Evening star., 1924-11-05
BY JACOB spoil tNSk \.
'n


In tho FAN of 1872 was launched the
Farmer Labor party. II"raldcd by a
blare OF publicity for weeks before
the sessions opened, the impression
Was created that this convention
would mark the formation of Il new
political party which should have for
its purpose the furthcrancc Of farmer
and labor interests.
.>S had been expected, leaders from
both factions Immediately leaped at
the opportunity to associate them
selves with tho movement. Farm
leaders saw in it a chance to exploit
their cause, and labor greeted the
proposition with open arms.
So clcv"rl% was the entire project
handled that not until the Congress
was half through its session was it
discovered that the whole affair was
merely gigantic Communist plot, en-
Eiuccrcd from Russia. to provide d
ncw and legal offensive weapon for
striking at the root of government
under the GuIso Of political party.
Sponsors Of the new party" accom-
plshcd their work so ShreWdly that
the desired result was all but OBJ
tanned. Many recognized leaders OF
american labor flocked TO attend the
conferences, including John Fitzpat-
Cago Federation Of Labor. Other prom
i1ent leaders also were lured into at
tendance and were blind as to the
real motive until the convention was
utmost concluded.
Labor Discovers the Plot.
More than 5000 delegates crowded
80 Chicago to attend this convention,
representing every section of the
y
sessions, however. the Communist idea
cropped out. Labor leaders and other
fractional leaders discovered that the
place was packed with hand-picke ed
delegates chosen by the Communists,
and when ii came to the election of
officials and the adoption of party
policies il was quickly apparent that
rhc Communists meant to obtain COM
pletc control, and the new party"
itea, which had been looked upon as
II honest effort to obtain for la Dor
and the farmers their fun rights and
privileges, was disclosed as nothing
but d bold attempt on the part of the
Communists To "capturc' the Ameri
can labor unions.
Withdrawal by all prominent labor
leaders Of their support quickly fol-
lowed, together with several hundred
''deicgatcS." and the Communists were
loft to finish the affair as best they
could. In spite of the fact, however,
that this new party was disclosed a
part Of til" extensive propa ganda of
the communists, the party did not die.
Jt still fourishcS. without the sup
port Of organized labor and now
claims a membership of more than a
million. Few of these, however, may
T ghtly be termed prominent in labor
circles.
The struggle by the Communist
leaders for control of organized labor
is naturally the branch OF expansion
toward which they are and always
have been bending their most siren
UouS efforts.
The Red Internntiona1e."
In June, 1920, the Communist Inter-
tional called conference of the exc
rutive committee to plan ways and
means for uniting the trade unions of
the world into an international or
ganization, which should be dedicated
TO the work of winning all trade
union members over TO the cause of
revolution. a number of I. w. W.
delegates participated in these con-
ferenCes, but refused to indorse the
movement. The movement was start
ed, nevertheless, and a provisional
bureau established to take charge of
The work. This was the beginning of
the international Council for Trade
Unions, which now holds conventions
at stated intervals, and is known as
the red International.
Chief among the agitators in Amer
lean labor unions is William Z. Fos-
ter. 1t was he who founded the Trade
Union Educational League, for the
purpose OF spreading propag ganda
throughout all labor unions in the
country, and it was he who engineer
cd the boring from within" method
which during the last five years has
stirred up considerable trouble and
unrest, complicatiag the Industrial
system to such an extent that the
Government, on two occasions, was
forced TO step in and avert d national
tle-up Of industry
Ban on Meetings.
Because Of the danger of arrest in
case of detection, Communists in this
country are forb idden to gather in
large groups except on special occa-
Sions, when special orders from Rus
Il - E1f%=1E r