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66 COMMUNISM IN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY
Mr. Vail. I know he is sincere. I tliink }ou are. too; but, of course, ■\ve lirtve the pr<)l)lem of eliminatino; the Communist element from not only the Hollywood scene but also other scenes in America, and we have to have the f idl support and cooperation of the executives from each of those divisions.
Mr. Wood. I am sure you can get it from them.
Mr, Vail. Do you belong to the directors group ?
Mr. Wood. Yes.
]Mr. Vail. Do you also belong to the producers group ?
^Ir. Wood. No.
Mr. Vail. Is that a voluntary act of your own ?
Mr. Wood. I think so; yes. I direct my own pictures as a director with a certain code, and so on, and I think it is better for me to stay out as a director.
Mr. Vail. If you have succeeded so admirably in cleaning out the Communist element and their fellow travelers from your studio, won't you agree, then, it is possible for all of the other producers to do likewise?
Mr. Wood. Well, you must consider that I am just one outfit. I have one writer; I may have two writers working, and that is the limit. They have probably 40 or 50 of them working, and when they get around to it I think you will get action from those gentlemen, too. I think the party should be outlawed, and I think these people should be labeled as agents of a foreign country, and let's get rid of them.
Mr. Vail. I thoroughly agree with you along that line. I think communism is treason and should be treated as such ; but, nevertheless, you probably know from the hearings of this connnittee in the past we have had some very prominent people in this countrv — peoj^le for wliose opinion we have the highest respect — who are adamantly opposed to outlawing the organization because of the fact that it would send their activities underground.
You do not have that feeling ?
]Mr. Wood. No, sir ; I haven't. I think you have to awaken the public to the fact that they are here and what they are doing. If you mention you are opposed to the Communist Party, then you are antilabor, antiSemitic, or anti-Negro, and you will end up being called a Fascist, but they never start that until they find out you are opposed to the Communist Party ; but if you wanted to drop their rompers j^ou would find the hammer and sickle on their rear ends, I think.
Mr. Vail. Thank you very much.
The Chairman. Mr. Wood?
Mr. Wood (Congressman). Not because I have any partiality toward our name, INIr. Wood
Mr. Wood. We ought to stick together.
Mr. Wood (Congressman). But I do desire to ask j'ou one or two questions.
You stated in your testimony that in your opinion these people who are seeking to infiltrate into the picture industry, and other activities in America, and who preach doctrines subversive to our own Government, are, in your opinion, agents of a foreign power. Outside of the fact that they are actually doing the things they are doing, have you any other evidence that they are agents of a foreign government?