Denver labor bulletin., 1915-05-01
M'LENNAN STATES
FACTS OF LUDLOW
Wires Answer to New York
World By Request
Rockefeller Plea That There Was No
Massacre Is Made in Self-DefenSe,
Because Of His Responsibility

ON Monday the New York World
wired John Mclennan. president OF Dis
trict 10. L. NJ. w. A, and of the Colo
rado State Federation OF Labor, request
ing a statement in reply to John ID.
Rockefeller. jr.'s public utterance that
the Ludlow massacre was a trifling af-
fair, for which the strikers were wholly
responsible. McLennan sent the follow
ing telegram, which appeared conspicu-
ously in Tuesday mornings issue of the
World:
lit will not do for the Rockefeller in
terests TO attempt to minimize Ludlow.
] he affair was too grewsome. too gbast-
". too prerneditated. The people of the
country know that the massacre occurred
one year ago the past 10th OF April. They
know that twenty men, women and lit
tie children Of the colony were shot.
hludge0ned, suffoeated or burned to
death They know that only one mem
ter Of an alleged militia company which
had been recruited from mise guards was
KILLED. and il was proved in court mar
tial that many of the militia held a
erlidge against this one man who was
believed to have had sympathy for strik
ers-
What difference does il make then il
the Rockefellcrs say there was no mas
-aeref As well might Bill Jones or John
Smith say there Is no war in Europe.
When the Rockefellcrs say it was n
tight for self preservation between a
few miiitiamen and the entire tent col
ony they know very well that the mas
sacrc began at daylight with the firing
OF three bombs by the soldiers a. a pre-
arranged signal: that the soldiers
-wooped down on the colony from all
sides. having seized every vantage point !;
that they naked the tents with machine
guns looted them, set fire TO them.
burned babies in their bs-i- and women
st the crib sides; took prisoners only
lat-r TO kill them with rifle butt; and
throughout were bent on a war Of cxter-
mina,ion. the very thing for which they
had been left in the field when the rest
of the militia was called home
''lAll these facts have been brought out
many times. before court martial of the
soldiers. before commission. committee
and other inquiring bodies, and it is too
late day on which the RockefcIlers at
tempt tn controvert or disparage histo-
real facts.
The Rockefeller plea that there was
no Ludlow massacre sounds entirely too
much like a plea Of self defense. Some
"'NN u F-l'onrtnie LOT ididioW- ne
public cannot easily be convinced by the
fockefell.r~ or amy other interests that
!; was the striking miners. Working
men do not stand up to be shot just for
tn. fun of the thing. Mothers do no,
sit by and see their babies burned and
smothefed Just as a pastime. Children
do not run into hail of bullets and
delugc Of fine inst for the novelty
The fact of the matter is that tn,
I Ludlow massacre Is the most heinou.
crime ever committed by organized cap
ital against workers struggling for in
duStrial freedom. and the American pub
/ lie has become 20 interested in the af.
/ fair that they will never rest until tn.
blame for 1t Is definitely and for al
time placed and steps taken that NVil
/ prevent such inhuman occurrences in tn,
| future.