The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-07

Ike aC the McGOrmlck Reaper radical group of it's own, the In- dustrial Workers of the World, known popularly at the I. w. w., or "Wobblies."
 Delegates from the old Knights of Labor, certain radical western innings unions, Socialist elements, and an assortment of radicals from many other groups, met in Chicago at the Industrial Union Congress.
 Believing that craft unionism held no relief for the mass of workers, they launched a pro- gram of syndicalism.
 A GONE BIG UNION" LAND
 That is a philosophy which holds that society should be made up of vertical or industrial or- ganizations of producing workers, bound together in an indefinite, lose mannery, "One Big Union," which would not be a nation as now understood, but simply a loose federation of groups of workers, each owning and operat- ing the industry in which it works.
 Drawing it's membership orig inally mostly from migratory and unskilled workers; it became known as a "bums'" organization. which impression it strengthened by fostering a hobo tradition in song and print.
 The first strike in which it seized leadership was at Goldfield, Colo, and it's greatest success came in 1912, when it conducted the successful textile strike at Lawrence, Mass.
 SABOTEURS IN WAR
 During the World War, which it opposed, the I. W. w. repeated ly ran afou1 of the government through sabotage, and the syndi- calist laws which many states passed were aimed chiefly at this organization.
 Proposing to take advantage of the new opportunities for indus trial as opposed to craft union- ism, the I. w. w., after a period of eclipse, is making 8 renewed drive for membership today. It is impossible to give the member ship of the I. w. W. accurately, is it fluctuates widely.
 The newest form of radicalism in this country, of course, is Com- munism. It came to America after the World War, and by holding up the increasing success of the Russian experiment before American workers, it has been able to recruit many followers. GROUPS HATE ONE ANOTHER
 Mutual distrust, not to say hatred, exists between the Com munists and the I. w. w., Social ists and other radical groups. The Communist organization is too political to suit the I. W. w., too regimented to suit the Social ists, and too rigid to prevent fre- quent split-offs from its own body of some six minority groups.
 The labor and political activ- ities of the Communist elements can not be differentiated = to them it is al the same.
 The only large group is the Communist Party of America, which takes it's orders from the 24,000 dues-paying members.
 dCAlOCid dICiy hOPt small, so that each actual party member may be trained organi- ger and agitator; for every party member there are hundreds of supporters of more or less clearly defined Communist views.
 With William z. Foster (once an I. W. W.) as candidate, it polled 1O2,7S5 votes in the 1892 presidential election, half of these in New York and Chicago.
 TUNNELS" IN MANY WAYS
 The present tactics of the party are aimed at: Making as good a showing in political affairs; taking advantage of distress to organize workers, unemployed, ex-soldiers. boys, and other elements. and to embarrass the government as much as possible by "demonstra- tions" and rumpuses.
 Also, the Communists organize their own unions ot compete with sible; and seize active leadership ing, even if their own membership may be negligible.
 The Communist organization has a maze of subsidiaries that would make the Insull tangle look simple. It has the Young Pio- neers, to complete wish the Boy Scouts; the Trade Union Unity League, to compete with the A. F. of L., the Workers Ex-Serv- ice Mems League, to compete with the American Legion; Trade Union Educational League, to ar- range temporary cooperation with other groups when it seems advantageous; Councils of the Unemployed, and dozen other organizations to appeal to special KEEPS UNIONS ON TOES
 It advocates many things, such as the soldiers bonus, which are not at all Communistic, but which help get them in touch with groups which would otherwise not be attracted to them.
 Radical movements have sell dom been of any great direct inn portance in the labor movement in this country. but they have served as continual spur to keep the standard unions on their toes and keep out dry rot.
 NExT:Labor faces a new crop of problems in the coming months, internal problems, legal problems, and problems of the relationship of organized labor to the people in general.
 Radium is being used to. detect flaws in steel plates used ih ship building.