The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-06-30

Cincinnati. Ohio.
Cincinnati, Ohio.-American labor's
strongest indictment of the soviet
autocracy in Russia was adopted by
the American Federation of Labor
convention here when the report of
the committee on international rela-
tions, headed by George Perkins,
cigarmakers president, was acted
upon.
The action of the convention came
in adopting the committee report
concurring in resolution 81 and nom
concurring in resolutions 25 and %,
the two latter being in favor of trade
relations with the soviets.
The committee reported that it had
made a detailed examination of
large mass of evidence, adequate
presentation of which would require
a book as large as the entire conven-
ton proceedings, having in mind the
necessity for absolute accuracy.
Resolution No. "a was in itself
singing indictment of the autocracy
in Russia but the bill of particulars
contained therein is supplemented by
the details contained in the report,
which concludes with reaffirmation
Of the Montreal and Denver conven-
tions. Proceeding, the report adopt
ed says:
ut is possible only to present
most meager summary of our find
ings and to assure the convention
that we find the statements contain
ed in Resolution 81 sustained in
every particular.
Concerning many of the state
ments contained in the resolution,
there is no dispute. AS a matter of
fact, those points which are in reality
most significant and most important
SO far as American labor is con
cerned, are not disputed. The exist
ence of dictatorship over the Rus
sian people is beyond dispute. On
the contrary, the existence of that
dictatorship has been proclaimed to
the world as the fulfillment of all Of
the hopes of those to whom COM
munism is a gospel. In proclaiming
the dictatorship of the proletariat
the soviet authorities are not always
frank in depicting the methods by
which that dictatorship is continued
in power, but it is possible to find in
official and authenticated records de-
scriptions of the methods employed
and your committee is of the opinion
that those methods compare well
with the methods of all the great die
tatorshipS and autocracies. No re-
finement of cruelty has been over
looked.
1.-THE statements that there is in
Russia no freedom of the press, no
freedom of speech and no freedom of
| a. SON, hl ,,plic
I everywhere known to be the facts.
Neither do we find dispute as to the
abolition of the secret ballot. The
economic breakdown of Russia is a
matter of world concern. We are
aware of the fact that spokesman
E for the soviet government seek to
, excuse or explain the economic
: breakdown and the appalling condi-
a ton of starvation on the ground of
= losses and disorganization incident to
, the war and on the ground of fail
;, ure of rainfall. 1t is not necessary
. to minimize the effects of either of
:. these factors. Nor does the presence
of either statement eliminate the dis
, organization and destruction wrought
a by the soviet government as the di-
, rect result of its effort to put into
practice the philosophy of commun-
ism.
so liberal minded person as DR..
p Vernon Kellogg, one of Mr.. Hoover's
, most important associates in Russian
=, relief work, speaking after intimate
first-hand and personal knowledge
thus emphatically refutes the soviet
claim in this respect:
1.-The waste and devastation of
war, and the requiSitiOning by the
soviet government of the farmers
surplus production, thus destroying
all incentive to surplus production,
have combined to produce a food
shortage all over Russia in the last
two or three years, whatever the
rainfall
"Mr. Hoover himself describes the
situation as follows:
"'The causes of the famine are
such that they will be recurrent
every year until there is much
further change in the economic sys-
tenn of Russia. The industrial col
lapse has brought about these condi-
tions. The widespread prevalence of
disease and famine represents the
fruits of this collapse. The drought
! in the VOlga region would not be of
such fatal character but for the gen
eral decadence of agriculture and the
reduction of surplus stocks in other
regions, the decay of transportation
rendering most difficult the move
ment of such local SURPRISES as do
| still exist
at is set forth in the resolution
! that propaganda of deception has
been conducted under the direction of
soviet authorities and that in addi-
ton to other aims. it has been the
purpose of this propaganda to under
mine and destroy the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Numerous authori-
! tative statements might be cited in
! this connection. but we deem it I'M
necessary to 90 at length into a
point which has been made so thor
oughly clear to the world by the
| soviets themselves. We call atten-
! ton, however. to one specific decla-
ration of the third internationals, the
! political propaganda agency of soviet
power, as follows:
Special attention must be paid
to the American Federation of Labor.
1t must be broken, agitating with the
energetic aid of the |. w. w. for the
| creation of revolutionary trade
unions
! HnOJnel Official pfOnOuncement OF
the Third Internationale containing
instructions to sympathizers in the
United States. contains explicit in
structions for the undermining and
destruction of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor in the following
! language:
First, organize small Communist
groups for the purpose of conduct
ing revolutionary propaganda and
establishing Communist influence in