Evening star., 1939-11-24
HAYWOOD Takes Over
New Organization
Drive ofC. |. 0.
Declares Neither
Reds Nor Politicians
Will Dictate Policies
~ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Allan S. Haywood, a graying vet
eran of John L. Lewis United Mine
Workers Union. today took over the
Job of directing the c. I. O.s new
organizing efforts in the Nations
big industries, expressing conf
dence that neither the Communist
party nor any political group would
be allowed to dictate c. I. o. poll
cies.
Amid conflicting reports of an
impending purge" in the c. I. O.,
MI Haywood said in an interview
that the G. I. o. would follow a
strict trade-union policy in its forth
coming membership drive in what
he called the war industries.
For Freedom of Thought.
1--WE organize whomever the en-
ployers employ" he said, "and we
don't ask their political or religious
beliefs or their racial background.
We stand for freedom of thought.
but we expect the officers and mem.
bers to conform to the policies of
c. I. O."
Asked what c. I. o. would do If
freedom of thought interfered with
c, I. o. policies, Mr.. Haywood re-
piled:
IF it interferes, We'll deal with
1t as it comes up"
Witnesses before the Dies Com
mittee on Un-American Activities
have charged that Communist party
members have gained influential DO
sitions in the c. I. O. and its afil-
lated organizations.
At the close of G. I. O.'s San
Francisco convention in October,
President Lewis was reported to have
told an Executive Board meeting
that although there would be no
witch hunts" any budding young
Communist who had ambitions to
take over the G. I. o. might as
well forget it,"
Mr.. Lewis was reported to have
demanded that c. I. 0. officers who
participated in the shaping of
policies devote their allegiance to
the G. I. O. ahead of any other
interests.
Il don't believe" Mr.. Haywood
asserted, that John L. Lewis will
let the Republicans, Democrats,
Socialists. Communists or any other
party run the G. I. o. or dictate his
policies"
THE C. I. o." he added, doesn't
possess a magic wand that it can
WELD to change peoples makeup
or conception of life. 1t realizes it
has to organize workers, stabilize
industry and intelligently approach
problems of chronological improve
ment and the unemployment result
ing therefrom."
Denies Purge" Orders.
The one-time coal miner, who
served until recently as c. I. o.
director in New York State, said he
had no orders to purge" any one.
MY orders" he added, "are to see
that we get organizing activity
around the country"
Mr.. Haywood was named director
of organization work by Mr.. Lewis
at the San Francisco convention. He
was given two more members of the
United Mine Workers Union as his
chief aides, Michael Widman and
Walter Smethurst.
Members of the Mine Workers
Union, who attached considerable
significance to the selection of three
U. M w. members to run the Or
ganization campaign, pointed out
that that unions constitution bars
Communists from membership.
Mr.. Haywood said the c. I. O.'s
new organizing plans were concerned
largely with expanding membership
in such industries as chemicals, steel,
automobiles, rubber, aircraft, textiles
and machine tools, where industrial
activity and employment rolls have
been on the upturn.