The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-30
Bldg. Trades Sec'y Hits at Lewis Group in State
 ment to Democrat

lOCat 6ullQlIlR 1TdQeS OOuIlCll, UO- day charged that the Commission of Industrial Organization, of which John l.. Lewis is national president, is an out-and-out communist-con trolled organization which is sup ported by a "bore from within group" who defy the policies of the American Federation of Labor.
 In a statement issued to the Democrat, MT. McGurk also charges that the c. I. O. pretends to hate dictatorship, but is governed by it; that the opposing organization sneers at labor union democracy; and that money accumulated through membership fees and dues is spent without the authority of a majority vote.
 In the following statement MT McGurk claims that the attack bears out his personal opinion and is not necessarily prompted by organiza- tion of which he is an official:
 54 Fuller St., Waterbury, Conn.,,
 March 27, 1887.
 Editor, The Waterbury Democrat,
 Waterbury, Conn.
 Because there seems to be an almost widespread misunderstand- ing of the real cause of the dis sension existing within the ranks of organized labor, I wish that might make clear the real reason for the dissension and the basis of 1t.
 T know 1t is commonly stated that it is disagreement over the organizational course that should be and ought to be pursued by the American Federation of Labor. That is not true. It is not 8 question of the Industrial Union or the Craft Union, and if I had the power of providence would place upon that statement all the emphasis that l posses-that is not the issue. If that is the case, then what is the issue?
 The real issue is, shall the Ameri- can Federation of Labor the or ganized movement of America, fol- low democratic procedure?
 In this case, the unwarranted at- tack is prompted not so much by personal considerations but rather the underlying and all-predominat- ing motive is to embarrass and weaken the American Federation of Labor, willingly or unwillingly through an attack upon its mem- bership, and quite regardless of the fact that such 8 procedure places the general labor movement in pub 1;o ,,iJ;o,,1a oV,I SicvovNp1fo
 Because I know of the Trade Union policies of the Executive committee of the Communist Inter- national as announced by A. Lozov- sky, head of the Red International of Labor Unions, dated Feb. 15, 1932,as follows: That we want to break up the Trade Unions, that we want to weaken them, that we want to explode their discipline, that we want to wrest the workers from them, that we want to break up the Trade Union apparatus, of that there cannot be the slightest doubt. Again on August 1, 1885, the Executive committee of the Communist Inter national, on the report of Comrade 1IcCk, IloLI OCUCu 4Uo A1CAAA0CAC Q VO JOA1A all mass organizations, trade unions, sports, religious mad cultural organ izations, and to wage a systematic struggle in these organizations to gain influence over the broad mass eS.
 MT. John L. Lewis, having full knowledge of the above facts, chose to ignore the will of the majority of the American Federation of La- bor in its organizational policies, proceeded to form his committee for Industrial organization. In the very first official document issued by this organization you will find this declaration: This organization is formed for the purpose of putting into effect the will of the minority.
 While I regret the necessity for the issuance of this statement, how ever I believe the point has been reached where silence can only lead to greater injustice and tend to confuse, weaken and divide further the workers of our country. A word here on what the American Fedora tion of Labor is: "
 The American Federation of La bor had its beginning in 1881. It