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

COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST THE PEACE MOVEMENT 2059
The final witness at the committee's pubhc hearings on December
13, 1962, was Mrs. Dagmar Wilson, of Washington, D.C., a graduate
of a high school in London, England, trained in the Art Department of
London University, which she attended for 4 years, and now generally
recognized as the leader of the Women Strike for Peace.
Mrs. Wilson disclaimed the role of being the official leader of the
group, but testified that it was her initiative which started the movement.
She said that she considered the recognition of herself as the
leader of the WSP to be more honorary than official.
The witness testified that "nobody is controlled by anybody" in
Women Strike for Peace, but said that there was constant communication
among the participants.
Mrs. Wilson told the committee that, although some individual
groups in different locahties preferred to use a different name, the
generally accepted name for the national movement had been Women
Strike for Peace. She said further that the group subsequently
decided to communicate with peace organizations in other nations and,
as a result, on January 15, 1962, changed its name to Women's International
Strike for Peace (WISP). She testified that she could not
recall specifically at whose suggestion the name had been changed, but
she said she was "pretty sure" that it had not been the recommendation
of any member of the New York group of Women Strike for Peace.
The committee counsel then produced information that, a few days
prior to January 15, 1962, a number of cablegrams had been sent from
foreign countries addressed to the "Women's International Strike for
Peace" at the New York City address. Mrs. Wilson was asked why
cablegrams were designated for the Women's International Strike for
Peace and sent to a New York address prior to the time that "International"
was supposed to have been inserted in the movement's name
by its leadership or coordinators in Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Wilson responded that a woman who resided in New York had
volunteered to make contact with women in other countries, and that
that woman's address was therefore the one to which the cabled
replies were sent.
The committee counsel informed Mrs, Wilson—who claimed not to
know—that committee investigation showed that the woman who had
made the contacts and received the cables from women in foreign
countries was also a member of the Central Coordinating Committee
of the New York group of the WSP. Counsel also informed Mrs.
Wilson that the chairman of one of WISP's work committees, the
International Committee, was also a member of the Central Coordinating
Committee of the New York group.
In view of this information, the witness agreed with the committee
counsel that the international contacts made by WISP rested in the
hands of the New York group of the movement, rather than with the
Washington group.
When asked if it was not a fact that she did not really^exercise
effective leadership or control over the New York group, Mrs. Wilson
rephed: "I think I already explained that. I mean we aU act on our
own."
She would not say, in response to counsel's question, that the New
York group had played the dominant role in activities of the Women
Strike for Peace.