Evening star., 1938-08-13
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

nent. The special House Commit
tee IS looking into both kinds.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
A high official Of the American
Federation of Labor testified before
the Special House Committee Inves-
tigating Un-American Activities to-
day that 28o organizers in the employ
Of the Committee for Industrial Or
ganization were active members Of the
Communist party.
The official, John P. Frey, chief Of
the A. r. OF L. Metal Trades Depart.
ment, also charged the Communists
had failed to secure Z foothold in the
American trade union movement un.
til they scrapped their previous pro-
gram In 1885 in order to attempt to
secure a controlling position WITHIN
the c. !. o.
Mr. Frey also attacked the Senate
Civil Liberties Committee for permit.
ting Vincent Favorito Of Cleveland.
who he branded as labor spy" and
a communist, to testify before the com.
mittee in July as an organizer Of the
Steel Workers Organizing Committee.
Among others, Mr.. Frey listed as
Communists:
John Brophy, G.. I. o. director
and leader Of the United Mine Work.
ers Save the Union Committee" sew.
eral years ago; Francis German, in.
ternational president Of the United
Textile Workers; wyndham Mortimer.
vice president Of the United Automo.
bile Workers of America, who. Mr..
Frey said, was elected . member OF
the Communist party Central COM
mittee at the recent convention in
New York, and Harry Bridges, chief
of the Maritime Union Of the Pacific.
Says Lewis Endorsed"
Mr.. Frey, called as the only witness
for the day as the House committee
suddenly switched from the subject Of
Nazi-ism to Communism, was inter-
rupted by Chairman Dies, who said:
I'VE don't want any conclusions or
hearsay here. We are only interested
In the facts. How do you know this?"
Mr.. Frey. vigorously pounding q
stack Of documents beside him, said:
II will make no statement which I
haven't the documentary evidence to
support. Many Of the leading ON.
cials and presidents Of c. I. O. are
Communists"
Mr.. Frey declared the industrial and
political program of the c. I. o. and
Chairman John L. Lewis have been
"ofacially indorsed" by the Conamu-
mist party. He also said Mr.. Lewis
had a thorough knowledge Of the
danger to the United Mine Workers
and to the A. F. Of L. which existed
because Of Communist activities.
I'm connection with the evidence
indicating Communist activities with.
in the c. I. o." Mr.. Frey said. ut
must be said in all fairness to the
majority Of the membership, that they
are not Communists, and that they
are opposed to Communism. In many
local instances these members Of the
c. I. o. have arisen in revolt against
the Communist leadership which had
secured control.
Not . Communist Body.
"The G. I. o. Is not yet Communist
organization so far as the great ma
jority of the rank and file Is con-
cerned. The fact seems to be that
the c. I. o. membership unwittingly
became q carrier for the virus Of
Communism because of the attitude Of
its leadership"
Contrary to the G. I. O., the A. F.
of L., Mr.. Frey declared, has adhered
to the American form Of government
and the democratic base on which 1t
rests.
what Is important" he declared,
"is that the A. F. Of L. has believed in
evolutionary instead Of revolutionary
methods"
1.-THE Communists reap ridicule upon
the progress made by the A. F. of L. =
he continued. They jeer at its con-
structive, evolutionary methods. They
preach revolution. Within the last two
or three years they have seized every
sit-down strike, every mass pickettns
venture as q means Of stimulating
their evolutionary tactics.
"The sit-down strike and mass pick.
eting have been used by the Com
munists In our country as . training
camp In which Communists can be-
come familiar with the tactics they
are to apply when their revoluttonar,
program Is put into action. The Sit
down strike and mass picketing hav'
been used as >front-line trenches II
which the mass revolutionists Of th@
future are to receive experience AM
training to equip them for the d.!
when the signal for revolution I
gwen"
Mr.. Frey prefaced his Statement
concerning the Senate committee b!
introducing q newspaper photograph
Of Favorito which labeled him as tn
star witness before the committee tn
week Of July IS.
There have been numerous report
7see UN-AMERIcAN. Page A-SJ