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

COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT 2199
Mrs. Wilson. Because the contact had akeady been made way
back when we started to become international, if you know what I
mean. The contact has been there ever since and it continues.
Mr. NiTTLE. Do you have knowledge of the circumstances under
which Mrs. Selma Rein was appointed in March of 1962 as a member
of a committee of foiu- of the Washington group of Women Strike for
Peace to arrange a list of international contacts?
Mrs. Wilson. No one has ever been appointed to anything in
Women Strike for Peace. People do volunteer for this or that job.
Mr. NiTTLE. Now, to yom- knowledge did Mrs. Selma Rein volunteer
for that particular job?
Mrs. Wilson. I have no knowledge of this, no.
Mr. NiTTLE. Did she, to your Imowledge, serve upon a committee
with the international coordinator of Women Strike for Peace?
Mrs. Wilson. I don't know.
Mr. NiTTLE. You don't know?
Mrs. Wilson. No.
Mr. NiTTLE. Mrs. Wilson, in putting this question I don't assume
that you do have knowledge, but I would hke to ask whether, in fact,
you have knowledge that Mrs. SeLma Rein has been identified as a
member of the Communist Party.
Mrs. Wilson. I have no such knowledge.
Mr. NiTTLE. Mr, Chairman, for the record I think it important to
note that the Committee on Un-American Activities received the
sworn testimony on December 13, 1955, of Herbert Fuchs, who, from
1937 until 1948 and while a member of the Communist Party, was
employed as an attorney by the National Labor Relations Board in
Washington, D.C., with the exception of a 3-year period when he was
assigned to the National War Labor Board.
For a considerable period of time Mr. Fuchs served as the official
contact for a Communist cell group within the National Labor Relations
Board with higher Communist Party echelons in WashiDgton,
D.C. Mr. Fuchs' contact was Victor Perlo, whose leading role in
the Communist Party program to infiltrate the U.S. Government was
first revealed in the testimony of Elizabeth Bentley before this committee
in 1948. Mr. Fuchs testified that in 1946 Selma Rein was
a member of a Communist Party group with which he met. Mrs.
Selma Rein was subpenaed to appear before this committee on February
28, 1956, and given an opportunity to explain or deny her alleged
membership in the Communist Party. She refused to answer that
question, invoking the fifth amendment privilege.
To the best of your recollection, Mrs. Wilson, did Mrs. Rem during
the period of her activity in the Washington office ever make any
suggestions to you as to any activities which Women Strike for Peace
might undertake?
Mrs. Wilson. No, sir.
Mr. NiTTLE. Literature of Women Strike for Peace, with place of
origin noted thereon as 1822 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington,
D.C, dated December 6, 1962, and addressed to "Dear
WISPs," indicates that your organization sent many telegrams
containing the following message:
Urge contact all WISPs to wire Chairman Walter, House Unamerican Activities
Committee asking opportunity to testify with Dagmar and other WISP3
December 11-13 in Washington about wonderful work WSP doing to preserve