The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-18

Ofk6rS Oh AIuGI1Cd' OClSS0 VI
2ganization is one OF thee most
progressive bodies in the Amer
lean Federation of Labor. 1t
gave generously to the Passaic
strike and to the Henderson, n,
&C., textile strike.
Start Organization.
Some months ago this organization
engaged Louis Francis Budenz, Edl-
tor of Labor Age" an independent
labor monthly of New York. Budenz
was asked to go to Indianapolis and
to investigate company union called
the Employees Mutual Benefit AS
sociation, operated by the Real Silk
Hosiery Mills, Inc.
Good Results.
The result was so successful that in
less than a month fully 80 per cent of
the workers were in the Full Fash
ioned Union and the very men who had
acted as Representatives" under the
company union were most active in the
''outside organization"
AS soon as the heads of the Real
Silk Mills, Inc, discovered that their
workers were in the union they hired
A. R. Macdonald, Inc, New York
industrial engineering" concern, to
break the union. Macdonald recon-
mended the "Yellow Dog" as sure
antidote to unionism. Two contracts
were drawn within ten days and pre-
sented to the workers. Most of them
were compelled to sign. Some who re-
fused were discharged. Others who
appealed the case of the discharged
ones to the company union were like
wise discharged.
Detective Methods.
Meanwhile Macdonald had made
himself known to the workers. He had
his Operatives" in the plant spying
on the men. But he also appeared
himself in the managers office help
ing to intimidate the workers and to
force them to sign the contract bind
ing them to belong to no union except
the company union. AS workers sus-
pected of belonging to the Geiges ex-
ganization were brought to the office
he would put them through an exam
ination his first question being, "Are
You a Communist" He also forced
them to sign statements against the
union which were then printed in the
company magazine.
'The Red Menace"
Macdonald also called on the union
headquarters in Philadelphia in an ef-
fort to persuade Geiges and his asso-
ciates to call off their organizers and
discontinue the fight against the Real
Silk Co. In this he failed completely.
1t is also understood that Macdonald
is working for a number of other hos
iery concerns that have employed him
to fight the union. Failing in this
brazen method he decided to show the
Fashioned Union that he had
found real "Red' in their midst. He
promised Geiges he would prove that
Budenz is paid agent of Moscow"
In the letter which he wrote to Geiges
on November 7th he attempts to prove
this point.
Two Aims.
The purpose of this letter may have
been to scare Geiges and to make him
drop his Indianapolis organizer. But
a no less important purpose is to show
the manufacturers that he-MacD Don-
ald-is an expert on the radical move
ment and that he knows all about the
movements of Communists.
This intention is borne out by the
fact that as soon as ne had mailed the
letter to Geiges, Macdonald had it
printed and mailed to several hundred
textile and hosiery employers. One
of them through a friend, passed the
letter on to the DAILY WORKER.
The Letter.
November 7, 1927.
"Mr. Gustave Geigas, President,
American Federation of Full Fash
ioned Hosiery Workers Union, Phila-
delphia, Pa.
Dear Sir:
Doubtless you will recollect that
some time ago the writer called at
the headquarters Of the American
Federation of Full Fashioned Hosiery
Workers Union where he interviewed
you and Mr.. Smith, the General Exec
utive Secretary of your organization.
"At that time you were advised
that there were Communistic in
fluences at work in the Hosiery
Union, whereupon you made a chal-
lenge--that the name be given you
Of any Communist who was working
among members. This challenge was
readily accepted, and the name of the