Yes, the (alleged) quote from Burl Ives about his not naming names ("You know who my friends are. You will have to ask them if they are Communists.") came from the Wikipedia entry.

I, too, do not take Wikipedia as a completely authoritative source, especially in controversial matters, but at least it purports to be a direct quote. That's more than anything else I've read. Or heard. I would have to have some verification before I would accept it as true—just as I would like some verification from those who simply accuse Ives of "ratting on his friends for selfish motives." That seems rather simplistic, speculative, and not just a little mean-spirited.

If I don't know for certain, rather than condemning someone out of hand for something they supposedly did (remembering that as the fish story gets told again and again, the eight-inch trout fairly quickly turns into Moby Dick), I'd rather give them the benefit of the doubt.

Don Firth