The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-01
VII
What They Do.

ganda Their main activity therefore is printing itera
ture and giving out press copy Less common are pub
lie meetings, debates, furnishing speakers conducting
prize contests for patriotic essays oraons in schools
and colleges, though they all figure,
The propaganda is chiefly against radcalism in all
its forms, including LaFoletteism, the child labor
amendment and industrial welfare bills. Next most
conspicuous is the attack pacifism usually coupled
with radcalism the theory that the object of the
pacifsts is disam the United States so that the
Bolshevks take it," Restriction Of immigration,
and Americanzaton of the aliens who here, come
next in Importance, though the efforts at Amercanizng
very feeble. This activity is based the assump
ton that most aliens Reds Cor most Reds aliens
it works the either way).
In the background Of activities but underlying them
all, is hostility to organized labor Where organized
labor is recognized, is in the National Civic Fede
ration it is only the conservative leadership that
encouraged and approved. The progressive and radical
unions regarded part Of the to "Ameri-
can institutions" They supported LaFoette in 1924
did the Socialists, and the Communists prepared
to do Therefore they un-American. As Mr.. Com
pers and many of the conservative leaders also sup
ported Mr. LaFoette it put quite strain on this
Interpretation and caused Mr.. Ralph Easley of the
Civic Federation to explain and apologize for Mr.. Com
pers to his conservative associates.
This attitude organized labor is natural to con-
SENTATIVE business men. If the Reds not opposed
they may capture the labor movement "as they have
in Great Britain" We might be faced not only with
the prospect of labor government at Washington, but
q radical labor crowd in power. Therefore the safe
course is to stop the evil its source-organzaton
to be opposed by employers in their businesses
So we find the professional patriotic organizations
the whole ant-organzed labor and open shop. The
Civic Federation alone is not though anti-union en-
ployers sit on its board.
Yet it would not do to express this attitude openly
part of patriotic program So it is concealed under
attacks the Reds. It is significant enough that not
a single trade-unionist is the controlling board of
any of the patriotic organizations except the Civic Fed
Grafton which organized to bring capital and labor
together
In addition to propaganda, some legislative work is
done by few associations, chiefly in opposing pro-
gressve measures such industrial welfare bills and
the child labor amendment, and in fighting efforts to
repeal laws curtaing free speech. The total effort
put into legislative work is slight compared with the
propaganda work. 1t is also far less than few years
ago, probably because progressive industrial
SO little agitated. Only the National Civic Fedora
ton and the Better America Federation of Los An
geles have gone far in that field.
Not Active In Politics
None Of the organizations takes any active part in
open politics The disastrous experiences Of the Sc
cury League in that field in 1918 may in part
for their reluctance tackle it. though it likely
that they not fitted for such a major task Their
leading hackers prominent and influential in the
regular republican and democratic organizations, and
do not need help outside. 1t is noteworthy however,
that almost all the patriotic societies united in opposing
the LaFollette Movement in 1924 not by official action
in cases, but by matterofcourse references to it
made in Moscow" 1t just tied into the regular
anti-red campaign.
Some few Of the organizations have actively gone
into the business Of prosecuting radicals have aided
prompted public officials do So Most conspicuous
of these efforts the long campaign Of the Better
America Federation against the l. w. W. in California,
a result of which about 1914 members of that work
ing-class organization sent prison under the
criminal syndicalism law, solely for their membership
in it. The Federation employed for three years
three professional witnesses, Diamond Coutts and
Townsend to testify in all these trials Two of these
were ex-convicts. The American Defense Society as
sisted the federal secret service under William j. Burns
in bringing the criminal syndicalist prosecutions in
Michigan in 1922 against thirty-one members Of the
Communist Party. The president of the National Sc
curity League Mr.. Solomon StanwoOd Menken, has on
several occasions insisted on the exclusion of dis
tinguished aliens whose radcalism he opposed-notaby
the Countess Catherine Karoly wife of the first presi
dent of the Hungarian Republic.
The Security League in 1925 also succeeded in in
ducing business mems luncheon club and the Y NJ. G..
A. of Hartford Connecticut, to cancel speaking en-
gagements Of Mr. Arthur Henderson NJ p, the British
labor statesman, on the ground that he was preaching
"socalistic doctrines On this occasion the Baltimore
Sun remarked:
Already in continental theaters America the sub
ject Of the sort of gbes that New York pokes at
Brooklyn With Mr. Kellogg inside the government and
the National Security League outside certainly
legitimate subject for rdicue."
Typical Of the activity Of the National Security
League the report issued by B. F. Ristine, Major
Of Infantry, saith Division, U. s. Army indianapolis,
on Frederick j. Libby Of the National Council for the
Prevention Of War, who was scheduled to speak on
peace in Indianapolis. This report was authenticated
by Major General Robert L. Billiard L. S. Army, Re-
tired President Of the League"
All Of the statements included in the report had been
answered and proved TO be falsehoods time and again
by Mr. Libbys organization. Knowing Of this the In
dianapos Monthly Meeting Of Friends complained to
the army headquarters at Indianapolis and received
reply from G. J.. Townsend Colonel of Infantry and
Chief Of Staff which said that the statement made by
Macr Ristne regarding the authenticity Of the data
raccurate, the data being understood TO have been