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3504 COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY your name as a sponsor. Can you tell the committee about your spon- sorship of that organization ? Mr. Odets. I don't know about this, sir, except that I see some very good tunes. As I put it before—that is, I am talking from a liberal point of view—but how or when I signed this I have no way of remembering. Mr. Tavenxer. Are you affiliated in any manner with the National Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions ? Mr. Odets. I believe I am—what would you call it—a sponsor or executive board member or councilman ? I don't know. I think I am an officer of that organization. Mr. Tavexxer. According to a letterhead of the organization dated July 28, 1950, you were a member of the board of directors. Mr. Odets. That would be correct, sir. Mr. Tavexxer. What were the circumstances under which you be- came a member of that organization? Mr. Odets. Again this would be by invitation through mail, or by telegram. I cannot remember the exact circumstances. Mr. Tavexner. According to the Daily Worker of October 24,1949, the New York State Council of the Arts, Sciences and Professions sponsored a meeting at St. Nicholas Arena, October 27, regarding the conviction of the 11 Communist leaders. You are listed as one of the speakers. Did you speak on that occasion ? Mr. Odets. Yes, sir; I did. Mr. Tavexner. Who solicited you to take part in that meeting ? Mr. Odets. My best memory there would be, as I remember, I think Sid Benson came to my house and asked me to speak there. Mr. Tavenx t er. Sid Benson is the same person as Ted Wellman? Mr. Odets. That is right. Mr. Tavexxer. What representations did Ted Wellman make to you? Mr. Odets. Well, I distinctly remember that I asked him very •carefully—this was a broad-front affair—that if it were a Communist meeting I would not speak there. He assured me it was not, since the Arts, Sciences, and Professions Council was sponsoring it. This convinced me that he was speaking the truth, and I went there to make a brief statement. Mr. Tavenner. You knew Wellman was a member of the Com- munist Party? Mr. Odets. I did not know that then. I mean in the sense that I •did not know if he were any longer a Communist Party member. I still don't know that he is. Mr. Tavexxer. But you know that he was a member at the time that you were a member of the party ? Mr. Odets. I think he was; yes. Mr. Tavexxer. Did you discuss communism with him at that time to a greater extent than to inquire whether this was a Communist- sponsored meeting ? Mr. Odets. No; I didn't discuss that with him, but I went to the meeting; I made a very brief talk, and I started the talk by saying that I am not a Communist. This was my opening remark. I have, since speaking to you last, read over the speech, and I now know dis- tinctly what I signed. And the content of this very brief speech was