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a Mayor ams that wt Mavor ® Poyntz. + fornier hae, wolf the “sie the Lie Tae, muir of sve UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES 5969 Mr. Tuomas. What led you to make that request? There must have been some reason for itt ~ Mr. Marcantonso. [t 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 todny, but as of the time you made the statement. Mr. Marcantonio. Correct. The Cuamman. Something must have led you to make such a state- ment, Mr. Marantowio. The reason I made the statement was simply be- cause we defend the right of a Communist to be a Communist; we defend persons time and time again, charged with being Communists, but I never Jost an opportunity to assert and to reassert that the organization was non-Communist, iv, Tuomas. Had you made any investigation as to whether it was Communist or not? Mr. Marcantonio, My investigation is right there; I am the pres- ident; I run the organization. The Cuarrman, You run the whole organization? Mr. Marcantonio, In accordance with the rules and bylaws and in aveordance 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, THomas, Who formulates the policies of the organization; the governing body? Mr. Marcantonio, Let me say this about the policies; There are very few policies formulated, because, if we are convinced of a per- xm bemg 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 zhead and employ a lawyer? Mr, Marcantonio. I said if we were convinced. Mr. Tuosras, If you were convinced? Mr, Marcantonio. Ti we were convinced; yes. Mr. Tuomas. Did you defend this fellow Strecker ? Mr. Marcantonro. Strecker—the International Labor Defense de- fended Strecker. My. Tuomas. Streeker was a Communist? Mr. Marcantonio. Certainly; and the Pera prs ened agreed with the position taken by the International Libor Defense; and if it is wrong. the Suni ae is wrong; if we were un-American, the Baur eee is un-American. Mas. Of course, personally, I think it was the poorest decision the Subtelas sourt ever made. The Cusimaan, Well, gentlemen, let us not try to settle that here. Mr. Marcantonro, Well, if you think Chief Justice Hughes js in ror, it 1s a question of which one you are to accept, Mr, Chairman, Mr. W HiTtLey. 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 ee pa