Evening star., 1937-01-23
Employers Are Suckers in
Undercover Work, Says
Alexandria Mayor.
U. S. AGENTS LISTED
IN WITNESS RECORDS
War and Justice Departments
Disclaim Connection With Metal
Trades Association Case.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

Mayor e. c. Davidson of Alexandria,
Va. General Secretary of the Inter-
national Association Of Machinists,
today told the Senate Civil Liberties
Committee that his international
union has had very bitter" experience
with the National Metal Trades As
sociation over the last 80 years.
During that entire period, we have
experienced instances of men being
framed and blacklisted through ef-
forts Of the associations spies" :"
Davidson said. I'm many cases, our
members and their families have been
threatened with physical injury and
loss Of jobs by agents of the associa-
ton"
Most Of these fellows will sell out
to anybody with the money" David
son continued. I'VE have frequent
offers from spies to sell out other
spies."
Just who is the sucker under this
arrangement" asked Senator Thomas,
Democrat, of Utah.
The employer is the sucker be-
cause these men sell them out every
day. These spies don't even want to
break up unions completely because
then they couldn't sell their services
to industry.
Key to Industrial Woes.
IF espionage we're discontinued. I
believe rs per cent Of our industrial
troubles would end.
We've employed spies to uncover
other spies, but We don't trust any of
them. The employers seem to be the
only ones who trust industrial spies.
We've known of many cases where
employers paid as much as slO0 for
union convention proceedings that
were available at my Office for post
age only"
Asked If his union knew of associa-
tion blacklists, Davidson said:
"Oh. yes; was a victim of their
list years ago in the Norfolk area"
Because he took part In a strike in
1901, he added. he was refused en-
ployment in plants in that area.
Finally. he said. he changed his name
several times, working under different
names thereafter in several plants.
The N. M. T. A. is the agency in
this country that has blocked collec-
tive bargaining in the metal trades
throughout the country. They know
that any real meeting of employers
and employees brings eventual agree
ment and there would be no further
field for their association"
U. S. Agents Named.
Prior to Mayor Davidson's testi.
mony. L. A. Stringham, Eastern repre-.
sentative of N. M. T. A., had produced
typewriter memoranda, but no origi-
nal documents, naming nearly a dozen
present and former agents of the
Justice Department, one Army Intelli-
gence officer and one Navy Intelli-
gence man with whom he said repre-
sentatives Of his association had con-
ferred at various times about indus
trial workers and sabotage activities.
War and Justice Department off,
cials denied any connection with the
association. Navy spokesmen declined
to comment.
As questioning developed that the
subpoena under which Stringham was
appearing was not fully complied with,
Chairman La Toilette announced that
the subpoena would be extended and
amended so that all information, in
whatever form, in possession of the
association and bearing on its rela-
tions with Government departments
must be produced.
In addition, the chairman an
nounced, subpoenas would be served
also on H. j. Bundock and joseph
Holub. employees Of the association.
who Stringham testified had been in
contact with Government agents.
According to Stringham, association
contact has been made during recent
tsee SPY CASE. Page AID