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)

484 COMMUNISM IN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY letter contended that such an investigation would constitute ixtlitical interference in tlie internal affairs of the Soviet Union. Lardner and his fellow signers at that time were acting in accordance with the directives of the Stalin dictatorship which was attempting to silence the Conununist faction that was loyal to Ti-otsky. Trotsky later was murdered in Mexico hy an assassin who allegedly was a niemher of the Communist Party. Mr. Chairman, this memoranduin continues for 4 pages, listinp; 12 separate affiliations of Mr. Lardner. The Chairman. We would like to have it read. . Mr. Stripling. Have it read ? The Chairman. Yes. Mr, Strii'Lixg. Would it be all riofht if Mr. Gaston reads it? The Chairman. Yes. Mr. Gastox (readino;) : In 1941 Lardner resigned his official position in the Screen Writers Guild, after James K. McGuinness and How^ard Emmett Rogers had conducted a vigorous campaign against the Communist activities of that organization. But this was only a temporary retreat made necessary hy the searchlight which Mr. McGuinness and Mr. Rogers had turned on the Guild's leadership. At present, Lai'dner, in addition to heing chairman of the original materials committee, is a member of the editorial committee, which is responsible for the editorial policies of the Guild's magazine. In 1942, Lardner was on the editorial board of Communique, published hy the Hollywood Writers Mobilization, a Communist-front organization, and a member of the mobilization's minority committee, a smaller group also actively engaged in party-line work. * * * 2. The American Youth for Democracy is the new name for the Young Communist League.* The Committee on Un-American Activities, in its report of April 17, 1947, called upon the governors or legislatures of the various States and the administrative heads of the colleges and universities "to thoroughly exixtse the Communist connections of the American Youth for Democracy, as well as the inimical objectives of the Communist Party in America." The American Youth for Democracy was also cited as a Communist front by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities in the report on March 29, 1944. The People's World of December 1, 1944, reveals that Ring Lardner, Jr., was a sponsor of the American Youth for Democracy. The People's World is the organ of the Communist Party on the west coast. People's World, on August 17, 1944, contained an article setting forth the winners in a contest sponsored by the American Youth for Democracy. This was a letter-writing contest held in connection with a play entitled "Tomorrow the World," and had for its theme Why Democracy Is Better Than Fascism. The article announced that judges for the contest were Ring Lardner, Jr., Franklin Fearing, William O. Oliver, R^v. J. Raymond Henderson, and Mayer Frieden. It should he noted that this was during the ijeriod when Russia was our ally. The American Youth for Democrac.v, room 701, 542 South Broadway, Los Angeles, Calif., published a pamphlet setting forth the work for the American Youth for Democracy. This pamiihlet listed a committee which would sponsor the American Youth for Democracy first anniversary dinner in I>os Angeles in November 1944. Among those listed as sponsors were Ring Lardner, Jr., John Howard Lawson, Mrs. Charlotta A. Bass, Mrs. Dalton Trumho, and Edward Dmytryk. 3. Geoi'ge Dimitroff, the former general secretary of the Communist International, was honored by a declaration issued by the Reichstag Fire Trial Anniversary Committee. According to the New York Times of DcM-ember 22, 1943, page 40, Ring Lardner, Jr.. was a signer of this declaration which paid honor to Dimiti-off The Reichstag Fire Trial Anniversary Committee was cited as a Conimuin'st front by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities in the repoi't of March 29, 1944. 4. The California Action Conference for Civil Rights was cited by the California Joint Fact-Finding Committee as being "Communist inspired and dominated." The People's Daily World of September 27, 1941, lists Ring Lardner, Jr., as ^^ sponsor of the California Action Conference for Civil Riffhts. In the spring of 1946, the Civil Rights Congress, 205 East Forty-second Street, New York City, issued a pamphlet entitled "Urgent Summons to a Congress on