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

1626 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY general hysteria in this country, such as our President has talked about. 1 don't know if I am talking too much, but I am a writer, sir, and I would hate to see any kind of censorship come out of these pro- ceedings. I don't know whether this is at all your intention, but I would hate to see it. I have in my pocket a little brown book. If some of you gentlemen would like to see it, it is in French. Now, this is one of the early editions. It is from my own library. Mr. Doyle. May I Mr. James. Yes. Mr. Doyle. I realize that you have come prepared to make a speech, if you have the opportunity, in spite of the fact that you are not in sympathy with communism, you say, but I want to ask you again, if you are being frank and honest with us—and I don't mean to impute anything less than honesty and frankness to you, but if you really are sincere, when you say you are not a Communist, why can't you be equally as sincere instead of claiming the fifth amendment by tell- ing us when you stopped being a Communist, if you ever were ? Is that a fair way to put a question ? Mr. James. Sir, yes, I am standing on what I understand is my right under the fifth amendment. I feel that in addition—inciden- tally, sir, this takes a considerable amount of courage, though I expect no applause either from this committee, nor from the People's World nor from the Daily Worker. This is a lonely, lonely position, and I as- sure you that when I am saying that I am not a Communist, I am mean- ing it. Mr. Doyle. I am willing to take your word at a hundred percent face value. You would want me to, because you are under oath. Mr. James. Yes, sir. Mr. Doyle. But I still don't understand why you, claiming what you claim, that you are not in sympathy with the purposes of com- munism, you are unwilling to help the committee to get into the field of discovering people and programs which are subversive. Mr. James. Sir, I think the committee—I think it is necessary for there to be an investigation in this country of subversive organiza- tions. At the same time I feel that this committee in its work has frequently in trying to root out the weeds perhaps has rooted out same of the crop, too. Maybe the important parts of the crop. Mr. Doyle. My closing word with you, because our time is limited, is two things. First, you have apparently come quite a ways and are willing to state that you are not now a Communist. That, of course, leaves inferentially to me, I am a lawyer, and you have an able lawyer by your side, inferentially, at least, that leaves in my mind the question of how recently you were a Communist, without doubt- ing your statement. Now, I am urging you and your wife, as young people, to come into the area of actively and vigorously helping this congressional committee investigate the field of subversive peo- ples and programs that you have stated you felt it was necessary to investigate. I heard you also say that maybe we are doing some injury. I assure you we are not trying to. We are trying to avoid that sort of thing. But I also want you to believe me when I say, and I won't take more of your time, because my colleagues should have time to ask questions if they want to—believe me when I say that I, as a fellow citizen of yours in California, find it very difficult indeed, in performing my congressional duties, and which I hope always to