Evening star., 1948-10-07
Kersten Plans 10 Cite
II for Contempt in
Labor Union Probe
BY the Assoeiofsd Press

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Oct. 7.-Eleven
men face contempt citations for
failure to answer subpoenas of
a congressional subcommittee
investigating alleged Communist
lnroads into labor unions.
Chairman Kersten of a House
Education and Labor subcommittee
which ended series of hearings
here yesterday, announced that the
citations will be sought.
Mr.. Kersten said officials and at
torneys of eight left-wing locals
which seeded from the CIO Retail,
Wholesale and Department Store
Employees Union are among those to
be recommended TO rcontempt cita-
tions.
Telephone Threats Reported.
Meanwhile, Jack Sario of New
York, an admitted ex-Communist
reported last night that he received
anonymous telephone threats after
testifying before the subcommittee
yesterday. Mr.. Sario, who had given
the committee testimony about poll
tics in his CIO union, said one caller
warned him he would pay for it,
In another New York develop
ment in the Communist inquiry,
Representative Mcdowell, Repub-
llcan, of Pennsylvania, member of
the House Committee on Un-Amer-
lcan Activities, agreed yesterday to
appear next Monday before a Fed
eral grand jury which indicted II
top Communist leaders on charges
of seeking overthrow of the Govern
ment.
United States Attorney John F.
K. McGohey had requested Mr..
Mcdowell to disclose evidence to
the jury to support statements he
purportedly made that the indict-
mentS were drafted deliberately"
to contain loopholes.
Remington Seeks Damages.
A 100000 damage suit was filed
yesterday by William w. Remington,
suspended Commerce Department
employe. against Miss Elizabeth T.
Bentley and two other defendants.
Remington alleged Miss Bentley,
an admitted former Soviet espionage
agent. falsely named him as
Communist on radio program. The
sponsor and the broadcasting COM
pany are the other defendants.
Miss Bentley testified again yes
terday before the Federal grand
jury which indicted the IL top Com
munistS and is continuing its probe
of subversive activities.
Counsel for the IL Communist
leaders moved yesterday in Federal
Court for dismissal of the indict-
ments. The counsel charged the in
dlctments were the result of bias
and prejudice" in the grand jury.
FBI Refuses Comment.
Mr.. Sario, who told the congress
sional subcommittee that he be-
longed to the Communist Party from
1886 to l947, said he reported the
telephone calls to police and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Police said later they received no
report, and the FBI would not COM
ment. The warnings, Mr.. Sario said,
were this is friendly tip-watch
your STEP and you rat, you'll pay
for it."
Mr.. Sario was one of five former
officers of Brooklyn Local ATS of the
CIO United Electrical Workers who
told the committee yesterday they
were fired or had to Suit because
they refused to work for Henry A.
Wallace's Progressive Party or
against the Marshall Plan.
In the grand jury case. Represent
ative Mcdowell told Mr.. McGohey
in a telegram that he would be
happy to appear" The Representa-
tive has been quoted as saying in
Washington that the Communist in
dictments were window dressing"
and that the Justice Department
brought the charges lin such a way
that they won't stick Mr.. Nc
Gohey has said, Il deny Congress-
man McDowell's charge categor-
ically."
NBC Named in Suit.
Remington's 100000 Federal Court
suit, based on September IL Meet
the Press" program, named the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. and the
General Foods Corp. the sponsor, as
co-defendants with Miss Bentley.
During the program, Miss Bent
ley repeated some of the charges
against Remington which she had
made before the House Committee
on Un-American Activities. She
had been told she had no congress
sional immunity on the program.
The complaint in Remington's
suit, noting that the program had
been heard over the radio network
and seen on television sets, said it
damaged him greatly i'm his profess
sion Of economist and in his en-
ployment. Also, it said, the pro-
gram brought him Into public
odium and contempt"
Remington has denied any Com
munist afiliation.
There was no immediate comment
from NBC or General Foods on the
suit.
Budenz Also Testifies.
Former Communist Louis F.
Budenz, testifying before the Educa-
ton and Labor subcommittee, said
yesterday that two top officers of the
lnCT