Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31

employment si,6aton offered a
golden opportunity for spreading
Communism throughout the United
States
prospect is William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, and as such
spokesman for 100000 organized American
workers
The thing to do Green believes and points
out in this interview, surveying the position of
the American worker on Labor day, 1880, is to
solve the unemployment problem, create work
for the thousands of unemployed. Then there
will be little for Communists to work on.
Speaking briefly of Communism, the labor
leader says there can be no compromise with
the movement on the part of the A. F. of L.
Eternal conflict will continue between Com
munism and trade unionism," he declares, be
cause they are SO different in character and
different in operation and so different in appli-
cation to the social, economic and industrial
conditions in this country-and political condi-
tions as well. 1t is the avowed purpose of the
Communists to capture the American Fedora
SsOn of Labor.
THE Importance and influence of Commun-
SIN in the country need not be exaggerated,
however I do not regard it as of a serious
nature. If permitted 10 deal with Com
munists as successfully we have in the past,
without having to divert our attention con-
tinually to lighting employers who seek to de-
Stroy US, we will be able to control them.
Travelling Communist agitators are not
nearly SO strong and influential in developing
Communism are some of the capitalist repre-
sentatives who would crush the workers and
keep them from exercising their rights. The
American worker becomes a rebel when he is
crushd. Although Communism has not made
any great progress in this country, it is impor-
tant to remember its potentialities a dis
turbing factor when economic conditions are
bad and the unemployment situation as it has
been recently
- EEPING Communism out of our ranks is
but sideline, however, among the vital
tasks that lie before us in the constant fight to
gain for the worker the assurance of a job,
fair wages just treatment and adequate
nomic security"
Unemployment Green believes, has become
the most serious problem faced by American
labor.
The use of court injunctions against labor
organizations and the yellow Dog" contract
will be fought persistently until Congress passes
a law to curb them.
Old-age pension systems are gradually being
established in a small way, and this humanita-
rian plan is regarded by labor as an inevitable
step in the march of social progress.
The present Congress has shown a complete
lack of interest and understanding in the prob
lens and needs of labor, and union men VIII be
asked in the November elections to distinguish
between those members who have been friendly
to labor legislation and those WHO hove ignored
or opposed it.
Leaders of organized labor believe they
making progress, and that most wages have
been maintained at high level despite entirely
inadequate scales prevailing in some industries.
&c
common and is recognized as an important
means of meeting unemployment as well as of
stimulating business by the creation of added
leisure.
The 1900 900 members of the A. F. of L. will
be fully informed, Green said of the records
and labor sentiments of candidates for
election.
1--WE can present the facts to the voters, and
we plan to do so pretty extensively this year
as result of the disappointing indifference dis
played by The Seventy-first Congress" the labor
chief promised.
eve are going to send missionaries to all
candidates and find out whether they are will
ing to support specific legislation. Particularly
we want To know where they stand ON the I'M
employment and anti-injunction bills. Then we
will pass the information along to our local
unions"
m American labor party is still repugnant
to most labor leaders, Green says, includ-
ing the dominating forces in the A. r. of L.
ut would make even worse mess of the
situation" he declares, land ii would leave US
without any friends at ALL"