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

2074 COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES EST THE PEACE MOVEMENT
Mr. NiTTLE. Mrs. Posner, would you relate the extent of your
formal education?
Mrs. Posner. Well, I got a B.A. degree from Hunter College.
I took postgraduate work at New York University, City College,
and Columbia, where I almost got an M.A., but I got bored.
Mr. NiTTLE. What is your present occupation?
Mrs. Posner. Housewife.
Mr. NiTTLE. Prior to that, were you occupied as a teacher?
Mrs. Posner. Yes, sir.
Mr. NiTTLE. Do you hold an official position in an organization
known as Women Strike for Peace?
(Witness conferred with counsel.)
Mrs. Posner. I must decline to answer that question and I should
be very grateful if you would let me say why.
Mr. NiTTLE. We are only interested in whether or not you are
presenting a legal reason and basis for your refusal to testify. Therefore,
I will ask you simply this, and ask you not to make a statement
but to respond to the inquiry: Do you assign as your basis for your
refusal to testify the constitutional privilege of the fifth amendment?
(Witness conferred with counsel.)
Mrs. Posner. I should like to decline to answer the question, but
I must please plead with you to let me say why. I have
Mr. NiTTLE. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully request that the witness
be directed to answer the question addressed to her.
Mr. Doyle. I instruct the witness to answer the question. We
believe it is a pertinent question and entirely proper.
(Witness conferred with counsel.)
Mrs. Posner. I don't know, sir, why I am here, but I do know why
you are here. I think
Mr. NiTTLE. Mr. Chairman, I must ask for regular order.
Mrs. Posner. —because you don't quite understand the nature of
this movement. This movement was inspired and motivated by
mothers' love for their children.
Mr. NiTTLE. Mr. Chairman?
Mrs. Posner. When they were putting their breakfast on the table,
they saw not only wheaties and milk, but they also saw strontium 90
and iodine 131.
Mr. Doyle. Just a moment.
Mrs. Posner. They feared for the health and life of their children.
That is the only motivation.
Mr. Doyle. Witness! Now, Witness
Mrs. Posner. If you gentlemen have children or grandchildren,
you should be grateful to the Women Strike for Peace, or whatever
peace movement is working to stop nuclear testing. Every nuclear
test has resulted in malformations, has resulted in stillbirths, has
resulted in leukemia, has resulted in cancer, has resulted in the possibility
of a nuclear holocaust.
I have given to you gentlemen this statement which presents some
of the reasons why women are concerned.