Mr. PATTERSON. Yes, that the New York City major point of concentration was to organize the subway employees in the city of New York to get actual control of the transportation system.

Mr. SOURWINE. Was the subject of a Soviet Negro Republic in the United States mentioned?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes.

Mr. SOURWINE. In what connection?

Mr. PATTERSON. That the party must immediately begin to put it into effect, it would not be only as a propaganda slogan, but that the Communist Party should immediately begin to organize mass violations in the Southern States, and particularly against any Jim Crow practices, against anything that the Negro was denied, would begin immediately to put it into practice.

Mr. SOURWINE. Did you hear Otto Kuusinen criticize Earl Browder?

Mr. PATTERSON. I did.

Mr. SOURWINE. What was the basis of his criticism?

Mr. PATTERSON. That Browder and the central committee of the party had not carried out the previous directives of the Communist International, and that the Communist International had already sent the directives to the party, as I already outlined, about the concentration points, et cetera.

And he laughed and said, "Most likely they threw them out the porthole, and they went into the Atlantic Ocean, and they didn't reach the American Communist Party members."

Mr. SOURWINE. How did Browder take that criticism?

Mr. PATTERSON. Browder had nothing to say while the discussion was going on both by Kuusinen and the commission members and the students. However, he did speak in a discussion before it concluded and accepted the criticism and pledged to come back to the States and carry out the Communist International directives, in fact, they drew up a resolution to that effect.

Mr. SOURWINE. You mentioned Irving Potash as one who was in Moscow at that time. Am I correct?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes, sir.

Mr. SOURWINE. What was the position Potash then held?

Mr. PATTERSON. Potash was the American representative to the Red International of Trade Unions, labor unions; they called it a profintern.

Mr. SOURWINE. Was James W. Ford connected with the Red International, labor unions?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes. He was a member of the Profintern, and he was assigned to Hamburg, Germany, to organize and supervise the international trade unions' Negro labor committee.

Mr. SOURWINE. Now, while you were in Moscow during this period, was Clarence Hathaway replaced as a representative of the Communist Party, USA?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes, after this commission was over in Moscow, he went back to the United States.

Mr. SOURWINE. And who replaced him?

Mr. PATTERSON. Robert Minor.

Mr. SOURWINE. While you were attending the Lenin School, did the Lenin School students analyze the strategy of the bonus march?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes. We analyzed the bonus march and drew up resolutions criticizing the mistakes and making recommendations and submitting it to the Communist International as factfinding material.

Mr. SOURWINE. Did the Lenin School students regard the bonus march as a Communist operation?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes, we knew that the Communist Party was the organizer and the leader of the bonus march, and the criticism we gave was of the leadership of the party in this march.

Mr. SOURWINE. Among the Lenin School students who were there at the same time you were, was one of them Beatrice Siskind? Mr. PATTERSON. Yes.

Mr. SOURWINE. Was one of them Morris Childs?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes.

Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Hall, you have heard the testimony of this witness; do you know him?

Mr. HALL. I claim my privilege.

Senator KEATING. May I inquire-have you completed with Mr. Patterson, Counsel?

Mr. SOURWINE. Almost, Senator, not quite.

Senator KEATING. I will wait until afterward. I would like to inquire afterward.

Mr. SOURWINE. Is there anything. Mr. Hall, in the testimony you have heard Mr. Patterson give which you wish to deny or qualify in any way?

Mr. HALL. I claim my privilege.

Mr. SOURWINE. Does the Senator wish to inquire now?

Senator KEATING. Mr. Patterson, what is your present occupation?

Mr. PATTERSON. I am a public taxicab driver in New York City. Senator KEATING. When did you leave the Communist Party? Mr. PATTERSON. In 1937.

Senator KEATING. Would you tell us a little bit more about the reasons for your leaving the party?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes.

In 1937 I was Communist Party chairman of the longshoreman's group in Philadelphia, with the task of organizing the unorganized longshoremen and winning over the longshoremen in the International Longshoremen's Association for the Communist Party. In fact, I was in charge of it. I was the organizer for the party there. And we were able to organize. And during the second west coast strike out in Frisco, we were able to tie up the port of Philadelphia from Girard Point to Port Richmond, to strike that port in sympathy. And while we struck it in sympathy, we put forward some basic demands that we had in Philadelphia. I was a longshoreman at that time myself. We called for more men in the gangs and an increase in pay, et cetera, et cetera.

And the stevedore companies agreed to our demands, and they gave us what we asked for. And being chairman of the negotiation committee for the union that was organized by the party, I did my first duty to report to the Communist Party, particularly the district organizer and the district bureau organizing committee.

And I was instructed by the party under no conditions must the strike be settled. I must keep those men on strike in sympathy with the west coast longshoremen, that to settle the strike in Philadelphia would be stabbing the west coast longshoremen in the back.

But at the same time, the men in Philadelphia were out of work, and Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and the men hadn't worked in a while, they were penniless, and still I was instructed to keep those men out after our demands had been granted. And I couldn't see it, and I defied the decision of the Communist Party, and went back to a union membership meeting and told them that we had settled the strike. And we went back to work that same afternoon. So therefore I was brought up for several discussions, one in which the party indicated the Lenin School, et cetera, and I should know better, that "You are interested in a measly 10 cents an hour increase in wage, another man in the gang," and "We live in a period when we are expecting big things to happen, general strikes, and organization of the American masses, leading them in the steps toward the revolution."

Senator KEATING (now presiding). That is what they told you? Mr. PATTERSON. Yes. So my eyes opened more and more, that they are not sincere actually in improving the conditions of American labor, they are not sincere; it is all false. And I began to see through it. And so I hung around until about August or September of the next year, and I just completely dropped out, and had nothing— and have had nothing to do with the Communist Party since.

Senator KEATING. Have you encountered any difficulties as a result of leaving the party?

Mr. PATTERSON. In what way?

Senator KEATING. Have you had any trouble with former members of the Communist Party that you knew in the party?

Mr. PATTERSON. No more than being called a stool pigeon, and things like that.

Senator KEATING. You can handle that yourself?

Mr. PATTERSON. I think I can take care of myself.

Senator KEATING. I want to say to you, Mr. Patterson, that this committee commends you for coming to us forthrightly as a good American citizen to help us in our study of the Communist Party and its menace in this country. You are a credit to your race, and you are a credit to American citizenship.

Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Patterson, I would like to have you stand and look around the room. Would you do that? And tell me if there is anyone here who you recognize, other than Mr. Hall, concerning whom you have already testified, as a member of the Communist Party, U.S.A.

Mr. PATTERSON. I do.

Mr. SOURWINE. Would you point out that individual, or individuals and name him or her?

Mr. PATTERSON. Yes, sir. Mr. Benjamin Davis; I know him from the first time he ever came to New York. And I don't think he was then a member of the New York committee. I think he wasn't encouraged to join then.

Mr. DAVIS. Just keep your filthy stool pigeon off of me. He is no credit to the Negro race; he is a disgrace

Mr. PATTERSON. You are a disgrace; you are a disgrace to everything.

Senator KEATING. You will be given an opportunity to testify. Mr. SOURWINE. I ask that Mr. Davis be put under subpena to remain and testify.

Senator KEATING. It is so ordered.

Mr. SOURWINE. Tell us what you know of Mr. Davis' activities in the Communist Party, U.S.A.!

Mr. PATTERSON. Mr. Davis became a member of the Communist Party of the United States, to my best knowledge, during the year 1930. Mr. Davis came up to New York from Georgia and he at that time was defense counsel for Angelo Herndon, and he had a meeting at the Communist Party district headquarters at 2628 Union Square, together with myself, Otto Hall, and I believe George S. Siskind. And since then he became a member of the Communist Party and the Communist Party brought him from Atlanta to New York City and made him one of the leaders from a district scale to a national scale on up in the Communist Party, even as high as a national committee member. He ran on the Communist Party ticket. He ran on the city council and was elected, I believe, twice. He has been an active party member since 1930, according to the press.

Now, according to my knowing him, from 1930 until 1937, the time I went out of the party, he was a top, leading, card-carrying member of the party, because I was there. I attended meetings with him, worked with him, drew up resolutions with him, and helped discuss policy together.

And I am not ashamed of what I did then. I don't deny it. What I did then I thought was right. And when I thought it was wrong, I broke with the Communist Party. When I found out the Communist Party was wrong, I exposed the Communist Party. And I don't criticize Mr. Davis if he still wants to overthrow the American Government by force and violence. He has a right to hold his views. I have a right to hold mine.

I have traveled in Russia. I have lived there almost 2 years. I went almost all over Russia, and I saw how the people live in Russia. I have traveled practically all over this country of ours, both in the Communist Party and since I have been out of the Communist Party, and I have had a chance to make up my mind and choose which is the best system. I have seen how the so-called national minorities live in Russia, in the Crimea, Yalta, in the Ukraine, and different places. I was born in the South. I was born in North Carolina, and I know how we live in this country, and I make this statement very brazenly as to the "paradise" in Russia: With all the shortcomings that we have in the United States, if you want to put it on a racial basis, or a Negro basis, we American Negroes are better off, not only than the minorities in Russia, but the so-called Great Russians themselves. I wouldn't say there wasn't room for improvement, but if you take it as a whole, we have the highest standard of living, we are better educated, we have more wealth distributed among us, and I defy anyone to deny it.

Mr. SOURWINE. I have no more questions of this witness.

Senator KEATING. You are excused, Mr. Patterson, with the thanks and commendation of the committee.

Mr. SOURWINE. May we have Mr. Davis sworn for brief testimony, sir?

Senator KEATING. Step forward, Mr. Davis.

Mr. DAVIS. You haven't given me my subpena. You have just told me to come up.

Senator KEATING. Do you refuse to be sworn?

Mr. DAVIS. Just give me a subpena. That is the way you get people up to testify.

Senator KEATING. Are you Mr. Benjamin Davis?

Mr. DAVIS. I would like to consult with my attorney.

(Consults with Mr. Rein.)

Senator KEATING. Will you step forward?

Mr. DAVIS. No. I refuse to step forward. If you give me a subpena, I will come forward.

Senator KEATING. And you refuse to be sworn as a witness pursuant to the oral directions of the committee?

Mr. DAVIS. I would say this, that Mr. Rein cannot accept me as his client at this time, and I would like the opportunity to consult with my attorney.

Senator KEATING. You wish to have counsel before testifying here? Mr. DAVIS. That is right.

Senator KEATING. You are within your rights in that regard. And when will it be convenient for you to appear as a witness?

Mr. DAVIS. I don't know. The whole thing is a bother, a sordid business to me, and I will consult my attorney about it as to what my legal rights are.

Senator KEATING. I will say to counsel that I think the witness has a right to have counsel with him, and we will direct the witness to appear at such time as counsel is prepared.

Mr. SOURWINE. Counsel, sir, will be prepared whenever the Chair directs. I would suggest that the committee order his return at a date certain. The committee knows, if the witness does not, that a subpena is merely evidence of the committee's order, and in this case we have a public record being made which is also evidence of the committee's order. If the chairman would order Mr. Davis' return at a stipulated time.

Senator KEATING. The witness is directed to appear at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning in this same room for interrogation, and will be privileged to be accompanied by the counsel of his selection at that time.

Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Chairman, may I respectfully request that the witness be directed by the Chair to take a good look at Mr. Hall who is now here testifying, because he will be asked questions about Mr. Hall when he appears tomorrow.

Senator KEATING. That is a suggestion to the witness.

Mr. DAVIS. May I express this, that I already have a subpena to appear tomorrow morning before the House Un-American Committee, and you had better get your subpenas straight because I have got one to be there at 10 o'clock and I can't be two places at one time.

Senator KEATING. You have the subpena with you?

Mr. DAVIS. I don't think I do.

Senator KEATING. The testimony will be brief, and you are directed to appear here at 9:30 tomorrow morning.