committee of the House of Representatives, constituted as such by the rules of the House, adopted pursuant to Article I, section 5, of the Constitution of the United States which authorizes the House to determine the rules of its proceedings.

RULES ADOPTED BY THE 90TH CONGRESS

House Resolution 7, January 10, 1967

RESOLUTION

Resolved, That the Rules of the House of Representatives of the Eighty-ninth Congress, together with all applicable provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, be, and they are hereby, adopted as the Rules of the House of Representatives of the Ninetieth Congress * * *

RULE X

STANDING COMMITTEES

1. There shall be elected by the House, at the commencement of each Congress,

(r) Committee on Un-American Activities, to consist of nine Members.

18. Committee on Un-American Activities. (a) Un-American activities.

(b) The Committee on Un-American Activities, as a whole or by subcommittee. is authorized to make from time to time investigations of (1) the extent, character, and objects of un-American propaganda activities in the United States, (2) the diffusion within the United States of subversive and un-American propaganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution, and (3) all other questions in relation thereto that would aid Congress in any necessary remedial legislation.

The Committee on Un-American Activities shall report to the House (or to the Clerk of the House if the House is not in session) the results of any such investigation, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable.

For the purpose of any such investigation, the Committee on Un-American Activities, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit and act at such times and places within the United States, whether or not the House is sitting, has recessed, or has adjourned, to hold such hearings, to require the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, and to take such testimony, as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under the signature of the chairman of the committee or any subcommittee, or by any member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person designated by any such chairman or member.

27. To assist the House in appraising the administration of the laws and in developing such amendments or related legislation as it may deem necessary. each standing committee of the House shall exercise continuous watchfulness of the execution by the administrative agencies concerned of any laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of such commttee; and, for that purpose, shall study all pertinent reports and data submitted to the House by the agencies in the executive branch of the Government.

SYNOPSIS

Detective James C. Harris of the Los Angeles district attorney's office, who had testified before the committee in November 1967 during its hearings on the 1965 racial disturbances in the Watts area of Los Angeles, appeared again as a witness before the Committee on Un-American Activities on June 28, 1968. His testimony concerned matters pertaining to the Black Congress and a rally it had sponsored on February 18, 1968, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Mr. Harris stated that although spontaneous incidents have sparked riots and racial disturbances, it is also true that dissident groups have caused hard feelings between the races by deliberately planned actions. One such action, he said, was this Black Congress rally.

Mr. Harris testified that the Black Congress is a "coordinating organization composed of about 28 groups" which "encourage membership on the part of any black group of 10 or more members who are involved in social change." Its director is Walter Bremond. The rally which it sponsored at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on February 18, 1968, was, according to Detective Harris, an "action which clearly shows the intent of the sponsoring group to foster *** ill will between the races."

The witness testified that in early February 1968, Irving Sarnoff, an identified member of the Communist Party, who is also the chairman of the Peace Action Council in Los Angeles, "was in contact with Stokely Carmichael, and Carmichael agreed to appear in Los Angeles." Sarnoff was working in conjunction with the Black Congress, according to Detective Harris.

The purpose of the rally was to raise funds for the Huey P. Newton Defense Fund. Newton is a member of the Black Panthers in Oakland, Calif., who was then under indictment, and has since been convicted, of murdering a policeman. His defense attorney, Charles R. Garry, has been identified as a member of the Communist Party.

Mr. Harris presented as an exhibit a flyer which advertised the rally and named such noted militants as Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Maulana Karenga, Reies Tijerina, and Betty Shabazz, the wife of the late Malcolm X, as speakers. Miss Shabazz, however, did not appear at the rally, according to Detective Harris. He pointed out that Walter Bremond served as master of ceremonies.

Detective Harris then quoted brief excerpts from the speeches made by several rally speakers, including:

James Forman, then a national director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the first speaker. He told of the existence of a "mutual defense pact" and warned of "instant and protractive retribution" if any black leaders were assassinated.

Bobby Seale, chairman of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, declared that "Every black man here must have a shotgun in his home to defend himself and his family against the racist Gestapo police

Reies Tijerina, the leader of the militant Mexican-American Federal Alliance of Free City-States, declared that "The white man is an enemy of justice, an enemy of mankind ***”

Ron Karenga, leader of US, called on the audience "to get white people fighting each other... Let them shoot each other ***."

H. Rap Brown, a national leader of SNCC, stated that "Black people, if they are going to be free, must begin to seize power. You better get your gun, brother. *** You've got to arm yourselves. *** The only politics we can be concerned with is the politics of revolution.We not only talking about destroying a power structurewe're talking about ruination of a system."

Stokely Carmichael told the audience: "If this country burns down to the ground, we rejoice and we dance *** In order to educate our people, it means that we must take over the schools-nothing lesstake them over by any means necessary.

Regarding Black Panther member Huey P. Newton and his forthcoming trial for murder, Carmichael stated, "If you oft brother Huey, we oft fifteen honkie cops." "Oft," Mr. Harris explained, means "to kill."

The white news media, Detective Harris said, did not cover the rally because they would have been required to pay $1,000 in order to be admitted to the arena. The rally was, however, covered by the West Coast Communist Party newspaper, the People's World. The February 24, 1968, issue of that publication carried a page-one report of the proceedings written by Gene Dennis. The article was entered as an exhibit for the record. Dennis estimated that approximately 4,000 persons had attended the rally. Detective Harris testified that 3,000 would be a more accurate figure.

The request for the use of the Los Angeles Sports Arena for the Black Congress rally was made on February 8, 1968, by Mrs. Bobbie Hodges, local chairman of SNCC. Mr. Harris testified that she had presented a letter requesting the arena for February 18, 1968, check in the amount of $1,000 signed by Ayuko Babu.

According to Mr. Harris:

and a

Babu is Anthony C. Ashley, an officer of the Black Student Union, a member of the National Conference for New Politics, on the national executive board of this group, a guest speaker before the New Left School in Los Angeles, a central committeeman of the Black Panther Political Party, and a participant in many demonstrations in Los Angeles, particularly in anti-Dow Chemical Company agitation at Cal-State, L.A.

Ashley is a male Negro, born 16 July 1943 in Amarillo, Texas.

Committee counsel then asked Mr. Harris if he could name the individuals who had "furnished the money" for the appearance of the speakers.

The witness testified that Mr. John Pratt had given a check in the amount of $1,000 to Walter Bremond; Helen Travis, an identified member of the Communist Party, had remitted a cashier's check in the amount of $2,000; and Kenneth W. Rottger had made payable to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Commission a check for $10,000. Copies of the checks were entered as exhibits for the record. Mr. Harris also testified in reference to the Rottger check: