The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Congressional Bill
Would Investigate
Terrorism in U.s..
Continued from Page y

used against the producers of the
nations wealth, causing them loss
of wages, hunger and restitution;
Whereas, it is also common prac-
tice for employers to retain and
hire private armies, armed with
powerful and dangerous weapons,
and amply financed by big business
serving as quasi-governmental
troops; and
Whereas, it is often common
practice to swear in wholesale num-
bers Of armed deputies to augment
all said forces;
Therefore, be it resolved. that
the House of Representatives con-
dennis the use of private armies by
the money masters of the nation,
and that the committee on labor be
hereby instructed at once to draw
up suitable legislation to forever
prevent and severely punish the use
of such harbaris1n against labor,
against farmers, against workers
and against the producers of the
nations wealth"
Calls For Report
The resolution would authorize"
the Committee to proceed to Ala
bama "or to such other points or
places where Government troops or
private armies with arms are now
being used against Labor" to in
vestigate. 1t would direct report
to the House during the present ses-
sion on the results of investigation,
and would authorize" the Commit
tee to hold hearings wherever ne
cessary. 1t does not call for the
appropriation of funds to carry
through such investigation, but
merely authorizes such expendi-
lures not in excess of amounts made
available for the purposes of this
resolution"
Asked to comment on the condi-
tons he recited, Lundeen said, THE
resolution speaks for itself" He
thought moment and added, give
always been against these private
armies = haven't we police enough
without thugs, gunner and whatnot
being brought in to cut down work
ers on the picket lines?"
He was reminded that I'VE" do
indeed have enough police, and that
to place the emphasis entirely on
the private armies is to leave the
workers still the prey of these po-
lice and troops who now increasing
ly "cut down workers on the picket
lines"
True enough" he replied, "but at
least there's little responsibility
there"
He was asked to comment on the
shooting of workers in Buffalo, the
acknowledged suppression of dis
patches to the Daily Worker, the
terror over Galveston and the Paci-
fic Coast. you've got to have pub
lie opinion on these things" he said
Asked how he expected public
opinion to develop in a vacuum of
news censorship and suppression, he
suggested, TITS got to break through
these barriers" Then he added he
would be very glad to serve on a
committee to investigate, because
THE American public has got to
know what's being done to labor. All
these working men are doing is to
try to improve their conditions. If
they're going to be set UP against
with machine guns, private armies
not to mention police and soldiers
we ought to know about it.
Lundeen, however, declined to
comment upon the suppression OF
news describing the very conditions
his resolution covers. He said he
would let his measure soak awhile
before decking whether or not to
speak to the House on it. The reso-
luton itself merely would author
ize' investigation, instead of direct
ing one. 1t would give this author
ity to the House Committee on La
bora group which so completely
ignored the Workers Unemploy-
ment Insurance Bill Introduced by
the same Lundeen that efforts now
rest on petitioning it out Of the
committees hands