Evening star., 1947-10-30
Un-Americun
Continued From First Page.

quota immigration visa and ha
taken out his first papers.
rs it true you have written +,
number of very revolutionary poems
plays and other writings?" asket
Mr.. Stripping.
Il have written number O
poems, songs and plays and o
course they can be considered revo
lutionary because I called for tn,
overthrow of the German govern,
ment," the refugee playwright
replied.
we are not interested in any
works written for the overthrow o
Germany" Mr.. Thomas told MIR
Stripping.
Mr.. Stripping told the chairman
the witness had written works with
Hams Eisler that seemed to be
Important in the international Com
munist movement"
Invited to Moscow Twice.
Mr.. Stripping asked Mr.. Brecht il
he had ever been to Moscow. He
said he had been invited there
twice.
The investigator wanted to know
II the witness had ever visited the
Soviet Consulate in Hollywood. He
said he had been there three OF
four times to receptions and "fes-
tivities."
Mr. Stripping asked if Gerhard
Eisler had ever visited him. He said
Gerhard had been there several
times with his brother, Hams, and
several times alone.
we played chess and we talked
about politics.
About politics?" repeated Mr.
STRIPPING.
Yes, he (Gerhard is specialist
in such He is a politician, so he
knew very much more than I die
about the situation in Germany"
Did you collaborate on a song
In Praise of Learning with Hams
EiSler?" the investigator asked.
Did I collaborate? I wrote it. He
just wrote the music" said the artist
Indignantly.
Line From Chorus of Song.
The chorus of one of the songs,
as read by the committee counsel,
had the refrain:
You must learn to take over"
Mr. Brecht said more accurate
translation would be:
y,oI1c{ To FOL loo
Another verse, which Mr.. Strip
ling attributed to Mr.. Brecht, with
music by Hams Eisler, had line:
Don't hesitate to ask questions,
Comrade."
Mr.. Brecht said he had never seen
that translation, but it apparently
was made from poem he wrote
several years ago and was put to
Mr. Eisler's music
Mr.. Brecht was asked about his
own answers to immigration officials
when he came to this country. He
said he gave the usual answer" about
not intending to overthrow the Gov
ernment
No Official Approach.
In response to further questions
whether he had been asked to join
the Communist Party, he said nei-
ther Hams nor Gerhard Eisler had
ever asked him to do so and there
never was an official approach made
to me-"
The witness added that he might
have been" asked informally by
readers or acquantances to become
q Communist. =
But l decided it wasn't my busi-
ness to join the Communist Party,
he explained.
Mr.. Lardner and Mr.. Cole became
the ninth and tenth men to face
contempt action as the committee
continued to work its way through
witnesses repeatedly hostile" to the
Investigation of communism in the
movie capital
When Mr.. Lardner took the stand
the committee varied its routine by
telling him he could read his pre-
pared statement after he testified
Then came the routine question.
Was he4 a member of the Screen
Writers Guild?
Limit to Co operation.
It want to be cooperative, the
32-year-old writer began. But
there are limits to my cooperation,
I don't want to help you divide or
smash this guild
Now, Mr.. Lardner," interrupted
MI. Thomas, don't you do like the
others have done or you'll never read
that statement"
But, Mr.. Chairman" protested
the witness, Il understood you to
say I would be permitted to read
the statement"
Mr.. Thomas told him If he re-
fused to answer questions he would
not permit him to read it.
Mr.. Thomas told Mr. STRIPPING to
"go on to the S64 question
bersnip in the Communist Party.
The witness charged that the
committee was trying through me
to discredit the guild and the whole
industry through the guild
ANY real American said the
chairman, underlining real, would
be proud to answer that question u
II could answer but I'd hate my
self in the morning." replied the
witness.
That ended his appearance.
Accuses Committee.
Mr.. Russell took the stand to tes-
tify he had located Communist
Ps-,y card made out to Ring L.,