The Washington times., 1937-02-13
A.F.G.E. DENIES
REAFFILIATI0N
OF RADICALS

Efforts for reaffiliation by five
lodges of the American Federation
of Government Employees, expelled
at the Detroit convention last
September for alleged radical ac-
tivitv and Communist member
ship. were denied today by the
organization executive council
Meeting in executive session at
the Hamilton Hotel yesterday alt-
ernoon, after an earlier appear
ance before the House Civil SerV-
ice Committee. the council voted
unanimously to deny any further
attempts of the ousted units 10
obtain charters. issuing the fol-
lowing recommendation:
"That the petition of the en-
ploye groups, Social Security
Board Union, Farm Credit Ad-
ministration Union, Securities
and Exchange Commission
Union, RI lrOad Retirement
Board Lodge and Public Assist
ance Division Lodge, for a GER
tificate of affiliatiOn of charter
from the American Federation
of Government Employees be de-
MED"
ACTIONS EMBARRASSING
The five groups were expelled
from the A. F.. G. E. during the
recent convention upon recon-
mendation of the executive coun-
Gil at that time, which met before
the convention to consl d Ter
charges against them to the effect
that they had INDUCED in sub"
versive activity and encouraged
sundry actions that had proved
embarrassing to the A. F. G. E.
and the United States Govern
ment."
At the time it was charged by
Cecil E. Custer, national treasurer,
that their membership included
persons of Communist sympathy
and the convention voted to with
draw temporary characters which
had been granted pending proba-
tionary period. Eight hundred per
sons lost membership, it was estl-
mated.
Form Committee
Since the convention the suS-
pended units have banded them
selves into Committee on Reat-
filiation, with the hope that elem
ency would be granted during the
current meeting of the executive
council. This committee issued
the following statement this morn
ing:
"The arbitrary action Of the
executive council in rejecting
our application is difficult to
understand and impossible to
justify. We were denied hear
ing by the council last Sep
tember when our certificates
were revoked, and here again
our application for reaffiliatiOn
has been rejected without an
opportunity to present our
case. Neither then nor now
were specific charges preferred
against our lodges. In taking
this action, the council has viO-
lated the democratic principles
of the American labor move
ment and the aims and pur-
poses of trade uniOniSm."
GREEN'S AID CITED
"Last week William Green,
rraeiIaTf af Tho Z Of
upon the basis of oral and writ
ten statements of our case,
promised that he would urge
the members of the council to
grant charters to our lodges.
We hope that the wiser counsel
of President Green will prevail
and the plea Of our lodges for
unity of Government employees
in the face of common problems
will lead the executive council
to reverse its decision"
The ousted lodges were to ap-
pear before the council this after
noon to insist upon a hearing,
and plan a second appeal to
Green. Concurrently with its an
louncement today, the council
issued a statement backing action
Of the D. C. department of the
organization in refusing a dele
gates seat to Lucien Koch, Labor
Department worker who formerly
headed Commonwealth College in
Arkansas, probed in 1884 for al
eyed Communistic teachings.
m Modo uorooIorr