Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-06-28
Portland JObleSs
Misleader Makes
Splitting Moves
By KENNETH FITZGERALD

PORTLAND - In an effort &c
keep the ranks OF Portland'S unem.
ployed divided and in hostile camps
W. X. Patrick and Walter Whitheck,
officials OF the National Economic
Welfare Federation here, are organ
ling strong arm squads in coop
Grafton with the Portland police de
partment to combat all efforts at
united front demonstrations.
For the past year Patrick, preSi-
dent of the NJ E. W. f., and Whit
beck, professional politician, have
suppressed all attempts on the part
of their membership to engage in
mass militant activity.
Faced with the starvation relief
scale being put into operation by
the Roosevelt administration. how
ever the members of the N. I. W. F..
have, in the past few months, en-
gagged in several mass demonStra-
tons, despite the objections of
their officials.
want UNITY
The desire for unity, according
to several rank and file members of
the N. E. W. F., is very strong and
this desire is quite evidently fright
ening both Patrick and Whitlock.
Becoming frantic when a mass
demonstration was called by the
Montayilla local of the m Z. W. T.
at the Rose City Relief Depot, a
letter was prepared by the two dem
agogueS and used as means to
bar all unemployed belonging to
other organizations from the dem
onStration.
This letter was prepared due to
the fact that members of the Mon
tayilla local of the N. Z. W. F. had
I asked for cooperation from other
organizations in their struggle for
better relief
The letter, which was obtained
by a reporter from the Portland
Voice of Action Bureau, reads as
follows:
To all peace Officers in charge
Doth and Sandy Blvd.
Please he advised that the Ma
Nonal Economic Welfare Federation
have appointed within their ranks,
special, Sergeant of Arms, who will
maintain order and who have been
'sleOated with the pawtrs. to police
lheir ewnsranks. 1t is further agreed
and Sanctioned, that no literature
is permitted to be passed out by
inSrSSaRR2s-'cf Sganzation having no
~~juriSdiction to he present at this
gathering. All legitimate members
of the National Economic Welfare
4 Federation will be identified by
their Buttons. Please take cogniz-
ance ,that. these people are here
peacefully.
This letter is signed by w. K.
Patrick and bears the official seal
"A of the National Economic Welfare
& Federation asssil, ,asss,,A ,.,...
b 81 ~ cfeIfl On tfsnfOnf heidi in Mon
tavilla a few weeks ago one mem
Der of the N.E.W.F was arrested.
Walter Whitbeck, forced to obtain
his release, demonstrated with the
arreSting officers, according to a
member of the organization. and
protested surprise that anyone
should have been arrested.
Didn't you get my note?" he
inquired of the officer.
Police Tie-Up
WhitbecRS police tie-up is OF
long duration and was used to his
advantage when he and Patrick
were spreading the 'red scare" in
Portland two years ago in an at
tempt to smash the united front
that then existed. He was a can
didate for county commissioner on
the Democratic ticket in the
last election, and campaigned for
Roosevelt in 1852.
Patrick, who claims the distinc
ton of being vice-president of the
Workers Alliance of America.
hasn't made speech in the past
two months in which he failed 10
mouth loud desires for unity"
Actions speak louder than words.
however, and the letter printed
above which carries PatrickS sigma
ture, is ample proof of this dema-