Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-01

teQCneT fnLO communist courier!
The following excerpts are taken
from the transcript OF the fan
ataSttc story unrolled before a
Senate committee by Elizabeth
T. Bentley, star Uitness OF the
Governments Investigation into
Communist activities.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Will you
stand, please, Miss Bentley, and
raise your right hand?
do you solemnly swear in the
matter now pending before this
cAmmittee that you will tell the
tUlth, the whole truth, and nothing
bat the truth, so help you God?
MISS BENTLEY-I do.
b 4 y
SENATOR FERGUSON-At the
time that you were at Vassar, were
you interested in Communism?
MISS BENTLEY-No; I wouldn't
say so, Senator. I was a very feeble
member of the League for Industrial
Democracy, which was socialist.
SENATOR WHERRY-Were your
folks Socialists?
MISS BENTLEY-No, they are
Republicans.
SENATOR WHERRY-How did
you happen to stray so far from the
fold? Have you any idea? 1 think
it is very serious; here is a young
person, graduate of VaSsar Uni
versity and a product of the public
school system. of this country, and
now where did you get this desire or
this socialistic tendency?
MISS BENTLEY think through
meeting several Socialists in College
SENATOR WHERRY-Did you
meet any in Columbia?
MISS BENTLEY-Yes; later on
did
SENATOR FERGUSON-Did you
become a card-carrying member of
the Communist Party of America?
MISS BENTLEY-Yes; l did.
Joined Party in 1885.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Will you
tell us when you became member
of that organization?
MISS BENTLEY-Yes. In March
of 1885.
SENATOR FERGUSON - What
particular local did you belong to;
the New York City?
MISS BENTLEY-I started in
what was known as Unit One, which
was known as Columbia University
at that time they had only one unit
there.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Is that
one of the principles of the Com
munist Party, that card-carrying
member conceal the fact that they
are card-carrying members of the
Communist Party?
MISS BENTLEY-If it is strategic
for the person to do so.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Wil you
tell us the next stage that you came
to in the Communist Party, from
card-carrying member?
MISS BENTLEY-From a card
carrying member, became a men,
Der at large.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Will you
tell us what a member at large of
the Communist Party Is?
MISS BENTLEY-We a Com
must at large is person in gen.
erdl who for one reason Or another
has to be so secret that you cannot
take the risk of letting them meet
In an open unit meeting with other
Communists, and therefore you are
responsible to only one person, let us
say at headquarters or elsewhere,
but you do not meet at any other
Communist group or any other Com
munlStS at all.
Now, on this Communist Large
idea, did you go underground as a
Communist in America?
MISS BENTLEY-I did.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Whe
did you go and will you explain
the circumstances, how you became
member t-large, and went I'M
derground?
Worked For Italians.
MISS BENTLEY secured a
position working for the Italian
Library of Information in this
country, as part of the Propaganda
Ministry in Italy, and in the course
of my duties there, I had access
to quite lot of interesting material
about Italian Fascist activities, and
as a result of that, was turned
over to a special contact, told not
to keep my Party card any longer,
and to go underground and not
associate with other Communists.
SENATOR FERGUSON Who
vas the person at that time that
you reported to?
MISS BENTLEY-His name was
Jacob Golos.
SENATOR FERGUSON - Where
did you meet Jacob GoloS?
MISS BENTLEY met him on
the corner of 9th street and Uni
versity place.
SENATOR FERGUSON-Do you
know whether or not he was card
carrying member, or was he higher
rank?
MISS BENTLEY-H was GER
tainly of higher rank, and l believe
he was in the status of member
at-large in the sense that he did
not meet with other units, and so
on.
SENATOR FERGUSON-You in
effect were to pass out of the picture
and keep this job in the Italian
Library in New York City, and OBJ
tain information for him?
MISS BENTLEY-That is cor
rect
SENATOR FERGUSON-What
was the nature of the information
that you were to obtain, and you
did obtain?
MISS BENTLEY-Whenever
could discover about Fascist activi-
ties which consisted of Italian con-
nec:ion with the Nationalist IN
Spain, their being mixed up in anti
Senetic movements, their peddling
Fascist literature surreptitiously,
and so or.
Could Not Question.
SENATOR FERGUSON--Do you
know what Golos did with the in
formation that you would collect
for him, either at this library or at
the Canadian Or Mexican mail?