Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-17
VIOLENCE
| BLAMED ON REDS
New York Police Inspector
Tells Committee of Tactics
Used by Communists.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 17.-Tactics i'm
puted to Communist leaders in conduct
ing strikes, intimidating workers and
destroying property of employers were
described to the special House Commu-
mist Investigating Committee today by
Inspector John A. Lyons, in command
Of the New York City Police Radical
Bureau.
Lyons explained ne had in charge
the industrial and bomb squads of the
force.
During the past four years, he said,
Communist leaders had fomented nu-
merous strikes among the shoe. fur,
needle, iron, marine transport and
dental laboratory workers, as we'll as
suitmakerS, windowcleaners and musi-
clans.
Armed MODS Accused.
The Communists, he said, used mass
picketing and surrounded shops to
coerce and intimidate workers into join
ing the Communist Union. Mobs armed
with knives, acid and sawed-off billiard
cues invaded shops, he said, attacked
workers and destroyed machinery and
merchandise in carrying on their strikes.
During one strike last year, he said,
odor bombs were thrown in cafeterias
and many windows were smashed. The
losses, he said, reached hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
The police inspector told stories of
sabotage and declared that many old
manufacturers had been forced out of
business through Communist activities.
Most Of the Communist strike leaders,
he said, had long criminal records. They
resorted to demonstrations TO stampede
workers into their organization, he con-
tended, adding that persons of foreign
extraction were most susceptible to
their influence.
Says Juries Reluctant.
Under the New York State laws
Lyons said, 1t has been difficult for the
police to obtain convictions. Juries, he
said, were reluctant to convict the dis
turbers, because they felt that the
strikes constituted merely another la
Dor disagreement. They did not real.
ise, he said, that q program OF organ
lied violence was being carried out by
Communist leaders, which resulted in
interference with business, feionious as
! Saults and sometimes murder.
Inspector Lyons said that Fred Beid-
enkoff. . German, associated with Al
fred Waggenknecht, a. person of many
aliases, had been Leading Communist
strikes in New York during the past
few years. In his work, Lyons said, he
had found that Moscow dominated the
American Communist party and that IL
any member failed to obey the dictates
Of the Soviet government he was pun
ished.
The committee on Monday will visit
O camp at Windgate, N. Y, where they
were told children Of the Gastonia.
NJ. c., textile strikers are taught to
salute the Red flag and sing Song
of Hatred" Of the United States.
Witness Describes Camp.
The committee decided to visit the
| camp after hearing 1t described by
Charles r. Wood, Cancellation commits
sioner Of the Labor Department. He
| said children ut the camp were taught
| to preface their remarks with sacri-
| legious phrases and that one of the
slogans heard was wipe God out OF
the sky"
The committee plans to visit this and
another Communist camp before. re-
| turning to New York to hear repre-
sentatives of the Amtorg Trading Co,
commercial agency for the Soviet
| Union. Late next week 1t will leave for
Detroit for q few days Of hearings.
| The program, however, has not been
definitely decided relative to hearings
In Buffalo, Philadelphia, Chicago and
| Seattle.