The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-01-08
ON THE
CAPITALS CUFF
Federated Press)
By HENRY ION

A few minutes after noon on jar
uary the 77th congress of the u.
came into being.
No prophets were required to pre-
dict that during it's life the new con
gress will hear many charges mad,
against labor and many demands TO
the suppression of labor organization
as they now exist.
Not the least of these charges will
be the oft-repeated one that the unions
are sabotaging defense, that subver
sive members of unions are working
for foreign governments, and that the
safety of the nation is in peril unless
drastic action against unions Is taken
For the sake of the record it Is
worth reporting at this time one in
stance demonstrating in sensational
fashion labor's attitude toward sabo
tage and the attitude of j. Edgar
Hoover's federal bureau of investiga
ton toward sabotage when the EVIL
dence is furnished by labor unions
On June II, 1889, John F. Cohee, a
reporter for the Los Angeles Evening
News, made an affidavit for the FBI
Signatory to the document as wit
ness was James G. Findlay, an agent
of the FBI
Cohee recounted in detail the inten-
sive investigation he had made of the
airplane industry and he reported the
talks he had with various employees
of the airplane companies located in
southern California.
He described, for instance, the cir
cumstances surrounding the order
given in the Consolidated Aircraft
Corp. to the effect that rivet holes
were not to be buried and how the
lack of burning caused the rivet holes
to spread and enlarge, fastening the
lJorrosion that took place when the
plane came in contact with sea water
On December 20, 1888, Cohee's at
fidavit declares, the United Auto
Workers (CIO) local published bulle-
tin declaring that inferior workman
ship was being done on planes for the
army.
"They (the officers of the union)
said the army inspectors at the plant
and Major Howethayer, the personnel
director, had demanded that officers
of the union prove this charge" the
affidavit declares.
"Streur and Stradley (union Off
cials) told me that Major Leland C.
Hurd, chief army inspector, had threat
inn, OF in
Leavenworth penitentiary unless they
proved the assertion in the union bull
letin.
"They quoted Hurd as follows, You
men are very unpatriotic. We are
Just beginning to make money here
on these army orders and getting more
lined up and then you pull something
like this"
According to Cohee's affidavit, the
charge was amply justified. Instances
of improper work and purposely i'm
proper designing, of suspicious per-
sons engaged in key jobs, and of sabo-
tage are cited.
Cohee declares in his affidavit that
the plane companies hired young and
inexperienced workers and that these
persons were subjected to influence by
people described as nazi sympathizers
who argued vehemently against union
ization.
Submitted with the affidavit was
chart showing the production staff OF
one airplane plant with the names of
persons who, evidence indicated, were
members of the German-American
bund.
The Cohee affidavit, covering some
II single spaced typewriter pages,
together with supporting affidavits
were turned over to the FBI.
Yet, according to union officials,
nothing has ever been done about the
charges contained in the document
Persons named as obstructing the
work are still in their jobs and no in
ouiry has been made of persons with
information.
Inquiry at the FBI here brings the
response that the matter has been
taken care of. People working In the
plants know that the matter has not
been taken care Of and they run quite
a temperature when they read In the
papers that ]. Edgar Hoover is great
detective or that Attorney General
Robert H. Jackson has called a legiti-
mate strike the work of foreign
agents.
Apparently the FBI prefers evidence
from persons like William ]. Hynes,
the notorious head of the Los Angeles
'red squad" whose connection with
such as the Silver Shirts
and the Dies committee is a matter
of public record.
Similar sources of information are
more acceptable to the Ia
bor-haters in congress also.
ALBANY, N. Y.-FP)-Job place
L. A. ototo am v,1ouv,, gary