The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-30

!
are going to sound a warning
bell thruout the workers move
ment."
| Splendid Enthusiasm Shown
The delegates showed splendid
enthusiasm for the work before them.
The hundred and more delegates set
to work with a will electing com
mittees mapping out programs and
resolutions, discussing various phases
of the problem of workers defense.
Resolutions on amnesty, prisoner
relief, campaigns against antilabor
legislation, the white terror in Eu-
| rope and legal aid for prosecuted
workers we're taken up.
The constitution committee report.
ed definite plan of organization pro
viding for the immediate formation OF
what will be known as international
Labor Defense" The constitution
that was adopted makes provision for
an individual membership organiza
ton with collective affiliations from
i all workers organizations willing to
participate.
Cannon was elected permanent
chairman; Mcnamara of Pittsburgh
vice-chairman.
William Mollenhaur of Detroit Fed
erationsof Labor elected secretary.
The following were elected as the
national committee Of the Information
4 al Labor Defense.
National Committee.
Debs, Nearing, Robert w. Dunno,
Robert Whitaker, Bishop VIM. NJ.
Brown, David Rhys Williams, E. c.
Wentworth, Alex Howat, Alice Stone
Blackwell, Ellen Hayes, Mcnamara,
Meitzen, Chaplin, Mann, Jacob Dolla,
Foster, Cannon, Karsner, Maurer, Ru-
thenberg, Dunno, Gitlow, Cora Meyer,
Dan W. Stevens, VIM. Mollenhauer,
Fred MerriclE. Robert Minor, Rose Bar.
ron, Harrison George, Fred Bieden-
kapp, ]. o. Bentall.
Urge Support Of Mcnamara, Schmidt.
Anton Johannsen, delegate of the
Carpenters Union, spoke on behalf of
the labor prisoners, ]. B. Mcnamara
and Mat Schmidt, victims of the "open
{, shop" war on the Pacific coast led
by the Los Angeles Times under the
! editorship of the notorious General
Otis Mcnamara and Schmidt have
been in prison since 1915. Johannsen
reviewed the history of the case and
urged support of these prisoners.
Maurer Opens Conference.
The conference was formally open
ed by George Maurer, secretary of the
Labor Defense Council. Maurer re-
viewed briefly the problem of work
ers' defense in America and gave a
short account of the founding and
growth of the Labor Defense Council
and the ultimate conclusion of the
council to initiate great national
movement for the defense Of all class
war prisoners.
This was demanded by elements in
all sections of the labor movement as
well as the exigencies and even dan
gers of the growing necessity for la
Dor defense.
Cannon Chosen Chairman.
n James p. Cannon, representing the
International Workers Aid relief or
ganization. successor to the Friends
OF Soviet Russia, was elected temper
airy chairman. Cannon took over the
chair with short speech OF welcome
to the delegates.
Receive Many Greetings.
After the election of a credentials
committee kilograms OF greetings to
the conference from all parts of the
United States and the world were
read. Class-war prisoners aid organ
izations in England, Norway, Belgium.
Czecho-Slovakia. and Germany sent
fraternal greetings. Wishes of sue
cess to the work OF the conference for
labor defense in America we're cabled
by the Executive Committee of the In
terhnational Red Aid from Moscow.
Greetings from labor organizations
and many individuals such as Eugene
". Debs, Upton Sinclair and Alice
Stone Blackwell were extended to the
conference.
Letters from class.war prisoners
hoping for the success OF the confer
ence were read from Crouch and
Trumbull, Charles Cline, Abraham
Cisneros, etc.
The credentials committee reported
over 100 delegates present. They came
from all sections OF the country rep
resenting all sections of the labor
movement. New York, Detroit. Cleve-
land, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Chi.
cago were well represented by dele
gates from local unions, central labor
bodies and workers fraternal organ.
Izations, in addition to local workers
defense bodier