Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-26
Transfers
Terrorism
Condemned
PeoIer Details How They
Can Choke a Town
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

A VERY dangerous situation
exists in Minneapolis, where
Denny Lewis, chairman of the
Go construction workers and a
brother of John Lewis of the
Go Mine Workers, has accepted
into his organization the group
formerly known as Local 544 OF
the AFL Transfers. Dan Tobin.
the international president OF
the AFL teamsterS, had trouble
with this group for years. He
was about 10 eXpel II from his
international when, suddenly last
week. No. 5ii withdrew.
The prompt issuance OF Go
charter TO 51i will have TO he
regarded as proof OF the futility
of hoping that the Go will dis
Sociatc itself voluntarily from
undesirable groups
TIiE peculiar power Of 4
Il transfers union 10 strangle
community, if that be the
unions purpose, may need some
explanation. Even in Pittsburgh.
where the teamsters are still
In Tohin's AFL, American citi-
zcnS drive certain trucks only
al great risk. Men have been
waylaid on the highways and
beaten, and opportunities have
not been neglected for secret
sabotage by which wrecks may
be caused on their highways.
Guerillas, operating in man.
ner not unlike that OF the horse
men who raided unprotected
rural areas in the War Between
the States have prowled the
streets and roads around Pitts
burgh
The whole community, indeed
the whole nation. owns and pays
for the roads. but the team
SterS undertake 10 say who shall
not use them. The transfers OF
Dan TobinS union conquered
Seattle by terrorism, and Dave
Beck. the personal ambassador
Of Mr.. Tobin. told me that he
personally established mob OF
his followers. locally known as
goons. around the plant of the
Seattle poSt-lntelligencer 10
win strike for the Newspaper
Guild az a personal favor to a
friend
Neither he nor his transfers
had any interest IN the Guild
or its strike. and, indeed. he
latter fought the Guild. He just
did this because he had the
power 10 DO IL and without any
regard for the merits Of the dis
pute.
DUT Tobins teamSters are
~ committed 10 a policy and
program of Amerlcanlsm and
against communism. whether OF
the Trotsky or the Stain vari-
ETY.. Beck hates all Communists.
The union bars them and in
dorScS national defense. and
confines its activities 10 those
who resist its demands. The
teamSterS are fighting or think
they are fighting. for their union
only
That was why after a long
dispute. Mr. Tuhins big union
had reached the point Of cxpell-
ing Local 5fi IN Minneapolis.
In commenting on the with
drawal OF 81 Mr.. Tobin re-
frrrrd t0-tf1r fact. long known
to the people of Minneapolis.
that this group had organized
squads of revolutionary street
fighters whose missions may be
coniured with reasonable proph-
ecy by referring 10 the method
by which Troisky took power
when he struck IN st. Peters
burg.
The police would be useless.
the National Guard is away on
federal service the home guards.
if any. had one tragic experience
some years ago. and the nerve
Centers Of the local civilization
could be seized in few minutes
"a fact which has occurred TO
the government of New York in
It's dealings with the Commu-
niStS Of the Transport Workers
of the Go and with the Ger
man BundistS.
As LONG as 544 was Selling
n the political. economic and
industrial control of Minneapolis
by tho tested and approved
methods Of Dave Beck, Mr..
TobinS international had no OBJ
lection. 1t was only when. at
last, the patriotic issue required
action against the local that
the Tobin union finally and re-
luctantly reached decision 10
revoke 51i's charter.
For that much credit may be
given. Mr.. Tobin and the inter-
national They are pro-Ameri-
can, although they sometimes
use Adolf Hitlers methods Of
control and terror.
DO you think / am an alarm
ist? If so. ask some friend in
Minneapolis.