The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16
By WILLIAM F. DUNE.

ctiQ lllE ODl-
ciaidom of the American Federation
of Labor which he leads are part and
parcel Of the machinery of American
Imperialism.
We 20 farther than this and state
than such policy as this oficialdom
has for its own guidance consists of
aiding American Imperialism in
carrying out its conquests abroad, in
adopting the nationalistic viewpoint
of American capitalism as its own
and in attempting at all times to con-
vince the masses of this country that
American capitalism is a different
and more altruistic brand than that
In operation in other and less for
tunate nations.
This means accepting American
government as the beginning and
end of all working class endeavor
and it is on this premise that is
based such programs as Samuel Com
pers and his henchmen have. The
truth of this assertion is altered not
at all by the fact that from time to
time Gompers refers to the fact that
our institutions are not perfect; they
are nearer to perfection than the in
stitutions of other countries and that
is enough for him. American insti-
buttons are the yardstick by which
the achievements of the workingclass
the word over are measured by
American labor's leaders.
Weird Alliances.
This attitude naturally leads the
American trade union movement into
strange alliances-alliances entered
into by its officials with very few sops
to democracy thrown to the member
ship in the shape of information and
discussion had thruout the movement
itself.
Two events Of worldwide import
ance have taken place recently. In the
United States there has been a drive
for recognition of Soviet Russia fol-
lowed by the appointment of Senate
committee to investigate the charges
and counter-charges made by friends
and enemies of Soviet Russia.
In Great Britain the Labor Party
has come to power and its first Off
cha, act was to extend full recognition
to Soviet Russia.
1t is not surprising, therefore, to
find that the American Federationist
for February, edited by Samuel Com
pers, devotes approximately eight
pages to these two events.
Let us understand that in its loyal
ty to American capitalist institutions,
the American Federation of Labor, as
represented by Gompers, yields to no
one. Since the Russian revolution,
Gompers has even gone one step far
Their and now considers himself and
the trade union movement the espe-
cially appointed guardian of Ameri-
can capitalist government.
The Great Defender.
The reputation for unthinking pa
triotism which he acquired as an i'm
portant cog in the House of Morgan
war machine has been considerably
enhanced by his activities in his new
role of defender of our steel, oil, cop
per, railroad, shipping and banking
government against the attacks of
the $4,000 Communists in America.
This self-appointed savior of Amer
lea has thus been able to pose before
the Civic Federation and other or
CARNATIONS of employers as the
knight in white armor repelling the
red hordes Of Soviet propagandists.
We find on page IS Of the Amer
lean Federationist the Gompers credo
the theological base on which has
been erected a political structure in
which are ensconced the high-salar7
led misleaders Of the trade union
movement.
The structure creaks and groans
as the winds of capitalist bankruptcy
and mass discomfort assail it but to
Gompers and his kind the storm is
purely an artificial creation of
handful Of vicious malcontents under
the inspiration Of Soviet Russia.
The Gompers Greed.
Here is Gompers' confession Of
faith in American capitalist insti-
buttons:
America has established certain