Evening star., 1951-08-08

MRS. REGINA FRANKFELD.
t Party organizer.
= tee," he concluded, ARE a shame
= full disgrace to all who have glori'
I ously fought for American free
dom"
Mrs. Blumberg's name was men.
! toned frequently last month dur.
: ling the committees efforts to learr
: if she and others had conspirec
to establish Red cells in Balti-
lmore's defense industries.
: Mrs. Blumberg, committee coun-
.Isel implied, had helped organize
la drive to infltrate labor unions
with SPECIAL emphasis on the steel
and shipping industries.
\ Mrs. Blumberg, a Goucher Col
, lege graduate whose husband was
!. convicted here in 1945 for refus-
ing to answer before the Dies
Committee. was alleged to have
held the following offices:
Administrative secretary of the
lefty council of the party of Balti-
more in 1912, member Of the Gre
dental Committee Of district in
I1943, membership director of the
Baltimore party and executive
secretary of district 4 in 1914
member OF the Executive Commit
Itee, Press Committee and Finan-
cial Committee Of the Communist
Political Association of Baltimore
after June, 1914, and subsequently
Isecretary-treasurer of district as
well as education director"
In 1949, it was said, Mrs. Blum
berg dropped all open party ac-
tivity."
Mrs. Blumberg, native of Bal
timore, obtained a Reno divorce
from her first husband in 1888 and
married DR.. Blumberg the follow
ing year.
Convicted of Perjury.
In 1910, she was indicted, tried
and convicted in Criminal Court
lat Baltimore on a charge of per-
Jury in connection with placing
the Communist Party on the ballot
for the national elections of that
year. She was sentenced to one
year in the House of Correction
and fined $1,000, but the Jail SEN
tence was suspended on condition
of good behavior. She received a
pardon IN April of 1943.
DR.. Blumberg was given a 30
day suspended jail sentence and
fined $3.50 in District Court in
June of 1916 after a jury found
him guilty of refusal to answer
questions before the Dies Com
mittee.
/ DR.. Bllmberg, described as ma
ltional legislative representative of
the Communist Party, had re-
fused to answer questions about
the makeup of the party's Execu-
tive Committee in Maryland, or
to say who was secretary of the
party for Washington.
Both the Frankfelds have been
widely identified as Communists
in Baltimore-Frankfeld as organ
izer and chairman of the Mary
land Washington district of the
Communist Party until last Febru-
ary and Mrs. Frankfeld as the
kindergarten teacher fired by the
Baltimore school superintendent
because she was an avowed Com
munist.
Proud of Membership.
Mrs. Frankfeld was teaching a
class for handicapped children
when she was dismissed in Sep
tember. 1948. She asked the
school board to rehire her on the
ground that communism is "as
American as our love of fair play,
baseball and regard for our chill
dren." When the board upheld
the dismissal, Mrs. Frankfeld rose
to announce:
II am d member of the Com
munist Party. admit it. I am
proud of it"
i The Justice Department said
Mrs. Frankfeld has been identi-
field for many years with Com
munist Party activities. She was
born on Staten Island, N. Y, as
IRebeccan Shattner. Her parents
were natives of Austria.
She got her bachelor of arts de-
Igree from New York University
lin 1884 and later enrolled at the
university Of Pennsylvania for ad-
|vanced history courses but failed
Ito complete them. The Justice
Department quoted Mrs. Frank
, field as saying she joined the party
! lin 1885.
Full-time Organizer.
: In Baltimore, according to the
Justice department, she served as
an officer OF. the Tom Paine Club
Communist Party of Baltimore
5 and later was named organiza-
tional secretary for the Maryland
/ Washington district of the party
In early 1851, she became full
S time organizer for the party ir
Baltimore and continued until
S she left recently to join her hus.
S band in Cleveland.
! She was married in 1886
' divorced her first husband ir
/ 1912, married Frankfeld thai
D August and remarked him ir
December, 1943, after the previou.
= marriage was annulled. She ha.
e son and a daughter.
4 Frankfeld, according to the
d Justice Department, has been or.
lganizer of District 6 Of the Com
: rnunist PARTY, with offices in Cleve.