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(Testimony of Mrs. Dorothy Gravitis)
Mr. Belin.
Did she give any other statements about how she happened to get out of Russia other than that she had luck?
Mrs. Gravitis.
I didn't ask and I felt she wouldn't tell me. I mean, I didn't ask, and I feel if I asked, Marina wouldn't tell me. Nobody who is coming out from there would tell how they got out or why they got out. She was complaining that her husband didn't have work here and couldn't get a job. I replied that everybody who wants to work in the United States can get a job. Then she asked me what kind of work you mean. I said any kind of laboring work is possible. Roadwork or any kind of work. And she said that her husband thinks that such type of work is below his dignity.
Mr. Belin.
Did she say whether or not her husband was a Communist?
Mr. Mamantov.
She would like to ask you now what do you understand by the word Communist?
Mr. Belin.
Well, I would like to have your mother-in-law explain just what she would call it.
Mrs. Gravitis.
I had a conversation. I said here in Dallas is a person or a gentleman who helps many Russians who are arriving in this city, or who has helped in the past, Mr. Bouhe. Marina said, "Yes, I know him." She said her husband and Mr. Bouhe don't match in their characters. And I replied that you think probably not match the characters, but they agree in their principles, and she said, "Yes."
Mr. Mamantov.
She said, my husband--and this word, I don't know exactly how to translate it--I mistranslated it for the FBI, this word, and I think in your investigation it is very important.
She replied that her husband is now--I could not translate just the individual word. I have to give you the meaning of the Russian word, which was developed fairly recently--that my husband is a person who believes in ideas, and it means ideals of the Communist movement. Now, I can give you the translation of this word if you would like to insert, because maybe in Washington you can get a better description of this word.
Mr. Belin.
Can you spell the word?
Mr. Mamantov.
Yes; ideinyi--which has political connotations, and it means, a person who believes in the Communist movement, Communist ideals, but doesn't hold yet a ticket or membership in the Communist Party. But this is a step to achieve the membership in the Communist Party.
And I think it is very important, which mother emphasizes, and I translated it in the FBI report, "idealist," which is not correct. So it is broken down first, pioneer. Second, the membership in the Youth Communist Party. Third, the candidate for the Communist Party. And this third step is eventually for this particular work.
Mr. Belin.
As I understand it now, you say there are various stages to become a member of the Communist Party in Russia, is that correct?
Mr. Mamantov.
When mother heard this word from Marina, she couldn't talk to her any more or ask her any questions, because this stage of the person becoming a full time member Communist was most dangerous for the people in Russia or in Latvia or in the Soviet Union.
Mr. Belin.
What do you mean by most dangerous?
Mrs. Gravitis.
I mean that this is the most dangerous stage, because this person or during this stage, they are spying on other people. They are spying on other people to gain personal reward from the communistic people.
Mr. Belin.
In other words, they had to do certain deeds when they go to the last stage, which is the actual Communist membership, is that it?
Mrs. Gravitis.
Yes. I also said in the previous conversation, which I can assure you that this is true, which I know from my personal experience. When I was teaching from 1940 until 1941, people like this, who were in this particular stage, who were not yet members of the Communist Party, were spying on me, listening behind the door when I was teaching in the class, and this way it is my experience from that.
Mr. Belin.
I believe that she said that a very small percentage of the Russians are actual members of the Communist Party, and that it is the screening process that gets memberships, is that correct?
Mr. Mamantov.
Yes. It is a small percent of population are the members,
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