I would like to read a portion of this:

FREEDOM FOR THE PEOPLE fights against the source of our oppression; the white ruling class and its colonial enslavement of our Negro Nation in the South. We call for the right of the Negro Nation to self-determination and for the equal rights of the Negro national minority. We know that the white ruling class and its facist [sic] police will continue to oppress us until we are organized to fight back. We know that we will never be free until U.S. Imperialism is dead. We must help to destroy this enemy of all the oppressed peoples of the world. The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you: Those words could come out of the Daily Worker. That is purely a Communist line; is it not?

Mr. HARRIS. Yes, sir; I recognize it, too. [Continues reading:]

The unity of the Negro people with the oppressed peoples of the world in their fight against U.S. Imperialism is the only real solution. FREEDOM FOR THE PEOPLE is the beginning of the struggle for national liberation.

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, I request that this exhibit be received and marked "Harris Exhibit No. 45."

The CHAIRMAN. It will be received and marked accordingly. (Document marked "Harris Exhibit No. 45" and retained in committee files.)

Mr. SMITH. Continue, please.

Mr. HARRIS. Next, on November 26, 1964, a demonstration was sponsored by Freedom for the People in front of the Watts police substation at 1519 East 103d Street. The demonstrators carried signs which read: "WE DEMAND THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR THE NEGRO NATION AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE NATIONAL MINORITIES" and "The POLICE IS the ARM Of the WHITE RULING CLASS."

The CHAIRMAN. Sir, what is your idea of the meaning of the term "Negro nation"?

Mr. HARRIS. I think Mr. Laski was attempting to involve those people in his local area. I don't know whether he had envisioned leading the Negro nation or the total Negro minority; I don't think he did. He was attempting to involve the local Negro population.

The demonstrators were chanting. Some of their chants were: "Down with the U.S. imperialists"; "death to the FBI"; "we want freedom for the people"; "down with the killers of unarmed men"; "racist police"; "killer cops go home."

Mr. SMITH. Did Freedom for the People have a publication?

Mr. HARRIS. Yes, sir. They published a one-page legal-sized bulletin titled Freedom for the People. I have the first issue here, Volume I, Number 1, dated January 1964 [Harris Exhibit No. 44].

(At this point Mr. Willis left the hearing room.)

Mr. HARRIS. This is a second edition of Freedom for the People, dated May 8, 1964. This is also identified as Volume I, Number 1. The publication dates were most irregular.

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, I request that this exhibit be received and marked as "Harris Exhibit No. 46."

Mr. TUCK (presiding). Hearing no objection, it is so ordered.

(Document marked "Harris Exhibit No. 46" and retained in committee files.)

Mr. SMITH. Detective Harris, this issue claims that:

This paper is published by the poor working people of Watts for the people who are beginning to rise and fight against the rich men of America.

Is this factual or has your investigation established that its publishers were an extremely small band of militant Communists?

Mr. HARRIS. Well, the poor people of Watts had nothing whatsoever to do with this publication. The Communists attempted by this publication to include the poor people of Watts in their subversive

programs.

Mr. SMITH. Were there any other demonstrations?

Mr. HARRIS. On December 10, 1964, they held a demonstration, or the Freedom for the People held a demonstration in front of the Watts substation at 1519 East

Mr. SMITH. Is this a police station?

Mr. HARRIS. Yes; a police substation, at 1519 East 103d Street. The pickets carried signs which read: "The POLICE IS the ARM Of the WHITE RULING CLASS" and "WE DEMAND THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR THE NEGRO NATION AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE NATIONAL MINORITIES."

Mr. ICHORD. Mr. Counsel, may I interrupt at that point?

I have before me the "Brutality" poster which follows the form used in the Harlem riots. This has a date on it, issued April 1965. There are photographs which have been introduced into evidence showing white people all of them appear to be white-carrying signs such as "PARKER MUST GO!"; "STOP SHOT GUN JUŠTIČE”; “RACIST COPS & WHITE JURY LYNCHING"; all carried by white people; "END POLICE SADISM"; "STOP Beatings & Killings by POLICE!"; "STOP POLICE BRUTALITY." And then we have additional photographs which you have just introduced into evidence, getting closer to the time of the riot in Watts.

What was the date of the Watts riot?

Mr. HARRIS. August 11, I believe it started, sir, 1965.

Mr. ICHORD. It extended over how long a period of time?

Mr. HARRIS. I think it was 4 days.

Mr. ICHORD. Let me ask you this: Do you have any local statutes, any State statutes, governing incitation to riot?

Mr. HARRIS. There is a California law, I believe, Mr. Ichord.

Mr. ICHORD. Were there any arrests made of any of these people under the State statutes?

Mr. HARRIS. Not to my knowledge; no, sir.

(At this point, Mr. Willis returned to the hearing room.)

Mr. ICHORD. Of course, it would be a matter of judgment by prosecution officials as to whether the time might not be too remote. But the acts were near to the period of August 4, closer to the riot. There is more proximity of time and there could be some basis for prosecutions. This is one of the things, Detective Harris, that is outside your jurisdiction that I am concerned about.

The Congress has considerable pressure on it to pass legislation primarily dealing with the keeping of the peace. One, when he is looking at all the riots occurring over the United States, is moved to pass such legislation. But the thing that bothers me is that there is considerable danger, if the Congress does so, in destroying the basic concepts of our federal system of government. That is, whose responsibility is it to keep law and order? It is primarily the responsibility of

you, the police officers in Los Angeles, the prosecuting officials, and the judges.

This is too large a nation; our Nation is too large and diversified for Federal officials to perform those obligations. If we do so, then we must necessarily set up a national police system. When we set up a national police system, I fear that could very well have thrown democracy out of the window.

There are numerous stories in the newspapers; many people are talking about the necessity of such legislation. I am sure that there is room for such legislation, but I am concerned about the consequences. Certainly, there appears to be the need for more local people to be concerned about what is going on at the local level.

Go ahead. I am philosophizing. But there were no arrests or attempts to obtain convictions under local statutes, to your knowledge? Mr. HARRIS. No, sir.

Mr. SMITH. Will you continue, please?

Mr. HARRIS. Again referring to the demonstration of December 10, 1964, the demonstrators were chanting: "Down with the cops in Watts and all the world"; "down with the hired gun slingers and LBJ”; "down with killer cops.

I have a couple of photographs of the signs carried by the pickets. They read, "The POLICE IS the ARM Of the WHITE RULING CLASS"; and I have already read that one.

On February 18, 1965, Freedom for the People sponsored another demonstration against alleged police brutality at the Watts substation, Los Angeles Police Department, and this, of course, is in the Watts area. Practically the same signs were on display again.

I have three photographs which I would like to leave with you. Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, I request that these exhibits be received and marked "Harris Exhibits Nos. 47, 48, and 49."

The CHAIRMAN. They will be received and marked accordingly. (Photographs marked "Harris Exhibits Nos. 47, 48, and 49," respectively, appear on pp. 1197 and 1198.)

Mr. HARRIS. Our investigation indicates that Laski apparently abandoned this organization after the December 10, 1964, demonstration. There is no record of any activity by the organization subsequent to that date.

It is significant because it demonstrates that Laski, as he has claimed, was agitating in the Watts area prior to the August 1965 riot, in this case through a front group.

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, this concludes the testimony concerning subversive influence in the preriot phase in the Watts area.

I ask that Detective Harris be temporarily excused so that I might call Investigator Wheeler to deal with activities during the riot. The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Thank you very much, Detective Harris.

Mr. HARRIS. Thank you, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. I repeat, we are very grateful for your appearance and contribution.

Mr. HARRIS. Thank you, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. All right, Mr. Wheeler.

Please raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Mr. WHEELER. I do, sir.

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Wheeler, you are an investigator for the House Committee on Un-American Activities, are you not?

Mr. WHEELER. That is correct.

Mr. SMITH. How long have you been so employed?

Mr. WHEELER. Twenty years.

Mr. SMITH. You are the West Coast investigator for the committee? Mr. WHEELER. Yes, sir. I have been on the West Coast since 1951. Mr. SMITH. Committee investigation establishes the existence in the Los Angeles, California, area of an organization called Committee to Support Grievances of Watts Negroes.

Are you familiar with the activities of this organization?

Mr. WHEELER. Yes, I am.

This particular committee functioned for a short period of time during the Watts riots of August 11-17, 1965. Prior to the formation of this particular organization and also subsequent, there was active in Los Angeles a committee known as the Committee To End the War in Vietnam. The Committee to Support Grievances of Watts Negroes was the outgrowth of this Committee To End the War in Vietnam.