The daily worker. [volume], August 15, 1925, New York Edition, Page Page Two, Image 2

About The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
Page Two
CHICAGO CONVENTION OF
WORKERS PARTY UPHOLDS
CENTRAL COMMITTEE POLICY
(Continued from Page 1)
greatest danger to the party, and all
genuine Communist elements, what
ever their differences upon the past
or present tactics, must unite for the
safety of the party to combat the
right wing as pointed out by the C. I.
decision and the Parity Commission
and Bolshevize the party in order that
it may lead the American workers to
the overthrowal of the bourgeoisie.
Ruthenberg Speaks for Minority.
Comrade Ruthenberg, the main
speaker for the minority, opened with
a disagreement with the statement
that the party had accomplished any
thing of note during the past 18
months. On the contrary, he declared,
that the party remained stationary or
lost numbers and influence and had
failed because the C. E. C. majority
had made the mistake of dropping
temporarily the slogan for a labor
party.
This was the burden of the minority
criticism, coupled with an accusation
that the majority were allied with the
Loreites and only the fight of the
minority had been effective against
Loreism. Upon both the labor party
and upon Loreism, the minority, Ruth
enberg declared, had been right and
its position sustained by the C. I.
The Resolution.
Following the main speakers, three
from each side spoke from the floor
elaborating the points of their groups,
and Comrades Ruthenberg and Can
non having summed up, the following
resolution was adopted as submitted
by the majority, by a vote of 69 to 40
as stated above:
1. We endorse fully and whole
heartedly all the decisions of the last
plenum of the Comintern and also the
decisions of the C. 1. on the American
question (the labor party and the gen
eral policies of the party) and we
pledge our energetic Bupport to carry
these decisions into effect
I HOLD STRIKER FOR SIOO,OOO 1
(Continued rrom page 1)
t
violent picketing, and that the Inter
national had arrested no one under
that charge.
Attempt to Impose Sweatshop.
“I must explain the background of
this case,” said Cunnea. “The entire
clothing trade of the city of Chicago
has signed a union agreement with
the Amalgamated, and they have all
made money under this agreement.
But the International Tailoring Com
pany thot that they saw away to
impose the sweatshop on their work
ers, and the man who was to have
signed the agreement suddenly took
sick.', He stayed sick for several
weeks, while the Amalgamated wait
ed, and finally the company tefused
to sign a union agreement.”
"Then they made an agreement with
the United Garment Workers, which
has not put a needle to a good gar
ment since 1910.”
Police Czar Used Wreckinfl Crew.
Cunnea then asked that the search
warrant be quashed on the grounds
that It was unconstitutional. The com-
asking for the warrant, signed
by Reeder, Cunnea showed, had al
leged that there was dynamite on the
Amalgamated premises, which had
been shown untrue. Lyle reserved
hiß decision on the quashing of the
warrant.
“This police czar went down there
with hiß wrecking crew and he found
no thieves, no burglars, but men whose
retputations are every bit as good as
yourß, Mike Grady. Where In these
eixty-two union men did yon find safe
blowers, and you are an expert on
safeblowers, Grady?”
Contrary to Law.
Cnnnea then went into the history
of the strike against the International.
“On the streets of New York city
certain pickets were killed,” he said,
"bat the International found that In
junctions don't make clothes, and It
was thot necessary to destroy the
Amalgamated. The next step was to
bring In this gentleman Juit back from
hie vacation—* don’t know whether or
not a forced vacation. These sixty
two men were held at the detective
bureau contrary to law, and Stege and
Grady know it.”
Judge Shows Prejudice.
Judge Lyle showed his direct preju
dice In favor of the International, and
Cunnea served notice that he will file
a petition for a change of venue. "I
will break up this slugging,” Lyle said,
taking it for granted that the union
men were guilty. “I am confident that
some of those before mo are guilty of
slugging, and If I conld Identify them,
I would send them to Jail for five
years.” Referring to De Rosa, the
Judge again assumed him guilty, say
ing: “This man was present when the
tailor shop at 358 West Madison street
was raided.” This statement was made
in view of the fact that Louise Niccoli,
who was the witness against De Rosa,
was "not suro” be was the man.
"I believe there aro thugs in the
union,” Lyle said.
Many of the Amalgamated members
regard It as significant that the wit
nesses appearing against the strikers
were from tailor shops having an
agreement with the United Garment
Workers. It Is also significant that
officials of the A. F. of L. garment
union, on the same day as the raid
took place, came out with statements
denouncing the Amalgamated and the
■ -1.. SUmJT,.***. *» * * *
2. We endorse fully the decisions
of the Parity Commission. We partic--
ularly join the Comintern anti the
Parity Commission in the demand that
the coming party convention shall'
completely liquidate the factionalism
which is now undermining our party
and preventing itß growth and proper
functioning.
Unity.
3. The unification of the Commun
ist forces in our party is an absolute
necessity for its future growth. We
lake cognizance of the fact that the
majority has worked consistently for
mitty in the party making all kinds
,'of concessions to the minority. We
are firmly convinced that by support
ing the present Central Executive
Committee we shall succeed in com
pletely unifying our ranks for a sue*
{cessfnl struggle against capitalism.
Loreism.
4. We also endorse fully and pledge*
our most active support to the Com
intern and Parity Commission de
cisions providing for the liquidation
l of Loreism in our party. We demand
that the party be united in an uncom
promising struggle against this dan
gerous right wing tendency. We pledge
our fullest support to the whole Com
i intern program of Bolshevizing our
party, including a militant fight
against the right wing, the reorgan
ization of the party on the basis of
shop nuclei, and the raising of the
! theoretical level of our membership.
We express our emphatic opposi-
I tion to the resolution of the Finnish
Branch of Superior, Wis., and we en
dorse fully the statement of the Cen
tral Executive Commitee of the party
and of the Finnish Bureau dealing
with the Superior resolution as a
manifestation of dangerous anti-party
and Loreistic tendencies. We pledge
our full support to the party in carry
ing on the struggle against these ten
dencies.
I■■1 ■■
Chicago Federation of Labor, which
upheld the Amalgamated strikers in
the face of a letter from President
William Green of the A. F. of L„ who
called the Amalgamated a "dual
union” and upheld the United Gar
ment scabherders.
The Amalgamated strikers are now
looking for a statement from the Chi
cago Federation on the atrocious raids
conducted by the City police, and on
the use of the United Garment Work
ers’ name In the capitalist press as
supporters of the International activi
ties against the strikers.
Grady Was Suspended.
The character of the frame-up be
ing attempted against the union Is
shown by the fact that “Mike” Grady,
notorious as Chicago’s “toughest cop,”
was placed in charge of the investiga
tion and raid immediately after he had
been reinstated on the police force.
Grady had been suspended from the
force for his part in a fight of police _
officers at Colosimo’s Inn on 22nd
street Because there were not wit
nesses willing to appear against hiny,
he was reinstated at 11 o’clock
Wednesday, and after only two hours’
"investigation'' of the alleged bon|b
ings which the police charge was jpe
cause of the raid, Grady and his sqgad
descended on the union offices. /
Grady Mixed In Booze Robbery.
The "Inn” in which, Grady and
other police had their little fight is a
notorious hangout for pimps, panders
and prostitutes. Grady was not in the.
place In the line of duty. He was
there “for a little fun.”
Recently Grady was indicted along
with all the other members of his de
tective bureau squad for alleged par
ticipation In a big booze warehouse
robbery. He and his squad were tried
and acquitted, altho the other persons
tried for the robbery were found
guilty.
Grady’s defense was that he had
protected the robbers of the ware
house, not knowing that they were
robbing the warehouse.
Among those held for "conspiracy,”
the conspiracy being, according to
Grady, to damage the International’s
property, were Isadore Rothbart, Sid
ney Rlssman, Samuel Guyer, Mike
De Novi, O. Defellsis, James Cooper,
Sol Kramer, Don Kalamen, Brestate
Felices, Reuben Block, Frank Haba
sek, Isaac Miller and Louis Angelo.
Included among those who were dis
charged by Lyle, after they spent a
night in Jail, were Alfonso Mondello,
Vincent Agarno, Joseph Stola, Isadore
Schneider. John Lomino, James Cam
illo, Martin Caduto, Frank Gurenskl,
Bernard Railing, Stanley Rock, Vic
tor Gelsomemoni, Raymond Vanni, Jo
seph Tarregosa, A. Goldberg, John
Mayus, John FUla. Abe Padra, Joe
Garrambue, William Reegur, Sam
Odelson, Morris Feldman, Jack Weav
er, Don Klein, Peter Noroek, Phillip
Lazarski, Jerry Pocenty, Andrew Bin
ello, Philip Nochuuser, Mike Anzo
lone, Tony Rosate, Dominic Camera,
John Splltt, Sam Zimmer, Morris
Schwartz, Harry Kowan, Fred Rlso,
Ben Miller, John Gravln, Morris Ep
stein, Joseph Santallo, 11. Rambon,
John Kucera, Henry Rubin, John Do
herty, Frank Slndllar, Joseph Pavlk,
Louis Odelson, James Murphy, Tony
Gallotto.
Rlssman, the sixty-third arrested,
was thrown into a ceil when he tried
to ball the other strikers out.
Bolshevlzatlon.
5. The Bolshevlzatlon theses adopt
ed by the last of thd( Comin
tern points out for the American par
ty the following three specific im
mediate tasks:
j a) The abolition of present
■ federation form of organization
1 and the fusion of al} language
\ groups into a really centbiliz'ed and
] unified Bolshevik party built on the
I basis of shop nuclei and interna-J
Itional branches. /
b) More energetic activities ill
the trade unions and better organ
ization of Communist fractions in
them.
c) Closer atention to the every
day needs and struggles of the
workers and an intensive applica
tion of the tactics of the united
front.
6. We are in complete agreement
with the above instructions of the
Comintern and will do all in our power
to assist the party in the carrying
out of these policies.
Mass Labor Party. ,
7. We fully support the labor par
ty policy as laid down by the Comin
tern decision on the American ques
tion. We pledge ourselves to support
an energetic campaign for the forma
tion of a mass labor party based upon
solid trade union support.
8. We endorse the activities of the
present Central Executive Committee
ty. We mention only a few of these
and express our confidence in the
majority of the C. E. C. to lead the
party in accord with the spirit and
principles of Leninism.
The C. E. C. Approved.
9. The present majority of the par
ty is organically connected with the
mass movements of the working class.
The majority has a clear and correct
understanding of Communist work in
the trade unions, which the Comin
tern has repeatedly pointed out to be
among our most important and vital
tasks.
10. During the past eighteen months
the party, under the leadership of
the C. E. C. succeeded in overcom
ing many difficulties and critcial sit
uations that were confronting the par
ty. We mention only a few of these:
Accomplishments.
a) The party has broken the Iso
lation that resulted out of the last
swing of the LaFollette movement,
hnd the consequent setback of the
labor party movement. Beginning
with the last presidential campaign,
when our party took for the first
time the parliamentary field on a
national scale, the party is contin
ually overcoming its isolation and
is driving ahead for wider political
struggles.
b) The party is now moving
decisively and deafly towards great
campaigns in the class struggle
ggiierally, in the trade unions and
on the parliamentary field.
f c) The T. U. E. L. is developing
strength and has led many effective
fights of the left Wing against the
bureaucracy in the trade unions as
for example, the last election in the
U. M. W. A., the fight for the re
instatement of Alex Howat and the
other miners, the fight against the
Lewis-Farringtoq machine in Illi
nois, the support of the Nova Scotia
miners, the splendid showings
kmade in the elections of the Ma
chinists and Carpenters’ Unions, the
raesent great struggle of 36,000
i pembers of the New York Ladles'
** Garment Workers’ local unions
against the reactionary Slgman ma
chine.
d) Despite the bitter factional
fight in the party lasting nineteen
months, which was aggravated by
the impermissable tactics of the mi
nority that at times has threatened
the unity of the party, the party un
der the leadership 6f the C. E. C.
continued to make steady progress.
CHICAGO FURRIERS
MEET TO HOLD
LOCAL ELECTION
Terrorism Rife Under
Reactionaries
(Continued from Page 1)
remedies, the article was refused pub
lication in the official bulletin by our
executive board.
Unity Needed.
"Now is the time to follow the ex
ample of our brothers in New York
to clean up our union and to build it
upon a strong fighting basis: to solid
ify our ranks, so that we will be able
to meet the employers as a unified
whole conscious of our mission as
workers.
“Our present business agent has no
policy except to do nothing or else
yield everything to the boss without
a struggle. Everyone knows of the
corruption that exists in our union
and we believe that the remedy is a
sound progressive program and a mili
tant leadership. We are giving our
support to Brother Israelson, in the
coming election, against Mllstein be
cause Brother Israelson stands in the
present election upon the rollowing
program of action and if elected will
try to put It into effect. This, how
ever, can only be done if he has the
full support and active aid from the
.membership.
Israelson's Program.
"1. Abolition of the present policy
of terrorism in our union, and the
right of freedom of expression within
the union.
THE DAILY WORKER
Communist influence in"‘the unions
is growing despite dll persecutions
by the reactionary bureaucracy. The
party press is extended and
strengthened. The political matur
ity of our membership and Its Bol
shevik quality is continually improv
ing. The party is getting ready for
its great reorganization campaign
on the basis of shop nuclei and for
complete centralization of the party
apparatus.
Many Campaigns.
11. During the past eighteen
months the party under the leader
ship of the Central Executive Com
mittee has carried thru several im
portant united front political cam
paigns. Chief among them are the
following:
a) The campaign against the Rus
sian menshevik and the Second In
ternational on the occasion of the
arrival in the United States of R.
Abravomich. In this campaign the
party was successful in defeating
the immediate designs of the Rus
sian menshevik in America, and al
so to bring before the American
Worker the role of the Communist
International and the movement for
world trade union unity iniated by
the R. I. L. U. and the British trade
unions.
b) The campaign against the at
tempt of the white terror in Poland,
to murder the leader of the Polish
workers and poor peasants, Com
rade Lanzutsky.
(c) The c ampaign against child
labor which secured the active sup
port of many trade unions and con
tributed greatly towards promoting
the movement of the American
workers for independent political ac
tion.
d) The campaign against wage
cuts. This campaign was directed
towards promoting a strike move
ment against wage cuts, to ac
cellerate the movement for amal
gamation and to educate the work
ers to the necessity of political
struggle as a class against the cap
italists.
The C. I. Decision Final.
12. The decision of the Comintern
on the labor party controversy set
tles the difference of opinion in our
party on that very important ques
tion. It gives our party a clear policy
of work and struggle for a labor party
based upon the mass support of the
trade union*. The mistake of tem
porarily abandoning the slogan point
ed out by the Comintern has been cor
rected by the Central Executive Com
mittee which has already outlined a
program and laid the basis for a new
campaign for a labor party.
What Kind of a Labor Party?
13. We support fully the insistence
of the C. I. that no premature organi
zational steps shall b« taken in the
Labor> Party campaign that a party
formed only by the Workers Party and
its close sympathizers lln close sym
pathizers’ organizationslis not a Labor
Party, and that We jnus| guard against
the splitting off of Vhe left wing from
the Labor Party to transform it into
a mass Communist party, but on the
contrary, we must let the left wing
grow within the broad movement and
strive to win the masses fpr the revo
lutionary class struggle. ,We accept
fully the position of the majority, ap
proved by the Comintern, that we
must fight for a Labor Party based
upon the mass support ot the trade
unions.
14. We express full confidence in
the leadership of the present Central
Executive Committee. We are firmly
convinced that only by glv£g the lead
ership of the party to the present
majority will the party be able to
make the best progress toward becom
ing a mass Communist Party on the
basis of Leninism and under the lead
ership of the Comintern.
"2. For a democratic organization
in which all members will be 'drawn
into the work of the union.
”3. Exposure of the corruption with
in the union and the elimination of
those who have violated the union
principles.
"4. For an honest, responsible
progressive administration, for clean 1
unionism.
"5. To mobilize all active unionists
to better the conditions of the furriers
and the elimination of all internal
strife.
"6. The launching of an immediate
campaign to organize the unorganized,
to draw all active members in the un
ion into this campaign by the form
ing of rank and file organizing com
mittees.
"7. No discrimination by the manu
facturers against the active unionists
in the shops.
"8. Amalgamation of all needle
trades unions into one organization.
"9. Organization of shop commit
tees to be completely under rank and
file control.
”10. Proper employment system
where each member has the same op
portunity to get employment.
“11. The revival of the sick and
death benefit fund for the protection
fit our members during Illness, (i.e.
Dues prior to the election of Brother
Milsteln were 30c a week. Today we
are paying 40c a week dues and we
have no sick and death benefit fund.)"
Progressive Fur Workers of Looal
No. 46.
I. F. W. U. of U. 8. Os A. and Can
ada." 1
If you want to thoroughly un
derstand Communism—study It
Send for a catalogue of all Com
munist literature. .
Inspiring Reception in
Peking as Red Aviators
Arrive from Red Moscow
By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL.
TODAY, the inspiring details arrive of the history-making
flight of the Soviet air squadron from Moscow to Peking.
It was Hsu Ch'ien, former minister in the government, a
prominent member of the Kuomintang, the revolutionary
party of Chinese workers, that extended the greeting for
Chinese labor to these intrepid explorers of the air from the
Union of Soviet Republics. Significant indeed were the con
cluding words of his welcome as follows:
“Today, on behalf of the citizens of Peking, I present heartfelt wel
come and express warm wishes that with every day our two countries
come closer together.
“Long live the rapproachment of the two great peoples!
“Long live the gallant aviators of the Soviet Union!”
• * * *
The report says that Hsu Ch’ien's speech was drowned
in cheers and applause. No wonder the British diplomats,
in far off London, knowing that the Chinese work
ers are most bitter against the bandit rule of their imperial
ism, make every effort to stay the Bolshevik tide rising along
the capitalist frontier against capitalism in Europe. While
the echoes of speeches calling for the liberation of the Chi
nese peoples were still ringing in the ears of the throngs re
ceiving the Soviet aviators in the Far East. British rulers are
reported as offering an anti-Soviet Baltic alliance in support
of capitalist rule in Poland -if the Polish terrorist will only
accept the Duke of York, son of the English king, as their
monarch, and convert the republic into a monarchy.
* * * •
There were 250 organizations represented on the recep
tion committee, another indication of the broad sympathy of
the Chinese masses, if not actual solidarity with Soviet Rule.
It is also interesting to note that those who accompanied the
technical staff of the red air squadron were four Communist
journalists, representing the great Communist dailies, Izves
tia, official organ of the Union of Soviet Republics, the Mos
cow Pravda and the Leningrad Pravda, official organs of the
Russian Communist Party, and the representative of “Ros
ta”, the official Soviet news agency. There was also the
comrade of the “Proletkino’Ythe Proletarian Moving Picture
Trust of the Soviet Union.
♦ • * •
The story of the flight adds to its Interest when we learn
that two of the flying machnies were entirely Russian-made,
motors and all. Two others were constructed in the Soviet
Union, the motors alone being foreign-made, while only two
were foreign machines.
This will not sound especially cheering to the imperialist
jingoes who proclaim that Soviet Rule will not be able to de
velop an air fleet for defense against the air forces of cap
italism.
Neither will it be welcome, for instance, to the British
statesmen, lusting for the blood of the liberated Russian
worker and peasant masses, to learn that the Soviet flag and
the Chinese flag, side by side, decorated the airport where th«
flyers landed. How great the contrast with the recent in
cident in the Baltic Sea, when British warships passing the
Soviet battleships in maneuver, ran up the old czarist flag
byway of insult rather than greeting. The czarist flag came
down forever in Soviet Russia with the Bolshevik triumph in
1917, but British imperialism thus shows that it still nurses
the dead czarism close to its own decaying bosom.
• * • •
Midst the speeches and the cheering the strains of ‘‘ln
ternational” mingled with those of the revolutionary Chinese
athem, both played by a band of the Chinese navy ministry,
while an address was also made by General Chang Hao, act
ing chief of the Chinese air department, who greeted the Sov
iet aviators on behalf of Chinese aviators.
Thus the germs of a Chinese Red Army sprout into life
and grow. The hundred years of serfdom of the Chinese na
tion, in the grip of world imperialism, nears its end.
ASWESEEIT -- By Llo’Flaherty
(Continued from Page 1)
a short time ago General Bullard, a
southern Negro-hater, Insulted every
colored man and woman in the United
States in his series of provocative ar
ticles, which described the alleged
cowardice of the Negroes In France,
during the war. The Negroes are not
proud that they fought for the House
of Morgan any more than Intelligent
white workers are. But Bullard
showed what is inside the black
hearts of the type that glories In the
American Legion.
• • •
rnHE Illinois Manufacturers’ associa
tlon is very worried over the par
doning of Theodore Vind, labor leader
and his comrades. This is not sur
prising. We point out, however, that
the manufacturers are not so wor
ried over the pardon of gunmen who
come in very handy to them, In their
wars on labor unions. Gunmen and
thugs make kood strike-breakers and
sluggers. When the workers are
properly organized industrially and
politically, they will not have to worry
about the manufacturers’ associations
and their gunmen.
• • •
rpHE raid of the Chicago police on
the headquarters of the Amalga
mated Clothing Workers shows.that
workers who depend on capitalist poll
tlclans always get It In the nock.
Mayor Dever is reapohsible for the
raid on the offices of the Joint Board.
The raid was carried out to help
the International Tailoring Company,
break the Amalgamated strike. When
Dever was running for mayor, the
"Now Majority”, now the "Federation
News”, official organ of the Chicago
Federation of Labor, endorsed him as
a friend of labor. Ho has shown how
good a friend of labor he Is.
• • •
rnHE Amalgamated Clothing Work
ers has the reputation of being a
militant labor union. It deserved the
reputation. It Is true that Hillman
and others of its leaders have been
trying to live down the past. Hill
man not so very long ago, repudiated
the class struggle and strikes in a
speech made to the membership here.
But the bosses don’t make any fine
distinctions. What they don’t like
first is losing money. Any labor un
ion that hits their pockets is “red” in
their eyes. The Amalgamated leaders
will learn, if they care to, that the
only way they can become respecta
ble in the «tye* of the bosses is to
follow the example of Tom Rickert
and his scabby United German Work
ers and become a company union. The
members of the Amalgamated are not
headed in that direction. Not if they
know IL
General Contracting
at Moderate Prices.
Work Guaranteed.
JOHN L DRIN
General Contractor
1709 N. ROCKWELL STREET
Specializing in
New Concrete Foundation* on Old
Frame House*
Garages Cement Floors
and All Other Particular Work.
CALL ARMITAGE 3802 FOR AN
ESTIMATE.
PITTSBURGH, PA.
To thoae who work hard for their
money, I will gave 50 per cent on
all their dental work.
DR. RASNICK
DENTIST
645 Smithfield Street.
George L. Berry Is
Given Title of Major
for Service at Rear
(Continued from page 1)
has been made necessary because of
the fact that the War Department
called me into active service on No
vember 4th. Since that time I have
been awaiting orders and getting my
affairs into shape. It occurred to me
that the ending of the war would
automatically close the incident but
sttch is 'not the case. I have been
directed by the War Department to
be prepared. I do not know what
they will do with me, but I anticipate
that I shall be absent for a while at
least.”
Pressmen laugh at the idea of Ber
ry’s board of directors giving Berry
leave of absence. This is how the
Baord of Directors works: When
Berry comes to Chicago he registers
at three or four hotels and it is im
possible for anybody except those
who are on the inside of the clique
to get in touch with him. This does
not exclude the printing bosses who
always seem to know where to find
their servant.
Shuford Shuffles to.Ulease
When Berry thinks up some new
scheme to fleece the membership of
the union, he conveys the idea to
Shuford Marks, who shuffles to tele
phone and transmits Berry’s bright
idea to Billy McHugh. Both those
gentlemen are vice-presidents of the
international union. This constitutes
a meeting of the board of director*.
Another vice-president who takes care
of the pigs at the Pressmen’s Home
is not even asked to grunt. Berry
handles his board of directors just
die a bodygaurd of eunuchs. They
like the Sultan of Turkey would han
draw their pay, say nothing but nod
to every order given by their pay
master.
While Berry was in the employ of
the United States government as a
“major” he received a salary. It
was not a “dollar a year” either. Yet
when he returned to this country he
drew his salary from the treasury of
the I. P. P. & A. E. for every minute
of the time he was in France, amount
ing to over $1,500.00. He also drew
a salary as Trustee of the Home.
Berry and secretary-treasurer Orr of
the International are the only trustees
drawing salaries.
His Military Career
This is the history of Berry’s mili
tary career. But the uniform came in
handy to him since. Berry was used
by Sam Gompers as a liason officer
between the reactionary bureacracy
of the A. F. of L. and the American-
Legion which was founded by money
contributed by the Dupont Powder
Co. and kindred interests. The aim
of the Legion was to block the for
ward march of the American workers,
and particularly to prevent them from
coming under the influence of the
radicals. The capitalists felt that the
tragedy of the war and the great suf
ferings of the masses would result in
a great wave of opposition to the war
and those who made the war. It was
to prevent this reaction from reach
ing dangerous proportions, that the
Legion was organized. Since then the
Legion has taken part in strikebreak
ing activities, in several parts of the
country. This was particularly so
during the shopmen’s strike of 1922.
Record of Scabbery
Berry’s strikebreaking record is not
confined to Chicago. He has done
even better in New York. The details
of bis scabbery in New York will be
told in later instalments. In order
order to show how well Berry stood
in with the Gompers machine, and
also to show that strikebreaking and
corruption are not frowned upon by
the bureaucracy of the A. F. of L., it
is only necessary to Bt&te, that when
Berry arrived at the Portland con
vention of the American Federation
of Labor, after breaking the strike of
the Web Pressmen in New York,
Gompers greeted him and honored
him with a call to the platform, be
cause of his brilliant achievement in
breaking a strike with lthe help ot
union scabs and detectives.
It was at this convention that Wil
liam F. Dunne, then editor of the Butte
Bulletin, now of the DAILY WORKER,
was expelled for exposing John L.
Lewls the Berry of the United Min*
Workers, in the columns of his paper.
The "Majah” fresh from his scab
bery butted Into the red baiting with
a statement that the moat important
business before the convention was
the expulsion of Dunne, who w*s
feared by the reactionaries because he
was the only man at the convention
who could make the fakers quiver
with a scorching indictment of their
treachery to the worklngclass.
Berry Is Wealthy
Berry like many more of the high
officials of the American Federation
of Labor is a man ot means. He is
one of the biggest industrial mag
nates in the State of Tennessee.
Those industrial enterprises were
established .with the money taken
from the Old Age Pension Fund and
the War Emergency Fund Assesment
of a days pay and 26 cents a month.
Among those enterprises are: The
Clinchfleld Mercantile Company, The
Cllnchfleld Hydro-Electric Company,
and the Cllnchfleld Land and Lumber
Company. While all those properties
are supposed to belong to the union,
they are really in the names of Berry,
his wife and Orr and his wife. But
more about this matter later on.
(Another Installment of this series
will appear In tomorrow’* DAILY
WORKER."