The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-05-13
THE !. ". ". ARE
BACK TO PRISON

The following statement is issued
by the American Civil Liberties
Union:
The final chapter in the long legal
fight of the !. W. W.. sentenced at
Chicago in 1918 for conspiracy. To
obstruct the war, was concluded IasI
week when all but nine OF the 40
men out on appeal bond surrendered
themselves at the Federal Penlten-
tiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. me
United States Supreme Court had
refused to review the cases. ne
men are due to serve from i've TO
twenty years each. Ihuty-slX were
never released on appeal bond.
Of the nine who did not surrender
themselves all are believed by the
American Civil Liberties Union to
have jumped bail. Most conspicuous
of these is William d. Haywood, for
mer secretary of the defense COM
mittee, who sailed for Russia be
fore the Supreme Court handed down
its verdict. According to the Union,
Haywood went to Russia to attend
the international conference OF the
new federation Of trade unions al
filiated with the Third International
He went under instructions OF the
Communist Party, of which he late
ly became a member, according to an
nouncements made by Communist
representatives 1t is reported that
restitution will be made to his bonds
men, and that Haywood will return
to serve sentence after completing
his mission in Russia.
The Civil Liberties Union issued
a statement coudcmning Haywood
for deserving his associates and
pointing out the djsastcrous effects
of these Communist tactics on the
defense work in political and indus
trial cases hereafter.
After dealing with Haywood for
three years in all the details Of the
defense work, we are at loss to
understand how he could have
brought himself to leave the United
States while his case was pending,
whatever his intentions as to re
turning His going is severe blow
to the |. W. W. whose record of
fulfilling their obligations has been
untarnished by single case of
jumping bond No possible con-
ception of service to the cause Of
labor could justify Haywood's de-
serting his forty-five associates out
on bond with him in the same case.
"The Civil Liberties Union has no
connection whatever with the l.W.W.
and is interested in the cases solely
because they involve the issues of
free speech and free press. Not a
single act of violence was proved
against any member in any prose
cution. We regard the prosecutions
and convictions as wholly out of line
with traditional American rights. y
Haywood's example is probably re-
sponsible for several of the other
eight failing to appear, according to
Roger N. Baldwin, director of the
American Civil Liberties Union.
These eight are: George Andreyt-
chine, j. H. Byers, Fred Jaakkola
Leo Laukki, Vladimir Lossieff, Her
bert McCutcheon, Grover H. Perry
and Charles Rothfisher
The Communists who sent Hay
wood on the mission to Russia fig
ure that the revolutionary labor
movement will be served by strength.
ening international bonds and arous
ing European workers to protest
the |. w. W. convictions.
Meanwhile his failure to appear
results in the surrender of his bail
$4,000, in making almost impossi
bic the raising of bail for Com
munists, all Of whom are subject
to party discipline, and in prelude.
ing the claims of the l. w. w. tC
amnesty as political prisoners.
Efforts are being made to get
special consideration for a number OF
the men in the Chicago case, con
victed without a scrap of evidence
connecting them with any anti-wal
activity, or expression of opinion
Four of these men have made appli-
cation for full pardons: Jack Law
of Pittsburgh, Chas. Asbleigh of
New York, Vincent st. John and
Harrison George, of Chicago.
A tour of middle western cities
in May is being arranged by the
Civil Liberties Union to get the
facts of the l. w. w. and other
cases before working-class and lib
eral audiences. Elizabeth Gurley
Flynn and Roger N. Baldwin will
be the speakers routed.