Labor Vote Saves New York for New A. L P. Seen Ready to Drop Coalition
Labor Vote Saves New York for New A. L P. Seen Ready to Drop Coalition CIO Can Strike 7Voo>__ _For Labor Peace TO THE DELEGATES TO THE C.I.O. NATIONAL CONVENTION: J.t is tragic that in a...
...Tom Mooney issued statements from his cell prior to the election, urging voters to support Olson as a man who would give the prisoner his freedom...
...Ernst Neumann, Memel's Henlein...
...Peace, Reunion, Friendship, Cooperation and Solidarity...
...We should take nothing for granted...
...r LaGuardia Calls Parley Of All Progressives By BILL ROBERTS Only the 410.000 votes rolled up by the American Labor Party saved the New York New Deal slate from being wiped out in the style of Governor Frank Murphy of Michigan, Governor Phil LaFollette of Wisconsin and Governor Elmer A. Benson...
...and every other vigilante gang in the U. S. will seek to extend the substance of ^he new Oregon profascist law throughout every state in America...
...In the face of the conservative trend throughout the country, we regard the part played by the American Labor Party in the New York State Elections as .of great historical importance...
...Some time before his death, Salisbury told his friends of an en! counter with Stalinist King at Butte, which is not far from Missoula, where Rumrich was stationed while a soldier...
...Strife followed aad the organized workers of the nation were thrown into two warring camps...
...The Communists wanted a "popular front" and accused the Socialists of first aid to the Republicans...
...Mooney Freedom Seen California, faced by the most powerful concentration of antics' labor money in the west, succeeded nevertheless in smashing it» counterpart of the successful Oregon bill, threw out one of the most reactionary governors in the state's history, and finally opened the door to freedom for Tom Mooney...
...Democracy's Defense Needs Unity BUT there are other and even more compelling reasons why the inter-union struggle should be ended as speedily as possible...
...6. Rumrieh's "confession" was prepared in collaboration with Leon Turrou, G-man who is reported to have put the continent between himself and the courtroom as soon as he finished his testimony...
...opponents...
...A fight will get under way immediately to upset it in the courts as a violation of civil liberties granted by the U. S. Constitution...
...Rooaevatt still wants the reorganisation #81 and other reforms passed aad 15 ready to fight for them...
...Griffin is an Alderman...
...buried factional differences in the face of threats to the rights of both of them...
...couple had used false American passports...
...who has been studying the lines of his "eonfession" of "Trotskyite - Bukharinite - Nazi - FascistJapanese espionage" for eleven . months in the torture chambers of Butirky Prison...
...Sheridan Downey, New Deal choice, was elected Senator from California, although his "ham-andegg—thirty dollars every Thursday' plan was defeated, Proponents of the pension scheme declared they would continue the flght to pass the bill, in view of the million favorable votes it received...
...Bauer's identification of Rumrich with Communist views has been supported by data received from Plenty wood, Montana, according to which Rumrich was known as sn associate of Stalinist ; King, to the late Rodney Salisbury...
...The future of Labor and Democracy is at stake, and to the extent that we bind up the bleeding wounds in our own ranks will we fit ourselves to meet any terrible crisis that may face us...
...as against this we elected one congressman and a new assemblyman, and supplied the votes that decided the election of James H. Fay to Congress...
...In commenting upon the returns of the election, Alex Rose, Stat* Secretary of the American Labor Party, differed with Mr...
...It might Well include a "confession" of connections between the RobinsonRubehs ring and the Rumrich "Nazi" ring...
...Press Gallery Fades The court having denied all motions to dismiss at the end of the government's case, the defense opened its case at the end of the fourth week of trial...
...The party polled little more than 381,000 votes in New York City, a drop of about 100,000...
...Jasper McLevy, Socialist Mayor of this city, polled 164,000 votes in the state as the Socialist candidate for Governor and swept four Socialists into the Legislature, two to the House and two to the Senate...
...Charles Sprague, Republican governor-elect, who defeated the Democrat's choice, Henry Hess, preceded his opponent during^ the campaign in expressing firm opposition to the bill...
...The Bridgeport Mayor not only carried his own city but Waterbury, Stratford, Glastonbury, Fairfield and several towns...
...Not one will risk his standing with his brothers by saying that he prefers continued fighting rather than peace and reconciliation...
...Five Socialists were elected in 1935 but were defeated in the Roosevelt landslide of the following year...
...Whatever may be the causes of this conflict, it has reached a stage where hundreds of thousands of members of the Committee for Industrial Organization and of the American Federation of Labor are pleading for an end to the strife...
...Salisbury, who died several months ago, was once sheriff of Plentywood, the only Communist ever to 1 hold such a post in this country, and later became a "Trotskyite...
...King was accompanied by a man named Rumrich...
...of L. campaign was 1r*mrhnt aad fought through with the full strength ofApth federations...
...These demands will be handed to the Lithuanian Government's Dr...
...This being true, what's to be done...
...Ethiopia cost him too much to be placed in jeopardy without a diplomatic, and if necessary, physical struggle against Germany with domination of the British life line as the prize of war...
...The two major parties were at a disadvantage in the campaign fight as both were smeared with grafting scandals which the democratic Socialists took advantage of of in the electoral struggle...
...This Turrou, who has a checkered background- shifting feom Warsaw to Moscow, from London to Shanghai, attempted to resign from the Department of Justice after the "confession" was written, but the Department has not acted on his resignation and it is reported that he is slated to get the sack...
...e-1---¦NazisOut to Get Memel, Danzig Before Summer BRUSSELS.—Obvious masters of political chemistry, the Nazis, according to authentic informtetion received by this correspondent, are pushing their colonial drive in easy stages while they prepare to take Lithuania, Memel, and the Free City of Danzig as by-products before Spring and fighting weather sets in...
...Two amusing sidelights are evident in the election returns...
...Western Pro-Fascist Bills Win in Oregon, Beaten in Calif., Wash...
...In Great Britain, the craft, the mixed, the industrial' and...
...This news has already resulted in an intensification of recent government plans for high-power U. S. broadcasts to South America to counteract the Fascist propaganda sent there via II Duce's and Hitler's radio stations...
...After convictions were in, they cost-Id triumphantly produce such proof, move for a new trial on the basis of new evidence, and seek to smear the prosecution and court with the charge of a "Bolshevik-Jewish frame-up...
...Far-reaching demands have been decided upon, insisting that a German be appointed head of the Memel Directorate, that the Ger man legal system be introduced including the Nuremburg antiJewish laws, demanding absolute freedom of action to be guaranteed to German political organizations and that the German population receive self-government modeled on the Statute of the Nazi Danzig Government...
...in New York .With a weaker candidate and a less energetic campaign set-up,the Empire State's 45 electoral votes, combined with those of Pennsylvania, may prove enough to elect a presidential slate consisting of Thomas E. Dewey, whose stock rose sharply because of the slim Lehman plurality, and the new Senator Taft of Ohio, son of the late president...
...state chairI man, issued a statement (contents appear in full on page two), lambasting support of old party candidates during the past campaign...
...should grasp the outstretched hand of the A. F. of L., and we have every reason to believe that it will do so...
...SAN FRANCISCO...
...NATIONAL CONVENTION: J.t is tragic that in a period of an industrial crisis now nearly ten years old the labor movement continues divided into two hostile camps fighting each other...
...That will is here...
...The Labor Movement is always the first casualty when such forces obtain power, because the movement is the first and strongest bulwark of Democracy...
...Antoniai making the following statement...
...Massolini Anxious It is understood here that South Africa's government is planning the calling of a Pan-African conference of all European States interested in African territory to consider the satisfaction of Germany's colonial demands...
...You founded' the Committee for Industrial Organization, and began to organize the mass production industries...
...Obviously, the C.I.O...
...The loss of our five assemblymen is a setback for our party...
...The press gallery had long since diminished to one-quarter its original size, and the story, viewed by most reporters as rather, petty in view of the ineffectiveness of Nazi espionage as portrayed by the prosecution, had dropped to the back pages of the press, except for the Hearst and Stalinist papers...
...While we are disappointed in tie total vote of the American Labor Party m the City of New York, we must take into account the following fact: That the Labor Party's campaign in the last few weeks was concentrated on the reelection of Governor Lehman, and a great many people voted emotionally and failed to discriminate between our party line and that of the Democratic party which has the mechanical advantage of being first on the voting machine...
...Your action will be hailed by members of both federations as a great act of statesmanship in an hour of Labor's great emergency...
...Even before Hitler's Nazi-beerputsch-celebration speech in which he again promised that be wouldn't ask for more territory once he was handed "his" colonies, not the unprofitable ones lost by the second Reich, but new lands now owned by Portugal, Holland, France, Italy and Belgium, Der Fuehrer was promised his cut in Africa by the Chamberlain clique...
...Admits Communist Views 4. Rumrich, on the stand, admitted he had on several occasions talked politics from an anti-Nazi viewpoint, and on one occasion from a Communist viewpoint, and had written a political article for a Sudeten German group which supported Benes against Henlein...
...Finally, we urge you to take action to meet with your brothers in national conference to end this dangerous and menacing schism...
...You and your associates decided to act in November, 1935...
...1 Moving quickly to offset any such chances, and the snowballing of Republican power in the east, Mayor LaGuardia has put machinery into motion which may bring into effect the political realignment the nation has been expecting...
...Considering the fact that our party wa3 caught between two landslides, a Republican landslide upstate and...
...While it still seems clear that somebody now on* trial did have contact with Nasi espionage, and, while 'the hast hours of government testimony strengthened some points against defendants Voss and Hoffman, the revelations from the Bronx and Montana support many developments which suggest that there is more involved than the bungling Nazi espionage portrayed by the prosecution...
...McLevy and his associates made a vigorous campaign throughout the state, making it a straight flght for principle without compromise with the old parties...
...Whether, during the week which it is expected will be consumed in presenting defense testimony, any of the attorneys, defense or prosecution, will come to grips with the Stalinist clues which keep bobbing up like King Charles' head, remains to be seen...
...Briefly summarized, these developments are as follows: Many CP...
...A decision reached at the German-Memel headquarters in Koenigsberg, East Prussia, is considered by observers the first step in the Memel-for-Germany campaign...
...Three* King, the Stalinist, and Salisbury, a Trotskyite, engaged in a political argument which terminated when King told Salisbury that he had better get out of Butte as he was "skating on thin ice" there...
...leaders as an indication that the coalition policy of "deals" with Democrats, and Republicans is finished and that the party will be rebuilt along strictly independent lines...
...The Communist Party polled a total of nine votes in Bridgeport and its vote in the state is so small that it cannot be ascertained...
...Washington's MB was beading for victory until a few weeks am, when a united CXO...
...Despite labor's setback in Oregon, most west coast Unions see the pacific seaboard result on the whole as a victory for workers' organizations...
...Bam rich Hoard CP...
...Mr...
...By LEON EDWORDS Special to The Sew Leader...
...That a fight will be waged against the bill, however, is certain, as is the fact that, the Associated Farmers, the Associated Industries, the Women of the Pacific...
...Four Socialists now return to that body...
...Politicians of both major parties are now speculating whether McLevy will capture the gubernatorial office in the next election...
...All will be arranged beforehand, just as was the Munich pact...
...You never have and you are not likely to now...
...cooperation' will remain in force to continue the fight against' the Oregon _ measure remains to be seen...
...NEW REORGANIZATION BILL JO BE INTRODUCED SOON WASHINGTON, D. C—With the 1939 Congress set to convene in two months, the White House is rushing to completion plans for a new governmental reorganization bill to be introduced when the new legislature opens...
...One possible explanation offered by a liberal lawyer who has followed press reports of the case, is that Nazi-guided lawyers might well be willing to have convictions, if they had already sewed up unshakeable proof that Rumrich or Schlueter or both had Stalinist connections...
...In the last week of the canvass the professional politicians became much alarmed as McLevy's increasing support was reported from cities and towns throughout the state...
...It has always favored the greater, more expansive and effective organization of workers known as industrial unionism, especially in the mass production industries where machinery and technological changes have destroyed or nearly destroyed the economic basis for organizing on lines of craft and skill...
...Such a trial would, presumably, feature the G.P.U- agent RobinsortRubens...
...5. Rumrich began to collaborate with government agents in the capture of confederates a few minutes after his arrest at the time of his ludicrous passport fraud gesture...
...The American Labor Party is confident of its continued growth and influence1 in the political affairs of New York State...
...He also ran second in Danbury, Shelton and a number of other cities, towns, and villages...
...I was an active Social-Democrat in Germany until I left in 1929," declared Mr...
...8. The Moscow and New York Communist Press jubilantly hails the Nazi spy trial as a justification of the Moscow espionage courts and blood purge, and informed observers in Washington declare they expect that convictions are awaited by Moscow as the signal for one more demonstration trial...
...Clues j 1. Rum-rich was arrested because he made a fantastic and foredoomed gesture at a passport fraud, conscious that he was eating in during public excitement over file revelation that Russian agents connected with the RobinsonRubens-G.P.U...
...man army officers for all Danzig citizens between 18 and 25, and compulsory service in the "police" force of all men from 25 to 50 years of age...
...It also declares, what is obvious to all, that workers "throughout the country and nation as a whole waat i united Labor Movement...
...G.P.U.-Nazi Spy Link Shown By Bronx and Montana Evidence By HERBERT SOLOW As the New York Nasi spy trial reached the half-way mark and the government rested its case, this writer learned from two independent sources connected with the past of Gustave Gunther Rumrich, self-confessed Nazi spy and star government witness, that he was much closer to the Communist Party than one would, at first blush, expect a Nasi spy to be...
...Still more hopeful is the statement that "the difficulties in the way of unity are not insurmountable" and that all issues "can be solved when the will to unity can prevail...
...I know political currents and I discussed politics with Rumrich...
...This case has been pigeonholed, just as the publicity on the Russian fraud was blanketed last year by Rumrieh's fraud gesture and attendant publicity, which "leaked" out through G-man Turrou...
...Helped Cover G.P.U...
...and New Deal candidates...
...They already have their agents and allies in our own-country...
...The'California and Washington industrialist fights mustered, the financial backing of some of America's strongest anti-labor forces...
...The popular Mayor also polled over one-half of the votes cast in his home city...
...3. Rumrich punctuated his testimony with tales of Nazi espionage against Russia* more impressive than those of Nazi deeds against the United States, thus reinforcing the "theories" of the Moscow espionage prosecutors...
...2. Rumrich on the stand used Stalinist turns of speech and spoke of Nazis insultingly...
...Whether A.F...
...The City of Bridgeport has not only remained free of any taint of maladministration but the Socialist administration has done a fine job of wiping out old party incompetence, placing the municipal finances on a sound basis and making it the model city of the state...
...Old Parties Scored All this was an important asset for the Socialists in the campaign which has just ended with an all time high record for a third party in this state...
...7. The Rumrich indictment was brought to trial by Assistant United States Attorney Lester C. Dunnigan as an alternative to trying the earlier indictments of Arthur Sharfin and Ossip Garber, the former a Stalinist party member and the latter a sympathizer, for the Robinson-Rubens passport fraud...
...You are aware that in the fascist nations the dictators marched to power between a divided Labor Movement...
...Culbert Olson, Democratic governor-elect, has already stated that be believes the aged labor leader to be the victim of a frameup, aad will use that belief as bis guiding principle in considering a pardon...
...As a matter of fact, there may have been such a connection, through Rumrich or his acquaint¦ ance Schlueter, who so mysteriously disappeared to unknown parts, possibly Moscow, just before Rumrich in New York sprung a trap on himself and his "confederates...
...mass production industries, no more than you will demand the dismemberment of the craft organizations...
...Benjamin Todfield, Socialist, was also elected a member of the School Board, giving the Socialists two members of that body...
...It Can Happen Here with all of its appalling suffering and •lavery, persecution and abysmal brutality...
...They also seek power in the Western Hemisphere...
...The defeat of labor sustained in Oregon came as a surprise to many who had believed that the antilabor bill was heading for certain failure because of opposition by both the G.O.P...
...a Democratic landslide in New York City, the vote of almost 410,000 for our two statewide candidates, Joseph V. O'Leary for Attorney- General and Langdon W. Post for Comptroller, really represents our irreducible minimum fete as a third party in New York State...
...All Europe now faces the barbarian hordes of dictatorship and destruction...
...I expressed intense opposition to the Hitler regime, the persecution of Jews and Catholics, and so on...
...picketing, outlay strikes and end free speech and press for union's...
...convention wants to fight other organizations ot workers...
...There •re black forces of reaction that would like to take advantage of the division in the ranks of organized workers in this country to destroy Labor and Democracy...
...Inscribe these words on your banner, end the fratricidal civil war between brothers, and proceed to the greater tasks that beckon us all...
...otnea in tecnnicaiiues, tne Oregon measure is ostensibly designed merely to preserve "industrial peace...
...of L. and C.I.O...
...You will be interested to know the position of The New Leader...
...In all three states the A.F...
...Antoniai Hits Deals Competent observers interpret the reaction of A.L.P...
...The successful Socialist candidate for the Legislature include the following: Audubon J. Secor and James W. Tait, State Senators, and William S. Neil and Sadie K. Griffin, Representatives...
...Strong Will to Peace SINCE the A. F. of L. convention last month, passions have i, natrd aad sober reason is returning...
...Word received from an official of the Montana State Federation of Labor confirms the fact that Pat King is a well-known Stalinist Of Montana...
...F.D.R...
...This marks the first time in many decades that the Socialist Party is no longer official in New York State...
...It is understood that Danzig men who serve voluntarily in the Reich Army will be exempt from service in the police department...
...A physical description given by Salisbury fits the Rumrich now on the stand as a Nasi spy...
...From what he said, I put him down as a Communist...
...Dace Seeks Empire This'fear of his axis comrade accounts for his sudden decision to spend $100,000,000, which he must borrow, to finance the creation of a rejuvenated Libyan colony...
...John C. Bauer, a building superintendent in a Bronx apartment house, has stated to the writer that he met Rumrich when the latter, already allegedly spying for Hitler, lived on Jennings Avenue, across the street from local Communist headquarters...
...Immedi• ately the results became known, : Luigi Antoniai, A.L.P...
...Conn.—Revealing a popular strength that astonished old-line politicians...
...For the first time since 1932 the rejuvenated Republican Party has 1 control of both houses of the New York State Legislature, holding the Senate by a three vote margin...
...Rumrich endorsed all my statements, but there was a difference...
...He expects the district to be part of the Reich by summer...
...Craft and skill fade out in such industries, making it ever more and more difficult to organize on the old lines...
...On every point be expressed a view more radical than mine...
...Poland's High Commissioner in Danzig has vigorously protested against the decree only to be laughed at by the German Foreign Office...
...It definitely establishes our party as an important factor to be reckoned with in the future political developments of our state...
...Leaflets, circulars, letters and speeches throughout the states were used by labor to counteract a heavy and expensive drive waged by the anti-union forces through movies, radio broadcasts, personal letters, personal calls, and many other devices...
...Another amusing phase was the candidacy of Devere Allen for Governor on a "Labor Party" ticket as a representative of "real" Socialism...
...The RobinsonRubens "confession," Pravda indicated almost a year ago, would be a tall tale "involving" American anti-Stalinists in sensational Axis espionage in America...
...It is expected be will play bis hand more openly if the anti-New Deal forces continue their political field day lynch ings and form the anti-Administration Gongreasional coalition in Congress...
...labor unity, with far leas expense, put a severe dent in plans that were under way to sweep a series of pro-fascist laws across the nation...
...No intelligent observer can deny this...
...McLevy Vote Tops Socialist Record in New England BRIDGEPORT...
...Such an outcome would be a terrible blow for those anti-Fascists who were inclined to think that a good trial of Nazi spies would solidify antiHitler sentiment in this country...
...Allen received 40 votes in his home town of Wilton while Me-, Levy received 114...
...It isn't likely that the A. F. of L. will demand the disintegration of the industrial unions in the...
...We do not believe that one delegate to die CJ.O...
...Because it devoted most of its campaign energies to reelect Governor Lehman, calling off' many labor rallies and curbing its local drives, the American Labor Party lost its complete Assemblymanic delegation despite the fact I that it doubled its upstate vote toi go from 31,000 in 1937 to more than 60,000 last Tuesday...
...II Duce is making a spectacular effort to colonize the four province's, Tripoli, Misurata, Bengasi and Derna, in order to have a new African Empire to be ready to hold his own against Nazi penetration in Africa...
...To be sure, the problems of jurisdiction are numerous and difficult, but there is no reason why they cannot be solved...
...Hew (Continued from Page One) Deal Senator Bone was re-elected, and all Democratic Congressmen defeated their G.O.P...
...Four Socialist Assemblymen This is the second time that Bridgeport's Socialist Administration will be represented in the General Assembly...
...semi-industrial unions function side by side in the same federation with little friction...
...The rejoicing will extend beyond union doors into the ranks of millions of friends who know the peril that faces Democracy here and throughout the world...
...The total vote of the American Labor Party in New York Stats, which will be almost 410,000, wa* sufficient to assure the rt-election of Governor Lehman, United States ALP Saves New York Fox ^J©*^7 JL^dcii Senator Robert F. Wagner, and the election of Lieutenant-Governor Charles Poletti and James Mead for the United States Senate...
...However complex the problems of readjustment of unions in a greater federation may be, they are no more complex than are the more numerous types of organizations affiliated with the British Trade Union Congress...
...Nay, even the official publication of the A. F. of L., the American Federationist, in its 4,uueul issue, responds to the sentiment now running sttong in its affiliated unions by a direct declaration for ah "honorable peace...
...As a result of the election,, the Thomas-led Socialist Party is off the ballot, having scored only 18,000 votes in the city and approximately 15,000 upstate...
...Out of the fight on the bills, whether successful, as in Washington and California, or failure, as in Oregon, has come a marked show of labor uni^y on the west coast...
...The connection, however, would seem, according to mounting evidence, to have been primarily through the Soviet secret service, the G.P.U., rather than through the Gestapo, to destroy which, Rumrich has reluctantly, admitted under crossexamination, was his real objective when he established contact with Berlin...
...Actually, union leaders have stated, it will work to destroy all labor organization...
...and AJ...
...Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, and Britain will be invited and the conference probably will be held in Capetown, and opened by the British King and Queen, who expect to visit Africa from October to December, 1940...
...Presidential year 194© new becomes ' a serious menace to the entire nation because of the gains made by the G.O.P...
...Neil is also Aldermanic President and Mrs...
...Support Seen It is common rumor that the LaGuardia call for a conference in Washington of nationally important progressives, ranging from west coast New Dealers, through the mid-west Progressive and Farmer-Labor federations to the Eastern American Labor Party, has the tacit support of President Roosevelt...
...He could tolerate being pushed out of Central Europe by Ms fascist bloodbrother, but Africa is vital to his imperial plans and food life-line, planes which have been a , long time in the making...
...While California and Washington this week crushed a million dollar industrialist drive to stamp out labor rights on the western seaboard, Oregon became the first state in the union to respond to the Associated Fanners' campaign and passed a bill to virtually ban...
...Bauer...
...While the Colonial Division under Colonel Von Epp and the Propaganda Ministry under the effervescent Goebbels are oiling the machinery for another coup, this time in Africa, which may be infinitely more profitable than the Czech vassalage, Field Marshal Goering has already given orders for new demands for "self-determination" inside Lithuania and Danzig to spring "spontaneously" from local German minority groups...
...II Duce is worried over Nazi penetration in Africa...
...of L. and C.I.O...
...Labor United Washington State stayed in the Democratic column end, by an overwhelming majority, killed Initiative 130, which, like the Oregon and California measures, would have crushed labor rights hi the state...
...Sc^ certain is Goering of official occupation of Danzig this winter that he has ordered the city's Nazi Senate to decree "compulsory police service," which is nothing more than military training under GerU. S. TO LAUNCH RADIO TALKS TO SOUTH AMERICA WASHINGTON, D. C —Every important measure of the U. S. government over the radio is made virtually unintelligible to South American listeners because of static interference from Europe, America's diplomats in the southern continent reported to the capital last week...
Vol. 21 • November 1938 • No. 46
