Mr. VELDE. Can you recall the name of any individual discussing any
particular item?
Mr. STENHOUSE. No, I don’t.
Mr. VELDE. By physical description?
Mr. STENHOUSE. No. They were very informal discussions. We just
exchanged ideas back and forth. Somebody had read an article out of a
paper or one of the publications, and we discussed it, and that was
about it.
Mr. VELDE. Your impression was, however, that it was a Communist Party
discussion group?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Yes, that is my impression.
Mr. VELDE. Did you discuss Marxism?
Mr. STENHOUSE. No.
Mr. VELDE. You cannot recall what you discussed except that you vaguely
remember it was a Communist Party discussion?
Mr. STENHOUSE. I say we were discussing foreign affairs, domestic
problems. I remember at that time the question of price control was in
people’s minds, and I am pretty sure that that was one of the things we
discussed.
They were nothing more nor less than an attempt, from a certain
viewpoint, to study and explain, if you like, the phenomena we were
living in.
Mr. VELDE. Have you no independent recollection whatsoever of how you
happened to get into the first meeting?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Except that I was invited, as far as I remember, by this
fellow that I have described.
Mr. VELDE. But do you remember his name?
Mr. STENHOUSE. I probably saw him not more than, oh, 20 times during
the whole time I was in Washington. And there were many people in
Washington whom I saw every day, whose names I can’t remember.
Another thing, Mr. Congressman, we discussed the same topics from a
different viewpoint with other people. And it is very hard to remember
now exactly which topic was discussed at which meeting.
Mr. VELDE. I am sure, Mr. Stenhouse, it is very hard to remember
exactly. But certainly I think that a person of average intelligence
and a fair memory could remember at least one person.
Mr. STENHOUSE. If I could name them I would. And in offering to go over
a list of names, I have done the best I can to cooperate with your
committee.
Mr. MOULDER. When you filed your application for Government employment
did you file Government form 57?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Yes, sir.
Mr. MOULDER. Do you remember the names of the persons you gave as
references on that application?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Well, if form 57 requires references, I don’t---- Maybe
it wasn’t form 57. I don’t want this to be misinterpreted.
Mr. MOULDER. It is a standard application form required by governmental
departments.
Mr. STENHOUSE. I don’t recall any application in which I put
references. It may be so.
Mr. MOULDER. But you did make a written application setting forth your
experience and qualifications?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Oh, yes.
Mr. MOULDER. And was there an oath on that application?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Yes.
Mr. MOULDER. Which you had to sign?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Yes.
Mr. MOULDER. And did anyone recommend you for this position to which
you were assigned in Washington?
Mr. STENHOUSE. Somebody recommended me in the sense that they referred
my name and qualifications to Ellis Patterson.
Mr. MOULDER. Do you know who that person was?
Mr. STENHOUSE. I am not sure who it was. We had a large number of
friends from Los Angeles at that time, and it may have been one of the
people that we were active with in that Democratic campaign. I think it
probably was.
Mr. MOULDER. When you were made section chief, who was your immediate
superior?