Evening star., 1938-08-16
Body Called One of Most
Dangerous of Communist
AffiIiates.
II NAMED AS MEMBERS,
INCLUDING LOCAL MAN
Frey Says Homer Martin Will
Testify on Dissension in
Auto Union Ranks,
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

The Special House Committee in.
vestigating un-American activities to-
day turned the spotlight on the
Workers Alliance after one of its
members, Representative Thomas, Re-
publican, of New Jersey, branded it
as one of the most dangerous organ
izations affiliated with the Communist
party"
John P. Frey, high Official Of the
American Federation of Labor. chief
witness before the committee. placed
In the record the names of 27 members
Of the alliance, who he said also are
members Of the Communist party. Tho
list contained the name of James o.
Eaton Of the District.
Questioned by Representative
Thomas, Mr. Frey admitted the
alliance is now busily engaged in
organizing w. P. A. workers.
You'll find when the Federal
Theater Project comes before us"
said Mr. Thomas, that the Workers
Alliance has an active part"
Homer Martin to Testify.
Mr. Frey disclosed shortly before he
completed his testimony after three
days on the witness stand that Homer
Martin, president of the United Auto
mobile Workers of America, which
was recently torn apart by charges
I'D no nf rNrppnIly1iSyY1
within its ranks, is coming to WASH
ington to testify before the committee.
Four officials of the union were re-
Gently expelled, and a vice president
suspended for three months. The ex-
PEELED officials, it is reported. have
started a movement to oust Mr.. Mar
tin.
Mr.. Frey's disclosure of the appear
ance before the committee of Mr..
Martin was made after he testified
there are two "disrupting factors"
among the auto workers at the pres
ent time. One. he said, is that the
bulk of the membership resents Com
munist control. The other, he de-
clared, is the internal fight between
two factions of the Communist Party
In addition to Mr.. Eaton, the list
of Workers Alliance members Mr.. Frey
submitted to the committee contained
the following names:
Jerry Baccari, New York; A. Beffa,
New York; Herbert Bayanin, New
York; Dave NJ Benson, Tampa, Fla.
Ben Berger, New York; Rosetta Bona,
New York: Edelmire B. Arras, New
York; J. Austin Besley, Denver. Colo;
Donald Burke, Richmond, Va; Pail
Cagmo. New York. Max Cohn, New
York; Paul Crouch. Greensboro, N. c.;
Michael Davidow, New York; Ben Da-
Wis. New York; Frank Darty. New
York; Mrs. Pearl Estep, Baltimore:
Sam Gordon, Pennsylvania; Ted Gra-
ham, st. Louis; Ben Gray. Cleveland;
o. v. Hantell, Ohio; Angelo Herndon.
Birmingham; Frieda Jackson, New
York; Merrill Jackson, Indianapolis;
Eunice Kamavars, New York; Alex
Moral, California; Bill Spain, New
Jersey
Reads From Pamphlet.
Mr. Frey did not go into details
about conditions among the automo-
bile workers, explaining that he would
leave it to Mr.. Martin to give the
committee a graphic picture of the
situation. He did, however, point out
that charges of treason had been
made against one member of the au-
tomobile workers union. and read ex-
cerpts from a pamphlet entitled THE
Great Shutdown Strike" written by
William w. Weinstone who, the wit
ness said, is member of the Com
munist party in Detroit.
The quotations read by Mr.. Frey
pointed out that Communists had
given support to the sit-down strikes
in the automobile industry and had
helped to place the strikes on a solid
foundation. Other quotations sail
where Communists were active the
strikes were the strongest and that
the existence of Communists in the
shops was of great help"
Warned On Accuracy.
Communists probably were more
responsible than any other group
for the sit-down strikes" declared
Mr.. Frey. Mass picketing was car
ried on by members of the Communist
Party trained for that purpose"
AS Mr.. Frey began to read the
names of members of the Workers
Alliance who he said are also men,
bers of the Communist Party, Chair
man Dies warned him to be absolutely
certain of the authencity of the names.
since it was not the purpose of the
committee to ''injure" any one with
out justification.
Chairman Dies then read a tele-
gram he received from two Pitts
burgh priests-the Rev. Charles Owen
Rice and the Rev. Carl P. Hensler-
denying that John Brophy. c. I. O..
director, has any connection with
the Communist Party. The wire read :
''As Catholic priests conversant with