Montana labor news., 1937-01-28
R0SSI BRANDED
STR!KEBREAKER
BRIDGES l. TO
MAYOR ON RADIO
Bloody Record of San Francisco
Mayor Is Exposed by West
Coast Strike Leader Over Ma
tional Radio Hcokup.

SAN FRANCISCO.-The issue in
the West Coast maritime strike is
the rights of 10000 workers against
the greed of 80 stockholders, said
Harry Bridges, speaking over a ma
tional radio hookup last Tuesday.
Mayor Angelo Rossi has lined
himself up with the 80 shipowning
stockholders, said Bridges.
Exactly one week ago tonight.
Mayor Angelo Rossi of San Fran
cisco broadcast a speech to the peo-
pie of America over a nationwide
hookup," said Bridges.
"That speech was of the utmost
Importance since it dealt with a very
serious emergency existing here or
the Pacific Coast where the entire
maritime industry has been brought
to a standstill by a controversy be-
tween 40 1000 American working men
on the one hand, and a small hand.
full of wealthy shipowners represent.
ing no more than 80 stockholders
on the other.
ROSsi's Choice
"In that speech Mayor Rossi hac
the opportunity to perform an inn
portant public service - explain
clearly and honestly the true situa-
ton. But instead of availing himself
of this opportunity-instead of So
berly and honestly conveying the
facts-Mayor Rossi took the side Of
the shipowners and delivered 6
propaganda speech in exact conform
ity with the strikebreaking publicity
campaign of the Waterfront Employ
ers' Association. Mayor Rossi mis-
represented and maligned the cause
of the maritime unions, and, by a
series of ~fabrications and distortions
sought to incite public opinion
against the strikers.
Mayor Rossi closed with an APP
peal to the President of the United
States to intervene in this c0ntr0-
versy. Coupled with his foregoing
remarks, this was an appeal, not for
any impartial Intervention, but for
direct Intervention against the I'M
ions. Mayor Rossi phrased his
speech as an appeal to END the
strike Yet the actual appeal he
delivered was not an appeal to END
the strike but an appeal to break
the strike.
1--WE say that this malicious at
tack by the mayor of San Francisco
on the just cause of 1000 American
working men and their wives and
children was deliberate and premedi-
tated.
ITO the people of the nation allow
me to officially deny that at any
time since the outbreak of the strike
has Mayor Rossi seen fit to confer
with the maritime strikers or their
representatives. We have no spe-
cific knowledge of his conferences
with the employers, but it is the
opinion of the maritime strikers that
Mayor Rossi represents and secures
all his information from the ship
owners.
Mayor ROssi was careful to pro-
tect himself by the insertion of nu-
merOus qualifying phrases such as
4 have been told We are informed
and Il am advised But we must
not overlook that neal the end of his
speech he declared: L am presenting
this recital of facts because / believe
it to be my duty to do so. They are
facts
"In other words, after reciting no
end of distortions and fabrications
which he carefully qualified as sec
ond-hand rumors, Mayor Rossi then
asserts that all of this backfence
Chamber of Commerce gossip is es-
tablished fact.
Unanimous Action
Il want to call your attention to
the fact that this strike is not SO
much based on a difference If op;r