Honolulu Record, August 26, 1948, vol. 1 no. 4, p. 3
A delegation of officials and rank and file members from the Oahu Division of the Longshore union, ILWU Local 136, presented $1,000 to the Hawaii Civil Liberties Committee on Monday night at the latter's meeting held at the YWCA "in order that it (HCLC) may continue to fight the cause of preserving the civil rights of the people of the United States. . . ."
Union Resolution
Before the presentation, Richard Shigemitsu, who is secretary-treasurer of the union, read part of a resolution his union members adopted at a stop-work meeting last week. The resolution stated:
"1. That this union, Longshore and Allied Workers of Hawaii, ILWU Local 136, Oahu Division, vigorously condemn the school board hearing against the Reineckes as an unwarranted attack on our civil liberties as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and
"2. That this union give unqualified support to the Hawaii Civil Liberties Committee in its noble fight to preseve our civil liberties, and
"3. That we give a vote of confidence and thanks to the able attorneys of the Reineckes, Mrs. Harriet Bouslog, Mr. Myer C. Symonds and Mr. Richard Gladstein, who are conducting a magnificent defense, and
"4. That we commend and wholeheartedly support the Reineckes for putting up this courageous struggle, a struggle not only for themselves, but for the preservation of civil liberties of all Americans . . ."
Pressure From the Ranks
At the longshore stop work meeting, rank and filers who have been attending the Reinecke hearing or following it closely in the press took action to give the Reineckes allout support. Levi Kealoha, chairman of Oahu Division, Local 136, told the Honolulu Record that "demand and pressure to take part actively in the civil liberties fight” came from "below, the solid rank and filers of our union." Mr. Kealoha said that his union membership is realizing more and more that the Reinecke case is a "plot by the Governor and the employers to destroy the unions here.
Expose Governor's Case
Attorney Richard Gladstein who spoke at the HCLC meeting said that the Reinecke hearing will have a "salutary effect on the territory." It will reveal the "emptiness and expunge the falseness of the Governor's case," he continued. He explained that the calling of Louis F. Budenz to the territory as an "expert witness" for the prosecution was a means of creating hysteria and fear in the islands. When Mr. Budenz left, Mr. Gladstein said, "even the newspapers did not pretend that Budenz had not been a failure." Taking the Reinecke case from an overall view, the defense attorney said, the hearing has been a "victory" for the people of Hawaii who cherish civil liberties. He informed the HCLC members not to be surprised if Chairman Edward N. Sylva of the school board ruled against the reinstatement of the Reineckes.
Final Decision
"The final decision on the Reinecke case is going to be made by the people of Hawaii. It is their fight which will put a stop to witch hunting and persecution of people like the Reineckes," he said. "And the people will become conscious of their role," he added, saying that in the past there have been waves of witch hunting which were finally stopped by the aroused people. Although the Governor and the Big Five have failed in driving fear into the people through the Reinecke hearing, in order to divert attention from unemployment, meat boycott and housing problems, Mr. Gladstein warned of another effort which will be made to achieve "that which was not achieved in this Reinecke hearing."