Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-08-14
RickenbackerP
Seen Victim Of
BIackou+ Plot
Not Named in Charity
Drive Due to Labor
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

Dy WESl DRUM fEULEh
I HAVE before me evidence of
a conspiracy to blackout the
picture and silence the very
name of Capt. Eddie Ricken-
hacker as concession TO the
AF'L and the Go throughout
Michigan during the campaign
to raise money for the Red
Cross last April.
The campaign ran from April
to April z and the office of
the Michigan district chairman
of the nationwide war activi-
ties committee of the motion
picture industry. 1892 National
Bank Building. Detroit. sent out
two mimeographed bulletins adj
dressed 10 all exhibitors in the
state. the first one suggesting,
the second one ordering. that
Rickenbacker's presence and his
name be eliminated from n film
distributed as a patriotic appeal
for contributions TO the Red
Cross.
THE second, and peremptory
notice says:
"After conference with
Frank \. Martel, president OF
the Wayne County Federation
of Labor. and &. Patrick Quinn,
president of the Greater Detroit
and Wayne County Congress OF
Industrial Organizations, to
avoid any possible repercussion
In connection with the Red
Cross collections In all our thea
tiers, 1 wish 10 impress on all
exhibitors that the elimination
Of the showing of Capt. Ricken-
hacker making the talk on your
screen IL an absolute must and
that only the sound track Is to
be used.
I've all wish 10 maintain
friendly and cordial relations
with all bona fide labor orgAni- /,
zations," the document contin-
ues, "and inasmuch as the two
gentlemen mentioned In this
letter definitely represent all
organized labor in this commu-
nifty. we have agreed on the
running OF a trailer as outlined
above"
\ PPARENTLY Rickenbacker's
"A voice WAS heard, but the
war activities committee of the
motion picture industry, which.
of course, has tremendous eco
nomic power over the theater
owners, was unwilling 10 let
people know that they were
hearing patriotic appeal from
one of the greatest American
patriots. Among those on the
committee are several of the
most powerful Hollywood mag
mates.
On Oct. y, 1898. Ralph e.
Moody. assistant attorney gen
eral Of Oregon, submitted re-
port 10 Gov. Charles II Martin.
describing a reign Of terror and
corruption extending through
out the state under the auspices
OF the Transfers Union Of the
AFL.
The controlling power over
the terroristic unions was Dave
Beck. the personal appointee
and representative Of President
RooSevelt's friend and political
cohort. Daniel j. Tobin.
Mr.. Tobin has since served
term in the White House as the
Presidents trusted adviser on
labor and visited England as
the Presidents special emissary
10 British Labor, along with
Joseph Padway, the attorney
for some Of the foulest rack
eteers in the whole evil record
Of unionism under the New
Deal.
IN HIS report 10 Gov. Martin. !
L Mr.. Moody disclosed that
among the files seized in the
office of Al Rosser, the chief
terrorist under Beck. he found
a letter from Forbes Morgan,
an uncle Of Mrs. Eleanor Roose-
welt. who was treasurer Of the
Democratic National Commit
tee in the 1882 campaign.
acknowledging $500 from Ros-
Ser's terronsts which had been
turned over TO Morgan by
Tobin.
Rosser got II years in prison
for arson in the teamsters'
statewide reign of terror. Tobin
and Beck. under whom he car
ried on his dirty work, were
honored by the New Deal. and
Mrs. RooSevelt's uncle, as a
gesture of gratitude from the
liquor interests for the repeal
OF prohibition. got a sinecure
with the whisky industry which
paid him 100000 a year until
he died.
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