 On October 23, 1939, Ward testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (then known as the Dies Committee), which had concluded that the American League Against War and Fascism was a communist front.During all-day testimony, Ward, cited primarily as "chairman of the American League for Peace and Democracy," which he served from 1934 to 1940.He admitted that the Communist Party had contributed between $2,000 and $3,000 annually but denied any Soviet influence on the league.