Evening star., 1951-04-10
Sterling Hayden
Admits JOINING
Communists
Testifies He Entered
Party in June Of as
And Left in December
By [. Edeor Primo

VONoy tOiO Vic 11OuSc NOIIlIultCee
on Un-American Activities he
Joined the Communist Party ir
June. 1916. but quit in December
Of the same year.
The big blond former Marine
Corps captain and winner of the
Silver Star said that his expert
ences in the Office of Strategic
Services during World War II. in
which he for many months
worked with the Yugoslav Parti-
sans, had created the turmoil in
his mind" which led him to the
party.
He said he was recruited In
Hollywood by a woman named
Bea Winter, a secretary in his
agents Office. He had said he
had been talking about his Yugo-
|slav experiences and the fact that
he wanted to do something for
a better world" when she asked
him:
"Why don't you stop talking
and Join the Communist Party?"
Assigned to "Back Lot" Cell.
MIR. Hayden said his first reac-
ton was that this is ridiculous. f"
but that he signed a party appli-
cation at that time.
He said he was assigned to a
cell made up of back lot" work.
|ers from several movie studios.
II was told that for security
reasons I could not be In a cell
with any prominent people in the
industry" the witness testified.
He also testified that he knew
Actress Karen Morley and Screen
writer Robert Lees to have been
Communists at that time. A CON-
mittee subpoena has been issued
for Miss Morley, but committee
investigators have been unable tc
reach her. Mr.. Lees has been
served and will appear later in the
week.
Mr.. Hayden is former husband
OF Screen Star Madeline Carroll.
Following him to the stand this
week will be: J. Edward Bromberg
Will Geer and Victor Killian,
actors; Anne Revere, actress:
Richard Collins, Harold Buchanan.
Waldo Salt. Robert Lees and Paul
Jarricho, screen writer's, and Meta
Refs Rosenberg, Fred Graft and
Sam Moore. who were not further
identified.
Tells Why He Quit Party.
Asked by committee counsel why
he quit the Communist Party, Mr..
Hayden replied:
First let me say I don't want
to make any apologies. Certainly
it was the stupidest and most ig-
norant thing I have ever done.
went into it with a very emotional
and unsound approach.
"One thing that decided me
against it once and for all was
the whole business and manner in
which everything is predetermined.
I thought from my Yugoslav ex-
Iperience they had a form of de-
mocracy in mind, but it took me
only a couple of months to be con-
vinced they thought they had the
key to all problems. When I knew
that I decided to get out and I got
out"
Lectured on Yugoslavs.
His contact with the Yugoslavs,
he said, had a terrific impact on
him, and led him to believe he
should try to do something to bet
ter the world.
Later, he recounted, he con-
tacted an old acquaintance. a
Capt. Warwick Tompkins. He said
Tompkins was an avowed Com
munist. Mr.. Hayden said that
Tompkins took him around to
various functions where I spoke
about Yugoslavia" for about q
week.
At the conclusion Of his testi-
mony the actor said that he had
heard there were many, many
thousands Of ex-Communists in
the country" who don't know
what to do about it.
perhaps there is some way by
a law to enable them to get this
thing off their chests, because,
believe me, it's an awful load to
carry around" he said.