The Wilmington morning star., 1945-05-08

with them as much as many of his read
ers. His articles serve the good purpose
of making people Think
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER
(Capyrich 1915, by King Features Synicate.)
SAN FRANCISCO, - Great is the distress
and deep the humiliation of a polyglot group
of professional unioneers from several lands.
all claiming to be spokesman Of labor with
Capital L, who have been trying to attach
themselves to the United Nations conference.
The host, so to speak, is the CLIO and the
guests include Sir Walter Citrine, of the Brit
ish Federation of Trade Unions, who once
thought that an eminent American gangster
must be very important labor leader in the
United States because when he went to Lon
don as a fraternal delegate Of the American
Federation of Labor, he carried nine secre-
taries with him. The fraternal delegate was
Tommy Maloy of Chicago long since waited
to his reward in the purifying flame of
blast-furnace or saWed-oH shotgun and the Sec
retaries were members of the mob which later
became the invisible government Of the movie
employees union under George Browne and
Willie Bioff
On another occasion, during visit to New
York, Sir Walter was honored by a tea at the
Waldorf, given by William Green the presi-
dent of the American Federation of Labor,
and had the pleasure of meeting under these
stately auspices, Mr.. Green's friend, col
league and cohort Joe Fay, another under
world magnifico of the American labor move
ment who recently was sentenced to two terms
in prison for using his Union office to prac-
tice extortion. That time, brother Dave Dublin
sky of the garment workers union, who had
been socked on the jaw by brother Fay during
national convention in New Orleans for pro-
posing that criminals be excluded from union
office, withdrew from the tea-party in seven
passenger huff and later was discovered on
stool at Joe's lunch, growing into his borscht
over the indignity of it all.
Sir Walter comes here this time Under the
patronage of the CLIO, for the A. F. of L. has
placed a hex-mark on the door of the current
international union conclave, refusing to par
ticipate or even to recognize it as labor
tvity because the communist union stooges of
the Soviet government are present. The A. F.
of L. takes the view that the Soviet Union
movement is not free labor organization in
asmuch as it is a subsidiary of the govern
ment and run by the government, not the mem
bers. go. :
This is a very pious position considering
that the A. F. of L. in the United States has
encouraged the national government to take
over and perform most of the important duties
for which unions exist, resenting such intrusion
only on those rare occasions when the federal,
government has been forced by scandalized
public opinion to send various erring brothers
to prison. And, while it Undoubtedly is true
that any simple and naive Russian Tovarish
would be liauidated promptly for criticizing the
high officials of his union, who are, ultimately,
the high officials of the state, 1t is also true
that in many of brother Green's unions, the
brother who demands accounting of spe-
cial assessment or income tax levied by the
ruling authorities, thoroughly understands that
he is likely to meet death by violent naisad-
ri how 10 y oHyo10
Nevertheless, even under the boycott of the
A. F. of L. and the mine workers Of John L.
Lewis, the little group of serious thinkers is
proceeding with its proceedings across the bay
in Oakland under conditions which amout al
most to political, blackout. In the matter OF
publicity, which is the breath of life and the
wine and toddy which unioneers the world
over stimulate their vanity, the silence is al
most total so the anguish of the little, lonesome
congress may be appreciated by persons OF
morbid Imagination. They haven't received Of
fetal credentials or even official tickets to
the peace conference, their status is no more
august than that of regional meeting OF the
Elks and to the modification OF the American
unioneers, they have not been invited to pre-
sent their architects dream Of the unioneers'
wing of that palatal new world of the future.
have been unable to learn what the Chi
nese labor movement is but one hears that
the Chinese delegate, one H. L. Liu, got as
far as London and has been standing around
the airports ad docks with his thumb in the
air trying to hitch ride, thus far without
success. Were the Chinese delegate a Peking
csc or chow dog, an priority might be ar
ranged but such is not the case. However,,
inasmuch as China is equally infested with
both communists and brigands or racketeers,
the thought occurs that one of our gallant AL
lies has achieved that priceless unity which,
in this less fortunate land, has been impossible
because of the rivalry of the CLOS communists
and the A. F. Of LIS more practical GRIM
inals.
Mr.. Sidney Hllman and Mr. Phillip Muir
ray the president of the CLIO, are bearing the
burden of the embarrassment They were I'M
able to get quarters for themselves and their
foreign guests in the San Francisco hotels and
so had to put up their friends in Oakland,
condition emphasizing their loss OF prestige
in their own land And when they were going
to hold a mass meeting to advertise their
presence they had to appeal to their cherished
old enemy Mayor Roger Lapham, ship
owner, who beat the union bosses at the polls
in the fall of 1913, to utter some cordial words
of welcome and say any other kind remarks
that he might find in his great heart after
many fight with their disciples in the days
of the terror in San Francisco.
Mr. Lapham was mildly amused at this
request.
'sAnd to think" he said, that l used to be
a so-and-so in their book, and a waterfront
so-and-so, at that. waterfront so-and-so, is
the worst kind, you know.
We b,ve found complete and utter ,d