The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-01
Fdcing the Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

has now thoroughly discredited itself
in the eyes of working newspapermer
as we'll as the public.
This c. l. O. organization no longer
represents the views and interests
Of the working press. 1t has beer
captured by the Communists.
The Reds are now in complete con-
troll of the Guild. They dominate its
officers, control its policies and shape
it's publications along the Communist
Party line.
Expressions of disgust and disillu'
sionment have come to us from many
active Guildsmen since the organic
atoms recent convention in Memphis
We met Kenneth Crawford, who was
deposed as President of the Guild al
the convention, in Chicago. Mention
of the Guild meeting brought lool
Of pain to his face. He shook his
head sorrowfully and said:
"You should have been there"
How is it that the Communists car
control the Guild when surely less
than 10 per cent of the active news
papermen of the country are Com
munsts or fellow-travelers?
Communist Trickery
The answer to this question is two
fold.
First, the Communists from the be.
ginning have been extremely active
in Guild affairs. While the news
papermen themselves exhibited little
interest in the organization and faileC
to attend meetings, the Reds and the
Pinks were busy in almost every local
especially the New York City one
They were able, even though con.
sttuting a small minority, to SEIZE
control of the unions machinery be.
cause of the inertia of the majority
Of decent, well-meaning newspaper.
men.
Secondly, the Communists succeed.
ed in stealing the Guild away from
the American Federation of Labor
affiliating with the G. l. O. and EN-.
bracing a form of industrial unionisn
that is distinctly foreign and distaste.
full to most experienced newspaper
reporters who take pride in their craft
Thus, copyboys, advertising solicitors
clerical workers and scrubwomen were
included among the Guilds member
ship. The Communists Immediately
went to work on the less intelligent
of these miscellaneous workers and ir
most cases succeeded in dominating
them. Thus the wishes of actua
newspaper writer's can be blocked anc
checkmated in many locals by Rec
representatives of Guild members ir
the same locals who are not strictly
speaking newspapermen.
For these reasons the Commies were
able at the Memphis convention te
defeat for office anyone who opposed
them and to de4es$,a resolution con
demning Communism and Nazism by
name.
An Invitation From the A. F. of L
We have more than an academic
interest in these developments. The
American Federation of Labor was
the first to organize newspapermer
and extend helping hand to them
When the labor split occurred and the
leadership of the Guild decided tt
swing that organization over to the
G.. |. O., the American Federation OF
Labor was disappointed and disturbed
1t feared the possibility that because
of the situation that had developed
labor news might be presented to tht
public from a biased point of view. Tt
certain extent these fears were jus
titled and a great deal of harm wa:
done by newspaper articles deliber
ately misrepresenting the American
Federation of Labor's point of view
But these violations Of newspape
traditions and ethics were committed
chiefly by small group of rabid Com
munist partisans who were out t.
build up the c. |. o. with favorable
propaganda. Few if any Legitimate
newspapermen fell into the propagan
da trap set by the Communists but i
is difficult to estimate to what eX
tent far-minded and impartial news
papermen We're influenced by tn
prejudiced writings of the propagan
dists.
The American Federation of Labo
wisely refrained from actively com
peting with the Guild because tina
would have supplied new ammunition
to the Communist clique. Newspape
writer's unions were organized by tn
A. F. Of l.. only when the newspaper
men themselves spoke up and aske
for admission. A large number o
local unions of newspapermen are nov
enrolled under the A. f. of l.. ban
ner.
Within short time, by request o
these locals, the American Federation
Of Labor will take up the question
of forming them into a national coun
ell. When such action is taken, bon
fide newspapermen who are member
of the Guild but are disgusted wit
its leadership will be invited to joi
the new organization which will b
a union of newspapermen for news