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3502 COMMUNISM IX HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY slogans stating that the "Yanks are not coming." Did you express any opinions on the war when Germany attacked Russia on June 22, 1941? Mr. Odets. I have no memory of that, sir, but I have memory of what my stand was. I did say to you once off the record that, when our great President Franklin Roosevelt sent his first warning letters to Mussolini and Hitler, I as a citizen of our country wrote President Roosevelt a letter, and it happened to be the only time I ever got an answer. I got a small friendly note. So my stand, as unimportant as it is, my stand is recorded by this little note. And it was opposed to the stand that you just read me about. I did not think that Russia's opinion had anything to do with making our foreign policy. Mr. Tavenner. Did the attack, in your mind, of Germany upon Russia have any bearing on your opinion ? Mr. Odets. I was of the opinion from 1935 on, if you are interested in my small opinion, I was of the opinion that we would have to fight Hitler. I didn't see how the United States could stay out of it, because we were in the line of direct threat. This was always my opinion and it did not change. Mr. Tavenner. I show you the August 1941 issue of Soviet Russia Today. Will you look at page 18 under statements by noted people, and read the statement by Clifford Odets. Mr. Odets. Well, sir, this statement in no way contradicts what I just said. Mr. Tavenner. Will you read it, please? Mr. Odets. It says, "The first battlefront of the world against Fas- cist barbarism is now being held by the Soviet Union. In the name of humanity, no person or group of persons must prevent or dissuade us from the high purpose of lending all possible aid to the brave Russian fighters." Sir, my memory is that that was the policy of the United States Government shortly thereafter. Mr. Tavenner. To whom did you make that statement ? Mr. Odets. I have no idea. Mr. Tavenner. Prior to June 22, 1941, what was your position with regard to the United States entering the war ? Mr. Odets. My best memory is that steadily—-I am a little embar- rassed talking about these great world problems as if it mattered what I thought about them—but my memory is that I told you that I simply felt that Hitlerism was the great danger of the world and we would have to fight it. I know the Communist Party line did a number of flipflops there. They were of no interest to me, and I had no connection with them. Mr. Tavenner. I show you a photostatic copy, pages 20 and 21, of the June 1948 issue of SoViet Russia Today. This was a letter re- leased by the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship. Your name appears among those who signed that letter. Will you tell the committee the circumstances under which your signature was ob- tained ? Mr. Odets. I don't remember that, sir. Mr. Tavenner. I show you Mr. Odets. This, of course, sir, was the time—I am guessing from the signatures, which constitute a roster of some of our very dis-