Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
edDoub|efaIk
Is Described
Al Gold Trial
Labor Leader Used
Cover-up Language,
Prosecutor Charges
By Howord |. Dutkin

A curious kind of Communist
double-talk, known as "Aesopian
language" in which words are
twisted out of their normal
meanings, was described today
at the trial of Ben Gold, charged
with making false statements to
the Government.
Gold, president of the Inter-
national Fur and Leather Work
erS' Union, is accused specifically
OF lying when he signed a nom
Communist affidavit as required
OF union leaders under the Taft
Hartley law.
The offense is alleged to have
occurred August 80. 1850, when
the affidavit was filed with the
National Labor Relations Board
here.
Three Counts Charged.
Three counts are charged
against Gold: That he lied
when he said he was not a Com
muniSt; that he lied when he
said he was not affiliated with
the Communist Party; and that
he lied when he said he does
not support the Communist
Party.
Prosecutor Joseph LoWther,
IN his opening statement, re-
ferred to "Aesopian language"
as being advocated by Lenin as
a sort of coverup to be used
when necessary.
Mr.. Lowther cited a statement
by Gold printed in his unions
newspaper in September 1850
saying he had signed the affi-
davit and that he had resigned
from the Communist Party.
The prosecutor said the state
ment continued but I do not
give up my belief in true
democracy"
Mr.. Lowther used this to
illustrate what he called Com
munist double-talk and said that
ITO Communists true democracy
does not have the same mean
ing" as it does in normal usage.
Technical designations.
The prosecutor declared that
the Communist Party during
discussions of the Taft-Hartley
oath hit upon "the device of
technical designations" in which,
the prosecutor said. there is no
real break made. with the party.
He went on to say that Gold
had been a student at the Lenin
Institute in Moscow, where. he
asserted, revolutionary tech
niques embracing violent means
Of overthrowing governments
are taught.
Defense Attorney Vito Mar
cantonio, in his opening state
me1t. declared that at the time
of the affidavit Gold had make
a clean break" with the party.
Faced With Choice.
He declared the defendant was
faced with making a choice be-
tween the party and his union
and. he declared, he chose the
union
Mr.. Marcantonio asserted that
Gold always abhorred violence
and never advocated govern
mental overthrow by such means.
He described how Gold started
work in a New York fur sweat
shop" at SO a week in 1911. He
said that through Colds union
leadership racketeers were driven
from the union and working
conditions made vastly better.
Called Charter Member.
Mr.. Lowther in his opening
statement to the jury of eight
men and four women described
Gold as practically a charter
member of the Communist
Party" He said Gold "contin-
ued on" after signing the non
Red oath.
The prosecutor won the right
to outline Colds activities as a
Communist from Judge Charles
F. Mclaughlin of the U. S. Dis
trict Court for the District of
Columbia as trial recessed yes
terday.
Through questioning of pros
pective jurors, Marcantonio, a
former member of Congress from
New York, extolled Gold as:
Opposed to Hitler and Musso-
lini. lynching. segregation, the
poll tax and for low-cost hous-
ing. increased wages and the
Bill of Rights.
Will Call Ex-Communists.
Mr.. Lowther told the panel
he intended to call several for
mer Communists as Government
witnesses. Among them he named
Louis Budenz, Benjamin Git
low. Manning johnson and
Joseph Kornfedder. All have
appeared frequently before Gov
eminent investigating commit
tees.
While questioning the pros
pective jurors at the opening
Of trial, Mr.. Marcantonio asked
If the panel would be inclined
to give more weight to the testi-
mony of "a spy against the
Communist Party" than to other
witnesses.
He was admonished by Judge
Mclaughlin to use the word Gin
former" instead of spy" after
Mr.. Lowther objected.