The New York herald., 1921-05-17
l. ". ". DWNDLES
TO FEW THOUSAND
COWED AGITAT0RS
Convention Reveals That
Mere Shell Of Terrorist
Organization Remains.
BRAINS ALL IN PRISON
Flight Of Big Bill Hay
wood to Russia Proves
Crushing Blow.
ONCE HAD 10000 MEN
Delegates a Meek Lot, Who
Raise $3.50 for the
cause of Labor
ONCE HAD 10000 MEN

Spscio, Despatch to THE New York HERALD.
CHICAGO, May 16.--Instead of being
the grim, brooding power pictured in
popular imagination. the Industrial
Workers of the World is a body OF
few thousand disunited members. The
/. w. w. not only Is weak In member
ship. but it also possesses no financial
resources. No further effort will be
made by it to carry forward any con-
sistent assault on capital.
These significant facts were revealed
at the thirteenth annual convention of
the 1. w. w. now in progress here.
The organization which few years
ago declared Its mission to be the over
throw Of capitalism has failed utterly
in it's efforts to attach to itself per-
manently a large representation of
American workers. The membership
In good standing to-day throughout the
entire country OF the combined locals
and chapters is scarcely 10000.
The vital feature OF this years con-
vention Is the remarkable change OF
front on the part Of the thirty-five dele
gates present. Passivity rules to-day
where ferocity triumphed in years
gone by.
The action OF Big Bill Haywood.
former secretary of the organization. In
Jumping his $4,000 bail bond and fiee-
ing to Russia was responsible for the
loss of several thousand members from
the ranks.
Brains Now I'm Prison.
The banner year of the I. w. w. was
in 1915. The paid UP membership at
that time was in excess OF $4,000. 1t
was divided as follows: Harvest workers
| IN the Northwest, 5000: metal and
mine workers OF the far Western States,
$4,000: coal miners In Pennsylvania,
| Illinois and other coal producing States.
| 5000: lumberjacks, 5000. general con-
s.ruction workers in the middle Western
states. 5000; $1,000 members were
scattered throughout tho country who
enrolled as workers
Thomas Conners a delegate represent
ing the agricultural workers branch OF
North Dakota, when asked for an ex-
PLANTATION in regard to the wholesale
thinning Of the ranks of the I. W. W..
replied:
.'There is onlv one answer-the brains
of the l. w. w. is in Leavenworth and
there isn't n big Russian organizer or
speaker In America to-day; they are all
hack N Russia" declared Corners. II
remember one convention we held in
Chicago when we had over 400 delegates
present. To-day we have only thirty
fivc in attendance. and these thirty-hve
only represent 1000 members"
What seems to be the trouble with
the movement
"There's a lot of contributory causes"
answered Corners with disgust. To
day every State In the Union has Its
own criminal anarchy act excepting Me-
yada. The Red Card carrier Is afraid
TO take a chance any more when 1t
comes right down to putting anything
oyer with force. DONE think there Is
n delegate present here to-day who
would take a chance of getting out on
the sidewalk in Chicago and yelling out
TO hell with the police ="
Not a Fighter Left.
Conners explained that the solicitation
of a 81, 600, 900 defence fund for the re-
Gently convicted l. W. w. leaders was
responsible for at least $4,000 members
dropping out Of the body.
General Secretary Roy Brown told
me yesterday that almost SO per cent. OF
/ bal ind In fhafx
I dues" said Corners. I'VE have just dis
covered that a large majority OF our
seeding members have Joined the
American FEDERATION of Labor. II we
only had our leaders back from Leaven-
worth we could soon stop this, but we
haven't got a fighter In our ranks to-
day"
Sergeant Lawrence McDonough, lead
| ef of the Chicago police anarchist squad.
said: The I. w. w. is no longer
/ menac ce: IL is not even n nuisance. They
are through. The movement Is dead in
Chicago. The big May Day parade this
| year was a Joke. Only about 400 turned
| out to parade. and two-thirds OF the pa
raiders were sympathizers Of the cause.
The big meeting at the Coliseum which
clinaxed the parade was a frost. only
400 paid admissions being registered at
| so cents a head. The rent OF the Coli
4
scum was 81. 900, and the l. w. w.
management were $500 shy on the rent
when the meeting was adjourned.
year ago the May Day parade had up
wad Of 5000 marchers and the Coliseum
was jammed to the doors.
The May Day parade this year was
tho first parade in which the I. w. w.
| carried an American nag" continued
Sergeant McDonough. The convention
this year reminds YOU OF lot Of boiled
FISH. Some one started the story that
! Mig Bill Haywood had gone South with
/ $4,000. II was all Chairman Brown
could do to stop the delegates from
starnpeding. The organization Is dead
1 in Chicago. and this Ia the lnrgest indus
/ trial city In America"
Az an illustration Of how the ]. w. w.
movement has volplaned into oblivion in
Continued on Thtrd Page.