Evening star., 1948-11-25
Clio Faces New Battle
In Murray Drive for
Organizing Power
BY the Associated Press

PORTLAND, Greg, Nov. 25.-The
one-sided internal warfare of the
C1O ragged again today. The ma
tional leadership prepared to ask
the CIO convention for almost un-
limited power to organize workers
in fields where CIO unions have
failed to expand
Such a resolution would give
President Philip Murray and the
CIO Executive Board an enormous
weapon. against small left-wing
unions whose leaders have resisted
him at this convention.
Some of the weaker right wing
leaders might suffer, too, If the
board decided they had done poor
organizing job.
The resolution seemed certain of
passage, though not without bitter
wrangling
Murray Forces Win Again.
The Murray forces showed their
steamroller power yesterday with
a 572-to-49 triumph on political
action resolution after Mr.. Murray
had once more made a sledge-
hammer speech agains tthe CLOS
Communists and fellow travellers.
This resolution provided for the
CIO to continue its political efforts
within the framework of the both
major parties" and said every CIO
eH rrfH aNYyN Ncft NJ
port" to the unions Political Action
Committee.
Mr.. Murray said opponents of the
resolution-Who were supporters of
Henry Wallace for President-vere
following the Communist Party
line.
To Re-elect All Officers.
C1O delegates braced themselves
for an all-day Thanksgiving session,
maybe continuing into the night.
They expect to re-elect their present
officers and end the convention to-
morrow.
The resolution giving extraord-
mary powers to the Executive Board
could result in crowding out certain
union officers deemed to be unfit.
Mr.. Murray already has told the
convention that the structures Of
the Office and Professional Workers
Union, the United Public Workers.
and the Retail and Wholesale Union
are unfit" to organize the millions
of nonunion people in those fields.
He also has been bitterly critical
of the leaders of the Food and
Tobacco Workers Union, the Mine.
Mill and Smelter Workers, and
the American Communications Asso-
citation.
Campaign Plan Outlined.
Here is the method by which the
Executive Board could move into a
given field under the resolution:
First an "organizing committee
would be created by the national
CIO. This committee would enroll
many new members. Then a con-
vention would be called. 1t would
be attended by delegates not only
from the old, existing union, but
also from the new organizing COM
mittee. The convention then would
reorganize and merge the two
groups, electing new officers.
This line of action presumably
would not hit the two largest C1O
unions that are usually placed in
the left wing" class. They are the
United Electrical Workers and the
Longshoremen.
In that connection. Albert J.
Fitzgerald. president of the Elec-
trical Workers, made a speech yes
terday that the delegates still are
discussing.
Fitzgerald Explains Stand.
Mr. Fitzgerald was one of Henry
Wallace's most active supporters.
But he said in this speech:
Il was never married to any po-
litical party in my life. If President
Truman makes a sincere effort to
carry out the promises of the Demo-
cratic platform l will tell the Pro-
gressive Party to go to hell and I'll
be on President Truman's. band 4
wagon"
Mr.. Fitzgerald has almost never
criticized Russia in public But he
he said in this speech:
Il don't give damn for Russia.
I think Vishinsky and Molotov have
engaged themselves in saber-rat-
Ting and Uar-mongerlng.
The delegates sat up and took
notice President Murray shook Mr..