Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1945-01-16
FAIR
By Westbrook
PeeIer

TO-DAY, present a guest art
L ist, who signs his name Joe"
on the letterhead of Joseph A.
Padway, counsel, A American
Federation of Labor, Tower
Building. Washington. d. c."
This document is dated Jan.
II. 1910. and is addressed to
Mr.. George Scalise, general
president, Building Service EN-
ployes' international Union"
BY way of introduction. be IL
explained that Joseph A. Pad
way is a close political friend
OF President Roosevelt and is
the attorney general of the
American Federation Of Labor.
He Is also general counsel Of
the transfers union, whose
president, Dan Tobin, gave that
dinner for Mr.. Roosevelt last
fall at which the President made
his FIRST frankly political speech
OF the campaign.
rEORGE SCALISE was pres
~ ldent OF the Building Serv.
ice Employees Union. an impor-
tant unit of the AFL. later was
sentenced to two terms in prison
Tor offenses which, in all.
amounted TO q vicious betrayal
OF the workers under his con-
troll who were mostly window
washers. chambermaids. scrub.
women in office buildings, bell
hops in small hotels and pin
boys in bowling alleys.
Having become president Of
the union by selection of the
old Capone mob of murderers
in Chicago. and never having
done a probably honest days
work in his life. Scalise applied
to President Roosevelt, through
the department of Justice. for a
pardon which would restore his
right to vote and hold public
office. This petition was en-.
dorsed by William Green, the
president of the A. F. of l., and
by Padway.
A FEW days before the
"a petition might have been
granted by President Roosevelt.
Scalise's criminal record and
firm evidence Of his continuing
associations with underworld
gang in the labor movement
were published in these dis.
patches.
Joseph Padway was counsel
for Scafises union and admits
having received from Scalise
$1,000 for legal services a short
time before he endorsed the
petition.
THE letter hereinbefore men.
i toned follows:
Dear George:
81 had read PegIer's article
before received your letter
and I was about to write YOU
concerning ID. / know that you
feel bad over this article, for
that Is quite natural. Yet, Peg
Ter Is q very much disliked man,
and I am sure that those who
are your friends will remain
your friends, regardless Of the
viciously overemphasized and
coiored attacks he makes upon
you. The mere fact that ne has
used such rotten language will
create In the mind Of the aver
age reader a suspicion of tho
truth Of what he saws.
Don't let II worry YOU.
Those who know you appreciate
that the comments Of Pegler
are false and unfounded. Those
who are your friends--and I
include myself In that category
will remain your friends and
will think as much Of you as
they ever thought of Won. As,
for myself. 1 am going to sup
port your application for resto-
ration OF citizenship with all
WV lfONFES
'Tn fact, have already dis
cussed the matter with Presi-
dent Green. M as 10 arrange an
appointment for him and me to
confer with Mr.. jackson. ed
tors note: the attorney general
appointeel The difficulty IL
that Mr.. Green had TO go to 81.
Louis. daresay we shall have
to 20 to the department on our
return from Miami. In view Of
the PegIer letter Editors note:
may refer 10 Pegler article),
IL may be better to 20 at that
time because the Pegler letter
will have been forgotten to quito
a degree by then. Remember,
George, there Is nothing so dead
as yesterdays news. Remember,
too, that no person has any re-
spect for the writer OF an article
who resurrects an incident that
Is no more than youthful In
discretion In order to heap
abuse upon such youth almost
a quarter Of a century after tho
incident.
SDLEASE keep your head up
L and meet with your
friends just as you have been
doing. Keep on fighting for your
union and Its members rs you
have been doing. They will
think rs much Of you as they
have In the past and Won will