Evening star., 1947-07-24
Six Electrical Union
Members Are Reds '
Official Tells Hearing

the local and international union
are Communists or fellow trav-
elers.
Mr.. Julianelle told the House Un-
American Activities Committee that
he and others were confronted with
an attempt by the international te
revoke the local union charter after
they had fought Communists and
expelled 26 members in Bridgeport
The committee is investigating
Communist inflltration OF unions
Chairman Thomas said testimony
that Communists control a North
Carolina local of the CIO Food
Tobacco and Agricultural Workers
will provide the first test OF the
new Taft-Hartley labor law ban on
such conditions.
Giunio- Zerkin Call Delayed.
Before going into the Bridgeport
union problem, the committee an
nounced that questioning Of DR.
MAIDEN Giunio- -Zerkin, former mem
Der of the Yugoslav diplomatic
service in London, had been post
poned again.
Mr.. Thomas said this would per-
nit further check by the committee
on reports of fifth column" activ-
tiles by Soviet satellite nations
In America. He said Information
supplied by Mr.. Giunio-zerkin in
executive session is OF such i'm
portance as to warrant the further
Investigation and calling of addi-
tional witnesses.
The troubles of the Bridgeport
local in combating Communism
have been fought through the
courts. For that reason, committee
hearings on the subject have beer
postponed several times.
Short, heavy-set his hair erect In
q stiff pompadour. Mr.. Julianelle
peered into the back of the COM
niittee room, then told the commit
tee:
I'VE have quite lot of our fel-
low members, members OF the inter
national union here. And I hope
they take in what I say"
Gives Names of Six.
He did not identify any OF those
to whom he referred. But, he gave
the committee the names OF six
union members or officials who, he
sid, are Communists or who he has
good reason to believe, are Com
n1unists. He named another as a
fellow traveller.
Mr.. Julianelle related that .local
303 has as members some 5000 en-
ployees of the General Electric
works in Bridgeport.
. He testified the local never was
Under complete control of Com
rnunists. But, he said, Communists
and their supporters had a great
deal of influence in affairs of the
local.
The House Committee heard a
witness contend that 16 officials of
the WinSton-Salem, NJ c. local were
Communists. Three officials of the
same union refused to tell the COM
nittee whether or not they are
Communists.
( Mr.. Thomas told reporters after
ward:
This undoubtedly is the first test
case under the Taft Hartley Act
section which says that if union
is controlled by Communists it can t
enjoy the rights and privileges ac-
corded unions under the law by the
National Labor Relations Board"
! Mr.. Thomas said he will submit a
report to Congress las soon as it
can be prepared" on the investiga-
tion of alleged Communism in
Winston-Salem's Local % of the CIO
Fooo, Tobacco, Agricultural and Al
bed Workers Union.
Three Refuse to Answer.
Asked whether the committee will
expand its investigation to take in
the international Of the Eta. Mr..
Thomas said the committee al
ready is investigating the interna-
tional union" since Edwin K Nc
frea, international representative
assigned to Local %, was questioned
yesterday.
!. 1t was Mr. McCrea, along with
Robert C. Black and w. Clark
Sheppard. co-chairmen of the Eta
bcal, who refused to answer COM
Anittee questions whether they are
Or ever were members of the Com
eunist Party. They maintained
that their answers might tend to
ncriminate" them.
s Miss Ann Mathews, who said she
Il former Communist Party mem
Yer, testified that Is or 80 local
union officials were Communists at
the time she worked for the COM
nittee between June, 1945. and jan
vary, 1947. She identified Mr.. Nc
Grea, Mr.. Black and Mr.. Sheppard
as three of the Is.
I Asked by Mr.. Stripping whether
he has ever been a member of the
Communist Party, Mr.. McCrea re-
piled:
Il refuse to answer than on
grounds it may tend to incriminate
me-" and he AIDED:
Il don't feel it is the business of
this committee to determine any
ones political views"
Tells OF War Service.
At that point, Robert Stripping,
the committees chief investigator,
asked:
Have you been an organizer for
the Communist Party in Tennes-
see?"
i refuse to answer that on the
same grounds" Mr. McCrea said.
At the outset of his testimony
Mr.. McCrea told the committee he
had served % months as an aerial
gunner in the Pacific during the war
and was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Gross. the Air Medal and the
Purple Heart.
He was permitted by Mr.. Thomas
to read into the record a statement
in which he charged that the House
committee is attempting to break
our union"