The neo-Liberals Rally

...UMJHf Workers Union, a n d AI Williams, prssh dent, Local 7 f l 5 , ^ W - C l O. THE "PROGRESSIVES" IN CHICAGO ALL readers of The New Lender w i l l ^ b e interested in the account which our special correspondent gives of last week's conclave of progressive forces in Chicago...

...Kit Van A-en...

...Murray stated . t h a t the World t r a d e union movements would stand everywhere as a b a r r i e r a g a i n s t bureauc r a t i c government a n d Stated that " t he Russian delegates told me that t h e unions in Russia are p r e p a r e d to t a k e issue with their government on questions affecting the welfare of their people...

...3—A considered rebuff to the Communists and a veiled warning that if i hey were to continue (jieir support of the "progressive coalition," they would have to remain in the background a nd follow the political lead of the CIO...

...The liberal movement," M u r r a y declared, "must work out its own destiny without interference, and this is not subject to m i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . " Turning to the platform, be smiled and ssid: "Quite a b i t extemporaneous, wasn't i t ." M u r r a y ' s r e m a r k s , following those of Ickes, left the numerous Communists and fellow-travelers In the audience quite utiessy...

...The wire servipea sent their Washington staff scurrying about until a copy was picked u p the evening before t h e S a t u r d a y sessions...

...IcKES vigorously condemned American imperialism and t h e encroachments of m i l i t a r y control over civilian affairs...

...Executive BoSrd member, Shipbuilders Union...

...Milton Rosenberg, president, New York, J o i n t Board, Test* Union...

...3 0 . - W i t h an imtcetajye mobilization of strength, t h e N e w Deal remnants of the Democratic Party gathered In Chicago this week to plan their political course...

...Despite official denials, Lahey's story is considered reliable, Since Murray has derided t o resign, the r e a s o n i n g s u n s , he feels freer to attack the Communists...

...The committee)* s l a l e m e n t also called for expansion uf social legislation, a g u a r a n t e e d annuaf^ w a g l , art adequate full employment lew, effective price control, s t a t e and federal housing and a federal fair employment practice commission, and lauded the "Inspiring l e a d e r s h i p " of C I O President Philip Murray...

...The platform adopted by t h e Conference generally was vaguely worded and omitted the s h a r p words t h a t c h a r a c t e r ized t h e speechmaking...

...A r t h u r Hagerty, president, Local 4, U t i l i t y W o r k e r s ; Joseph Konowo, editor, Retail and Wholesale Union...

...Dominic DI Galbo, c h a i r m a n PAC, U n i t e d , Auto Workers, Regions 0, O A ; John Domato, , president, i.neai fill, Oil W o r k e r s ; George Donahue, vice-president, Retail end Wholesale Unioa...

...I am con. vinced,' he- s a i d , ' t h a t that segment of t h e liberal movement which, eithet witt i n g l y or u n w i t t i n g l y , has assumed t he b u r d e n of defending and justifying Russia'* foreign policy, should take a more impartial, American point of view.' While condemning the lack of free e l e c t i o n s ' i n the poll t a x s t a t e s and in Spain he warned liberals t h a t the fight • g a i n s t dictatorship must be a fight a g a i n s t dictatorships everywhere snd cslled for free elections in Poland, Bulg a r i a and Hum a nia...

...There is evidence t h a t the m a j o r i t y of the delegates in attendance were genuine liberals i n t e n t on r e s i s t i n g any infiltration by subversive outside groups...

...Thta was clearly evident in Phil Murray's remarks and in the blunt words of Harold Ickes that liberalism would follow "neither the flaifg W'orAer nor the Chicago Tritmnt...

...After the delivery, with a Targe segment of t h e a u d i e n c e " s i t t i ng on its h a n d s , " Dave MacDonah', t h e Steel Workers s e c r e t a r y went a r o u n d the room c h o r t l i n g and needling Lee' P r e s s m an about it...

...Ed Duffy, presi<lent, Local 3P, S h i p b u i l d e rs Union...

...Martin C. Kyrre, executive secret t a i y , Retail and Wholesale Union...

...P a t r i c k McGrath, president, New York Joint Council, Utility W o r k e r s ; Wm...

...t h e danger of World » V Three] would be immeasurably increased...

...M u r r a y ' s line was t h a t w can work with Russia but not with the American Communists...

...While defending labor's right to s t r i ke and to picket for Setter working cond i t i o n s and protection of labor's basic r i g h t s , the committee declared that "under no circumstances should the s t r i k e and picket ,+vaapans be employed by trade unions for the purpose nf f o s t e r i n g the i n t e r e s t s and policies of any political p a r t y or foreign power...

...Carl Monaco, niansger, Paper Workers Union.'^Local 2»2...

...He spoke.out s h a r p l y a g a i n s t British policy in India, yet told t h e audience that the B r i t i s h must be given credjf for fulfilling t h e i r promises to I n d i a . Ickes hit out too a t Soviet apologists...

...Edward M a r s h * , president, Local fi,' Consolid a t e d Edison...

...Kugen* Teeter, president, Local 213...

...One of the more vigorous notes was s t r u c k by J a m e s Patton, head of the National Farmers Union...

...Eugene V. Attreed, United Railroad Workers...

...I n addition various other liberals mtre on the scene a s close o b s e r v e r s , ' i n c l u d i ng H a r o l d Young, Henry Wallace's / l o se political aide and former solicitor it the CommerceHtapartment, Leon Henderson, and Howard* MacMurray, Demociatic S e n a t o r i a l candidate in Wisconsin...

...As evidence of the a n t i - l a b o r conspiracy M u r r a y pointed to the Case bill and to T r u m a n ' s proposal to seize the r a i l r o a ds to break the s t r i k e . The coupling of T r u man with an a n t i - l a b o r conspiracy indicates how Rtrongly the CIO President felt about Truman...

...McCaffrey, director, Local 13, Shipbuilders Union Frank MacMahon, director, United Kailrotd W o r k e r s ; Andrew McMahon...

...Retail and Wholesale Union...

...president, I.ocal 2, Consolidated Edison ;>Jo-epk McCarthy, manager, Joint, <\)IICH, Hetail and Wholesale Unipn...

...Tl> i t a t e - iii*-• 11 f u r t h e r called upon CIO members " to rid their unions of Communist control and influence...

...The consensus of opinion* a m o n g CIO officials here was t h a t Murray meant i t . This is His t h j rd such s t a t e m e n t in recent weeks...

...withdrawal of American troops from China, q u a r a n t i n e of Spain and A r g e n t i n a as t h e prime international d a n g e r spots, the end_ of American outlay for m i l i t a r y purposes, and "cessation of atomic bomb manufact u r e in the United S t a t e s ." Some of these nronnsals might j n d e r different conditions form ptrt of a genuinely liberal foreign policy...

...Tha C I O P r e s i d e n t introduced the subject by r e m a r k i n g t h a t at the recent meeting of t h e executive committee of the World F e d e r a t i o n of T r a de Unlona, the C I O was able to work with the Rnssian delegate* and no s p l i t s . a p peared...

...The p l a n s worked out for a c t i v i t y in the congressional campaign are g e n e r a l l y along the lines which we favor...

...Charles I^eone, regional director...

...A loose coordinating committee of BO will be established, it was learned, a nd t h e conference proposed a further national conference in Washington in midJ a n u a r y ito a p p r a i s e the election r e s u l t s. The conference was called jointly by the CIO's Political Action Committee, the National Citizens Political Action' Committee, and tlie Independent Citizens' Committee...

...Present a t the sessions, a nd t a k i n g an active part besides Murray and Ickes, were former T r e a s u r y Secret a r y Morgenthau, J a m e s Patton of t he F a r m e r s Union, Walter White of the, NAACP, A. P. Whitney of the Railway T r a i n m e n and Senator Claude Pepper...

...demajidini...

...2—A concentration on the November election, with a third-party move sidetracked...

...John Cadden...

...We have a g r e a t g a t h e r i n g of American liberals proposing to heal the world's woes by...

...On foreign policy, the platform called for a "good neighbor policy" throughout trie, world, mutual disarmament, adoption of the Barfjch plan, and endorsement of Henry Wallace'scarl for friendship with Russia, although it was made clear that t he conference rejected the "two world s p h e r e of influence"- implicatlorr*T*t>4tic Wallace speech...

...Local 12, Shipbuilders Union...

...The r e s i g n a t i o n storywas first floated by Ed Lahey, labor columnist for the Chicago Daily New$ a n d an intimate friend of Murray's...

...Ickes's press staff, this r e p o r t er l e a r n s , short-circuited the pressure by announcing t h a t Ickes' speech had been released to t h e press in Washington two days before the conference opened, so t h a t it was toe l a t e to r e v i s e i h e e p e e e h. Actually, the speech had not been r e leased in Washington...

...With the purpose ct the meeting this paper has some sympathy...

...Ickes's speech h ad been d i s t r i b u t e d to top p r o g r e s s i v e leade r s for several d a y s and he was under severe p r e s s u r e from "various persons to tone down the speech before delivery, led by ICC'si._fxecutive s e c r e t a r y Hannah Dorner...

...If they could be put into effect, o u r n a t i o n a l fhrjur" policy would be t o r n to sheets and...

...Martin Gerber, director, Region 9, United Auto W o r k e r s ; J o h n Hallshan, r e c o r d i n g secretary...

...Francis Downing, educational director, Regions 8, 0, 9-A, UAW-CIO...

...Textile*Workers Union...

...The f a l l staff of t h e CIO's Political Action Committee was p r e s e n t including David MacDonald of t h e Steel Workers, George A d d e s , ' I t . J. Thomas a n d Dick Leonard of the UAW, Albert Fitzgerald and J u l e s , Emspak of the p a r t y - l i n e UE, fellow-traveling Lee Pressman, CIO counsel, CIO o r g a n i z a t i o n director Allen Haywood, and CIO s e c r e t a r y James Carey, The main buzz of conversation at t he conference was about Phil M u r r a y ' s offthecuff denunciations of the American Communists and H a r o l d Ifkes' blunt coupling of §?y.iet imperialism along with American and B r i t i s h imperialism as a menace to peace...

...Jack Rubinstein, New York State dl-ecMfi T e x t i l e Union...

...Another line of "inside'' speculation claims t h a t Murray will not r e s i g n , but t h a t he is m a k i n g these speeches in order to w r e s t concessions from the Comma, n i s t s , particularly about t h e comprexi01 of-the CIO Executive Board in which t h e Communist union*,, have an undni wMght because each union, no mafia how small, is entitled to board represent a t i o n . Murray's statement also seemed te torpedo a move which the Conwhuniiti have initiated to merge t h e ICC wit, t h e NCPAC and the CIO's PAC into on* big polj'tfc*1 u n i t which might htcoms t h e s p r i n g b o a r d of a third* p a r t y move, V a r i o u s CIO l e a d e r s have been afrtV of such a move, feeling that in thii merger, the CIO Influence Would be subo r d i n a t e to t h e "independent liberals" and to t h e Communists...

...the most important were: 1—A direct and unambiguous rejection of Harry Truman...

...Charles K e r r i g a n ( s e c r e t a r y - t r e a s u r e r ), regional directaf, Region H-A, United Automobile Workers...

...Anthony II...

...MURRAY'S t e s t had n o t been released before the conference opened and most of his blows at the Communists were made extemporaneously and unexagfeedly...

...Alex j Bail, secret a r y - t r e a s u r e r , Plaything and Novelty Workers...

...Esposito, president, P l a y t h i n g and Novelty W o r k e r s ; Thomas Flynn, Executive Roard member, Shipbuihlers Union...

...The Neo-Liberals Rally Communists Rebuffed, but Wallace Foreign Policy Adopted By Murray Daniels CHICAGO, Sept...

...The remarks roncerning his advisors were sharp and the, characterizations of Truman himself quite caustic...

...I t is all t h e more regrettable that some of the r e s u l t s of the deliberations fell below the intentions <.f the p a r t i c i p a n t s . Philip Murray arid Harold"Ickes spoke vigorously againit Communist influence, and then— to f a r as foreign policy is concernedallowed the Communists to lead them to t h e slaughter . Of seven planks in t/ie part of the platform dealing with, foreign affairs, five were token diredly from the Communist primer...

...Irving M. .Simon, vice president, Retail and Wholesale Union...

...The committee denied that t h e "small but loud groups of Communistwh.i have made the (TO their special target anil wormed their way i n to some (TO Industrial Councils a nd local unions' are actually spokesmen for 6,500,000 CIO fnenibeVs...

...Shipbuilders Union...

...Some observers felt that t h i s indicated Murray was i n t e n d i n g to resign as President of t h e CIO, a s recent j u j n o r s have held...

...using Roosevelt's "Economic Bill of Rights" • s the political test...

...After reviewing the g r o w t h of monopoly during the war and t h e extended exploitation of t he West and South and dominant eastern financial i n t e r e s t s P a t t o n pointed out t h at today the western farmers -have been able to reach labor mm li more successfully than the populist elements did at the turn of t h e r e n t u r y . He called for a progressive Presidential candidate in 1948 and concluded with the forceful note, " P e r h a p s we shall «bave to s t r i ke out a g a i n t h r o u g h a new political p a r t y ." For a Democratic CIO THIRTY-THREE officiau of cio org a n i z a t i o n affiliates «in New York City IIHVC joined together to form the CIO Committee for Democratic Trade Unjgniim, jt wag announced thin week...

...On domestic issues, t he conference* restated the Roosevelt, prog r am and called for s t r i c t enforcement of consumer rights, denounced attacks on labor, etc...

...dent...

...The theme will be the election of a "Roosevelt Congress...

...Ickes and Murray both stressed the idea t h a t the p r i m a r y task of American l i b e r a l s is to reach the Russisn people wnd convince them t h s t the American people have a genuine desire for peace, snd that our government will never a t tack Russia., The tone of t h e discussion of domestie affairs was s e t by Morgenthsu in his opening remarks, in Murray's charges • t h a t a s t r o n g conspiracy exists to wreck labor legislation, in Icke's flaying of t he President on OPA, a n d in the speeches of J a m e s Patton and Walter White...

...In •"referring to Communjsis*^within t h e CIO, the committee's statement dec l a r e s that the party-liners **fra»e chosen to bore frdwi Within the CIO" and that their purpose is "to serve t h e ends if a - f o r e i g n nation and its ideology...

...Murray seems to have accepted this assurance st face value, though he should know that Soviet unions a r e p a r t of the a p p a r a t u s of d i c t a t o r s h i p . "I told the Russian d e l e g a t e s ," he continued, " a nd here I agree w i t h Harold Ickes, t h a t we have no more damned use l o r t h e American Communist meddling in our business than they would hsve if we were meddling in t h e i r s , snd the* Russians agreed...

...An appeal was made t o members of th-< CIO and let organised labor in general for support of I he committee's p r o g r am "in opposition to '.'-.» encroachmerits'of all brands of t o t a l i t a r i a n i s m ." Among the signers of Sihe statement wene: J a c k Altman ( c h a i r m a n ) , vice-presi...

...A loose committee r e p r e s e n t i n g the three organizations was crested, but this is a top board committee a n d HtUa else...

...Joseph Fisher, president, Utility Workara Un4on;_ Roy Granada, PAC Directed*, Shipbuilders Union...

...C h a r a c t e r i z i n g the Communists within t h e CIO as a t o t a l i t a r i a n threat to America, the committee, whose memb e r s occupy positions of leadership in unions with a' total membership of IMI.IKMI in New York City, has issued a policy statement and p r o g r am on domestic political and economic issues...

...Rut introduced as they are, baldly and without any f r a m e of reference, they give a d i s t o r t e d picture of the i n t e r n a t i o n a l scene...

...Several developments were clear-cut...