Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-18
News Guild
Tries to Gust
Red Element
May Be Dangerous Union
If Communists Win
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

COME readers Of these dis
~ patches may think have
exaggerated the Importance OF
the American Newspaper Guild
and the influence of the Com
munists and party-liners who
WELD much influence in its
affairs.
This is a relatively small
union, and / am conscious also
of the fact that / have had a
personal interest in the case,
having been a member for some
years, in the role of innocent"
But il must be remembered
that the guild wants 10 be big
union and that if il reached full
growth il could be one of the
most dangerous in the country.
And il is the one union OF
which / am able TO speak from
the experience OF one who has
sat in meetings and seen the
Muscovites in action.
/ know who the Communists
are. and I waited a long time
before | became convinced that
they were actually enemies OF
the freedoms which are inherent
in Americanism.
7 MAY have seemed impetuous.
i although | waited years 10
quit the guild and fight the
/ Communists in II.
Other newspapermen kept
/ quiet for the sake OF unity. and
many of them even continued TO"
deny that communism was an
issue. even after communism
had become the only important
issue in last years national con-
vention.
If I was impetuous / never
theless was right. as events OF
the last 10 days have shown and
as will be shown more emphatl-
callv in the impending conven-
lion in Detroit. where again the
American element will try 10
break the power OF the clever
and indefatigable cells OF con
spirators.
The Communists have been
sneaking up on our journalism.
the stage and the movies through
organizations Of writers and
writers.
ANY one who denounces them
as Communists knows in adj
vance that he Will be vlllfied as
Red-baiter. a dlSrupter. n
stooge and traitor
The rebel against tho Musco-
vites must learn 10 take II and
keep piling into them. But ii
nobody had fought them they
would now dictate all our news
and class-angle all our movie en-
tertainment so as 10 argue the
futility of trying 10 make Amer
canism work.
They would also build up a
great writers and guest stars
those mediocre men and women
of the Kremln who arc OF their
own perniciouS group.
HOW does one identify
IL Conn uniSt. anyway
Well. how does the United
States government identify a
Communist
In the case Of Harry Bridges
the government has held two
long. expensive and highly legal
istic hearings. and tho decision
is not yet. although he has been
placed in the company of Com
munists. and his California Go
is constantly sympathetic with
every policy Of the Stain gov
eminent.
The common man in a labor
union can't do that. He hasn't
the money or the facilities. so
he must proceed by conviction.
as the government itself finally
will have TO do in the case of
Bridges. because there is appar-
emily no documentary proof.
The two trials of Bridges can
not be duplicated for every bolo
and suspect.
In the case OF certain Guild
members there have been many
positive indications, a number of
which have been cited here from
time TO time.
/ was particularly impressed
by the slick manipulation of po-
litical strength in national con-
ventions so as to defeat any
condemnation of communism.
I was impressed also, more
than most others, by the fact
that in California the Guild did
not repudiate tho CLOS indorsc-
ment of the ham n eggs refer
endum.
Presented in the guise Of an
old age pension scheme, which j.
one thing that il was not. this
long and devious document
would have placed an upstart
political adventurer in command
of the state. above the governor
and responsible to nobody and
with the power to name his own
successor in case of impeach-
ment.
COMMUNISTS in the Go and
~ the Guild organization sup
ported this proposal. II gave
promise of actual civil war in
California. And the situation was
so grave that the entire voting
strength of the nonmendicant
and non-Communist population
was required to save the state.
During the North American