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1624 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY ington regarding the part that Communist-front organizations played in promoting the principles and the purposes of the Communist Party, particularly with regard to the matter of recruitment into the Com- munist Party. Of course, as the term indicates, all persons who are members of front organizations are not members of the Commu- nist Party, otherwise they would be adjuncts in the Communist Party. Now, I would like to know if you were a member of any organization which has been cited as a Communist-front organiza- tion, and if you were, whether or not you would give this commit- tee the benefit of such information as you have as to how you were recruited into the party, the purposes for which you were recruited into the party, and—into the front organization, and how that or- ganization functioned. Mr. James. Sir, to the best of my knowledge, I am not a member of any Communist-front organization, nor am I sympathetic to com- munism. At the same time, I must decline to answer this question that you have put to me on the grounds stated. Mr. Tavenner. Well, that is a rather strange answer. If the ground for your refusal to testify is that you fear incrimination and, at the same time, you state that you are not a member of the Com- munist Party, how can your testimony on that subject tend to in- criminate you ? Mr. James. I don't believe I am forced to specify the area in which I feel an answer could incriminate me, sir. I understand it is my right, if it is my honest and sincere feeling that it would incriminate me—it is my right to decline to answer the question. Mr. Wood. Pardon the suggestion. As I understood the witness, his answer was not responsive to the question. The question was asked him, as I understood, whether or not he had ever been a mem- ber of any front organization so designated. His answe'r was that he is not now a member of any such organization, that he knows of, which is not entirely responsive. Mr. James. That was part of my answer, sir. I followed that by declining to answer Mr. Tavenner's question. Mr. Wood. Aside from that answer, you decline to answer the ques- tion entirely except to that extent that you are not now a member? Mr. James. Yes. Mr. Wood. That is the way I understood it. Mr. Tavenner. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Wood. Mr. Walter? Mr. Walter. No questions. Mr. Wood. You, Mr. Doyle? Mr. Doyle. Mr. James, I think just an instant ago in answer to counsel's question about three questions back—I wrote down here that you said, "I am not in sympathy with communism." Didn't you so state? Mr. James. I did, sir. Mr. Tavenner. Well, have you ever been in sympathy with com- munism ? Mr. James. I would have to decline to answer that on the previous grounds stated. Mr. Doyle. What do you mean by previous grounds stated? Mr. James. My rights under the fifth amendment not to answer a question which I feel should incriminate me—might incriminate me.