Evening star., 1938-07-24
PURGE Of j. A. v.
NEARS CLIMAX
Battle Between Martin and
0usted Officials May
Affect c. 10. Future.
Py the Associated Press.

! Py the Associated Press.
DETROIT, July 23.-The bitter in
ternal struggle stirred up by Homer
, Martins purge" of those opposing his
automobile union leadership moved to-
night toward a portentous climax
Martin. the eX-miniSter who two
years ago led the first successful
. unionization of a large portion of
. the hitherto open shop" automobile
, industry, has been promised a finish
fight by his opponents.
. The battle well may have serious
effect on the future Of the C. l. o.
. United Automobile Workers, if Martin
foes. who claim tacit support from
! John L. Lewis. succeed in their an
, nounced intent to obtain a decision
. from the unions rank and file
In a move without precedent in
American labor history. the Martini
controlled Executive Board Of the
u A. W. has summoned four inter-
national vice presidents, suspended
June 13, to trial Monday on charges
preferred by Martin. =
Assertions, denied by the four, that
they conspired with Communists to
disrupt the union, will be prominent
at the trial Martin called them
''stooges of the Communist party;
they retorted that this was smoke
screen to divide, blind and confuse the
workers"
The suspended officers said the
members of our union will not be de-
ceived. Theirs will be the final ver-
dict"
Richard T. Frankensteen. Wynd-
ham Mortimer. Ed Hall and Walter
Wells-all early associates of Martin
in building the young industrial
union-expect to be read out of office
and out of the union. as happened two
weeks ago to Secretary Treasurer
George Adde's
Like Adde's, they contend such ex-
pulsion is illegal. They have mopped
plans for an attempt to oust Martin
from the presidency.
Potentialities of the struggle al
ready have interferred with the Com
mittee for Industrial Organizations
political plans in Michigan. A State
convention of Labor's Nonpartisan
League, set for today, was postponed
indefinitely.
Lewis, c. I. o. chairman, whose in
tervention was sought by the suspend
ed u A. w. officers, has remained thus
far on the sidelines, declining to con-
firm the statements OF those who claim
TO represent his sentiments. Martin
made it clear he would consider inter-
ference by Lewis violation of the
autonomy of the union.
Whether Lewis may yet get into the
U, A. W. fight, perhaps when and if
Martin foes obtain special conven-
ton. is speculative. A dual union
movement in one of c. l. Os largest
units would constitute a blow to prog
ress of Lewis industrial unionizat ton
program
The trial and expulsion of Adde's
was accomplished by 13 members of
the U. A. W.'s Executive Board, which
once had "a members and required
presence of II to do business Adde's
walked out of the trial when all re-
quests of his attorney were refused
Frankensteen and the others have
not indicated what their course will
be Monday. but they may stay through
the trial session. in order not to weak
en- their position in direct appeal
to the U. A. w. membership.
The four we're accused generally of
seeking to appropriate the authority
Of the president and Executive Board,
Of carrying on program of "vilifica-
ton and abuse" against the union and
of diverting funds from the interna-
tional body
When the officers were suspended,
they urged sympathetic local unions
to continue sending monthly per cap
ita taxes to Adde's. Later as the plans
for seeking special convention pro-
ceeded. the suspended group turned
over the funds which had been held
in trust and requested all locals to
send their taxes to the new secretary
treasurer appointed by Martin.
This move was taken to prevent
Martin allies from sdiSqualifying, on
the grounds that a local union was
not in good standing, petitions the
local might send in seeking a special
convention.