Evening star., 1952-01-30


should the war In the Pacific come
to an early close, the party's at
Ititude would be sharply changed
and a new war against American
imperialism" would begin with
Iobstructionist fervor on the home
front.
A few days prior to the August
recall of the convention I was as
signed to work with Alice % set
the membership of the Malder
branch in the new line and to
pave the way once again for thu
convention deliberations.
One Of those I picked out oi
the crowd at the first Of our meet.
Iings was Harry Winner, the widely
known and influential Malder
businessman. who. as teacher
in the Sam Adams School fol
Social Studies. had assisted in the
IMarxist indoctrination for pros.
Ipective young Communists in the
IAYD.
Convention Report Cited.
The most important aspect c1
the August convention, from m!
point Of view, was q report b!
Justine O'Connor. vice preSi'
dent of the State committee anc
"a member of the State board
IShe proclaimed the edicts for thu
Itoughening exercises of the party
on an educational level, called fol
the setting up of State educa.
tional commission to carry out al
elaborate program Of training ir
Marxism Leninism. She pro.
posed a speakers bureau, q serie.
Iof training classes for all cadre!
of the party, the preparation o.
study outlines and pamphlets de-
Ilineating the new and more Wig.
orous party policies, an active
cultural group. and the train
ling of new teachers to carry tht
message. to the rank-and-file.
Eva and I broke away for ths
first two-week vacation since ou
marriage six years before. Wher
I returned after Labor Day OF
the pile of messages I found ont
which told me graphically that
was to get in touch with ths
lFBI quickly. And the Com
tmunist Party had three meetings
scheduled in which I was to par.
ticipate. sri p
The call to the bureau camt
first, and / learned that it re.
|quired one of our personal con.
|tacts, which by this time had be-
come exceedingly rare. and tier
very devious. The contact" was
set UP and I left the office a few
minutes before the appointed time
headed across Schollay Square to.
ward the Suffolk Savings Banl
at the far end. Along the side
of the square q man fell into ster
with me. 80
Meets "Comrade Roy"
"Hello." It was "Comrade Roy,
Ia newcomer, possibly a party
underling or a recent district
"hoater" whom I had encountered
at the State office, but whose mis-.
sion I did not know. Whatever
it was, I did not want him with
me now and had to shake him
quickly. returned his greeting
without slackening my pace as
glanced at my watch and noticed
that my FIJI contact in q cal
with a distinctive marking, was
less than a minute away.
h"Sorry to duck of, Roy. but ]
have a business appointment up
town. You know how it is. Oh
could I give you q lift?" I added
with perfect confidence that
could II he wanted It.
mo. thanks" he replied. ''just
going UP the block q STEP" .
I climbed in the car and CLOSED
the door. My contact" In the
drivers seat. an FBI agent whose
name I was never told, spoke UP
There's. an envelope down behinc
the seat on the left side." he said
turning up Park street. Take 9
look" I tished for the envelope
and came up with 1t. Inside
found a passport-type photograph
of a heavy-jowled middle-aget
woman.
"Who is she?" asked.
Probably be known by thu
name Of Helen" the agent
answered.
Can't Identity Woman.
"I know two tComrade Helens,
but this doesn't look like eithel
one Of them"
20. K.," said the agent, with q
trace Of disappointment in hi.
voice. '.If you do. let US know
Name is Elizabeth Bentley"
learned at district headquar.
ters that a highly secret training
class for a dozen or so carefully
selected candidates for party
teaching posts was in the offing
and that I was on the list which
was then being carefully screened
through every agency Of the party
The new security drive gave the
district party, from top to bottom
"a severe case Of the jitters. Natu.
rally. did not know all Of the
ramifications of the screening
through which I was going. But
lit was dropped into. my ear thai
the Review Commission was or
my trail, possibly in the expecta-
|tion that If anything was wrone
my nervousness might betray me
Alice Mills even paid what to al
appearances was q routine socia
call on Eva. but she. stayed . Ions
time to chat. probing our house.
hold views on racial prejudices
economic problems, and corollary
Issues. - s
Reluctant Communist.
Eye was nr0hahlv the most re.