The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-27
Latins Cheer Martinez
For nti-Imperialism

| NC~'NNF'N~NNNT
Green and Woll are not the American
Federation of Labor even tho they
may control its machinery now"
Il am sorry" he went on, that
my inexperience prevented me from
making a more successful fight than
did. | should have objected to
/ Resolution No. l, submitted by the
A. F. of l.. delegation, which virtually
established the Monroe Doctrine of
Labor as a guiding principle of the
Pan-American Federation of Labor.
Furthermore, 1 should not have al
lowed Green to be unanimously re-
elected president of the pan-Ameli-
can Federation"
Martinez is one of the group of
Venezuelan expatriates obliged to
carry on their abroad because of the
feroclous dictatorship of Juan Vicen-
tie Gomez, the American-favored
President Of Venezuela. He partici-
pated in the convention as the dele
gate of the Union Obrera Venezo-
lana" Venezuelan Labor Union),
which has its headquarters in New
York City.
1t was on the question of Haiti that
Martinez had his first serious clash
with Green. The resolutions com
mittee, with Matthew Vol as chair
man, had sidetracked a resolution in
sisting that the United States gov
eminent should pay an indemnity to
the family of the Haitian who was
murdered few days ago by a
drunken U. S. marine Of the army
of occupation. In the debate over
this resolution, the Venezuelan dele
gate brought in the whole question of
the occupation and the crimes COM
mitted against the republic of Haiti
thruout long period Of years.
Il differ with the delegate from
Nicaragua" he said, when he de-
clares that here in Washington we
cannot criticize the United States
government. 1t is our duty to crit.
cize the United States government.
and it is the duty of the A. F. of L.
; delegates to join with us"
After one interrupting the speaker,
with the excuse that he was out of
order because he had made some COM
parisons between Haiti and Nicara-
qua, Green rose at the conclusion Of
the debate and stated with dignity:
"The chair must say one thing
While the Latin-American repre-
sentatives may feel that they are suf-
fering from many injustices the Pan
American Federation of Labor is not
a clearing house for all the political
grievances of the Latin-American
countries. We must pursue a digni-
fled, careful policy when we engage
in these criticisms because there is
always danger that we may injure
the cause we are trying to help"
That was the sum total of Green's
comment on the outrages committed
in Haiti!
Almost Immediately following.
came the big dispute over the gen
eral question Of American imperial
ism and the concrete proposals sub
mitted in resolution number "a, pre-
scented by the Venezuelan, Nicaraguan
and Dominican delegations. The
Nicaraguan delegation defended the
resolution only half-heartedly, or not
at all, while the Dominican delegates
/ declared that they had endorsed the
resolution originally because they did
not understand it and demanded that
their signatures be withdrawn from
| it.
"You cannot fool US as to the ac-
tual nature of the Monroe Doctrine"
Martinez declared holly. You may
bring all kinds of evidence to aid you
but we in Latin-America have our OPP
position to the Monroe Doctrine
rooted in the experience of years.
Latin-American delegates here may
be silent, but they know what I say
is true. President Green referred in
his opening address to self-detrmina-
ton of nations. Well if self-deter-
mination means anything it means
that Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines too must be declared indepen-
dent. American imperialism must
get out Of Latin-America. American
troops should be withdrawn i'm
mediately from all foreign territory
Including CHINA, where the United
States is slaughtering Chinese in col
fusion with British imperialism"
The shame of it was that Green
was able to say, as a prelude to his
passionate defense of the Monroe
Doctrine at the end of the discussions
at gratifies the A. F. of L. dele
gates to observe that none of the /.
other speakers have expressed APP
proval or endorsement of the senti-
ments expressed by the delegate from
Venezuela"
Let that be a closing commentary
on the Pan-American Federation of
Labor convention as reported in these
! dispatches.