Evening star., 1948-07-10
House Unit Will Seek
Contempt Trial Of 3
.CI0 Union Leaders
ey the Associcfed Press


NEW YORK, July l0.-A House
subcommittee will ask that nine
CLIO union officials, who refused
to tell whether they are Com
munists, be cited for contempt
of Congress.
The move was announced yester-
day by Representative Kersten, Re-
publican, of Wisconsin chairman OF
the subcommittee, after three days
Of turbulent hearings.
He said he would recommend to
the House Education and Labor
Committee of whcih the investi-
eating group is branch, that the
nine labor leaders be cited.
All OF them are officials OF the
CIO Retail, wholesale and Depart
ment Store Union.
Yesterdays session-the quietest
of the three-ended on fiery note
after one union leader stood up and
demanded q chance to call attention
to "the lack of honor and lack OF
integrity on the part of this COM
mittee."
Official Is Elected.
Deputy United States marshals
took hold OF the man, Arthur
Osman, president Of Local IS and
led him from the room. Mr.. Osman
and another union official were
forcibly elected on the previous day
During the hearings, the only
union witness to answer what Rep
resentative Hartley, Republican, OF
New Jersey, committee member,
called "the $64 question" was Jack
Altman, a department store director
of the union.
| Asked If he was or ever had been
a Communist Party member, MI
Altman replied:
Il never have been and I am not
Even though I don't think it is q
proper question to ask, am abso-
lutely not Communist"
He charged the subcommittee was
making martyrs" of the Com
munists.
SO Per Cent Held to Be Loyal.
You're giving them a field day.
he said.
Samuel Wolchok, president of the
department. store union, told the
committee that SO per cent of the
unions 10000 members were ''iaw-
abiding, loyal Americans without any
Red taint."
1T is more dangerous to drive
Communists underground than tc
have them on top of the table," Mi
Wolchok added.
Representative Kristen replied
that 1--WE want to get them out from
underground and on the table where
we can know them for what they
are and expose them"
Il think everybody knows whit
they are" Mr.. Wolchok said.
Jack Paley, Local IS secretary
treasurer - appearing before thu
committee for the second time
countered a question about Com
munist membership by asking Mr
Kersten il "Nazi" funds and sup
port from the Rev. Gerald l.. K
Smith figured in his election cam
paign.
Mr.. Kersten said there was ''nt
substance" to Mr.. Paley's question
adding there is not anything tina
bears a resemblance to the truth.
Red Demonstration Reported.
Earlier, a former union member
Dorothy G. Barry, testified she sav
Mrs. Esther Letz, unit director
wave Soviet flag at a union meet
ing and shout: '"This is the flas
we take our orders from"
Mr.. Kersten said Mrs. Lett, at her
request, would have a chance to an.
sWer the charge when the hearings
resume after the Democratic Ma
tional Convention either here or ir
Washington.
TWenty-four more New York I'm.
ion officials have been summoned ir
the probe of alleged Communist in
huence in unions.
Union officials facing possible
contempt charges are Mr.. Osman
Mrs. Lett. Mr.. Paley and Davic
Livingston, vice president, all o1
Local IS; Samuel Lewis, business
manager, and Carl w. Andren
business agent, Of Local 8: William
Nicholson, business manager, oi
Local 2: Nicholas Carnes, president
of Local 1850, and Nathan Solo.
mon, president, of Local $50.