Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
Continued From First Page.)

American Revolution. Two years age
Mrs. Gregory staged a Statewide cam
paign, which was ridiculed more or less
! freely by Miss Nell Battle Lewis, a bril-
liant Raleigh columnist.
In a sense 1t was a duel between
"our Margery," as Mrs. Gregory is
affectionately termed and "our Nell,
as others term Miss Lewis, with most
Carolinians looking on in mild amuse-
ment.
virginia Not Entered.
Meantime the textile region south of
Virginia was being carefully surveyed
under the general direction Of Albert
Weisbord, who gained international
notoriety through the Passaic strike
of 1925. Virginia was not invaded be-
cause conditions in the textile mills OF
that State, notably in the Dan River
section, where the influence OF Henry
B. Fitzgerald predominates, are inf
nitely better than in the more South
erly States.
Indeed, the rule is that the farther
South one goes the lower are wages
the poorer is working conditions and
the greater the discomfort which the
Communists always plan to capitalize
for the account of 1.-The revolution"
The preparation for this upheaval and
not the economic improvement OF the
mill hands is the objective OF National
Textile Workers Union as explained by
Foster, head Of the Communist party
in this country, writing on strategy.
Strikes" says Foster, ARE skirmishes
in the great class war, foreshadowlngs
of the final struggle which will abolish
capitalism. Consequently we must uti-
| lize every strike to further the move
ment for the creation of q mass politi-
cal party of the working class"
This, it will be noted, is in fiat con-
| tradiction of the trade union policy, the
detectives of which are economic and
not political.
Things Included in Survey.
The Communist survey included many
of the industry locally, local political
conditions, the size and financial
strength Of mills and their relations
with their employees, with q special eye
| for dissatisfaction.
Those making it were further In
structed to make local contacts, espe.
cially with persons known to be liberal
| in thought, and wherever possible tc
set up nuclei in which local men
would be at the head and front, the or
ganizer making himself as inconspic'
I uOuS as pOSSlUIc.
This was shrewd psychology, for your
| Southern hill man is suspicious of al
"furrinerS," under which category ne
lists the man from the next county.
| How many of these nuclei" were sci
up only those in the inner circle OF the
Communist party know, and they are
not telling. The CarolinaS are dottec
with them. There are not a few II
| Georgia and Alabama.
The final result of the survey was the
drive on Gastonia. the outcome OF whlcf
is now known to all men.
Fall Among Negroes.
Strangely, the Communists in theil
drive In the South failed where they
looked for most success - among tht
Negroes. 1t Is not for me to say tina
| the Southern Negro is longer-headec
than his white neighbor from the hills
| The answer may be that the ages have
taught him caution. Be that as 1t may
the campaign among the Negroes failed
| Against the work under and above
ground by the Communists In the Soutf
there Is and has been no organized op'
position. The strong trade unions which
| killed the movements In the mines o.
the North, in its textile centers ane
in the garments trades OF New Yorl
are lacking. Moreover, those who Zee
or fear the effects Of Communism d.
not seem to know how to go about com
batting it. save through force.
| why" responded q leading either
Of Gastonia when asked him what wa
being done in the way Of counter-edu.