Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-27
IN THE NEWS
Continued from Page Onc)


out this KEY plant were cooked
M nv the Communist Party In
1896. One OF the party insiders
who had a hand In the cooking
was the Reverend Kenneth Golf.
former Communist organizer
and now minister Of Wisconsin
church.
according 10 GOffs sworn
testimony before committee
of the Wisconsin Legislature, the
Communists decided five years
ago that strike at Allis-Chal-
mers would give them a chance
to display their descriptive tech
nique and power.
THE union involved was Local
2iS Of the CLOS United Autamn-
bile Workers Of America. Local
2iS,' testified Farrell Schnering,
one-time prominent Wisconsin
Communist. has long been the
pride Of the Communist Party
ITO whip the rsnk-and-file
members Of this union into sub
mission to the Communist pro-
gram. its leaders relied on trick
cry, intimidation and the $50
trustworthy huskies Of Its COON
squad. The COON squad. accord
ing 10 the affidavit Of man who
knew II well. was a mob for
strong-arm action. Its members
were equipped with brass
knuckles and one night each
week was spent In drilling In the
various techniques Of gang fight
ing At union meetings this crew
turned out In overseas caps, took
the aisle seats and, primed In
advance, made the party-line
motions, shouted down or threat
eued those who opposed too
strongly and rollered' the
voting.
ITO make this throttling dou-
bly, sure a union rule was passed
holding members liable to expul-
sion for attendance at unofficial
'caucuses or any other meetings
in which union business was dis
cussed.'
How. nv an elaborate and
ruthless system Of wOrker-cper-
cion. the men behind Local 248
built themselves into power and
prepared for the showdown Is
revealed from testimony gath
cred on the ground and from
some 1000 letters written 10 the
company, during the strike, by
lntimidated unlonists.
81 am a member of Local
248.' wrote one man. Just To
avoid union wrath, which some
extremist demonstrate by
throwing bricks and light bulbs
filled with paint through the
windows Of our homes. Another
wrote: Because OF strong-arm
methods. I'm a member. A third
signed his letter. Just another
one Of the forced members
AN empioye of % years
standing explained that he had
Joined the union because organ
izers inside the plant made the
non-unlonlsts' work eight hours
Of living hell One worker who
finally gave In under tn pres
sure was more explicit. He re-
ported that two men In his
department who refused to join
the union were completely ostra-
cized: Union members were not
allowed 10 speak 10 them, non
unionists who spoke were threat
ened. Periodically. gangs Of men
surrounded the two, demanding
that they sign up and shouting
threats. When the victims of this
recruiting protested, the union
promptly filed grievance charges
with the management, on the
ground that the men were work
ing to disrupt the union. The
union forced the lay-on or dis
charge Of several employees
whose only proved offense was
their refusal TO he coerccd into
union membership.
THE Communist hand In all
this was too plain for the rank
and-file workers Ia miss. I'm
certainly praying said one
union member, for the com
pany'S victory over this comfnu-
niStic union. That's why | write
10 try TO reveal the true com
munistic backbone of Local 24S.
! knew In December that n
strike was 20 he called and that
the AlIIs-Chslmers Company IL