Evening star., 1938-10-20
Seem to Be on Inside of
international Union,
Witness Declares.
'ENGINEERED' SIT.DOWN
IN PLANT IN DETROIT
Martin Did Everything in Power
to Rid q. A. W. of Communists.
Former Unionist Says.
BACKGROUND

House OF Representatives last
spring authorized special committee
to conduct inquiry into prevalence
OF subpersiue influences in United
States. Opening hearings during
summer. group has devoted most
OF its time to alleged activities of
Communist party In America NTH
attention also paid to Evidence pre.
sented OF Nazt party program here.
BY the Associated Press.
James Mitchell of Detroit, former,v
IN charge Of welfare activities Of 4
local union Of the United Automobile
Workers, a c. I. o. afiliate, told House
Investigators today that Communists
apparently have lot OF influence on
John L. Lewis.
Testifying before the Dies Commit.
tee investigating un-American activi.
ties, he said Communists had "engi.
neered" a sit-down strike in the Murray
body plant in Detroit in 1886 and
1897.
Chairman Dies asked him what ef.
forts were made by responsible labor
leaders to rid the u A. w. Of Com.
munists.
Homer Martin, president Of the
q. A. w." Mr.. Mitchell said, tried
everything in his power But it seems
they are on the inside of the inter.
national union. Apparently they have
lot OF influence on Mr. Lewis"
Mr.. Martin is scheduled to testify
tomorrow.
Later in his testimony today Mr..
Mitchell said Communists could con.
troll the forthcoming c. I. o. conven.
ton at Pittsburgh, 'as we'll as the
chairman Of the c. I. O." Mr.. Lewis
is the chairman.
Displays Red Flag.
Rising to his feet, the witness shook
out a red nag bearing the words
Communist party" in gold letters. He
said he had found it in the desk Of
Lloyd Jones, president Of u. A. w.
Local No. 2 in the Murray plant. He
said Jones told him to keep nv damn
hands OF Of IT.
Previous witnesses have told the
committee Jones is q Communist and
was former member Of the U. A. W.
Executive Board.
Mr.. Mitchell said Julia Buchanan.
who he said was Communist, told
MIN she would kill him il he ever
disclosed anything about Jones.
Earlier the committee had heard
tnat the communists try first to con.
troll union and, If that fails, to de.
stroy it.
The rule or ruin testimony came
from Melvin Kells Of Detroit. who said
ne worked with an Americanization
committee OF the American Legion in
uncovering subversive activities.
They wanted to create q struRgle
among workers and to sell the union
out" ne added, explaining that they
were leaders OF Trade Unity League
IN the Michigan automobile manu-.
featuring area.
To Ask Deportation Records.
Before Mr.. Kells began testifyine.
chairman Dies said he was calling on
the Labor Department to supply 4
list OF deportation cases now rendinr.
Representative Dies said the commit.
Tee proposed to find out, II possible.
What is preventing deportation Of
Communist Aliens"
Mr.. Kells offered the committee a
letter which he said the u. A w
sent Its members in December, 1884.
instructing them to join other orsan-
izations with the aim Of developing
class struggles in your shop"
The U. A. W. now is one of the
major branches of the c. I. O. In 1894.
Mr.. Kells asserted, it was part of the
Trade Unity League, which he de.
scrioed as Communist front organ.
ization."
When q strike was lost at a plant Of
the Briggs Manufacturing Co, In De-
troit, he said, a Communist leader
named Sylver Sterstrowicz remarked
that it demonstrated the necessity of
struggling and fighting and overthrow
ing the Government"
The witness said Communists were
trained for work in the labor union
movement at the Detroit Workers
School and that several instructors at
the school became active IN the union
movement.
Chairman Dies asked whether the
G. l.. o. was compelled to a large ex-
tent to rely on men trained in the
Communist school when it needed or.
gani1ers
That's right" the witness replied.
Crawling" With Reds.
Ralph Knox, who told the com.
mittee yesterday he was forced by
radical elements from the presidency
OF the largest U. A. w. local union, as
serted the U. A. w. was Crawling"
with Communists and revolutionary
Socialists. He said these men "abso.
lutely dominated" the local.
Communists and left-wing Socialists,
he declared, led . series Of sit-down
strikes in Detroit, where he held his
union ONCE.
Martins Secretary Is Member.
President Martins secretary and the
head of the U. A. w. Women's Auxil.
iary, the witness testified, are mem.
bers Of Communost party faction.
When Chairman Dies asked the
witness If he had ever been invited
to join the Communist party, Knox
replied that these persons had ex-
tended invitations:
Ben Wolf or Ben Wood, . National
Labor Board attorney: q man named
Eldridge, connected at the time with
National Recovery Administration or
National Labor Advisory Board, and
Donald Henderson, former professor at
Columbia University, now president Of
the United Cannery and Packing
House Workers, . c. I. o. afdliate.