Evening star., 1952-02-23
Union Vote Frauds
ToKssp Communists
|IR0iiles CHARGED
Dy Ne Assealeisd Pless

"A senate subeoilinittee ehafeed
teday that union elections were
|Flgsed 10 Keep Communist ON.
eials'' OF ths American cemmunls
eatiens Association In efiise,
Testimony In support OF its
ehaPse was made public today
Iby the Senate Internal Security
RubeeMmlttee. 10 was presented
lot eleaed.deeP hearings last
month by three former eiAeeFs
Ief the union, On independent
certified as bargaining agent for
about $500 communications
workers In the New York area.
The subcommittee In summing
up its report said' I.
1.-THE Communist ofilcials Of the
American Communications Asso-
citation have been able to per-
petuate themselves In. ofiice by
fraudulent practices in the elec.
ton Of officers Of the union.
Ballot Substitution Charged.
"These fraudulent practices In
cluded the destruction Of ballots
of members OF the union and the
substitution Of ballots which had
been marked for q slate Of can
|didates designated by the COM
munist leadership"
Chairman McCarran said the
testimony taken by his subcom-
mittee shows how O relatively
small group Of union members can
manage to hoodwink the vast ma
jority and thus can lead honest,
loyal American workmen into
paths Of dishonor, or at the very
least, Illustration"
Last August the subcommittee
issued q report disclosing that
witnesses had identified seven Of
ficers Of the union. including Jo-
seph p. Selly. the international
president. as Communists or for
mer Communists.
The union was expelled from
the C1O In 1850 on the ground
that 1t was Comfnunist-run.
Today's supplementary report
was based on testimony from
Louis Wallis and James P. Ryan,
Western Union employees In
Brooklyn, and Walter J. Jacobsen,
o Western Union enploye In New
York City, ell members Of the
AGA and once on its executive
board.
Quit Executive Board.
Mr.. Wallis and Mr.. Ryan said
they resigned from the executive
board last fall because they felt
top officers OF the union were fol-
lowing the Communist line and
not serving the interests Of the
rank and flle.
Both testified that In the elec-
ton Of union ofiicers In io46 and
lO4S they had witnessed irregu.
laritles. including the changing oi
ballots and the tearing up Of bal.
lots not marked for the incus11.
bent slate.
Mr.. jacobsen said ne ran for thl
Executive Board In iD4e on an
opposition slste, backed by q rank.
ahdsfile committee, and wal
elected. He said his group sue'
eeedad IL, eieeting four boare
members but he said they got
"rui.areuhd" from the dominant
group, ''
e0uEht Court Order.
lie testified that his efeup tFiee
without success TO get @ eeufI
order aimed at preventing am
tafnpeFing with mailed bailets,
Senator Me6aFfaa said In hil
statement accompanying the Fer
port, that the subeeHlmlttee's Feeu
ord may old Fanksandsflle mem
beFs OF the uRleR "iR ebtalnlne
eeuFt pFeteetielR for their elee'
ITEMS"
Mr., Wallis testified that In De-
eemheF, le4e, or early In January
i94e, ehaFies L, SHERMAN, editor
OF the AGA News, asked him II
Join the Communist Party, and
after he refused and later resigned
from the board, threatened II
cripple him for life II he men,
TONED "ths Communist discus