Evening star., 1923-07-08
STAND
BLOW T0RAD|CALS
Rebuff of Reds at Chicago
Convention Held Steadying
Factor for 1924.
BY y. O. MESSENGER,
Staff Correspondent OF The Star.

CHICAGO, July 7.-One or the most
important and hopeful signs in the
current drift of politics in this coun-
try Is the complete collapse of an ef-
fort of the reds" and the commu-
nists. direct representatives in Amer
lea of the communist internationale.
isting farmer-labor party in their
program of national destruction.
The effort was made at a conven-
tion held in this city this week, called
by the farmer-labor party. to which
were invited representatives of other
independent political units. including
some radical elements. 1t turned out
that the radicals. coming as guests,
outnumbered their hosts. took pos
session of the meeting and started in
upon a radical program.
Intent ON Reforms.
The farmer-laborites were seeking
to unity all political units into har-
monious effort to seek reforms
through the ballot. The reds were
intent upon seeking reforms" which,
from their way. OF thinking, mean
forcible overturning OF the existing
order of things.
The first thing the red group did, by
sheer superiority, was to give the
movement a new name. under the ap-
pellation of 1.-The federated farmer
labor party and invite the existing
farmer-iab6fites to join. In the early
sta cf Hn tfnO he w
of all semblance of disguise and bold
ly showed themselves in their true
colors, declaring defiantly their pro-
gram and policies. which are nothing
more nor less than sovietizing the
United States.
shock 10 Farmer-Lnbofites.
This was a shocking revealment to
the farmer-labor element, who have
some very liberal, II not radical. pol
icies themselves. The original farm
cr-labor group Is composed of gen.
uine dirt farmers" and a conserva-
tive group in labor circles. In the
northwestern states 1t Is an impor-
tant organization and has already
elected one United States senator
from Minnesota, with fair prospect
of electing another from the same
state on July 16 next.
AS soon as the reds disclosed their
hand the farmer-labor men withdrew
from the meeting and set up another
Of their own, in which they vented
their indignation of-the methods of
the reds and announced their COM
plete separation from them and de-
nounced their policies and aims.
Now the importance of all this is
that there has been nipped in the
bud a movement which, if it had
been successful, might have proved
a very serious menace in the future.
Politicians agree that the farmer
labor movement bids fair to assume
proportions of Importance, especial
ly If the senatorial election In Min
nesota goes that way. A working
combination with any considerable
gible unit Of voters which might
hold a balance of power between
and congressional elections and in
the two old parties in presidential
Congress.
Combination Not Possible.
But it is apparent from the events
of last week that no such combination
is possible. 1t is also evident that fu-
ture developments resulting from
those events are likely to be very i'm
portant. For one thing. those events
show, first. that the farmers will not
be drawn into communistic move
ments; second, that only an incon-
siderable. and 1t might be said en-
tirely negligible, element of labor is
in sympathy with the extreme COM
munists and. third, line Of sharp di-
vision Will be drawn in the future
between the reds and labor and farm
ers. What happened in Chicago last
week may be regarded as having
CONTINUED on Page 3, Column a.