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Se DA ACTIVITIES ie campaigned against Mayor that tha anly ennnartion was a Ulla CU mners, Communist ? as a candidate against Mayor ket @ ‘omnection with Miss Poyntz. with Carl Hacker, a former Labor Defense? ‘ime I ever heard the name. ther he was a member of the ot know him and this is the ned, that William L. Patterson “ secretary, Was a member of utive secretary, Miss Damen, sing up on the organization onal chairman did you deter- ofense Was ever, at any time, aternational Red Aid, with International Labor Defense before, my real information fense came to me as the or- these particular cases which other information on that rto clear up the record-—- “t me ask you this question. varman you did make some t . You see, after I became th the distinct understand- ‘anization and still is a non- -tanding ? else. take the chairmanship? ‘stood. id the governing board? ing to have anything to do / nonpolitical f nd nonpolitical and its one vil rights wherever they are UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES 5969 Mr. Tuostas. What led you to make that request? There must lave haan came reseon for it? AVC BERL SULIE Feast 1UL ak Mr, Marcantonio. It is natural, Congressman, in having read any charges against the International Labor Defense Council that may have been made, it was only natural, may I say to my colleague. Mr. Tuomas. I am not referring to today, but as of the time you made the statement. Mr, Marcantonio. Correct. The Cuairman. Something must have led you to make such a state- rent. Mr, Marantonio. The reason I made the statement was simply be- cause we defend the right of a Communist to be a Communist; we morenne tama an teen ae arcod wi wate defend persons time and time again, charged with being Communists, but I never lost an opportunity to assert and to reassert that the organization was non-Communist. r. Tirosmias. Had you made any investigation as to whether it was Communist or not? Mr. Marcantoxio. My investigation is right there; I am the pres- ident; I run the organization, The Cuairrman. You run the whole organization? Mr. Marcantonio. In accordance with the rules and bylaws and in accordance with the constitution of the order. In other words, I run the organization in the same sense that Mr, Green runs the A. F. of L. and the President runs the United States, in accordance with the constitution and bylaws and regulations of the organization, Mr. Tuomas, Who formulates the policies of the organization; the poverning body? My. Marcantonio. Let me say this about the policies: There are very few policies formulated, because, if we are convinced of a per- son being framed, it is simply a question of getting in touch with a good lawyer to defend him. Mr. Tuomas. You just assume he has been framed up and go thead and employ a lawyer? Mr. Marcantonio. I said if we were convinced, Mr. Tuomas. If you were convinced? Mr. Marcantonio, If we were convinced; yes. Mr, Tuomas, Did you defend this fellow Strecker? Mr. Marcantonio. Strecker—the International Labor Defense de- fended Strecker, Mr. Tusosas. Strecker was a Communist? Mr. Marcantonio, Certainly; and the supreme fpevutt agreed with the position taken by the International 17 ense; and if it is wrong, the is wrong; if we were un-American, the Supreme Court is un-American. Mr. THomas, Of course, personally, I think it was the poorest . + ad Ae) decision the Supreme Court ever made, The CHarrman. Well, gentlemen, let us not try to settle that here. Mr. Marcantonio. Well, if you think Chief Justice Hughes is in error, it 1s & question of which one you are to accept, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Wurtiey. Mr. Chairman, there seems to be considerable ques- tion, in the mind of both Miss Damon, the executive secretary, and Congressman Marcantonio with reference to the subject of whether or not the International Labor Defense was ever affiliated with the International Red Aid, I think perhaps a few quotations from the