Evening star., 1949-11-30
| New Free Labor Group
Extends BeIafed Bid
Ito Catholic Unions
sy the A,seeietsd Press

Credentials Committee of the anti
Communist Free World Labor
Confederation made belated bid
today to enlist West Europe's
Catholic union workers.
But the invitation to the Or
ganized Catholics Of Belgium. the
Netherlands. Luxembourg. Swift
zerland and the Scandinavian
countries had a string on 1t.
If they join the new Free World
Labor Confederation. which the
conference Of $50 labor leaders
from IS countries is forming. the
Catholics must dissolve their own
Catholic Labor international
within two years. the committee
stipulated. =
The recommendation by the
Credentials Committee came only
a day after the Russian-domi-
mated Cominform ordered q world
wide appeal to Catholic union
workers to join the Communist
peace front"
May Spurn Invitation.
With almost solid backing OF
the strong American and British
delegations, the committees rec
ommendation seemed assured OF
passage. But many labor leaders
said the Catholics may spurn the
invitation to join If it is offered
on this basis. ....
The Belgian and Dutch delega-
tions are expected to oppose the
recommendation, but 1t will receive
support from both the French and
italian groups.
The italian and French unions,
both predominantly Catholic, were
invited to send delegates to this
conference because both are af1ll-
lated with their national trade
union centers.
The excluded Catholic unions
do not belong to the national
centers. The unions Of their coun-
tries which are af1iliated with the
national centers opposed inviting
them.
The problem of these Catholic
workers is conceded to be one OF
the biggest before the conference.
Fight ON Reds Urged.
Another is the desire Of the
American Federation Of Labor for
the new international to follow an
active anti Communist course and
fight Communist-controlled World
Federation of Trade Unions at
every opportunity.
The AFL wants to carry the
fight to the WFTU in the Far and
Middle East Immediately. But
the British Trades Union Con-
gress wants to soft-pedal the
Communist issue for the time be-
ing and concentrate on what a
TUG leader called positive trade
unionism."
The communism bent of the
WFTU led directly to the present
conference. The British TUG and
the CIO Withdrew from the WITH
last January after many protests
about the WFTU's opposition to
the European Recovery Porgram.
The WFTU now. claims about
40, 900 900 workers. The new labor
international says it will have an
initial membership Of about 50.-
000, 900 workers throughout the
world after 1t Is organized next
week.
: Resolution Published.
The Russian-led Cominform in
resolution published yesterday
after a secret meeting this month
in Hungary urged Communist
workers:
In the struggle for working
class unity special attention
should be given to masses Of
Catholic workers and working
people and their organizations
= ."
Observers here felt that the
Cominform may have been well
aware of the snub to the Catholic
unions and had decided to take
advantage Of it.
The Cominform resolution was
also seen by most observers as an
attempt to counteract the recent
Vatican decree accommodating
Catholics who militantly support
Communism.
It advised its followers to bear
in mind that religious convictions
are not an obstacle to working
class unity, particularly when this
unity is needed to save peace"
The observers noted that it is a
well-known Communist tactic, par
Iticularly where they are in the
minority, to try to create front"
consisting of all parties on popu-
lar issues. They then see to 1t
that they are in control of key
positions in the front from which
they can direct their campaign
lotopo Noscoyu- -directed lines.