The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-02
CIONot Communistic,
 Claim Union Heads
Brass Workers Recent Attacks Challenge to Debate
 Issues Made in Letter

Dcnials that the committee for industrial organization or that its organizer, John l.. Lewis. are conl- munistic in nature or purpose arc voiced today in a letter to the Edi- tor of The Waterbury Democrat by officials of the Waterbury Brass Workers Union, No. 25l.
 Poth Adolph Curtis, president, and F. c. Brainerd, secretary, hit back at the recent attacks made locally on the c. I. O. and claim that the sit-down strike Is the only last re- sort effective means of maintaining the rights of workers. when arbi- trasion and mediation falls to. &C., complish its purpose.
 Tho letter of the local union fol- 1 fowS:
 April l, 1o37. Editor, Waterbury Democrat:
 There have been in the past week two rather bitter attacks in the To- cal press against the committee for Industrial organization commonly called the 0. I. o. As officers of the c. I. O., the Waterbury Brass Work CTS Union we take this means Of answering these attacks.
 The first of these was signed by onn who signs as Neutral Party Mich. (what ever that means). This letter might well have come from the Manufacturers association from It's tone. AS for tho sit-down strike and It's 'so-called threat to property rights. Why mot consider the work ers' property rights in his job. (This Is his very life in fact, the only thing of value he OWNS). The real difference Of opinion arises, not out of property rights. It is question of WHOSE property rights. Is the manufacturers property. rcpresent- cd by his plant and machinery) any more sacred than the workers prop erty (his right to decent liveli- hool). Tho sit-doWn strike being tho only effective method of ma!n- tainin,s this right. Also 1t is well to remember that, the c. I. O. adyo- cates strikes of any kind. ONLY as last resort. That is, when owners of industry fiatly refuse to even con- sidsr arbitration as Q means Of set- tlinC disputes.
 The second of these attacks comes, oddly enough. from one who claims to be an advocate of industrial Lnic. lism. Brother" McGurk claims that, lon 1885 the A. r. of l.. issued charter covering all employed in tn, production of and assembling branch of tho automobile industry. ' He continues: Tt spent over a half million dollars organizing these workers who are now members Of the 0. I. O." This looks son the sur face as though the 0. I. O. was cn- gagged in stealing members from oti cr unions. The facts of the case are these. According to the roll call of the convention of the A. Y of | L. held in Atlantic City in October | l03E, there, were exactly $500 auto workers represented by delegates This according to McGurk after the A. r. of L. had spent . half million dollars, to organize the auto industry. These a.600 men were d. videu into eleven separte federal unions. Today the c. I. O. have ove- 300,000 members in the auto mobile industry. All in one union,
 As to the remainder of Brother Mc9urk's argument that, calling thole with whom you disagree com munists settles nothing. John l., I.ewis' record. as McGurk vol knows, proves conclusively that he Is not even close to being com munist. ssnall boys delight in call-