The CHAIRMAN. Where is she now? Mr. LIPTZEN. She is still in Boston, by the family. Now it is a matter of weeks or days. The CHAIRMAN. She is still sick? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes, there is no cure for her, and it is a matter of days or weeks. I was there this past Saturday and Sunday. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Liptzen, I would like to ask you this: When the subpena was served upon you by Mr. Birmingham, did you communicate with counsel as to whether or not you should appear before the Committee on Un-American Activities? Mr. LIPTZEN. I had in my mind to come to the committee because there was no reason for me not to come, but then when the question came of going to Boston I didn't know what to do, and naturally I asked what I should do. Mr. STRIPLING. Whom did you get in touch with regarding whether you would appear or not? Who told you to send this telegram which has been read into the record? Mr. LIPTZEN. I don't think anybody told me. Mr. STRIPLING. You didn't confer with any lawyer? Mr. LIPTZEN. No, I asked to write me out a telegram. Mr. LIPTZEN. A girl. Mr. STRIPLING. What girl? Mr. LIPTZEN. A girl in the office where I am working. Mr. STRIPLING. Were you served with this subpena in the office of the Morning Freiheit? M. LIPTZEN. No; in my house I was served. Oh, no, this gentleman [indicating Mr. Birmingham] came into my office. Mr. STRIPLING. Where is your office? Mr. LIPTZEN. 35 East Twelfth Street. Mr. STRIPLING. That is the office of the Morning Freiheit? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Will you describe to the committee what the Morning Freiheit is? Mr. LIPTZEN. It is a Jewish newspaper. Mr. STRIPLING. Is it a Communist Jewish newspaper? You know as a matter of fact that it is a Communist edition? Mr. KUNTZ. I object. I happen to be the attorney for the Morning Freiheit. The Morning Freiheit is not a Communist paper. It is what we commonly call a left-wing paper. Some of the writers are Communists and some are not Communists. Mr. STRIPLING. If counsel is going to testify I suggest that counsel also be put under oath. The CHAIRMAN. Do you want Mr. Kuntz' testimony at this time, or do you prefer to proceed with Mr. Liptzen and have Mr. Kuntz at a later time? Mr. STRIPLING. May we go off the record, Mr. Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. Off the record, Mr. Reporter. (Discussion off the record.) The CHAIRMAN. On the record. Mr. STRIPLING. If counsel has no objection to being sworn I suggest that he be sworn in. (Whereupon the witness, Edward Kuntz, was sworn by the chair man.) Mr. BONNER. Are you going to question the witness or the attorney? Mr. STRIPLING. I am going to question both witnesses. They have both entered into the matter of the Morning Freiheit. Mr. BONNER. Are you going to leave the question of reply to this subpena or are you finished with it? Mr. STRIPLING. May we go off the record, Mr. Chairman? (Discussion off the record.) The CHAIRMAN. On the record, Mr. Reporter. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Chairman, I should like for the record to show that Edward Kuntz is here representing both Mr. Liptzen and the Morning Freiheit. What is your residence and office address? Mr. KUNTZ. My residence is 201 West Sixteenth Street, and my office address is 207 Fourth Avenue, New York City, N. Y. Mr. STRIPLING. I would like for the record to show that Mr. Edward Kuntz has now taken the stand. TESTIMONY OF EDWARD KUNTZ (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Kuntz, do you represent Samuel Liptzen? Mr. STRIPLING. Do you also represent the Morning Freiheit? Mr. STRIPLING. When Mr. Liptzen was served with a subpena on February 4 to appear before the Committee on Un-American Activities on February 6, did he communicate with you concerning this subpena? Mr. KUNTZ. He did not. Mr. STRIPLING. Did he communicate with anyone associated with you? Mr. KUNTZ. He did not. Mr. STRIPLING. Did you have any knowledge that Mr. Liptzen had sent the telegram which was read into the record? Mr. KUNTZ. I was told about it subsequently by Mr. Liptzen. Mr. KUNTZ. After February 6. Mr. STRIPLING. I will ask that Mr. Kuntz step aside and that Mr. Liptzen be recalled to the stand. TESTIMONY OF SAMUEL LIPTZEN-Resumed Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Liptzen, I believe the question was asked you where were you served with a subpena by Mr. Birmingham. Mr. LIPTZEN. It was in my office. Mr. STRIPLING. Your office is at the Morning Freiheit? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes; I am working there. Mr. STRIPLING. What is your position there? Mr. LIPTZEN. In the summertime I am collecting bills, and in the wintertime I am helping them as shipping clerk, sending out packages or packing books, or whatever there is work on the floor. Mr. STRIPLING. Are the offices of the Morning Freiheit located in the same building with the Daily Worker? Mr. LIPTZEN. The same building. Mr. STRIPLING. Are the Morning Freiheit and the Daily Worker both printed by the same presses? Mr. LIPTZEN. I don't know the arrangement there, because I am not the manager. The printing is the same, but I don't know the arrangement, what it is. Mr. STRIPLING. How long have you been working there? Mr. LIPTZEN. I am working there for the last couple of years. Mr. LIPTZEN. About 2 or 3 years. I used to work by the fur, and I got dye poison. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Liptzen, your office is also located in the same building that the Communist headquarters are located in; isn't that true? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. You have been employed, you say, for approximately 3 years with the Morning Freiheit? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. You don't know whether the Morning Freiheit is printed by the same presses that print the Daily Worker? Mr. LIPTZEN. The presses is the same. Mr. STRIPLING. Is it your contention, then, that the Morning Freiheit is not a Communist paper? Mr. LIPTZEN. No; it is not a Communist paper, it is a progressive paper. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Liptzen, are you a Communist? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. How long have you been a member of the Communist Party of the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. Since about 1920 or 1921. Mr. STRIPLING. You know when you joined the Communist Party. When was it? Mr. LIPTZEN. When they started. Mr. STRIPLING. Are you a charter member of the Communist Party of the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. I don't know who are the charter members. Mr. STRIPLING. Have you been consistently a member of the Communist Party since 1920? Mr. LIPTZEN. No; not consistently. Mr. STRIPLING. Were there any periods when you were not a member? Mr. LIPTZEN. I think there was, but I don't remember exactly when and what. Mr. STRIPLING. We will have to have a clearer answer to that. Have you ever broken with the party? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes; I believe it was a time when I was sick for a long time and then I fell out. Mr. STRIPLING. You are now a member, however? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Were you a member of the Communist Party in 1930? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Were you a member of the Communist Party in 1934? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Were you a member of the Communist Party in 1935? Mr. LIPTZEN. That time I was sick and I was in Los Angeles for about a year and a half and at that time I wasn't doing anything. Mr. STRIPLING. Have you ever held any offices in the Communist Party? Mr. LIPTZEN. No official positions; no. I was active among the trade-unions, I was with the Amalgamated, I was a tailor. Mr. STRIPLING. Did you ever run for public office on the Communist Party ticket? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. I don't remember the year and date. At that time I was in the trade-union movement and so was Sascha Zimmerman of the International, and they nominated him and also I was nominated. Mr. STRIPLING. Are you a citizen of the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Were you born in the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. Lipsk, Russia. Mr. STRIPLING. What year? Mr. LIPTZEN. 1892 or 1893. Mr. STRIPLING. Don't you know what year you were born? Mr. STRIPLING. When did you come to the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. 1909. Mr. STRIPLING. When did you become a citizen? Mr. LIPTZEN. In 1917. Mr. STRIPLING. When you came to the United States how old were you? Mr. LIPTZEN. About 16 or 17. Mr. STRIPLING. In 1917 when you became a citizen were you a Communist at that time? Mr. LIPTZEN. No. Mr. STRIPLING. You joined the Communist Party 3 years after you became a citizen? Mr. LIPTZEN. I joined later. Mr. STRIPLING. In 1920? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. I asked you a few moments ago if you had ever run for political office on the Communist Party ticket. What offices have you been a candidate for? Mr. LIPTZEN. Assemblyman. Mr. STRIPLING. What year? Mr. LIPTZEN. About 1928 or 1929. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Liptzen have you ever traveled abroad? Mr. LIPTZEN. In Europe, never. Mr. STRIPLING. Since you have been naturalized have you ever left the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. To Canada. Mr. STRIPLING. How many times have you been to Canada? Mr. LIPTZEN. I don't remember exactly, but about three times. Mr. STRIPLING. What years did you go to Canada? Mr. LIPTZEN. Once I have been in 1926 or 1927 and then about a year later, because I have some relatives there, cousins and uncles, and then I have been there about 2 years ago. Mr. STRIPLING. Two years ago?. Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. Could you give us the exact date? Mr. LIPTZEN. It was in the summertime. It could be very easy, I could look it up. The CHAIRMAN. The summer of what year? Mr. LIPTZEN. About 2 years ago. The CHAIRMAN. It was 2 years ago, not about 2 years ago? Mr. LIPTZEN. Two years ago in the summertime, probably June or July, because I spent there a couple of days in the camp and then I came back. Mr. STRIPLING. Was it the summer of 1945? Mr. LIPTZEN. I think so. I can't remember at the moment to say exactly. I have the bills, because I collected some bills for subscribers from the Freiheit. I have been there, but it was in the summertime and I just stayed a couple of days and come back. Mr. STRIPLING. At what place in Canada did you visit? Mr. LIPTZEN. Toronto. Mr. STRIPLING. Did you go to a camp at Toronto? Mr. STRIPLING. What is the name of the camp? Mr. LIPTZEN. Nei Leben. Mr. STRIPLING. Is that camp connected in any way with the Communist Party? Mr. LIPTZEN. No; this is a school camp, and it happened I knew the one who took care there. He is a cook or chef from New York. Mr. STRIPLING. You said that you visited relatives in Canada? Mr. LIPTZEN. Yes. Mr. STRIPLING. What is the name of your relatives in Canada? Mr. LIPTZEN. Bernard. Mr. STRIPLING. Could we have the first name of these people? Mr. LIPTZEN. Louis. When I came there they left for their vacation, because their son came home from the army in England and because I didn't find them there I went to the camp. Mr. STRIPLING. Are they Communists? Mr. LIPTZEN. No; they are in the cloak business. Mr. STRIPLING. They are not Communists? Mr. LIPTZEN. No. Mr. STRIPLING. Were they aware of the fact that you are a member of the Communist Party of the United States? Mr. LIPTZEN. No; because I didn't see them for years. I didn't see them since 1926, I believe. Mr. STRIPLING. You have not seen these people since 1926? Mr. LIPTZEN. That's right. Mr. STRIPLING. Have you ever obtained a passport? Mr. LIPTZEN. No. Mr. STRIPLING. Have you ever applied for a passport? Mr. LIPTZEN. No. Mr. STRIPLING. Mr. Chairman, I would like for the witness to sign his name [handing paper to witness]. Please write your name four times, Mr. Liptzen. (Witness writes his name four times on paper.) Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce into the record a document which has been introduced previously into the record in the Eisler 60084-47- -2 |