NLRB, or having lost it, the com- rades out here felt that he was an ideal man to move into our guild and they promptly proceeded to move Pomerantz into our guild. (The witness conferred with counsel.) Mr. Tavenner. Was he what is known as a field examiner with the National Labor Relations Board? Mr. Berkeley. He was. Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether at the time he was a mem- ber of the Communist Party here in California that he was serving in that capacity, that is as a field agent of the National Labor Rela- tions Board? Mr. Berkeley. Do you mean whether I know at the time he was working for the Government he was also a party member? Mr. Tavenner. Yes. Mr. Berkeley. Sir, I cannot say to my own personal knowledge. I can only say that he was brought out here by the party to work in the guild, and was a party member when he got here because he was brought right into our fraction. I can presume from that that he was a party member before he reached California. Mr. Tavenner. Can you be reasonably accurate as to the date when you first learned that he was a member of the Communist Party ? That is a very important matter and I don't want you to guess at it. If you don't know I would rather for you to say so rather than to give an estimate. Mr. Berkeley. I would rather not guess, Mr. Tavenner. I believe you can consult the records of the guild, or I am sure the guild will furnish you the precise date we hired this man, because there was a very short time lapse between his employment by the Government and his employment by the guild. I wouldn't hazard a guess. I don't want to do any guessing and I know you don't want me to. Mr. Tavenner. Do you know why his relationship with the Na- tional Labor Relations Board was terminated? Mr. Berkeley. I would say, sir, I don't know. He never told me. It would all be hearsay and I would rather not Mr. Tavenner. It would not be hearsay if he told you. Mr. Berkeley. He did not tell me so; he didn't tell me so. Other people have told me so, and I don't want to repeat hearsay. Mr. Tavenner. Do you know where William Pomerantz is now ? Mr. Berkeley. I understand a lot of people would like to know that. Mr. Tavenner. We are among them. Mr. Berkeley. Are you ? I didn't know that. I don't know where he is. May I go on ? Mr. Tavenner. Now if you will proceed.