Evening star., 1937-07-13
THREATS Of RAIDS
MARK UNION ROW
"0pen Warfare" Between
Lewis and Green Factions
Ineugurated.
Ey the Associa ted Press.

NEW YORK, July 13.-Threats Of
raids and counter-raids in the Nation S
union labor camps today touched OF
the heralded open warfare" between
John L. Lewis C. I. O. and the Amer
lean Federation of Labor for control
of 10000 members Of the International
longshoremens Association.
AS prelude to the struggle, leaders
on both sides held conferences behind
locked doors.
Principals gave every indication of
fighting to the finsh, with Joseph P.
Ryan, veteran l. L. A. president, de-
claring:
We're not taking ultimatums from
anybody"
Bridges Serves "Ultimatum."
The "ultimatum" was served on
Ryan yesterday by Harry Bridges,
sharp-nosed little leader of Pacific
Coast longshoremen. the so-called
"bralns" of the 1884 West Coast mari
time strike, which paralyzed shipping
for II days and cost an estimated
800. 100000.
bI IuEtS IlIlbl lllSu ENS al viz " L. ~
vas determined to invade the Nations
water fronts and enroll both long
shoremen and warehouse workers.
He warned Ryan that unless he
abandoned the American Federation
of Labor, with which the I. L. A. has
been affiliated for 25 years. the c,
I. O. would take Ryan's organization
away from him,
Ryan retorted:
I'm not interested in any state
nlent that Australian Communist
(Brldges) makes. To me he is like
prickly heat
Threatens "Retalia TONS
RYAN also threatened "retallations"
In other c. l. O.-dominated fields if
Bridges pushed his ultimatum to
showdown.
In reply, Bridges announced that
the c. l. o. would charter pier and
warehouse men on the East Coast
under separate charters and carry the
fight directly into Ryan's territory.
officials in the rival camps de-
ellned to comment on what ramifca-
tons might develop in the lnter-union
feud, particularly as to the possibl-
tty of further costly maritime strikes
such as have plagued both coasts
during the last three years.
Bridges demand for C. I. O. con-
troll of the country's water front
workers met a fat refusal from a
three-man I. L. A. committee, which
declared it could find nothing bene-
f1cial' in the c. l. o. proposals or
"any improvement over the system
practiced by the I. L. A. for a quar-
ter of a century"
Refuses to Meet Bridges.
Ryan himself refused to talk per-
sonslly with Bridges, with whom he
has clashed repeatedly in the past
on questions of jurisdiction and CO.
operation between Atlantic and Pa
cifc Coast longshoremen.
If our answer to Mr.. Bridges is
not plain enough" Ryan said later,
Eve may be forced to extend our &C
ttvlties to the fields of organization
that are interfering with ours. We
may have to retaliate."
He did not amplify the statement
or indicate whether the "retalia ton
would include possible widesprea
raids by the A. F. OF L. into such C.
/ O.-dominated fields as steel workers,
miners. garment makers and auto
mobile workers
Bridges outlined his reasons for
invading the A F. of controlled
Loneshoremen's Association after de-
Gvering the ultimatum to Rvan's
Committee.
The Pacific Coast loneshore unions. >
he said, had applied to the C. I. O.
for charter and we're told to see the
Atlantic unions first with a view to
bringing in the longshoremen nation
ally.
L plan now to return to the Coast
and apply again for a charter for
our West Coast unions. Our committee
stands ready to talk with Mr.. RYAN or
his committee at any time. in case
they change their minds. However. bv
the tone OF the l. L. A. conferees at
this meeting. I have every reason to
believe there will be no further confer
ences."
Ryan replied with the remark that
We may have to retaliate, too"