Mr. Herndon.

I'm going to ask you again at the beginning of the test, "Is your last name Ruby?" I'm going to ask, "Do you know if any of your immediate family or any close friend is a member of the Communist Party?"

Mr. Ruby.

No.

Mr. Herndon.

"Were you in the Army Air Corps?"

Mr. Ruby.

Yes.

Mr. Herndon.

"Do you know if any of your immediate family or any close friend is a member of any group that advocates the violent overthrow of the Government?"

Mr. Ruby.

No.

Mr. Specter.

Let's rephrase those, Mr. Herndon. "To your knowledge, is any member of your family----”

Mr. Herndon.

Rather than "Do you know ----"

Mr. Ruby.

Why don't you put it stronger--ask me the question without--to my knowledge the answer is "No". When you say--to my knowledge you leave an opening there.

Mr. Tonahill.

Say--"Is any member of your family a member"----

Mr. Specter.

We will take that and make it categorical--without the prefix.

Mr. Ruby.

In other words, I don't want any opening for any doubt that there is.

Mr. Herndon.

Both those questions I started, "Do you know,"--I'm going to just start the question--"Is any member of your family" et cetera.

Mr. Ruby.

Yes.

Mr. Herndon.

Is that all right with you, Mr. Ruby?

Mr. Ruby.

No, no; emphatically.

Mr. Herndon.

Here again, "Is any close friend or any member of your immediate family,"--I will have to change this one. I shall ask the question this way, unless you have reason to object. "Do you know if any close friend or any member of your immediate family ever attended a meeting of the Communist Party?"

Mr. Ruby.

In other words, if I say I know they did----

Mr. Herndon.

Do you have knowledge, in other words?

Mr. Ruby.

No; not knowledge you're putting me in a spot there. Repeat it.

Mr. Herndon.

Let me ask this question the way I composed it originally. "Do you know if any close friend or any member of your immediate family ever attended a meeting of the Communist Party?"

Mr. Ruby.

Yes. Meaning--I know they didn't.

Mr. Herndon.

That's a very valid point.

Mr. Specter.

Let's rephrase it then--"Did any member of your immediate family or any close friend ever attend a meeting of the Communist Party?"

Mr. Ruby.

No.

Mr. Herndon.

How do you want that, Mr. Specter?

Mr. Specter.

"Did any member of your immediate family or any close friend ever attend a meeting of the Communist Party?"

Mr. Ruby.

No.

Mr. Herndon.

I just had it slightly different. "Did any close friend or any member of your immediate family ever attend a meeting of the Communist Party?" Is that all right?

Mr. Specter.

That phraseology is satisfactory.

Mr. Herndon.

Now, there's one other question here and this one is a little bit long, and we might want to discuss this question so Mr. Ruby will understand it perfectly. "Do you know if any close friend or any member of your immediate family has ever attended a meeting of any group that advocates the violent overthrow of the Government?"

Mr. Ruby.

Yes; I know that they didn't.

Mr. Specter.

Let's rephrase the question, leaving out the "Do you know"----

Mr. Herndon.

So that it will now be, "Did any----et cetera."

Mr. Specter.

Yes.

Mr. Herndon.

All right, the question will read: "Did any close friend or any member of your immediate family ever attend a meeting of any group that advocates the violent overthrow of the Government?"