REUTHER CONCEDES UAW GOT CIA FUNDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600460009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: May 8, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON POST
AND TM ES IiE1ULU"F b
Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA--P7'-I
MAY 8 't357
EX-Official or Agency Says Victor i ZWO rea9clest
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CPYRGHT
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o)'- CIA Ruids"
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stone and Irving Brown of the headed the old AFL; Aiciny,
non-Communist union t in; Braden, former West Coast
1 France in 1947, when a Conr
munist?led strike' in Paris
brought fears of a government
"When they ran out of
money, they appealed to 'th(?
CIA," said Braden. "Thus'be-
gan the'secret subsidy of free
trade u n i o n s which soon
spread to Italy. Without that
-subsidy, postwar history might
have "gone very differently."
THOMAS W. BRADEN / ported that the CIA would
. , discloses CIA move .have no comment on the con-
e 'Walter I'. Reuther conceded;'tents of Braden's article. A
yesterday that the United; was quote edtasns y-
;.fuAutonds in "an Workers emacceptedergency situ-CIA(nor any prior knowledge of
ation" during the rebuilding the author's intent to write.
of the European labor move: We deeply regret that he did
ment 15 years ago. write it.")
But the union since then has Lovestone has adamantly de-
re But
such covert since f nnancin g nied charges by Victor .Reuth-
o isteaidntsi n its covert acing Fr and others that he has been
and integrity," the UAW Pres? involved in the CIA apparatus
ident said, ? in his present job as director
And ltcuthcr also revealed of the international affairs de-
his brother, Victor, vea partment of the AFL-CIO. He
for-
ally rejected" a request that has, however, said he for-
he become a CIA agent under warded information to inter-
Europe under ested Federal departments or
cover of his job as
would any patri-
representative of the CIO. otic Am, "as
representative
erican."
Reuther's statement, otic Am
in I)clroit, followed Similarly, AFL-CIO Presi-
issued revelation by, Thomas W. dent George Meant' had de-
nied any knowledge of the
(Braden that he created the Federation or its affiliates re-
CIA program of subsidizing ceiving funds from the CIA,
labor unions and student although at least two affiliates
groups in 1950. Public disclos- - the American Newspaper
ure of the program earlier Guild and the American Fed-
this year set off a storm of oration of State, County and
:controversy. Municipal Employes-have ad.
Braden, former aide to the mitted doing so in the past.
then CIA Director Allen Dui- The period covered by the
les, said that without the pro- Braden revelations,, ,1950 to
gram France and Italy might 1954, preceded 'the AFL-CIO
well have gone Communist. I'
t
f thi
D
i
'
ens
y
e. e
uea
par
o
n
n
a
merger
ur
ng
o
s
.- At his request, Braden said, Ipgrfiod,the late;Willfam Greenl organlzatian, ro parr the,alresponsible fashion"
the American 1 ederation of
Labor "undertook the job nt
, bribing some of the Commun?
1
k
t w
"
h
b
ers
w
s
or
o were sa
o?
.
taging Marshall Plan cargoes
In Europe.
Be also said that Jay Love-
newspaper publisher and one-'
time president of the Califor I` '
pia Board of Education' whol ~III
unsuccessfully ran for lieu-, .~?
geles Times. lie also tells hid
story in the forthcoming issue'
of the Saturday Evening Post .1
Braden said Victor Reuther-
"should be ashamed of. him-I
lvement in the labor move.',. di r
v
mcnt.
At Victor Reuther's request, WALTER ~tFIUTHLR r
"I personally went to Detroit ;. ?'an emergency situation
and gave Walter Reuther $50, {under way in Europe. The "c n-
000 in $50 bills to influence I tent of the programs was in o
labor unions in West Ger-I way affected or altered.
many," Braden said. "Following this incide
Braden said ,Walter gave' the I W a l t or continued, Bra n!
money to Victor Reuther who! asked Victor to become a C A;-
spent it with "something less i agent, using his position as-
than . perfect wisdom." The European representative of
money went to German unions the CIO as a "front."
who were already anti-Coo- Victor's rejection of the a-I
munist and not . seriously quest, .Was. reviewed by I le l
of money, Braden said.l.late Philip Muriay then?C O1
, Walter. Reuther "said Brad- president, who agreed w h!
en's reference to the Auto the action, with the earl r'
Workers were "incomplete and acceptance of CIA funds a d;
misleading.". with the decision ."not ag. in,
Explaining that European to transmit government fun s,'
unions, the first victims of regardless of the need or r-
Hitler's tyrrany, were poor, gency," Rcutrcr said.
weak and vulnerable to Com-
nlunist subversion after World In New York last pig t,'
War II, Reuther said, "In this Braden 'told the Associat d
emergency situation 15 years Press'
tantly on one occasion to the
request to . transmit govern-
ment funds to supplement the
inadequate funds being made,
available by the American
labor movement.
"These monies were merely
added to the trade union?funds
nd
if
th
d
tib
t
i
t
-
and Victor Reuther beha d
as responsible and patrio is
American citizens during a?,`
time of great crisis for tie
United States.. and the Vice
World. I did not ask Vic r
to be . an agent, but, I do e? .,,
Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-RDP75-00149R00060046Q0O9-0