Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-04-15
Foster, the Fizzler
Continues from Page One)

CONTINUES from rage One)
the setting up of dictatorship like
that in chaotic Russia MIR. Palmer
said.
Workers were being led unwittingly
into the trap set for them, he added.
Through the Industrial Workers of the
World, the communist internatienale--
headed bu Lenine and Trotzky-was at
lacking Americas industrial life. Fed
eral agents had intercepted a courier
from Russia March /, he said, bearing
messages TO American locals Of tho
communists, detailing methods of. Or
ganizing class war.
The radicals were instructed to direct
their utmost efforts towards driving
the proletarian masses into the pathway
of revolution" The. organizations first
goal, the messages said, must be the
wrecking of the American Federation
of Labor and it ought to establish di-
rect and close relationship with the I.
W. w. and the lone big unionv Of Can
ada. The /. w. W., the word continued,
was to be the tool employed and it was
to establish the basis for uniting all
unions under the one big union idea.
AS result of these disclosures the
government has broadened it's investi-
cations, agtators in all labor organ
izations are under surveillance. Funds
used are closely watched and all clues
to the source of the financial support
are being followed.
Following the collapse of the steel
strike. Mr.. Palmer said, Poster,
Pearson, Reese and others of their
associates of the revolutionary par
ties engaged in the endeavor to pro-
mote the present strike.
Lists of all railroad men who were
members Of the communist or COM
munist party were sought" he said,
Meetings were held in New York,
Chicago and other cities where all Of
the plans were laid.
The basic agitation of these lead
crs was the destruction CT the rail-
road brotherhOods, the removal of
their leaders and the creation of the
"one big union
AT first it was. planned that the
l. W. w. should not figure publicly
in the strike, but John Grunau, lead
er in Chicago. deviated the original
plans. and allowed the men to split
the strikers into four separate or
CARNATIONS.
This caused some dissention
which has resulted in the movement
for the one big union. Several con-
ferences were held at tile /. w. w.
headquarters in Chicago and in other
cities. Grunau had gone tCo far with
the four organizations to turn back
and the only way the one big union
could ever be put over was through
the railway shopmen, who were urg-
ed to strike under the one big union
banner and force Grunau'S union to
follow suit, reorganize ard come in
to the one big union.
ut was realized that the I. w. W.
could not make Roadway because of
the prejudice and fear OF those three
letters, and the fact that the men
would not warm up to the organiza-
ton. The one big union idea was
decided upon and Bidweli, a mem
Der of the newly formed enginemen's
association in Chicago replaced
Grunau.
"Bidwell is confident he can swing
the four brotherhoods behind the
plan provided the shopmen follow
out his plans"
Federal agents reported that a
permanent committee had been
named to manage the organization
and that each of these were mem
bers of the l. w. w. or would take
orders from duly accredited repre-
sentatives of The one big union"
Leading I. w. w. men have been or
dered to remain in the background
hereafter,
Mr.. Palmer believed that the ma
ton wide roundup of Radicals, con-
Quoted recently by the department.
had halted at least,sif not seriously
hindered PRONUNCIATION of the strike
plans by it's leaders,"
He said that literature distributed
among railroad workers described
the raids as having shaken "the
foundation but not disrupted our
organization" In one of these docu-
ments the attorney general was
termed "America's head policeman"
Mr.. Palmer made public at the
same time a letter from A. V. Hut
gers, who presided at the third
Communist International, to Lud-
wig e. A. K. Martens, self styled
envoy of the Russian Soviet govern
ment. Martens, against, whom de-
portation proceedings are under
consideration, was asSailed by the
chief communist for methods the
agents had employed in attempting
to force recognition" of the Russian
soviet. Rutgers characterized as
childish" Martens contention that
he had any influence in the making
of peace. Martens also was told that
if he desired to force recognition by
the United States, he should do it
through the power Of the workers.
"All your hope either on small in
6ividual bourgeoise or parties like
the socialist artistic or politician
pacifists and middlemen is not only
unfounded, but contrary to well-es-
tablishedt actics," the letter said.
Martens then was instructed to
omit attempts to establish CONNER
cial relations between the two coun-
tries and devote all his time to driv-