Detroit evening times., 1945-10-25
WESTBROOK
PECLER r.
Fair


IllOuSIi
THE Communists who TO-
mented the miscalled strike
against Joe Ryan. the president
of the Longshoreman's Union
Of the AFL in the port of New
York. may have performed one
helpful public service contrary
10 their intent.
They complained that there
is no democracy" in Ryan's
union which elected" him
president for life two years ago
alta salary of $4,000 year.
For the sake of Argument /
VIII cOncede that democracy
meansfree honest elections and
the rule of the rank and file.
II means nothing OF the kind in
actual truth and often does
mean slavery. but let that dis
pute 90 for the moment.
Nobody knows better than I
that Ryan union Is "un- demo-
cratic and that the Initiation
fees, amounting in some cases
10 $500, are eXtortionate. AL
though ! was called a labor
batter when. a few years ago.
/ publlciZcd the same evils
which the Communists allied
with Harry Bridges and Joe
Curran of the CIO now offer
as lntolerable conditions.
DUT Bridges sub sidiary
ID unions OF longShoremen and
WORKERS in allied jobs are just
as bad in their own way and
Currah' IS union is even worse
than Ryan'S.
Curran's rules are such that
most of ttr young Americans
drawn 10 the sea for war serv-
ICE cant hold office or even
vote IN a union which their gov
eminent compels them 10 JOIN.
On the other hand. charges
have often been made by the
rival sailors union OF the AL,
that Currans meetings
packed with Union Square
hooZieS," and Communist fur
riers, needle-workers and IL
l,erate Caribbean bu S-hoys,
and Curran once declared in
open meeting that II wasn't
necessary 10 hold tr4als for
racketeers-
The Communists would Just
toss ont without trial any one
whom they considered a
racketeer and that. of course.
would mean any one who OPP
posed communism
A CONSPICUOUS example
II was made Of q sailor who
got up at one of CurranS con-
~"ntiens to offer resolution
against communism in the
name Of the crew which had
sent--h!m there as their dele
gate.
The sailor not only was
hlackbaltcd but was run of has
-&A4a-..aa-tEst-sA4f. ~. ---+---' : -'---s----
port of the United States
army
Tf5f Is TFc UNION W-ITiiTih IN
recent days has been trying 10
place the docks Of the Port of
New York under the control
OF an Australian immigrant
who, by the verdict Of the SUI
preme Court. did collaborate
with the Communists.
But the Communists have
served the public by pointing
out that under our present laws
and according 10 the morals
and policies Of the late r. y.
Roosevelt, unions have a right
10 impose on workers the very
conditions that the Communists
offer as preteXt for their re-
belllOn against Ryan.
Granted that Ryan Is a dc
tator, who was II that pre-
vented the passage Of legal
remedies which would have
made 1t impossible for Ryan.
Bridges. Curran or any other
boss unioneer to WELD such
powers?
Roosevelt did
HOW could these conditions
II be remedled which the
Communists now find intoler-
able In Ryan'S union but not
IN any of their own Go
unions
BY law.
What law?
A law compelling every union
constitution TO conform 10 the
Constitution Of the USA The
oath IN Curran's union demands
loyalty TO the union and 10 the
labor cause" nut ignores 10y
atty 10 the United States or the
national Constitution.
So do many other union con
stitutions. Such oaths also bind
the subjects 10 obedience 10
future enactments by the ruling
union bosses even though these
rules may contradict the citi-
zen'S obligation tc his govern
mcnt
If he doesn't take an oath
which may bind him to commit
acts of treason he can't be
member and therefore -eaH,t
earn a living.
Roosevelt aptiyoIv prayppted