Evening star., 1935-10-07
LABOR PARTY IDEA
DECLARED FOREIGN
Green, at A. F. of L. Farley,
Insists U. S. Maintain
Its Neutrality.
BY the Associated Press.

sSy the ASSOCldleu ELcSo.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., october 7.
President William Green opened
the fifty-fifth annual convention OF
the American Federation of Labor to-
day with a speech in which he de-
nounced a proposed labor party as
the desire of foreign capital"
mo organization meeting on foreign
soil can tell the American Federation
of Labor what it should or should not
do" he declared. He drew thunderous
applause from the delegates with an
anti-war declaration:
"I know I give expression to the
hearts and minds of the Nations
working men and women when I say
that labor will say to our Govern
ment: Under no circumstance must
We be drawn into this Qtalian-Eth-
iopian) conflict"
Fights Coercion Into New Party.
On the proposed labor party he
said:
THE American Federation of Labor,
in my judgment, will back such a
party when the crystalized opinion
Of the workers is that their purposes
can be better served by an independent
party.
The American Federation of Labor
will not be coerced into that-will not
take that action because some order
comes from foreign capital directing
the workers of this country to form
an independent political party"
Green said organized labor would
carry the fight for six-hour day
and five-day week to every city, town
and hamlet, as its solution for in
dustrial recovery.
n. r. A. Successor Debated.
The Executive Council put it up
to the convention today to propose
a successor to the N. R. A.
The council, rather than indorsing
a suggested constitutional amendment
to replace the N. R. A., advised ex-
haustive studies of recovery legisla-
ton before recommending a future
course.
That some control must be exer-
cised over our former system Of
laisez-faire cannot be denied" re-
ported the executive body as the con-
Vention opened. The experiment On
r. A. which has been concluded has
helped to point the way to the goal
which we must seek"
The council condemned activities OF
Communists within union organiza-
tions. and recommended amendment
of the federation constitution to forbid
recognition of any group "espousine
communism or the violent overthrow
Of our institutions.
Peril Seen to Movement.
1t said Communists, under orders
from Moscow we're attempting to
dominate federation unions rather
than organizing independents. Sue
cess in such efforts, the report said,
meant no more or less than the dis
fnent."
The report said that unemployment
under the N. r. A. was twice as rapid
as in the unregulated recovery period
of 1922. but cited many INSULT
ciencies" in the Blue Eagle program.
These criticisms included: 1nsufi-
cient formulation of policy, insufi-
cient labor participation in code-mak-
ing, administration and reformation; !;
insufficient statistics surveys and IN
sufficient powers Of enforcement.
Drive Urged by Local Unions.
The executive group reaf1rmed the
federation's position that shorter
( hours and higher wages were essential
to better days. 1t also advocated a
campaign among local unions. to be-
= gin not later than December 1, to
unionize all wage earners in their
localities.
$ More than 500 representatives OF
) affiliated international, State and
: local unions gathered to hear the
opening address of William Green,
federation president.
> The delegates faced showdown on
: the deferred argument over craft"
= unions versus industrial unions
. Involved Is the newly organized au-
: tomobile workers union, which has
? complained against craft organiza-
: tions in machine shops and among
/. maintenance men.
A.