Evening star., 1948-02-03
Cafeteria Union
Officials Reject
Red Questions
GSI Strike Leaders
Won't Say if They
Are Communists
By Robert K. Walsh

Dy NoDSTt n. VQiSN
Richard A. Bancroft, president
and Oliver T. Palmer, business agen
of Local All of the CIO Cafeteri,
Workers Union, refused to tell .
House Labor Subcommittee toda,
whether they ever were Communist
or belong to Communist from
groups.
Their attitude paralleled the re-
fusal of Abram Flaxer, president O.
the United Public Workers of Amer
lea, to answer similar questions las
night at hearing of the subcom.
mittee investigating the Government
Services, Inc, cafeteria strike. TIL,
Cafeteria Workers Union is an af'
filiate of UPWA.
Today's hearing was much mildel
than last nights session at which
Nathan r. Witt. an UPWA attorney
was elected from the hearing room
But further fireworks were expected
late today If Mr.. Bancroft fails to
produce local union records showing
exactly when and by what vote the
membership authorized its officers tt
refuse to sign non-Communist aff1.
davits in accordance with the Taft.
Hartley Act.
Ordered to Bring in Records.
Mr.. Bancroft said he recalled that
the authorization was given last
September or October at a meeting
attended by about 800 of the ap-
proximately 1900 union members
now on strike against the AZ GS1
cafeterias in Government buildings
He told chairman Hoffman of the
subcommittee that he presumed
the records could be located, but
that he was not sure he was per
sonally empowered to bring them
before the subcommittee.
Mr.. Hoffman, however. ordered
him to return at pm, either with
the records or with more detailed
explanation.
AS in the case of Mr.. Flaxer, Mr..
Bancroft and Mr.. Palmer refused
to answer repeated questions about
Communist affiliation or sympathy
by asserting that such queries "are
not the business of this committee
at this hearing" and are not rele-
want to the issues of the strike.
Theatens to Clear Room.
1T does not fall within your prov
ince to pass on the relevance of
questions asked by this subcommit-
tee," Mr.. Hoffman retorted If
these questions are improper, it is
possible that some court will tell
the committee. If they are proper,
however, you may or may not be
judged in contempt by some court
some day"
On two occasions this morning
and several times last night, Mr..
Hoffman, Republican, of Michigan
threatened to clear the room of
spectators when they booed or hissed
committee members in asking ques-
The committee room was filled to
capacity and several hundred other
persons formed line down the en-
tire length of an Old House Office
Building corridor in the hope Of
being admitted.
When the two witnesses today per-
sisted in declaring that questions
concerning Communist affiliation
were improper and irrelevant" Mr.
Hoffman declared that their attitude
was responsible for keeping 1900
union members out of jobs at the
cafeterias.
IF you had signed those nom
Communist afidavits, you would be
in position to force GSI to bargain
with Local All" Mr.. Hoffman COM
mented.
Could Order Signing.
Under questioning by Representa-
tive Klein. Democrat, of New York,
Mr.. Palmer declared that the union
membership at any time could hold
meeting and, if it wished, could
vote to have its officers sign the
afidavits.
representative Smith, Republi-
can, of Kansas interrupted to ask
what Mr.. Palmer would do If the
membership took such vote.
= Il would either sign or Id have
to resign" Mr. Palmer replied.
which would you do?" Mr.. Smith
insisted.
Well" Mr.. Palmer replied, I'D
have to wait until they acted I'd
reserve my decision until they took
such a vote"
At the turbulent session last night
Mr.. Flaxer gave the following main
reasons for refusing to tell whether
he is or was affiliated with the Com
munist Party or Communist front
organizations:
For me to answer this question
would be inimical to the best inter-
ests of the strikers, because it as
sumes that the issue is my political
beliefs and not the needs of the
strikers. My second reason is that
this question invades and violates
my freedom of opinion. On advice
of counsel, it is my position that
you have no authority to inquire
into my political beliefs"
In Charge of Strike.
Mr. Bancroft and Mr.. Palmer
have been directly in charge of the
strike which began January 5. The
company has continued to operate
all the eating places except those at
the Labor Department and the Su-
prene Court.
Clarence Mitchell, labor secretary
for the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, also
Bad Check Pas.
R;Ikod = (onnr