    [Testimony of Lynne L. Prout]
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    HEARING

    BEFORE  THE

    COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTIVITIES
    HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES

    EIGHTY-SECOND  CONGRESS

    SECOND  SESSION

    FEBRUARY  14,  1952

    Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities

    PUBLIC

    UNITED   STATES
    GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE
    22580  WASHINGTON  :  3  952

    ^  <^32^^  r:3^J

    COMMITTEE  ON  UN-AMERICAN  ACTI        I

    United  States  House  op  Representatives

    JOHN  S.  WOOD,  Georgia,  Chairman
    FRa  E.  WALTER,  Pennsylvania  HAROLD  H.  VELDE,  Illinois

    MORGAN  M.  MOULDER,  Missouri  BERNARD  W.  KEARNEY,  New  York

    CLYDE  DOYLE,  California"  DONALD  L.JACKSON,  California

    JAMES  B.  FRAZIER,  Jr.,  Tennessee  CHARLES  E.  POTTER,  Michigan

    Frank  S.  Tavenner,  Jr.,  Counsel

    Louis  J.  Russell,  Senior  Inves'igator

    John  W.  Carrington,  Clerk  of  Committee

    Raphael  I.  Nixon,  Director  of  Research

    TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L  PEOUT

    THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  14,  1952

    United  States  House  of  Representatives,

    Subcommittee  of  the  Committee  on

    Un-American  Activities,

    Washington,  D.  C.
    PUBLIC  hearing

    A  subcommittee  of  the  Committee  on  Un-American  Activities  met,
    pursuant  to  call,  at  10:50  a.  m.,  in  room  226,  Old  House  Office  Building,
    Hon.  John  S.  Wood,  chairman,  presiding.

    Committee  members  present:  Representatives  John  S.  Wood,
    Francis  E.  Walter,  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  and  Bernard  W.  Kearney.

    Staff  members  present:  Frank  S.  Tavenner,  Jr.,  counsel;  Thomas
    W.  Beale,  Sr.,  assistant  counsel;  John  W.  Carrington,  clerk;  Courtney
    E.  Owens,  investigator,  and  A.  S.  Poore,  editor.

    Mr.  Wood.  The  committee  will  be  in  order.

    For  the  purpose  of  this  hearing,  I  have  set  up  a  subcommittee  com-
    posed of  Messrs.  Walter,  Frazier,  Kearney,  and  Wood.  All  members
    are  present.

    Whom  do  you  have  this  morning?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Lynne  L.  Prout,  please.

    Air.  Wood.  Will  you  raise  your  right  hand,  please,  sir?

    Do  you  solemnly  swear  that  the  evidence  you  will  give  this  sub-
    committee, will  be  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the
    truth,  so  help  you  God?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  do.

    TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L.  PROUT

    Air.  Wood.  Are  you  represented  by  counsel?

    Air.  Prout.  No,  sir;  I  am  not.

    Mr.  Wood.  You  are  entitled  to  counsel  if  you  so  desu-e.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  know  that.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  state  your  full  name,  please,  sir?

    Air.  Prout.  Lynne  L.  Prout;  L-y-n-n-e  L.  P-r-o-u-t.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  and  where  were  you  born?

    Air.  Prout.  At  Aliltonvale,  Kans.,  in  1917.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  is  your  present  profession?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  work  for  the  RFC  in  San  Antonio,  Tex.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  state  briefly  for  the  committee,  please,
    what  your  education  and  training  has  been?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.  I  have  a  degree  conferred  by  Kansas  State
    College  in  the  field  of  industrial  journalism.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  state  for  the  committee  just  what  your
    record  of  employment  has  been?

    3597

    3598  TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.  In  the  spring  of  1941,  I  went  to  work  for  the
    Sioux  City  Tribune.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Let  me  interrupt  you  at  that  point.

    When  did  you  finish  your  educational  training?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  May  of  1940,  except  for  one  course  which  I  finished
    by  correspondence.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  if  you  will  proceed,  please.

    Mr.  Prout.  In  about  May  of  1941  I  received  an  appointment  for
    the  Office  of  Chief  of  Staff  here  in  Washington.  I  worked  with  them
    for  approximately  8  months,  and  then  I  was  transferred  to  the  Office
    of  the  Secretary  of  War  in  the  Division  of  Personnel.  I  stayed  with
    them  until  about  March  of  1942  and  then  I  was  transferred  to  San
    Antonio,  Tex.,  in  their  field  office.

    In  March,  I  believe  it  was  March  of  1943,  I  went  to  work  for  the
    Office  of  the  Quartermaster  General,  stationed  at  the  San  Antonio
    General  Depot.

    I  worked  there  until  November,  I  believe  it  was,  of  the  same  year.

    Then  I  went  on  a  travel  status  with  the  Quartermaster  General's
    office  making  personnel  survej^s  of  a  number  of  Quartermaster  and
    ASF  depots.

    Would  you  care  to  have  me  list  those  depots?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  think  not,  at  this  time.

    Mr.  Prout.  All  right,  sir.

    In  about  March  of  1944,  I  transferred  to  the  California  Quarter-
    master Depot  and  there  I  was  personnel  officer  until  approximately
    April  or  May  of  1946.  At  that  time  I  transferred  to  the  RFC  in  San
    Antonio,  and  I  am  presently  employed  there.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Prout,  the  committee  has  gained  information
    to  the  effect  that  you  at  one  time  were  a  member  of  the  Communist
    Party.  A  member  of  the  staff  called  upon  you  and,  as  I  understand
    it,  you  have  furnished  the  committee  with  some  basic  information.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Relating  to  your  membership  in  the  Communist
    Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Is  that  correct?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  did  you  become  a  member  of  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  1938.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  be  more  definite  as  to  the  time?  That  is,
    as  to  the  month  of  the  year?     Was  it  in  the  spring,  or  in  the  fall?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  it  was  in  the  fall  of  the  year;  yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  long  did  you  remain  in  the  Communist
    Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  was  only  in  for  a  short  time.  By  this  I  mean  a  dues-
    paying  member,  actually  a  member  of  the  party,  for,  I  would  estimate,
    3  months.

    But  during  the  period  1938  and  1939,  I  participated  in  practically
    evervthing  that  thev  did  at  that  location.  I  am  just  trying  to  draw  a
    distinction  to  cover  the  fact  that  I  wasn't  actually  a  diies-paymg
    member  for  very  long,  but  that  I  did  engage  in  their  activities  for
    approximately  2  years,  a  little  less  than  2  years,  I  would  say.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  will  you  tell  us  where  you  became  a  member
    and  the  circumstances  under  which  you  joined  the  party?

    TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L.  PROUT  3599

    Mr.  Prout.  I  became  a  member — — ■

    Mr.  Tavenner.  That  is,  the  Communist  Party.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  became  a  member  at  Stillwater,  Okla.,  while  a
    student  at  Stillwater.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  name  of  the  educational  institution?

    Mr.  Prout.  Oklahoma  Agricultural  and  Alechanical  College.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  were  the  circumstances  under  which  you
    became  a  member?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  heard  that  such  an  organization  existed,  and  I  was
    interested,  and  I  looked  them  up  and  asked  them  what  it  was  all
    about.  I  went  to  a  meeting  or  two;  I  think  one  meeting  in  Oklahoma
    City,  not  a  meeting,  but  just  to  meet  people.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  mean  to  meet  people  within  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  within  the  party.  Just  at  about  that  time  they
    had  announced  a  recruiting  drive,  the  winner  of  which  was  to  get  a
    trip  to  New  York  City.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  before  you  come  into  that,  let  us  make  cer-
    tain as  to  how  you  got  into  the  party.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  stated  you  attended  several  meetings.  Were
    you  accepted  as  a  member  at  the  first  meeting,  or  when  was  it  that
    you  were  accepted  as  a  member?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  that  probably  it  was  a  month  or  so  after  I  made
    my  first  contact.     I  cannot  recall  just  exactly  when  I  signed  a  card.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  who  had  advised  you  in  regard  to  the  matter?
    Who  recruited  you  into  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I,  of  course,  know  the  name.  I  am  reluctant  to  give  it.
    I  don't  know — is  it  necessary  that  I  give  the  names?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes,  sir;  unless  the  chairman  directs  otherwise.

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  left  the  hearing  room  at  this
    point.)

    Mr.  Wood.  Yes,  sir;  you  are  directed  to  answer  the  question.

    Mr.  Prout.  The  man  was  Harry  Jury.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  spell  the  last  name,  please?

    Mr.  Prout.  It  is  J-u-r-y,  I  think.     It  could  be  J-u-r-e-y.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliat  position  did  he  hold  at  the  school?  Was  he
    a  student  or  a  member  of  the  faculty?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  he  was  a  student.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Were  other  persons  taken  into  the  Communist
    Party  at  the  same  time  that  you  were?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Were  you  assigned  to  a  group  or  unit  of  the  party,
    commonly  referred  to  as  a  cell?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.  There  actually  was  not  a  group  in  existence  at
    the  campus  at  that  time,  as  far  as  I  know.  I  think  that  Harry  Jury
    and  myself  were  the  only  two  there  at  the  time  I  joined  the  party.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  was  a  group  formed  after  you  and  Mr.  Jury
    became  members?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  there  was.  I  don't  think  the  group  was  ever  as-
    signed a  number  or  referred  to  in  any  way,  but  it  was  just  a  group  of
    students.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  many  composed  the  group?  How  many  per-
    sons ultimately  became  members  while  you  were  there?

    3600  TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L.  PROUT

    Mr.  Prout.  I  would  estimate  12,  possibly  as  many  as  15.  Now,
    all  of  these  people,  or  most  of  them,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  never  actually
    participated,  but  there  were  that  number  that  did  join  the  party,  ap-
    proximately that  number.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliat  distinction  are  you  drawing  between  par-
    ticipating and  being  a  member?  All  members  participate,  do  they
    not?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir;  they  actually  didn't.  A  lot  of  them  signed
    the  card  for  the  purpose  of — again  I  am  getting  ahead — signed  a  card
    for  the  purpose  of  helping  me  win  this  trip.  And  some  of  them  never
    even,  I  don't  believe,  attended  one  meeting.

    But  there  were  approximately  12  to  13  who  actually  did  sign  cards.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  think  probably  in  light  of  that  statement  you
    should  explain  the  trip  that  you  spoke  about.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  the  Oklahoma  Communist  Party  announced  this
    recruiting  drive,  the  winners  of  which  were  to  get  this  paid  trip  to
    New  York  City.

    I  am  not  sure,  but  I  think  a  similar  drive  was  made  on  a  country-
    wide basis.  I  became  quite  interested  in  the  possibility  of  that  trip,
    and  went  to  work  recruiting,  and,  as  I  say,  I  brought  into  the  party,
    I  would  judge,  12  people.  It  could  have  been  15;  it  might  have  been
    a  few  less.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  And  that  is  the  basis  for  your  statement  that  some
    were  active  members,  or  some  were  participating  members  and  some
    were  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  right.

    You  see,  the  whole  thing  was  to  turn  in  cards.  And  I  "talked  to  my
    friends,  and  sometimes  I  paid  their  10  cents.  I  thinlv  that  is  what  it
    cost  to  get  in.  That  way  I  did  manage  to  win  the  trip  to  New  York
    City.

    Of  the  folks  that  I  did  bring  in,  some  of  them,  I  am  almost  sure,
    never  even  attended  a  meeting.    Some  of  them,  of  course,  did.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  explain  to  the  committee  just  how  you
    recruited  these  15  persons  into  the  Communist  Party  more  fully  than
    you  have  already  stated?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  I  sure  will.

    I  would  go  to  someone  that  I  knew,  a  friend,  or  whatever,  and  tell
    him  what  was  going  on;  tell  him  about  the  recruiting  drive.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Recruiting  drive  for  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Walter.  You  did  not  conceal  from  anybody  the  purpose  of
    this  recruitment,  so  everybody  that  you  attempted  to  recruit  was
    fully  aware  that  you  were  recruiting  members  for  the  Communist
    Party;  is  that  correct?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  I  think  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Walter.  All  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  So  that  each  of  these  individuals  knew,  then,  of
    course,  that  they  were  joining  the  Communist  Party  when  they  signed
    the  Communist  Party  card?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  doubt  about  that.  I
    don't  recall  that  the  explanations  that  I  gave  were  too  lengthy,  or
    anything  like  that,  but  I  do  believe  that  they  would  have  known,  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  stated  that  some  of  them  participated  in  the
    activities  of  the  party,  and  some  did  not.  Now,  what  were  the  names
    of  those  who  participated  in  the  activities  of  the  party?

    TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L.    PROUT  3601

    Mr.  Prout.  One  would  have  been  a  chap  by  the  name  of  Bernard
    PhilUps.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  All  right.

    Mr.  Prout.  Another  would  have  been  Pat  Allen.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  do  you  spell  Allen?

    Mr.  Prout.  A-1-l-e-n.

    One's  last  name  was  Davis;  I  don't  seem  to  recall  the  first  name.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.    Was  it  a  man  or  woman?

    Mr.  Prout.  A  man.    I  am  having  difficulty  going  over  the  names.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes,  and  I  want  you  to  be  extremely  careful
    about  it  and  take  what  time  you  need  to  think  the  matter  through.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  up  against  two  hazards  there.  One  is  the  time
    and  the  other  is  distinguishing  then  who  did  and  who  did  not  join.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  If  you  are  having  difficulty  in  distinguishing  be-
    tween those  who  participated  actively  and  those  who  did  not,  suppose
    you  just  give  us  from  this  point  on  the  names  of  those  who  did  unite
    with  the  Communist  Party  as  a  result  of  your  recruiting  work.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    There  was  a  Joe,  but  I  cannot  recall  his  last  name.  I  just  can't
    think  of  the  names.

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  returned  to  the  hearing
    room  at  this  point.)

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  recall  the  names  of  any  others  whom  you
    recruited?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  can  see  them,  but  I  just  can't  recall  their  names.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  We  may  return  to  that.

    Mr.  Trout.  All  right.  Fine.  I  might — I  have  thought  about  it
    quite  a  bit,  as  a  matter  of  fact.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Were  other  members  of  the  student  body  engag-
    ing in  this  same  drive  to  recruit  members  in  the  Communist  Party
    in  the  way  of  a  contest  for  this  trip?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.     I  was  the  only  one  who  was  working  on  it.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  give  the  committee,  please,  the  names  of
    the  other  members  of  the  group,  irrespective  of  whether  you  recruited
    them  or  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  It  started  out,  of  course,  with  Jury  and  myself.  The
    only  other  members  of  the  group  that  actually  participated  were
    Pat  Allen  and  Bernard  Phillips.  And  I  am  speaking  there  of  the
    regular  ones.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  know  what  the  party  name  of  Jury  was?

    Mr.  Prout.  Huscher.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  spell  it,  please?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  it  is  H-u-s-c-h-e-r.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  his  first  name?     Do  you  recall?

    Mr.  Prout.  James,  I  believe.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  have  a  party  name  also?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  I  did.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  your  name?

    Mr.  Prout.  My  name  was  Lee  Moine.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  spell  the  last  name,  please?

    Mr.  Prout.  M-o-i-n-e.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  the  other  persons  who  became  members  also
    have  pseudonyms?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  everyone  did.

    3602  TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  purpose  of  using  pseudonyms  there
    among  the  members  of  the  student  body?  You  all  knew  each  other,
    did  you  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  we  sure  did.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Those  who  were  outside  of  the  party  member-
    ship knew  each  of  you  in  the  party,  did  they  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  Oh,  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  purpose  of  using  pseudonyms?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know  for  sure.  We  never  used  them  among
    ourselves.     I  suppose  it  was  for  purposes  of  correspondence  or

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Was  it  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  a  list  of  the
    members  and  the  payment  of  dues  by  the  members  so  as  to  keep  the
    actual  names  secret  should  the  list  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  non-
    Communist?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes — I  am  not  sure  of  that;  I  assume  that  that
    would  be  true,  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Where  did  you  receive  your  instructions  to  use
    such  names?

    Mr.  Prout.  From  Oldahoma  City,  the  Communist  Party  in
    Oklahoma  City.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  actually  in  this  group  that  started  at  Still-
    water it  was  apparently  organized  by  Mr.  Jury  and  yourself.  Were
    you  acting  in  that  capacity  under  the  direction  of  the  members  of  the
    Communist  Party  outside  of  Stillwater?

    In  other  words,  were  you  doing  this  organization  work  at  the
    request  or  suggestion  of  the  Communist  Party  of  the  State  of  Okla-
    homa?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  tell  us  who  gave  you  those  directions.

    Mr.  Prout.  Mr.  Robert  Wood.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Robert  Wood.  And  what  position  did  he
    hold  in  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  cannot  recall  what  his  title  was.  It  seems  as  though
    it  was  secretary.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  State  secretary?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  but  I  am  not  sure  of  that.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  you  received  those  instructions,  did  you
    receive  them  at  a  Communist  Party  meeting,  or  did  you  receive  them
    individually  from  Mr.  Wood?

    Mr.  Prout.  You  mean  in  writing  or  something  like  that?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  No;  I  meant  were  you  in  attendance  at  a  Com-
    munist Party  meeting  of  officials  on  a  high  level  in  the  State  of  Okla-
    homa when  you  received  the  directions  to  engage  in  this  recruiting
    and  organization  work  at  Stillwater?

    Do  you  see  what  I  am  getting  at?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  I  do.  I  am  trying  to  recall.  I  believe  that  I
    received  the  instructions  at  one  time  when  I  was  at  Oklahoma  City,
    not  at  a  meeting  where  there  were  a  number  of  people  present,  but
    Wood,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others.  I  am  not  sure  of  that  answer.
    I  cannot  recall  where  that  instruction  was  passed  down.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Where  was  the  State  headquarters  of  the  Com-
    munist Party  of  Oklahoma  located?

    Mr.  Prout.  It  was  in  Oklahoma  City.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  remember  the  address?

    TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE   L.   PROUT  3603

    Mr.  Prout.  129K  Grand,  or  Main;  I  am  not  sure  which  street.  I
    think  it  was  Grand.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  at  the  time  you  received  these  instructions,
    do  you  know,  or  can  you  give  us  the  names  of  any  persons  present
    other  than  Robert  Wood?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  just  cannot  recall  for  sm-e  the  circumstances,  so  I
    cannot  recall  who  else  was  present.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Was  Mr.  Jury  present  with  you?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  just  don't  know.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  attend  meetings  of  members  of  the  Com-
    mmiist  Party  at  its  headquarters  in  Oklahoma  City?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  was  there  several  times,  but  I  don't — I  am  sure  that
    there  were  no  organized  meetings  going  on  at  the  time  that  I  was
    there  except  in  one  case,  a  public  meeting  was  going  on.

    The  times  that  I  went  to  Oklahoma  City,  I  usually  just  dropped  up
    to  the  party  office  there  and  talked  with  whoever  was  there,  which
    would  have  been  Robert  Wood  or  Ina,  Mrs.  Ina  Wood.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  were  the  names  of  the  Communist  Party
    members  you  met  in  the  headquarters  in  Oklahoma  City?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  addition  to  Robert  Wood  there  was  Mrs.  Wood,
    whose  name  was  Ina,  and  chap  by  the  name  of  Jaffe,  Eli.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  know  his  first  name?

    Mr.  Prout.  Eli  Jaffe.  There  was  one  other  who  had  some  sort
    of  a  responsible  position,  but  I  can't  recall  what  his  name  was.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  position  of  Ina  Wood,  if  any,  as  a
    functionary  of  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  believe  I  ever  knew  of  any  title  in  connection
    with  her.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  she  doing  at  the  headquarters,  as  far
    as  you  could  determine?  Was  it  secretarial  work,  or  was  it  any
    other  class  of  work  that  you  could  describe  to  the  committee?

    In  other  words,  was  she  working  in  the  headquarters?

    Mr.  Prout.  She  was  there,  I  believe,  almost  every  time  I  was
    there.  As  far  as  function  is  concerned,  I  don't  recall  ever  having  seen
    her  performing  any  work.  Sometimes  with  the  literature,  probably,
    stacking  it  around,  or  something.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  And  Mr.  Eli  Jaffe,  what  position  did  he  have  as  a
    functionary  of  the  party,  if  any?

    Mr.  Prout.  Now,  there,  again,  I  don't  beUeve  I  recall  ever  having
    heard  a  title  in  connection  with  his  name.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  many  trips  did  you  make  to  the  head-
    quarters? ,

    Mr.  Prout.  I  would  say  around  five,  four  or  five  or  six.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Over  what  period  of  time  did  you  make  those  trips?

    Mr.  Prout.  There  would  have  been  several  in  1938.  I  don't  recall
    any  in  1939;  there  probably  was,  though.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  That  means  that  on  about  three  occasions  you
    went  to  the  State  headquarters  after  1939.

    Mr.  Prout.  After  1939?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.  You  stated  that  there  were  several  occa-
    sions in  1938,  as  I  understood  you.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  And  none  in  1939?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  and  possibly  one  in

    22580—52 2

    3604  TESTIMONY    OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    Mr,  Tavenner.  I  see.

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  say  there  probably  were  some  in  1939.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  ever  visit  the  headquarters  in  Oklahoma
    City,  that  is,  the  headquarters  of  the  Communist  Party  after  the  year
    1939?  .  •

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  sure  that  I  didn't.  If  I  have  my  dates  right,
    here,  I  never  visited  them  after  leaving  school  at  Stillwater  in  the
    spring.     I  am  almost  sure  the  year  was  1939,  the  spring  of  1939;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  far  was  Stillwater  from  Oklahoma  City?

    Mr.  Prout..  About  80  miles.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  did  you  travel?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  usually  hitchhiked  down,  caught  a  ride.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  purpose  of  these  five  trips  you  made
    to  Oklahoma  City  when  you  visited  the  headquarters  of  the  Com-
    munist Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  One  was  to  attend  an  open  meeting  that  was  being
    held.     I  don't  know

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  other  members  of  your  group  in  Stillwater
    accompany  you?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  On  that  occasion?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  they  did.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  were  they?

    Mr.  Prout.  Pat  Allen,  I  believe  Harry  Jury — I  am  not  sure  about
    that.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  All  right,  now,  tell  us  the  purposes  of  your  other
    trips  to  headquarters.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  believe  there  was  any  particular  purpose.  I
    don't  believe  we  were  called  in.  I  cannot  recall  ever  having  been
    asked  to  come  in.  And  when  we  did  go,  it  was  just  to  go  down  and
    talk,  and  that  sort  of  thing.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  will  you  tell  us  about  the  activity  of  your
    group  of  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Wood.  Before  we  leave  that,  I  have  a  question.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Wood.  When  you  were  called  in  to  headquarters  from  Still-
    water, 80  miles  away,  who  called  you?

    Mr,  Prout.  I  didn't  mean  to  say  that  we  were  called  in.  I  think
    I  said  that  we  weren't  called.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  were  not  called?

    Mr.  Prout,  We  were  not  called.  We  usually  went  to  just  go  down
    to  talk.

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  left  the  hearing  room  at  this
    point.)

    Mr.  Wood.  You  said  you  were  notified  about  the  open  meeting
    you  had  there.     Who  notified  you  about  that?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  would  have  been  Bob  Wood,  yes.

    Mr.  Wood.  Bob  Wood?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.  I  don't  recall  just  how  we  goUtlie  word  on  that,
    but  I  believe  a  letter  or  something  came  up  telling  us  about  this
    meeting.

    Mr.  Wood.  Is  that  the  only  instance  in  which  you  went  to  Okla-
    homa City?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir.

    TESTIMONY  OP  LYNNE  L.  PROUT  3605

    Mr.  Wood.  I  am  talking  about  my  request  of  Wood,  or  some  other
    functionary  of  the  party  out  there  at  Oldahoma  City.  Is  that  the  only,
    instance  you  went  there  by  request,  and  the  rest  of  the  time  you  just
    drifted  in?

    Why  did  you  go  the  other  times?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  trying  to  answer  your  first  question.  I  think
    there  was  another  occasion  where  they  were  having  some  kind  of  a
    party  down  there  and  they  asked  us  to  attend,  if  we  wanted  to.

    Mr.  Wood.  Wliere  was  that  party  held?     At  the  headquarters?

    Mr.  Prout.  No  ;  it  was  held  at  another  location.

    Mr.  Wood.  Was  it  a  home,  or  what?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  it  was  a  hall;  it  was  some  sort  of  a  hall,  but  I
    don't  recall  where  it  was  located  in  town  there.

    Mr.  Wood.  How  did  you  find  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  we  went  to  the  party  office  and  went  out  with
    some  of  those  folks.

    Mr.  Wood.  Was  that  a  Communist  Party  meeting?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  it  wasn't.  It  was  some  sort  of  a  party  that  they
    had  organized.

    Mr.  Wood.  You  mean  that  there  were  people  who  attended  that
    party  who  were  not  members  of  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  Oh,  yes;  it  was  an  interracial  party,  was  what  it  was.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  purpose  of  the  first  meeting  that
    you  said  you  attended,  which  I  understood  was  an  open  meeting?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  open  meeting?  It  was  held  in  an  auditorium,
    and  the  general  public  was  advised  that  the  meeting  was  going  to  be
    held,  and  various  of  the  party  people  made  talks.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  were  they?

    Mr.  Prout.  Bob  Wood  and  Ina  Wood  and  the  other  chap  whose
    name  I  cannot  recall,  as  I  said,  was  one  of  the  mainsprings  there.

    Mr.  Wood.  Were  those  all  of  the  people  who  made  talks  at  that
    meeting?     Those  three?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  that  that  is  right;  yes.  I  don't  recall  any  other
    people  talking.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  your  last  statement?

    Mr.  Wood.  He  thinks  they  were  the  only  three  that  made  talks.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  go  to  the  Communist  Party  headquarters
    in  Oklahoma  City  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  Communist  Party
    hterature  for  dissemination  among  your  group?

    Mr.  Prout.  We  got  some  while  we  were  there,  almost  on  every
    occasion,  I  think.  We  didn't  go  for  the  purpose  of  getting  it,  but  we
    usually  did  take  some  back;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  recall  what  the  nature  of  the  Communist
    Party  literature  was?

    Mr.  Prout.  Most  of  them  were  thin  pamphlets  dealing  with  various
    subjects.     I  frankly  never  read  very  much  of  them.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  the  Communist  Manifesto,  was  that  one  of
    them?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  was  one  of  them.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  State  and  Revolution,  by  Lenin,  do  you  recall  that
    as  one  of  them?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  sure  that  I  have  heard  that  title,  but  I  don't
    know  whether  we  had  that.

    3306  TESTIMONY    OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Left-Wing  Communism,  by  Lenin;  was  that
    another?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  believe  I  had  that;  no.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Let  me  show  you  the  booklet,  State  and  Revolu-
    tion by  Lenin,  and  see  if  by  looking  at  the  cover  and  examining  it,
    you  can  determine  whether  that  is  one  of  the  books  you  received.
    [Handing  booldet  to  the  witness.]

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  sure  we  never  had  any  books  that  had  this  appear-
    ance, I  mean  the  paper  and  the  binding.  I  am  sure  that  we  had  some
    with  the  picture  on  the  front,  but  I  just  don't  recall  the  title.

    I  just  don't  know.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  That  is,  pamphlets  with  the  picture  of  Lenin  on
    the  front?

    Mr.  Prout.  Well,  now,  the  one  that  I  had  in  mind  with  Lenin  on
    was  a  large  picture  that  covered  most  of  the  page,  I  thinlv,  but  I  don't
    know  what  it  was.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  was  the  Communist  Party  literature  which
    you  obtained  there  the  Communist  Party  literature  that  the  secretary,
    Robert  Wood,  desired  that  your  group  study?

    I  mean,  it  was  given  to  you  for  the  purpose  of  taking  it  back  to  your
    group  and  studying  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  And  you  did  study  the  Communist  Party  litera-
    ture and  discuss  it  at  your  meetings,  did  you  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  a  limited  amount,  yes.  Not  too  much  of  that.  I
    believe — yes,  there  was  some  study,  but  not  too  much.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  were  various  members  of  your  group  assigned
    topics  or  pamplilets  for  discussion  at  your '  group  meetings  from  time
    to  time?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  we  started  that  one  time  and  it  didn't  work.
    There  was  very  little  study  done.  But  I  do  believe  that  we  made
    assignments  like  that  one  time,  or  possibly  two  times,  but  they  never
    came  in  to  discuss  them.     I  mean  there  was  no  participation.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  was  in  charge  of  the  handling  of  the  litera-
    ture?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  was — Harry  Jury  and  I  split  that  function,  I  would
    say.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  were  the  dues  assessed  and  collected  in  your
    group?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  dues  were,  I  think,  10  cents  a  month.  There
    were  very  few  ever  collected.  I  believe  that  I  collected  some.  I
    don't  recall  how  we  handled  the  money  after  it  was  collected.  I  can
    recall  a  few  occasions  picking  up  a  dime  from  this  fellow  or  that
    fellow.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  disposition  was  made  of  the  dues  when
    collected?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  believe  it  was  sent  to  Oklahoma  City.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Were  the  dues  ever  delivered  in  person  to  any
    officials  in  Oklahoma  City,  any  officials  of  the  Communist  Party.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  just  do  not  recall  that  they  were.  I  just  don't  know
    the  answer  to  that.  You  see,  there  was  such  a  small  amount  actually
    ever  paid  in,  people,  most  of  them  joined  and  never  paid  any  dues
    after  that.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  stated  you  left  the  college  at  Stillwater  in  the
    spring,  or  in  1939,  and  you  had  completed  your  work  at  that  time?

    TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT  3607

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  did  you  withdraw  from  the  Communist
    Party,  if  at  all?

    Mr.  Prout.  Well,  now,  by  withdrawing — I  just  quit.  I  never  made
    any  further  trips  to  Oklahoma  City  after  that  time.  I  received  two
    letters,  I  believe  it  was,  from  them  after  I  went  home  from  school  that
    year.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  am  trying  to  find  out  whether  you  ceased  to  be
    active  in  the  Communist  Party  when  you  left  school  or  whether  you
    ceased  to  be  active  prior  to  leaving  school.  I  am  trying  to  fix  the
    time.  In  other  words,  did  your  leaving  the  Communist  Party,  or  at
    least  ceasing  to  be  active,  date  from  the  time  of  your  leaving  school,
    or  was  that  something  which  occurred  either  earlier  or  later?  Did
    your  leaving  school  have  anything  to  do  with  your  becoming  less  active
    in  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  had  decided  during  the  spring  of  that  year  to  stop.
    I  was — ^ — •

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Why  was  that?

    Mr!  Prout.  I  was  becoming  disgusted  with  the  whole  affair.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  do  you  base  that  statement  on?  Why  were
    you  disgusted?

    Mr.  Prout.  Well,  one  thing,  one  very  important  thing,  was  that
    these  stories  were  getting  back  to  my  home  town.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  stories?

    Mr.  Prout.  About  my  activities  with  the  Communist  Party,  and
    they  were,  of  course,  embarrassing  my  folks  there  no  end.  Also  the
    people  themselves  in  the  party,  I  just  didn't  care  about.  I  don't
    mean  our  little  local  group  there  in  the  college,  I  mean,  they  were  all
    right,  but  the  party  people  themselves,  I  didn't  care  much  about.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  advise  the  Communist  Party  in  Okla-
    homa Cit}'^,  that  is,  the  State  organization,  at  any  time  that  you
    expected  to  discontinue  your  activities  in  the  party  or  that  you  had
    withdrawn  from  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  didn't.  I  never  wrote  them  anything,  or  I  never
    told  the  personnel.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now,  how  is  the  committee  to  understand  there
    that  vou  did  actually  sever  your  connection  with  the  Communist
    Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  only  action  that  I  took  which  was  more  a  lack
    of  action  than  action,  was  after  I  returned  home  from  school  that
    spring  I  received,  I  think,  two  letters  from  them.  One  of  them  was
    advising  of  a  meeting  to  be  held  somewhere  at  some  time  during  the
    summer,  and  I  didn't  attend  that  meeting.  I  think  I  just  destroyed
    the  letter  and  forgot  about  it.     That  was  the  first  letter  I  received.

    I  am  almost  positive  there  was  a  second  letter  also  which  I  am  quite
    sure  I  didn't  even  open.  I  think  I  just  destroyed  it,  or  possibly  sent
    it — no;  I  think  I  just  destroyed  it.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  believe  you  told  us  that  your  first  employment,
    or  at  least  your  first  employment  with  the  Government,  was  in  1941
    when  you  became  employed  by  the  War  Department  in  Washington.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  believe  you  said  you  were  assigned  to  the  Office
    of  the  Chief  of  Staff?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  right.

    3608  TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  tell  the  committee  just  what  the  nature
    of  your  duties  were  while  employed  by  the  War  Department?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.  While  with  the  Chief  of  Staff's  office  I  was  in
    the  Chief  Clerk's  department,  a  Mr.  Statesh.  And  my  work  was  in
    connection  with  a  small  office  which  duplicated  things  and  handled
    printed  supplies,  small  printed  supplies.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  advise  the  War  Department  when  you
    obtained  employment  that  you  had  been  a  member  of  the  Communist
    Party  as  recently  as  1939?  ij/i-

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.  '     <■

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  file,  at  the  time  of  your  employment  with
    the  War  Department,  what  is  known  as  a  Form  57?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  I  did.     I  believe  they  used  that  form  at  that '
    time,  some  sort  of  application  form,  anyway.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Chahman,  we  have  called  for  the  production
    of  the  paper  which  was  signed,  but  we  have  not  yet  received  it.  It  i?
    in  St.  Louis.  i^ni

    Do  you  recall  what  representation  you  made,  if  any,  in  1941  4
    applying  for  this  position  with  regard  to  your  membership  previouslAj^
    in  the  Communist  Party?  i

    Mr.  Prout.  I  assume  that  the  57  had  some  question  on  there  abo^i
    that.     I  don't  recall  that  it  did,  but  some  question  similar  to  the  on^VL
    I  imagine  you  are  referring  to  the  question  that  is  on  the  57  noW:^
    some  similar  question.  )3Ji

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.  in--'-

    Mr.  Prout.  Of  course,  whether  or  not  it  would  pertain  to  cop5
    munism,  or  whatever  at  that  time,  I  don't  know.  qc

    Mr.  Kearney.  If  it  did,  you  didn't  tell  the  truth,  anyway,  did  yoi/

    Mr.  Prout.  Sir?  ij,;

    Mr.  Kearney.  If  there  was  such  a  question  on  that  applicatio«>3,
    you  did  not  tell  the  truth  with  reference  to  your  affiliation  with  the
    Communist  Party  in  answer  to  that  question?  ;!

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  believe  the  question  was  asked.  I  know  that  I
    I  wouldn't  have  made  a  bald  statement  denying  membership  in  the  >
    Communist  Party.

    Mr.  Kearney.  Did  you  say  you  had  asked  for  that,  Mr.  Tavenner?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.

    Wliat  was  your  next  employment  in  the  Government?

    Mr.  Prout.  With  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  character  of  the  duties  performed
    by  you  when  you  were  with  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  w^as  known  as  a  classification  analyst.  That  in-
    volved reviewing  job  sheets  and  determining  what  classification  grade
    they  should  hold.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  sign  another  Form  57  in  connection  with
    your  employment  in  that  office?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  I  believe  that  it  was  requu'ed  on  every  transfer,    ox

    Mr.  Tavenner.  So  the  same  type  form  was  signed  by  you?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Then  your  next  employment  seems  to  be  with  the
    Quartermaster  General.

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  right;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  nature  of  your  duties  there?

    TESTIMONY  OF  LTNNE  L.  PROUT  3609

    Mr.  Prout.  The  same  thing,  classification  analyst.  And  at  the
    latter  part  of  that  employment,  making  general  persomiel  surveys,
    effectiveness  of  personnel  operation.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliile  you  were  engaged  in  those  various  services
    for  the  Government,  were  you  ever  solicited  to  return  to  the  Com-
    munist Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir.  I  don't  believe  I  have  ever  met  a  Communist
    at  any  time  that  I  was  in  the  Government.

    ^  Jr.  Tavenner.  Then  your  next  employment  with  the  Government
    was  with  the  Reconstruction  Finance  Corporation  in  Texas?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliat  has  been  the  character  of  your  duties  while
    working  for  the  Reconstruction  Finance  Corporation?

    Mr.  Prout.  Personnel  and  administrative  work.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  During  the  entire  period  of  your  employment?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.     I  have  done  a  few  other  things  too.     I  have

    ^,de  a  few  appraisals  and  have  written  up  a  few  applications,
    vlr.  Tavenner.  Are  you   still   employed   by   the   Reconstruction
    '\nance  Corporation?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  I  am.

    Mr.  Wood.  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Tavenner.
    Tr.  Tavenner.  Surely.

    vfr.  Wood.  Did  you  transfer  from  the  War  Department  to  the
    construction  Finance  Corporation  at  your  own  request  or  were  you
    isf  erred?       »

    vir.  Prout.  Yes,  at  my  own  request.     That  is,  I  sent  them  an
    lication  asking  for  a  job.

    At.  Wood.  Well,  were  you  transferred  with  your  own  classification
    t  you  had  in  the  War  Department  as  far  as  civil  service  is  con-
    ned, or  did  you  get  a  higher  classification?

    ^Mr.  Prout.  No,  I  got  a  lower  classification.     You  see,  at  that  time
    'FC  had  a  different  grading  svstem  than  the  War  Department,  and

    was  a  grade  1 1  with  the  War  l)epartment,  and  I  believe  my  transfer
    lo  RFC  actually  involved  a  lower  equivalent  grade.  But  I  don't  be-
    lieve there  was  any — yes,  there  was  a  slight  loss  in  pay.

    Mr.  Wood.  Decrease  or  increase?

    Mr,  Prout.  A  slight  decrease  in  pay.

    Mr.  Wood.  What  was  the  purpose  of  seeking  employment  at  a
    lower  rate  of  pay  in  the  RFC  than  you  had  in  the  War  Department?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  depot  in  California  was  moving  from  Oakland  out
    into  a  rural  area,  Stockton,  or  close  to  Stockton,  and  I  didn't  want  to
    go  there.

    You  see,  they  were  merging  several  depots,  is  what  they  were  doing,
    I  think  a  medical,  an  engineer,  and  quartermaster  depot  were  merging
    out  in  this  rural  area.

    Mr.  Wood.  That  was  where  you  were  located  at  the  time  you  made

    ^ur  transfer  to  the  RFC?     Were  you  located  in  California?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  in  Oakland.

    Mr.  Wood.  You  made  your  transfer  to  the  RFC  at  what  place?

    Mr.  Prout.  San  Antonio.

    Mr.  Wood.  That  is  where  you  are  presently  located?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Wood.  And  you  made  that  transfer  when?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  1946.

    3610  TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROITT

    Mr.  Wood.  And  you  have  been  in  San  Antonio  continuously  since
    that  time?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Wood.  All  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Prout,  I  ask  you  whether  or  not  you  filed  a
    Form  57  when  you  became  employed  in  1946  by  the  Reconstruction
    Finance  Corporation.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Now  I  hand  you  what  piu-ports  to  be  a  photo-
    static copy  of  an  application  for  Federal  employment  on  Form  57,
    and  I  will  ask  you  if  this  is  the  form  which  you  signed  in  1946?  [Hand-
    ing document  to  the  witness.]

    (Representative  Bernard  W.  Kearney  left  the  room  at  this  point.)

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  I  am  sure  this  is  the  one.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  offer  the  Form  57  in  evidence  and  ask  that  it  be
    marked  'Trout  Exhibit  No.  1."

    Mr.  Wood.  That  will  be  admitted.

    (The  document  referred  to,  marked  "Prout  Exhibit  No.  1,"  is  filed
    herewith.)

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Is  that  your  signature  at  the  end  of  the  form?

    Mr.  Prout  (after  examining  document).  Yes,  sir;  it  is.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  read  question  17  and  your  answer,
    please?

    Mr.  Prout.  Question  17:

    Do  you  advocate  or  have  you  ever  advocated,  or  are  you  ntw,  or  have  you
    ever  been  a  member  of  any  organization  that  advocates  the  overthrow  of  the
    Government  or  the  United  States  by  force  and  violence?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  your  answer?

    Mr.  Prout.  "No."

    Mr.  Tavenner.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  you  had  been  a  member  of  the
    Communist  Party  in  1939,  had  you  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  knew  that  that  question  had  reference  to
    membership  in  the  Communist  Party,  did  you  not,  at  the  time  you
    signed  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  No — I  mean,  the  answer  would  have  to  be  no.  It
    could  have  referred  to  organizations  which  we  knew  at  that  time
    were  violent  in  their  methods,  which  would  be  the  Fascists,  or  the
    Nazi  organizations.  You  see,  the  Communist  Party,  as  far  as  we
    were  always  told,  was  purely  an  organization  which  believed  in
    accomplishing  its  objectives  through  legislation  and  education.  The
    idea  of  violent  tactics  was  never  revealed.

    Mr.  Walter.  How  did  you  reach  that  conclusion?

    Mr.  Prout.  Sir?

    Mr.  Walter.  How  did  you  reach  the  conclusion  that  the  objectives
    would  be  obtained  through  legislation?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  what  we  were  always  told.

    Mr.  Walter.  By  whom?

    Mr.  Prout.  By  the  party  people,  and  I  think  in  their  hterature,
    too.     I  am  not  sure  about  that.     I  haven't  read  much.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Let  me  refresh  your  recollection  about  that.  The
    Communist  Manifesto  by  Karl  Marx  and  Friedrjch  Engels,  that  you

    TESTIMONT  OF  LTNNE  L.  PROUT  3611

    said  you  received  as  part  of  the  Communist  literature,  has  this  to  say
    on  that  subject:

    The  Cormiimists  disdain  to  conceal  their  views  and  aims.  They  openly  de-
    clare that  their  ends  can  be  attained  only  by  the  forcible  overthrow  of  all  exist-
    ing social  conditions.

    So  it  is  part  of  the  woof  and  warp  of  the  Communist  teachings.
    Again  I  quote  from  the  Communist  Manifesto:

    In  depicting  the  most  general  phases  of  the  development  of  the  proletariat  we
    trace  the  more  or  less  veiled  civil  war  raging  within  existing  society  up  to  the  point
    where  that  war  breaks  out  into  open  revolution  and  where  the  violent  overthrow
    of  the  bourgeoisie  lays  the  foundation  for  the  sway  of  the  proletariat.

    So  those  teachings,  it  is  apparent,  right  in  the  Communist  Mani-
    festo show  the  purposes  of  the  Communist  Party.  And  again  I  quote
    to  you  from  State  and  Revolution  by  V.  I.  Lenin:

    We  have  already  said  above,  and  shall  show  more  fully  later,  that  the  teaching
    of  Marx  and  Engels  regarding  the  inevitability  of  a  violent  revolution  refers  to
    the  bourgeois  state.  It  cannot  be  replaced  by  the  proletarian  state,  a  dictator-
    ship of  the  proletariat,  through  withering  away,  but  as  a  general  rule  only  through
    violent-  revolution.

    And  again  I  quote:

    The  replacement  of  the  bourgeois  by  the  proletarian  state  is  impossible  with-
    out a  violent  revolution.

    Mr.  Wood.  Did  you  read  those  documents  that  have  been  quoted
    from  while  you  were  a  member  of  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  think  that  I  have  ever  seen  the  last  one  that
    you  read.     Now,  I  have  seen

    Mr.  Wood.  You  mean  the  one  entitled  "State  and  Revolution"?

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  retm*ned  to  the  hearing  room
    at  this  point.)

    Mr.  Prout,  I  don't  know  that  I  have.

    Mr.  Wood,  You  had  it  in  your  hand  when  you

    Mr,  Prout.  I  mean  previous  to  this.  But  the  other  one,  the  Com-
    munist Manifesto,  we  did  have  that.  Now,  I  don't  think  that  I  have
    ever  read  the  Communist  Manifesto  from  beginning  to  end.  I  think
    I  have  browsed  in  it  a  little  bit,  but  that  is  about  all,

    Mr.  Tavenner,  You  see,  it  is  a  little  difficult  for  me,  at  least,  to
    understand  how  you  could  have  had  views  at  that  time  that  the
    Fascists  or  Fascist  organizations,  of  which  you  were  not  a  member,
    were  endeavoring  to  use  force  and  violence,  to  overthrow  our  form  of
    Government,  and  that  the  Communist  Party,  of  which  you  were  a
    member,  did  not.

    Do  you  not  recognize  that  the  Communist  Party  did  teach  and
    advocate  the  overthi-ow  of  our  Government  by  the  use  of  force  and
    violence  at  the  time  that  you  were  a  member  of  it?

    Mr.  Prout,  No,  sir;  I  don't,  I  mean,  they  might  have  actually
    had  that  goal  in  mind,  but  as  far  as  we  were  concerned,  we  were  never
    told  that  the  Communist  Party  advocated  violence  in  attacking  this
    country  or  overthrowing  it.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  knew  at  the  time  you  signed  the  Form  57
    that  if  you  would  answer  that  question  "Yes"  that  you  would  not
    have  been  employed,  did  you  not?

    Mr.  Prout.  Oh,  I  don't  think  that  I  would  have  been  employed
    answering  that  question  "Yes";  no,  I  don't.     But  I  still  think  that

    3612  TESTIMONY   OF   LYNNE    L.   PROUT

    "No,"  although  it  is  a  questionable  answer,  or  was,  based  upon  what
    we  were  beginning  to  find  out  then,  I  still  think  that  "No"  would  have
    to  be  the  answer  on  that  question.  You  see,  in  1946  we  didn't  know
    lots  of  things  which  we  have  certainly  found  out  in  the  last  2  or  3  or
    4  years.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  mean  to  state  that  in  1946  there  was  any
    doubt  in  your  mind  that  the  Communist  Party  advocated  the  over-
    throw of  our  Government  by  the  use  of  force  and  violence,  if  necessary?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  I  think  that  there  was  a  big  doubt  in  my  mind.
    I  don't  believe  that  I  had  any  proof  at  that  time  that  the  Communist
    Party  planned  to  overthrow  this  Government  by  force  and  violence.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  did  you  first  become  acquainted  with  the
    purposes  of  the  Communist  Party  with  reference  to  that  subject?

    Mr.  Prout.  To  the  violent  aspect?  The  first  proof  with  respect
    to  the  attitude  of  our  Government,  what  our  Government  thought
    about  communism,  the  Communist  Party  in  this  country,  started
    coming  out  in  the  last  2  or  3  or  4  years.  One,  of  course,  was  through
    the  publication  of  the  list  of  subversive  organizations,  I  believe  that
    was  published,  or  put  out  by  the  Department  of  Justice.

    And  of  course  the  New  York  trial  tended  to  prove  that  it  was  an
    unconstitutional  organization.  In  my  memory,  it  has  only  been
    fairly  recently  that  the  Government  has  established  legally,  or  other-
    wise, that  the  Communist  Party  was  a  force  or  violence  which  would
    stop  at  nothing  to  accomplish  its  world-wide  objectives.

    Mr.  Wood.  If  you  had  been  advised  of  the  character  of  organiza-
    tion that  you  now  understand  it  to  be,  would  you  have  joined  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  would  not;  no.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  ever  report

    Mr.  Prout.  I  would  like  to  qualify  that  a  little  bit,  of  course,  that
    you  don't  know  what  you  will  do  at — I  guess  I  was  20  years  old,  or
    19,  possibly.  But  certainly  I  wouldn't  join  anything  which  would
    advocate  the  violent  overthrow  of  this  Government.

    Mr.  Wood.  When  you  took  employment  initially  with  the  Federal
    Government,  did  you  advise  the  employing  agency  that  employed  you
    that  you  had  been  a  member  of  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.

    Mr.  Wood.  Have  you  ever,  since  you  have  been  employed  by  the
    Federal  Government,  advised  the  employing  agency  by  whom  you
    were  employed  of  your  membership  in  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  RFC.

    Mr.  Wood.  When  did  you  do  that?

    Mr.  Prout.  About  3  years  ago.

    Mr.  Wood.  After  you  had  been  employed  by  them?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Wood.  At  the  time  you  saw  them  to  obtain  employment,  you
    did  not  advise  them  of  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.

    Mr.  Wood.  So  you  have  never  taken  a  position  in  all  the  positions-
    you  have  had  with  the  Federal  Government,  you  have  never  initially
    taken  the  position  and  given  the  Government  officials  the  information
    as  to  your  previous  membership  m  the  party?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  were  the  circumstances  under  which  you
    advised  the  RFC  about  3  years  ago  of  your  former  Communist  Party
    membership?

    TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L.  PROUT  3613

    Mr.  Proitt.  The  RFC  charged  me  under  the  loyalty  program,  the
    Federal  employees'  loyalty  program.

    Air.  Tavenner.  That  means  that  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investiga-
    tion must  have  received  information  thi'ough  some  investigation  that
    you  had  been  a  member  of  the  Communist  Party,  and  referred  the
    matter  to  your  department,  as  a  result  of  which  charges  were  preferred
    against  you;  is  that  what  you  mean?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  my  understanding  of  it;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavekner.  Then  charges  were  preferred  against  you  in  which
    it  was  claimed  that  you  had  been  a  member  of  the  Communist  Party?

    Air.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  When  was  that  charge  made?

    Mr.  Prout.  It  was  about  3  years  ago.  I  just  cannot  recall  the
    month  or  the  actual  year.

    Air.  Tavenner.  Were  you  giving  a  hearing  on  that  charge?

    Mr.  Prout.  No.  I  w^as  required  to  prepare  an  answer  to  the
    charges,  which  I  did,  a  written  answer  to  the  charges,  which  I  did.

    Air.  Tavenner.  In  that  written  answer  did  you  admit  or  deny  that
    you  had  been  a  member  of  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  admitted  that  I  had.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliat  did  you  advise  as  to  the  circumstances  under
    which  you  had  become  a  member?  "Wliat  did  you  advise  the  employ-
    ing agency  were  the  chcumstances  under  which  3'ou  had  been  a  mem-
    ber of  the  part}"?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  same  thing  that  I  have  been  pointing  out  here,
    that  it  occurred  at  Stillwater,  Okla.,  during  1938  through  1939.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  have  a  copy  of  the  explanation  which  you
    made?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  don't  have.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  3^ou  have  any  objection  to  this  committee  see-
    ing a  copy  of  the  explanation  you  made,  if  the  employing  agency  is
    willing  to  turn  it  over  to  us  for  inspection?

    Air.  Prout.  I  would  have  none  whatsoever.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  mean,  as  far  as  you  are  concerned,  you  have  no
    objection?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  right.

    Air.  Tavenner.  To  this  committee  examining  the  statement  which
    you  made  to  the  employing  agency?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  would  have  no  objection  at  all.

    Air.  Tavenner.  You  state,  then,  that  you  were  not  given  a  hear-
    ing, but  that  you  prepared  this  answer  to  which  you  referred  in  reply?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  action  was  taken?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  was  suspended  for  30  days.  And  they  considered
    my  reply  and  asked  for  additional  information.  Eventually  they
    cleared  me  under  the  program  and  I  returned  to  duty.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  know  of  your  own  knowledge  whether  or
    not  the  answering  of  ''No"  to  question  17  on  the  Form  57  was  re-
    ferred to  the  Department  of  Justice  or  was  considered  by  the  Depart-
    ment of  Justice  for  prosecutive  action  on  the  grounds  of  making  a
    false  statement?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  didn't  know  that.  I  knew  that  something  was
    referred  to  the  Department  of  Justice,  but  I  didn't  know  just  what  the
    character  of  it  was.

    3514  TESTIMONY  OF  LYNNE  L.  PROUT

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Tell  us  more  about  that.  What  were  the  cir-
    cumstances under  which  you  were  made  aware  of  the  reference  of  some
    mitter  to  the  Department  of  Justice?

    Mr.  Prout.  Mr.  Drew  Pearson  made  some  comment  over  the  radio
    regarding  it.  I  didn't  hear  the  comment,  but  it  referred  to  the  De-
    partment of  Justice  being  interested  or — I  just  don't  recall  what  it
    was.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  make  any  inquiry  of  the  employing
    agency  when  you  learned  that  over  the  radio?

    Mr.  Prout.  You  mean  RFC?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  did  not.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  So  that  the  only  knowledge  you  had  was  the
    possible  reference  of  this  matter  to  the  Department  of  Justice  or  the
    consideration  of  this  matter  by  the  Department  of  Justice?

    Mr.  Prout.  Nothing  came  down  from  RFC  on  it  at  all.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  was  your  immediate  superior  in  the  RFC  at
    the  time  that  you  were  cleared?

    Mr.  Prout.  F.  M.  Conlon,  C-o-n-l-o-n.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you,  of  your  own  knowledge,  know  whether  he
    knew  of  your  former  Communist  Party  membership?

    Mr.  Prout.  He  would  have  known,  because  my  papers,  my  replies,
    and  so  forth,  went  through  him.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Went  through  him?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  So  he  is  bound  to  have  known  through  your  own
    statement  of  your  admission  of  former  Communist  Party  membership?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  tell  the  committee  the  basis  upon  which
    you  were  cleared  by  the  agency?

    Mr.  Prout.  They  wrote  a  letter  back  addressed  to  me  saying  that
    their  committee  had  considered  my  case,  and  based  upon  their  findings,
    they  did  not  consider  me  to  be  disloyal  to  the  Government  of  the
    United  States,  I  believe  is  the  way  it  read.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  have  that  letter?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir,  I  didn't  bring  any  of  those  papers.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Will  you  send  it  to  the  committee  for  its  inspection
    on  your  return?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  I  will.

    (Note. — In  compliance  with  request  of  committee  counsel,  the
    following  was  sent  to  the  committee  to  be  included  in  the  record:)

    October  14,   1948.

    notice  of  determination  federal  employees  loyalty  program

    To:  Lynne  L.  Prout:

    In  accordance  with  Executive  Order  9835,  the  Reconstruction  Finance  Corpora-
    tion Loyalty  Board  has  considered  all  matters  presented  to  it  concerning  your
    loyalty  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States  and  has  made  a  determination  of
    the  case  under  the  standard  contained  in  said  Executive  order  which  provides  that
    any  removal  of  an  employee  from  Government  employment  on  the  ground  of
    disloyalty  shall  be  that,  on  all  the  evidence,  reasonable  grounds  exist  for  the
    belief  that  the  employee  involved  is  disloyal  to  the  Government  of  the  United
    States.

    TESTIMONY   OF   LTNNE    L.   PROUT  3615

    It  is  the  determination  of  the  Reconstruction  Finance  Corporation  Loyalty
    Board  that,  on  all  the  evidence,  reasonable  grounds  do  not  exist  for  the  belief  that
    you  are  disloyal  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States.

    Leo  Nielson,
    Secretary,  Reconstruction  Finance  Corporation  Loyalty  Board.

    Mr.  Tavennee.  Is  there  any  objection  on  your  part  to  the  com-
    mittee seeing  any  correspondence  that  there  may  be  in  the  RFC
    agency  with  regard  to  the  reference  of  question  17  in  the  Form  57  to
    the  Department  of  Justice  for  possible  criminal  prosecution  or  the
    consideration  by  them  of  such  action?  Do  you  understand  my
    question?

    Mr.  Prout.  Not  entirel}^,  no.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Is  there  any  objection  on  your  part  to  this  com-
    mittee reviewing  or  seeing  any  documents  that  the  Reconstruction
    Finance  Corporation  msiy  have  in  its  possession  relating  to  the
    reference  to  the  Department  of  Justice  for  its  consideration  of  this
    matter  of  possible  prosecution?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  see  what  you  mean.

    Mr..  Tavenner.  For  an  alleged  false  statement  in  answering
    question  17  on  the  Form  57.

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  would  have  no  objection.

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  left  the  room  at  this  point.)

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  called  on  the  Reconstruc-
    tion Finance  Corporation  to  present  such  records  as  it  may  have  on
    that  subject,  and  I  trust  before  the  day  is  over  that  we  may  have
    some  answer.

    (Representative  James  B.  Frazier,  Jr.,  returned  to  the  room  at  this
    point.)

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  want  to  refer  back  to  the  time  when  you  said
    you  won  a  trip  by  recruiting  the  greatest  number  of  persons  in  a  cer-
    tain area  for  the  Communist  Party.     Where  did  you  go  on  that  trip?

    Mr.  Prout.  New  York  City.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Tell  us  what  occurred.

    Mr.  Prout.  At  New  York  City?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Let  us  begin  at  the  beginning,  and  state  to  the
    committee  whether  there  were  other  persons  who  went  with  you
    whom  you  learned  were  members  of  the  Communist  Part}''.

    Mr.  Prout.  There  w^ere  two  who  went,  I  mean  two  others.  One
    was  a  Negro  chap,  whose  name  I  don't  recall,  and  the  other  was  a
    quite  elderly  white  man.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  know  his  name?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  I  don't.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  mean  you  have  forgotten  his  name?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  right,  I  just  don't  remember.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  did  know  at  the  time?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  oh,  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Wliere  did  you  go  when  you  went  to  New  York
    City?

    Mr.  Prout.  First  we  went  to  the  Union  Square  Hotel,  and  then  we
    went  to  some  writers'  organization.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Tell  the  committee  the  circumstances  under
    which  you  went  to  the  writers'  organization,  that  is,  how  you  happened
    to  go  there,  and  who  solicited  you  to  go  there.

    Mr.  Prout.  Someone  just  took  me  there.  I  just  don't  know  who
    it  was  that  took  me  to  that  address.     As  I  recall,  we  were  on  our  way

    3616  TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L.    PRjOUT

    to  some  meeting  place  and  we  stopped  by  there,  and  then  we  went  on
    out  to  an  auditorium  way  up  in  the  north  end  of  New  York.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Do  you  remember  the  name  of  the  writers'  organ-
    ization?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  don't.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Is  there  anything  about  it  that  you  can  tell  us
    which  may  enable  us  to  identify  it?

    Mr.  Prout.  All  I  recall  about  it  is  that  it  was  downtown,  and  I
    just  have  no  idea  where  downtown  it  was.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  other  meetings  did  you  attend  while  in  New
    York  City?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  other  meetings  were  regular  convention  meetings
    of  the  Communist  Party.  Most  of  them,  or  all  of  them,  I  believe,
    were  held  in  some  sort  of  auditorium  way  up  north  somewhere.  And
    the  last  meeting  was  held  in  Madison  Square  Garden.  That  was  an
    open  meeting,  as  I  recall.     I  know  it  was  an  open  meeting.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  What  was  the  date  on  which  you  went  to  New
    York  on  this  trip?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  just  have  no  idea.  It  was  during  the  winter,  late
    fall,  or — ^I  don't  know.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  give  us  a  further  description  of  this  meet-
    ing which  you  attended,  this  large  meeting  in  Madison  Square  Garden?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.  There  were  a  number  of  speeches  made.  The
    place  was  almost  full.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  recall  the  names  of  the  speakers?

    Mr.  Prout.  Browder,  I  don't  believe  he  talked.  I  think  that  he
    was  sick,  Earl  Browder.  I  think  he  was  sick  at  that  time.  He  was
    supposed  to  talk  but  couldn't.  Well,  I  just  don't  recall  who  did
    speak.  I  assume  that  Foster,  William  Foster,  talked,  but  I  just  don't
    know  for  sure.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Well,  other  than  sightseeing  excursions  around  the
    city,  will  you  tell  us  what  other  meetings  or  places  you  went?

    Mr.  Prout.  At  one  time  we  were  taken  out  to  the  Daily  Worker
    publication  plant  of  the  Daily  Worker.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  meet  any  of  the  functionaries  of  the  party
    while  at  the  office  of  the  Daily  Worker?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  met  Foster.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  William  Z.  Foster?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  And  I  met  a  Negro  by  the  name  of  Ford,  1
    think.     I  think  now  that  that  Ford  is  right,  I  am  not  sure  about  that..

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Was  it  James  Ford?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  only  thing  that  sticks  in  my  mind  is  the  name
    Ford.     I  am  not  sure  that  that  is  right.     But  I  believe  it  is.

    And  I  met  the  editor  of  the  Daily  Worker.  Just  for  a  second  I
    can't  recall.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Clarence  Hathaway?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  it.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  did  it  happen  that  you  were  introduced  to
    these  high  fimctionaries  of  the  Communist  Party?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know.  I  was  just  taken  in  there.  I  went  in,
    I  believe,  with  Kobert  Wood,  and  the  next  thing  I  knew  I  was  being
    introduced  to  two  or  three  of  these  ])eople  there.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  paid  the  expenses  of  your  trip  to  New  York?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  Communist  Party.

    TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L.    PROUT  3617

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  were  those  expenses  made  available  to  you?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  was  given  a  few  dollars.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  By  whom?

    Mr.  Prout,  I  tliink  it  was  by  Wood  himself.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  That  is  Robert  Wood?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Where  were  you  given  that  money  by  Wood?

    Mr.  Prout.  At  Tulsa.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Was  any  other  person  present?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  there  were  several  people  around;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Can  you  give  us  their  names?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know  who  was  there.  I  recall  that  when  we
    started  on  this  trip  we  went  to  a  certain  address,  a  downtown  address.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  In  what  city?

    Mr.  Prout.  In  Tulsa.  And  I  was  given  a  few  dollars,  I  think  it
    was  $10  or  $15,  something  like  that.  And,  as  I  recall,  there  were
    several  people  there,  but  I  don't  know  who  they  were.  I  just  don't
    recall.     I  would  have  known  at  the  time.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  were  your  hotel  bills  paid  in  New  York  City?

    Mr.  Prout.  Let's  see,  it  was  from  the  same  source.  I  assume  that
    I  got  more  money  later  on.  I  know  they  paid  for  my  bus  fare  coming
    home.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Who  paid  3^ou?

    Mr.  Prout.  There,  again,  I  think  it  was  Bob  Wood.  I  am  almost
    sure  it  was  him.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  believe  you  said  that  Robert  Wood  introduced
    you  in  the  Daily  Worker  to  the  high  functionaries.  Did  Robert  Wood
    go  with  you  on  this  trip?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  no,  he  wasn't  along.  He  was  there,  when  I  got
    there,  but  he  didn't  go  with  us,  no.

    Mr.  Wood.  You  went  b}'^  bus?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  came  back  by  bus  and  went  up  by  car.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  am  trying  to  trace  the  exact  financial  transactions
    that  took  place.

    Mr.  Prout.  I  am  trying  to  help  you  on  that.  The  first  money  that
    I  got  was  in  Tulsa.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Which  was  at  the  time  that  you  left  on  your  trip?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  And  you  told  us  that  was  just  $10  or  $15?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  think  so.  It  struck  me  at  the  time  as  being  a  small
    amount;  yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  How  was  the  money  for  your  hotel  bill  paid?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know  for  sure.  I  have  to  assume  that  I  was
    given  more  money  later  on,  but  I  don't  recall  being  given  any  more.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  Robert  Wood  stay  in  the  same  hotel  where
    you  were?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  he  didn't

    Mr.  Walter.  May  I  interrupt  you  at  that  point?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Yes.

    Mr.  Walter.  Who  attended  this  convention?

    Mr.  Prout.  Do  you  mean  from  Oklahoma?

    Mr.  Walter.  No,  thp  entire  attendance.  Was  it  made  up  of
    students  or  was  it  a  convention  of  delegates  from  various  Communist
    organizations?

    3618  TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L,    PROUT

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  it  was  delegates  from  all  over  the  country.

    Mr.  Walter.  Delegates  from  what  organization?

    Mr.  Prout.  The  Communist  Party.

    Mr.  Walter.  So  that  you  were  actually  a  delegate  from  the  State
    of  Oklahoma?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Was  this  the  annual  convention?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  I  think  it  was.

    Mr.  Wood.  Did  you  say  you  went  up  there  in  an  automobile?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Wood.  In  whose  car?

    Mr.  Prout.  It  was  somebody  from  Tulsa.

    Mr.  Wood.  Don't  you  know  whose  it  was?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know  what  the  fellow's  name  is,  I  mean,  I
    don't  remember  what  his  name  is.

    Mr.  Wood.  Did  he  go  with  you  in  the  car?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Wood.  And  you  rode  all  the  way  from  Tulsa  to  New  York  with
    the  man  and  you  don't  remember  his  name?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  have  no  idea  of  what  his  name  is;  no.  I  mean,  I  did
    know  what  his  name  was,  of  course,  but  I  don't  know  what  it  is  now.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  he  attend  any  of  the  meetings,  the  Communist
    Party  meetings,  with  you  in  New  York,  the  person  that  drove  you  up
    there?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know.  I  only  saw  him  one  time  after  I  got
    to  New  York.  I  don't  believe  that  he  attended  any — I  mean,
    I  don't  think  I  saw  him  at  any  of  the  meetings.  I  don't  believe
    he  attended.  I  saw  him  one  evening  somewhere.  I  just  don't  recall
    exactly  when  or  under  what  circumstances.

    Mr.  Wood.  Why  did  you  not  come  back  to  Tulsa  with  him?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  understood  that  he  was  going  up  there  on  his  own
    business,  of  some  sort  or  another,  and  wasn't  going  back  right  away,  or
    something.    ,

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  you  share  your  room  at  the  hotel  with  any
    other  delegate  to  the  convention?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  was  alone  in  the  hotel.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  said  this  was  the  national  convention  of  the
    Communist  Party  in  1938?

    Mr.  Prout.  Wait  a  minute,  now,  I  think  I  know  part  of  the  answer
    to  the  hotel  question.  We  only  stayed  in  the  hotel  for  a  part  of  the
    time,  and  then  I  stayed  one  night  at  one  address  and  one  or  two  nights
    at  another  address.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  In  whose  homes  did  you  spend  the  night?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  just  have  no  idea  what  their  names  were,  or  the
    address.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Were  they  Communist  Party  members?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  don't  know,  of  course,  but  I  assume  that  they  were.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Did  they  attend  any  of  the  meetings  which  you
    attended?

    Mr.  Prout.  One  of  them  did.     I  saw  them  at  one  of  the  meetings.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  You  stated  that  this  was  the  national  convention
    of  the  Communist  Party  for  the  year  1938.  That  convention  was
    held  on  May  27  to  31  of  1938.     Is  "that  the  time  that  3''0u  were  there?

    TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L.    PROUT  3619

    Mr.  Prout.  I  thought  that  it  was  farther  back  iii  the  winter  than
    that.  I  know  we  ran  into  some  snow  on  the  way  up  there,  a  snow-
    storm in  Pennsylvania,  and  I  thought  it  was  eariier  in  the  year.

    Mr.  Wood.  I  understand  you  to  say  at  the  beginning  of  your  testi-
    mony that  you  did  not  join  the  party  until  the  fall  of  1938.  I  thought
    you  were  telling  the  committee  that  the  convention

    Mr.  Prout.  Well,  would  it  have  been  the  meeting  in  the  spring  of
    1939?

    Mr.  Walter.  Can  you  not  fix  the  time  in  connection  with  the  time
    when  you  joined  the  party?  Was  it  6,  7,  or  8  months  after  you  joined
    the  party  that  you  went  to  this  convention?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes ;  I  think  it  would  have  been  about  quite  some  time,
    6  months,  I  would  say,  at  least;  yes.

    Mr.  Walter.  So  you  joined  in  1938  and  then  it  was  the  convention,
    of  1939  that  you  attended,  was  it  not?

    Mr.   Prout.  Yes.

    Mr.  Tavenner.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  is  all  I  desire  to  ask.

    Mr.  Wood.  Do  you  have  an}^  further  questions,  Mr.  Walter?

    Mr.  Walter.  Whose  name  did  you  give  as  reference  when  you
    received  your  first  job  with  the  Government?     Do  you  remember?

    Mr.  Prout.  I  believe  J.  W.  McCidlum  would  have  been  one.

    Mr.  Walter.  Who  is  he?

    Mr.  Prout.  He  is  from  my  home  town.

    Mr.  Wood.  What  is  your  home  town?

    Mr.  Prout.  Medford,  Okla.

    Mr.  Walter.  What  is  his  occupation?

    Mr.  Prout.  He  had  and  still  has  his  own  system  of  educational
    supplements,  books,  in  other  words,  which  he  reproduces  and  sells  to
    the  schools  in  Oklahoma.

    Mr.  W  alter.  Is  he  a  party  member,  a  Communist  Party  member?

    Mr.  Prout.  No,  sir.

    Mr.  Walter.  Do  you  remember  any  other  names  that  you  gave  as
    references?

    Mr.  Prout.  No;  I  don't.

    Mr.  Walter.  That  is  all.

    Mr.  Wood.  Mr.  Frazier?

    Mr.  Frazier.  I  have  no  questions.

    Mr.  Wood.  Did  you  say  your  home  address  where  you  were  rearea
    was  Medford?

    Mr.  Prout.  Medford,  M-e-d-f-o-r-d.

    Mr.  Wood.  Medford,  Okla.?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  right.

    Mr.  Wood.  How  far  is  that  from  Stillwater?

    Mr.  Prout.  That  is  about  a  hundred  miles.

    Mr.  Wood.  Do  you  have  any  further  questions,  Mr.  Counsel?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  No,  sir.

    Mr.  Wood.  Is  there  any  reason  why  the  witness  should  not  be
    excused?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  would  rather  for  the  witness  not  to  be  excused
    permanently,  as  we  are  still  working  on  these  matters,  and  we  may
    want  to  confer  with  him.

    Mr.  Wood.  Do  you  want  to  retain  him  here?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  The  rest  of  the  day.

    3620  TESTIMONY    OF    LYNNE    L.    PROUT

    Mr.  Wood.  And  at  the  conclusion  of  the  day  you  will  release  him?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  I  think  we  will  be  able  to  release  him  at  the  end
    of  the  day.

    Mr.  Wood.  All  right.  I  want  to  express  my  appreciation  and  that
    of  the  committee  for  your  coming  here.  Do  I  understand  that  you
    are  here  on  subpena?

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  right.

    Mr.  Wood.  I  hope  that  the  service  of  the  subpena  and  your  sub-
    sequent attendance  here  has  not  caused  you  any  too  much  incon-
    venience. As  soon  as  the  staff  is  finished  with  their  further  conference
    with  you,  you  may  be  excused.

    Mr.  Prout.  Yes.     Thank  you.

    Mr.  Wood.  Is  there  anything  else  today,  Mr.  Counsel?

    Mr.  Tavenner.  No,  sir.

    Mr.  Wood.  The  committee  will  stand  in  recess  until  further  call.

    (Whereupon,  at  12:35  p.  m.,  the  committee  was  recessed,  subject
    to  the  call  of  the  Chair.)

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