Hearings regarding the communist infiltration of the motion picture industry. Hearings before the Committee on Un-American Activities, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first session. Public law 601 (section 121, subsection Q (1947)

390 COMMUNISM IN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY magazine is. devoted to tlie interests of the Soviet Union (September 1937, p. 6; October 1941, p. 30 ; .lanuary 1942, p. 29 ; and Fel)ruar.v 1942, p. 29) . 9. Karl Krowder, former head of the rommnnist Party of the United States, in testifying before tlie Special Committee on Un-American Activities, stated tliat the Communist Party formed certain of its members — certain of its members — The Chairman. Mr. Mandel, liow far have 3^011 "one now? Mr. Maxdi-x. I am now on point 9 and tliere are 32 points in all. I am on pa^^e 2 and there are seven pa^es in all. The Chairman. All right, the Chair will rule that further reading be dispensed with and the material consisting of 5 more pages and 37 citations be placed in the record at this point. (The material referred to above is as follows :) into a fighting force known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade for participation in the Spanish force known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade for participation in the Spanish Civil War. This effort was initiated at tlie Seventh Congress of the Communist International in the summer of 193.5. Alvah Bessie was a staff officer of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and fought in Spain as an ally of other Communist units which were supporting the loyalist cause (People's World of December 30, 1942; files of the Committee on Un-American Activities). 10. Alvah Bessie was a member of the advisory board of the periodical New Currents (March 1944) and a member of the editorial staff of the publication Mainstream (winter 1947). Both these publications were organized by leading Communists and supported by the Communist press. 11. The Daily Worker for December 12, 1938, carries an article entitled "Unions Will Form Guai'd of Honor" concerning the arrival of 1.50 veterans of the Lincoln Brigade. Alvah Bessie was listed as a commissar in the returning group. The Daily Worl^er for December 14, 1938 also carries an article concerning the returning veterans of the Lincoln Brigade entitled "Huge Parade Will Greet Boys at Ship." Returning veterans are listed according to State, and the name Alvah Bessie is listed under the State of New York. 12. The Daily Worker for January 11, 1941 carries an article on page 7 entitled "Bells Toll for Hemingway at Vets' Symposium." This article stated that a number of the veterans of the Spanish Civil War, being angered at the picture of tlie Spanish Civil War presented by Ernest Hemingway in his latest book. For Whom the Bell Tolls, had announced their intention of speaking from the floor at a symposium of the book which was to be held at 50 East Thirteenth Street (the headquarters of the Communist Party U. S. A.) under the auspices of the Workers School. Alvah Bessie, sergeant adjutant of the Lincoln Battalion and well-known short-story writer and novelist was listed as one of the speakers. 13. A leaflet which was distributed in the Los Angeles area disclosed that a meeting sponsored by the American Committee for Siwnish Freedom and by the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade was to be held at the Embassy Auditorium, 843 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. On June 10, 194(i, Alvah Bessie undertook to act as chairman of this meeting, introducing first Russell Nixon, described as a former professor of Harvard University and am economist of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Woi-ker.s of America, CIO, a Comnumist-controlled union. 14. The Daily Worker for September 29, 1946, on page 3 carries a photograph of Gen. Karol Swierczewski, of Soviet-controlled Poland, pictui'ed with Americans whom he decorated with the Dombrowski Medal at the national convention of the Veterans of the Abf'abam Lincoln Brigade. Bart van der Schelling accepted the award for Alvah Bessie. 15. The publication Volunteer for Liberty for November 1940 in reporting the ele<'tion of officers of tlie Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade listed Alvah Bessie as a member of the national executive board. 16. xVlynh Bessie was listed as a sponsor for a theatrical jirograiu to be held January 19, 1947, at the Valeska Theater, New York, entitled "Stars Entertain for Rei)ul)lio<in S])ain." The program was arranged for the benefit of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. 17. On April 12, 1944, a mass meeting was held at the Philharmonic Auditorium at Los Angeles for the benefit of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee. This committee has furnished transportation and sui>port for international Communist agents likie Gerhardt Eisler.