Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-03-27

aminers. They apparently were
seeking the answer to one para
mount question:
What was Miss Bailey doing as
a leader in UPWA. a union which
has acquired an unsavory reputa-
ton for adherence to the Com
munist line, although 1t has never
been placed on the Attorney
Generals list of prescribed Or
CARNATIONS?
UPWA was established in 1916
when the old United Federal
Workers of America merged in the
CLIO with Abram Flaxer's State
County and Municipal Workers OF
America. At that time, Miss Bailey
was in her third term as president
of the Federal Workers Local 10
which she had joined in 1889.
> In all. Miss Bailey served 1--we
terms as president Of Local 10
between 1943 and 194S, being
elected unanimously the first four
times and by an overwhelming
majority the last time. In 1916
and again in 1948. she was chosen
to represent the Washington Bal
timore region on UPWA's Inter-
national Executive Board.
At its. founding convention in
Atlantic City. UPWA attracted
widespread and unfavorable at
tention when it passed a resolu-
ton voicing no criticism Of Rus
STA and blasting the United States
and Britain for the breakdown OF
Big Three collaboration. The
regional loyalty panel wanted te
know what Miss Bailey. as a dele
gate to the convention. had to
do with this.
Here is her answer:
Miss Bailey: did not vote for
the foreign policy resolution
passed at the convention in April
of 1916. I was not on the floor
Of the convention at the time it
was presented and discussed.
was off the floor because I was q
member Of the Constitution Com
mittee which was set up to draw
up a new constitution. - l was
never in favor Of that resolution
I have never supported it.
When I returned to Washington
from the convention I and many
others of my local were dissatis-
fled and displeased .. We
instructed each shop . to try
to have full discussion to find out
what the members agreed upon
and to come out with even a very
simple statement, something
which was agreed upon by the
majority of the shop members.
The results of these discussions
were all sent in. We reviewed
them and at the local men,
bership meeting following the
Atlantic City convention dis
cussed and adopted q foreign
policy resolution which was differ
ent from that passed at the ma
tional convention. We sent this
to the national Office with the
statement that Local 10 preferred
this as a statement on the foreign
policy ="
Proposal Not Adopted.
This resolution Endorsed the
CLOS stand of foreign policy, as
opposed to that Of the National
UPWA.)
Miss Bailey: Along with this
felt that the national union
should take a different position,
and at the board meeting in
June proposed to the Ma
tional Board of the union that
they should adopt different
statement on foreign policy. My
proposal was not adopted. . :"
The transcript continues:
Mr.. Examiner: The Civil Ser
vice Commission has information
to the effect that your continual
defense of Abram Flaxer and
other party liners and the official
party line of the Communist Party
is the chief obstacle to the over
throw of the Communist Party
line in the United Public Workers
of America"
Miss Bailey later asserted pri-
vately that no question raised at
the hearing astonished her more
than this one. Her comment at
the time, as shown in the tran
script. was:
Miss Bailey: didn't realize
that I was so important. Let me
state that I have never advocated
or followed the Communist Party
line in the union or In any organi-
cation to which I belonged in my
life. What was the first state
ment again about Abram Flaxer?
"Mr. Examiner: That you had
supported-in defense Of him. 80
Miss Bailey: I, first of all, I