Communist activities in the peace movement (Women Strike for ...

2174 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT
The Senate report discloses the activity of this institute on behalf
of advancing Stalin's policy for Communist subjugation of China.
The hearing record of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Part 14,
at page 4989, reveals that a Miriam Chesman was listed as a staff
member of the American Institute of Pacific Relations for the years
1944, 1945, 1946, and that she served in the position of subscription
clerk.
Mr. Bruce. Mr. Chairman, I think we might also for the record
point out that the hearings by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
reached the conclusion after very extensive hearings, and I believe
these are almost the exact words, that the organization to which you
referred constituted a conscious, articulate instrument of Soviet
policy in the United States, and particularly dealing with the gentleman
that they were conducting hearings on, who was Mr. Owen
Lattimore.
Mr. NiTTLE. Mrs. Chesman, were you a member of the Communist
Party during the years 1944, 1945, and 1946 while serving as a subscription
clerk for the American Council of the Institute of Pacific
Relations?
Mrs. Chesman. I question the authority of the committee to require
me to answer. I do not understand the pertinency of the question
to this hearing and I also invoke my constitutional rights under the
fifth amendment. Have I learned?
Mr. Bruce. I think so.
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Mr. NiTTLE. Are you now a member of the Communist Party,
Mrs. Chesman?
Mrs. Chesman. I stand on my prior answer.
Mr. NiTTLE. Did you engage in activity on behalf of Women Strike
for Peace in response to Commimist directives?
Mrs. Chesman. I stand on my prior answer.
Mr. NiTTLE. The staff has no further questions, Mr. Doyle.
Mr. Doyle. Mr. Bruce.
Mr. Bruce. Mrs. Chesman, you and other 's^dtnesses, both this
afternoon and this morning, have made quite a point out of the use of
the term "organization." You stress that it is not an organization.
You describe it then as just a spontaneous response of people from
their own personal feelings. Yes or no?
Is that how you would describe it?
Mrs. Chesman. Well, this is one thing I agree with, with all
other women in the Women Strike for Peace.
Mr. Bruce. Will you speak just a little louder?
Mrs. Chesman. That it is just this kind of thing.
the
Mr. Bruce. I think most anyone who has had any experience with
organization realizes that in order to have a response there must be
some central direction.
Is the literature that is used and the fliers that are handed out
sent to these "spontaneous" response groupings from any central place?
(Witness conferred with counsel.)
Mrs. Chesman. I can't answer these questions. You have gotten
a complete description of this movement and it is quite obvious that
I mean there is nothing written down that anybody can give a definite
answer on.
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