The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1923-06-01
BERRY EXONERATED
Withdrawal Of Litigation
By Chicago Local is Vim
dicatiOn of Pressmen's In
ternatiOnal Head.

Complete exonoration of Major
George L. Berry, president of the In
ternational Printing Pressmen and
Assistants Union, and fellow officers
was reported to President Gompers,
of the American Federation of Labor,
last week in the following telegram
from President Berry:
Pressmen's Home, Tennessee,
May 16, 1928.
Samuel Gompers, American Fedora
tion of Labor Bldg, Washington,
d. C.
Dear Sir:
| have the honor to advise you that
the litigation brought against the In
ternational Printing Pressmen and
Assistants Union by former Chicago
local has been withdrawn by the lat
ter, and all cases have been dismiss
ed, the Chicago local having reaffil-
lated and has paid forty-five thousand
on account of it's accumulated indebt-
edness In other words the union re-
sponsible for the lawsuit and nation
wide propaganda has voluntarily re-
pudiated it's own action and signed the
documents submitted to it by the in
ternational union.
GEORGE L. BERRY.
Commenting on the vindication of
President Berry, President Gompers
said:
"The press is not to blame for the
nationwide propaganda of criticism
in this instance, except for the SEEM
ingly glad attitude to publish any
thing which specifically reflects up
on the officers of labor union.
"Major George l.. Berry, president
of the international Printing Press
men and Assistants Union, was
charged with malfeasance in office,
misrepresentation of funds of the or
ganization, the litigation covering a
period of nearly three years, embody-
ing loss of money, time, etc. Now
comes the complete exoneration.
"Those conversant with the situa-
ton had expected nothing else; those
who knew George Berry could expect
nothing else. / have telegraphed him
nv congratulations and my satlsfac-
ton that the labor movement rises
once again above the attacks OF enc
mics and the mistakes of mislead
members of small minority. Presi-
dent Berry's conduct throughout has
been courageous and unfaltering."
When the charges were filed against
President Berry by the Chicago local
union nationwide propaganda was
begun and carried on vigorously in the
effort to discredit the president of the
international union. President Berry's
triumph was foreseen from the out
set by those who understood the stu
ton, it was said at A. F. of l.. head
quarters. Counsel for the American
Federation of Labor was associated
in the case with counsel for Major
Berry and his fellow officers.
One of the features of the attack
on President Berry was the fact that
extreme radicals joined vigorously in
the fight to discredit him and assisted
in the propaganda directed against
his conduct.
Major Berry was member of the
first wartime labor mission sent to
Europe by President Gompers in
April, 1913. Shortly after his return
with that mission he was commissions
ed as major of engineers and served
through the war. He was detailed
for duty at the peace conference in
Paris after the armistice, serving
there as liaison officer between the
peace conference and the labor dele
gates assembled for the drafting of
the labor charter.
ETHICS FOR press