Evening star., 1953-12-10
GE's Promise 10 Fire
Communists Draws
Praise and Criticism
BY the Associotsd Press

BY the Assoeiotsd Press
NEW YORK, Dec. 1O.-The
announced determination of
General Electric Co. to sweep
from its payroll any one guilty
of an unpatriotic act evoked
some criticism and some ap-
proval last night.
These were the varying COM
ments:
In Washington, Senator Nc
Carthy, Republican, of Wiscon-
sin, head of the Senate investi-
cations subcommittee which has
recently been probing alleged
espionage leaks at GE plants.
said the firm certainly should
be complimented" on it's detail
ed policy announcement.
The CIO International Union
of Electrical Workers issued a
statement saying the policy
does not go far enough against
the rival Independent United
Electrical Workers which was
ousted from the CIO because
of alleged Communist leader
ship.
Two GE worker who were sus-
pended by the company Novem-
ber l9 after being accused of
communism said GE intends
Ito create reign of terror"
Firings Promised.
In a nutshell, the GE state
ment yesterday said that any of
its 100000 employees who admits
to communism, espionage OF
sabotage at a public hearing of
an investigating agency will be
fired, and that any employe who
declines to give testimony will be
suspended with pay for 80 days
so that an investigation can be
made.
The firm said further that it
felt present loyalty standards set
up by the Federal Government
are inadequate and asked the
Government to designate some
appeals agency to pass on the
loyalty of suspended workers.
I'm the event of sudden ma
tional crisis" said GE President
R. j, Cordiner, practically all
company plants would become
essential instruments of national
defense"
GE has 131 plants, with most
of its defense work concentrated
among $4,000 workers in IA
major construction centers.
Estimates Challenged.
The colnpany's estimate that
only 8 per cent of its employees
belong to the independent UE
brought a comment of "ridicu-
lous" from an official of the rival
CIO union.
This spokesman said that of
approximately 125,000 produc-
ton workers in GE plants, $4,000
belong to the CIO affiliate, and
about 10000 to UE. The latter
union, he estimated, has more
than 5000 members in the
Schenectady plant alone.
"GE would, by its procedure,
fire OF suspend some rank and
file workers who were dupeS of
the Communist leaders," the CIO
unions formal statement, issued
in the name of President James
B. Carey, said. But GE pro-
poses to do nothing to interfere
with the national ringleaders of
UE who direct all UE.
Il refer to James MatleS, UE
organization director, and Julius
Emspak, UE Secretary-tr
who have consistently refused to
testify on their Communist con-
nectionS.
Nor does GE propose to do
anything about the Communist
organizers and representatives
whose names have been pub
liShed frequently by us and who
have access to and control over
the GE workers"
No knowledge of Reds.
Previously. Albert F. Fitzger-
aid, president of the independ-
ent UE, told a Massachusetts, in
veStigating committee that he
had mo personal knowledge" of
any Red officials or membership
in his union.
The two suspended GE workers
who added their comment are
Robert Goodwin. 38, and Ma
thaniel Mills, Sc, who were
dropped at the Lynn, (Massa-
chusettS,) plant a few hours af-
ter a witness before the McCar-
thy committee labelled them
Communists.
In a joint statement, Mr..
Goodwin and Mr.. Mills said:
THE high sounding tone of
the statement should not fool
people. The teamwork of Nc
Carthy and General Electric Co.
has become obvious. The
core of this policy is to create a
reign of terror to keep union
men and women from speaking
out in the face of layoffs, speed
up and rate cutting.
ANY worker in GE can be
framed by any stool pigeon, anti
labor foreman or boss net