Evening star., 1939-10-08
Seized Report
OF Reds Claims
Teacher Locals
D. c. School Groups
And @. P. O. Unit
Held Formed
By JAMES E, CHINN.

lied two new locals" among District
school teachers, has small unit in
the Government Printing ONCE, but
its work among machinists at the
Washington Navy Yard is "at
standstill." according to the myste-
rious report which agents of the
House Committee on Un-American
Activities seized several days ago in
raid on the organization local
headquarters.
The report which Chairman Dies
previously had announced was
identified as genuine by Martin
Chancey, party secretary in WASH
ington, apparently was intended for
or submitted at conference Of
Communist leaders in October. It's
major portion deals with activities
OF the party in the District.
1.-TWO new locals were organized in
the teachers and Teachers District
Council" declared the report, which
already has been made a part of the
committees official record. There
is a small party unit in the G. P. o.
There are very excellent comrades
in the Street Car Mems Union, the
musicians, Office workers and iron
workers.
Navy Yard "at Standstill."
I'm the BARRIERS union, the retail
clerks. in the painters, we are just
holding our position But our work
O tho mi CT iv, No,
Yard is at a standstill. We are pay
ing now for mistakes of the past.
The comrades became isolated as q
result of negative, destructive ap-
proach.
Generally, our faction in the A.
F. of L. increased from some As to
80, the group in the c. l.. U. tpre-
sumably the Central Labor Union)
to about IS. We find this important
fact, that even though our con-
facts in the A. F.. of L. have be-
come strengthened and extended,
the strength in the progressive
movement is not felt any more than
before. We haven't united the
progressive forces and given them
program Ol ACTIVITY.
Throughout the report. there are
frequent references to the failure
OF the party to make pronounced
growth in the District. And, finally,
there is this observation:
Il maintain that never was there
a more favorable situation for re-
/ cruiting than at the present time.
In the District there is no inter-
ference with the work of the Com
munist party by the authorities"
Triple Plan for 1910.
For 1910, the report reveals, the
Communists have laid down a
triple action" program to be carried
out in Washington. In the words
of the writer of the report, it fol-
lows:
"A fight for housing. for health
and relief, around which will in
clude the problem Of the high cost
of milk, high cost of gas. electricity
and other necessities, and relief will
take in the question of social Sc
curity.
Il believe if such a triple action
program was worked out in concrete
form and brought to the people
through our branches, through the
trade unions, etc, very effective
work could be developed. The
people could be drawn into struggle
! and make their contribution toward
uniting the progressive forces. I
think such a program could attract
the building trades, the A. F. of L.,
the Negro people, the unemployed.
in short the vast majority of the
District population
The report described the hotel
strike in Washington as the out
standing struggle in the past year."
Then, it added
1T is amazing how fast people
learned during the struggle. Here
we have 1000 Negroes and whites
on the same picket lire, eating,
planning and fighting together. We
found in this struggle the C. I. O.
coming forward in support and the
A. F. of L. accepting the support.
Massing picket lines with hundreds
| OF workers IN this struggle, the
party played very important part
49,"
Great Stress on Elections.
Great stress is laid in the report
on the effect of the 1910 elections
on the disfranchised residents of
the District. re-
Are we simply looking at them
(the elections) as interested bystand-
ers?" the report asked. Il think
it is very necessary that We. begin
to understand this question be-
cause only when the Communist
party membership and the pro-
gressive movement will understand
this will we be able to mobilize the
people for effective struggle.
First of all we are part Of the
Maryland district, key district,
especially in the Democratic Nation
al Convention. and in the national
set-up generally. You remember the
last senatorial campaign and its in
nuence on the United States?
furthermore, most of the Con-
gressmen from Maryland, unfor-
tunately, take an active interest in
the affairs of the District. Then
again, there are some 100000 peo-
pie in the District of Columbia who
vote in practically every other
State of the Union, and effective
work in the District will very much
influence the way these people will
vote in the national elections in all
States. There are many Democra-
tic groups in the District and cer-
tainly very important fields for
activity present themselves.
Our struggles, our activities In
Washington have a national bear
ing, have a national effect. You
remember the Marion Anderson
case? Speaking of it, the magazine
National Issues, said that in this
struggle the fight for Negro rights
reached new high. Do you realize
how much effect this case had in
swinging the Negro people away
from the Republican party and to-