Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-06-16
Proposal to Ask United States
To Recognize Red Govern
ment and Lift BIockades
Beaten Before Convention,
COMMITTEE DECLARES
ACTION NOT JUSTIFIED
Delegate From New York Says
BoISheviSt PIotters Are Try.
ing to Disrupt Labor Or
qanizationS in America.

Montreal. June lS.-Movement 10
call upon the United States to rec
ognize the soviet government or lit
blockades against soviet Russia was
blocked in the annual convention of
the American Federation of Labor
today after heated debate.
James A. Duncan of the Seattle
Central Labor Council led the fight !
in behalf of the house with the aid |
of representatives of the Ladies'
Garment Workers, but the conven-
ton adopted by an overwhelming !
vote the report of the resolutions 4,
committee opposing any action. i,
The committee report declared the
federation would not be justified in +,
taking any action that might be con-
strued as an assistance to, or ar-
proval Of the soviet government. so
long as it is based on authority
which has not been vested in it by
a popular national representative as
sembly of the Russian people or so
long as it endeavors to create revo-
lutions in established civilized
nations of the world, or so long as it
advocates and applies miltarization
to labor and prevents the organiza-
ton of and functonnig of trades
unions and maintenance of free
speech, free press and free public
assemblies"
Frey Raps Reds.
John Frey, chairman of the reso-
lutions committee, said it had ascer-
tanned on the highest authority that
the soviet government is an auto
cratic, mllltarstlc government that
does not believe in democracy" and
is ruling by the iron hand of the
dictatorship" Extracts from Len
ines speeches which he read,
showed, Mr.. Frey declared, that
Lenine believed in making trades
unions subservient to the soviet gov
ernment and labor compulsory"
Opposition to the report. he said,
might indicate that the bolsheviki
had infested the ranks of organized
labor in America with the propa-
ganda.
Mr.. Duncan said the committee
had made a "camouflage report"
to deceive the workers of the coun-
try as to the true situation in Rus
sia. Conditions there were much
better than reported in this coun-
try, he said, and added that Presi-
dent Wilson and Premier Lloyd
George approved recognition of the
soviet government, "but had had not
the courage of their convictions to
stand up and declare for it."
Duncan Defends Committee.
James Duncan OF Washington, D.
e.. first vice president of the feder-
alton, answered in defense of the
committee report He read a tele-
gram from Secretary of State
Colby which said the existing gov
ernment did not represent the will
or consent of any considerable
proportion of the Russian people,"
David Grange, a New York dele
gate, said the greatest trouble in
America was bolshevist plotters
who are trying to disrupt organized
labor.
Il don't care what President VIII
son or Lloyd George have APP
proved" he said. "but do know we
have good enough form of govern
ment here in America for me and
| am not going to take any chances
with Trotzky and Lenine's bolshe-
visit crowd. They are not any more
the friend of labor than was the
czar."
The convention took no action on
a demand by Abraham Greenstein.
a delegate of the jewelry workers,
that it send an investigating COM
mission to learn the true facts" in
Russia. The American press and
news agencies. by "misrepresent-
ing the facts" he said. were re-
sponsible for the present situation
Of Russia"