ADA PLEDGES INDEPENDENT ROLE, STRONGER LIBERAL-LABOR COALITION
TYLER, GUS
ADA Pledges Independent Rale, Wronger Liberal-Labor Coalition 2nd Convention Seeks to Enlist Farmers, Negroes, Southerners To Defeat Dixiegops in 1950-52 This first-hand. general report of...
...Finally, in certain select areas of the country, ADAers find themselves deeply involved in a movement to establish liberal leadership of the actual machinery of the Democratic Party...
...First there was a failure to follow up the election with- a campaign to impress Congress with the need to enact the popular mandate into legislation...
...Machinists and metal workers In every European country constitute the largest section of the organised union movement...
...Such ADAers were eager to see this tendency written into the resolution to provide a realistic picture of political developments on the national scene...
...At its First Annual Convention in Philadelphia, ADA advanced the positive aim of committing the Democratic Party in the 1948 election to a liberal program, and simultaneously projected the "negative" goal of exposing the Wallace movement for what it really was...
...3—To organize a fairly centralized coalition of progressives to "carry the country in 1952...
...By Gus Tyler CHICAGO—The Second Annual Convention of Americans for Democratic Action, held in Chicago on April 8-9, was subtitled the "counterattack...
...Now these unions are working to convert opposition to Communism into a positive drive to make life worth living in every free country...
...THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS by ADA chairman Hubert H. Humphrey, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senator from Minnesota, amplified the theme by empha* sizing the need for a popular movement to provide the liberal coalition with a solid.vocal base in the country...
...Or IS loley Square in another country operating under its own laws...
...There was more talk than usual about iiomtnatino good men, as well as supporting them on Election Day...
...If the latter, why doesn't the United Press exercise greater vigilance over use of lt« i franchise by merrtber-newspapers...
...ADA feels thai it is fitted .for this job by virtue of tl« tact that hundreds of men, who an leaders in Influential organizations, fine a compon ground and meeting place at the conventions of ADA...
...For several years, they have been battling successfully against the tide of totalitarianism...
...Eric Peterson, general secretary-treasurer of the Machinists, said: "We believe that this meeting will be Important, not only to the trade union movement, but In the broader struggle to strengthen Western democracy...
...A deposition was read from James .L...
...Looking toward 1952, ADA seeks to develop major liberal movements among farmers and in the South...
...Attention, UP...
...South, the predominance of the under-privileged, and the disproportionate large advantages to be derived by the South from a national program, of liberal social legislation, should logically place that section in' the forefront of every drive for s9 beneficial a program...
...The European delegation will arrive in New York City on the Queen Mary on April 18, and the central committee of the Federation will convene on April 20 in the council room of the Machinists Building in Washington...
...Or is Is another example of Communist distortion of 4 simple news story...
...cided to "continue its political and organizational independence...
...The concept—the continuing and prolonged drive for a.liberal program- and for power—found formal expression in the Political Policy resolution, a compact document that attempted (1) to define ADA's general role on the American scene, and (2) to detail the more exact next steps fpr the period running up to 1952...
...Louij Star-Times played in signing American players /or Pasquel's league...
...Director...
...Some possible indication of the imminent return of the IAM to the AFL may He In the fact that AFL President William Green is scheduled to address the meeting and that the leaders of all AFL metal trades ' unions have been Invited...
...1 "Both Foley Square and Spring,|eld, Mo„ are believed to be in the United States, subject to the same laws and legal procedures...
...It furthei decided to "work for the nomination and election of candidates for public office of whatever party, when thefi records 'are consistent with the prifti ciples of ADA...
...WORLD'S METAL WORKERS PLAN HISTORIC MEETING AN HISTORIC EVENT in labor history will take place in Washington next Wednesday when ior the first time In the 40 years of its existence the world organization of all the metal trade unions—the International Metalworkers Federation—will meet In the United States...
...win the Daily Worker for April 8. lip an account of the trial of the eleven Ct>munist leadets at Foley Square, New York, the following Item appeared under a United Press dateline' from Springfield, Missouri...
...Hence, ADA carries the primary function of uniting these inchoate elements...
...Gus Tyler is Political...
...AT ITS SECOND ANNUAL Convention last weekend, ADA mapped a wholly positive orientation consisting of these three cardinal points: 1—To push through a maximum portion of the Fair £>eal program In 1949...
...The International Association of Machinists is host to the meeting...
...The- underlying assumption of the political policy was the belief that, while' the American people were^pre-^ dominantlv liberal-minded, the forces of liberalism were scattered...
...Hence, the Chicago convention re> solved that "ADA was founded as s ' non-Commynist progressive political organization which would be neither i political party nor part of any political party," and that it would "continue tq adhere to that original concept...
...A deposition !jyas also read from Dent McSkimjmlng of the St...
...The Federation is made up of the principal metal trade unions of the North Atlantic nations, which Includes 11 Western European countries and the United States and Canada...
...t * • « THE CONVENTION unanimously de...
...of the ILGWU, vice-chairman of the Trade Union Council of the New York j State Liberal Party, and a member ««£ New York State Board of ADA...
...i JONATHAN STOUT...
...Is the last paragraph a United Press editorial in defense of the Communistleodors...
...The major questions before the meeting of tjie...
...Simultaneously, a na...
...International body will be: 1. The question of enlarging and expanding Its organisation so as to become a functioning world body...
...wj In this activity, heavy emphasis wiU( fall on the work of the chapters, whicft, are expected to set up "grassjroot" and,' "door-bell-ringing" organizations at the "precinct level...
...Boris...
...Deciibing the post-election months, the resolution, read: "The liberal, forces showed three major weaknesses...
...Second, the separate, elements in the 'liberal coalition* tended-—-in the postelection months—to pursue their special aims to the detriment of their collective strength...
...Shishkin, AFL economist, referred to the first meet as the "American government in exile...
...WITHIN THE'NEKT FEW WEEKS, ADA seeks to set up widely representative conferences on state and local levels, to "pressure Congress and state legislatures...
...They hold the keys lo economic and industrial recovery in Western Europe...
...Louis baseball .writer, which told of the part Ray 'Gillespie of the St...
...At its three, major conferences—foundation meeting, first and second conventions— ADA has, willy-nilly, been driven to stating its position in both positive and negative terms...
...While other ADAers recognized this real fact, they were loath to make any mention of the Democratic Party per se, for fear that it would weaken ADA's independent role as a spiritual and organizational center...
...When founded, ADA set itself the .positive objective of fathering together the dispersedTNew Deal forces...
...It will consider Inviting the affiliation of other metal trades organizations in the United Stale*, both AFL and CIO, and also in South and Central America and in India...
...Third, there has been an ineffective — if not non-existent —- . liaison between the Administration and the liberal forces which played so large a part in continuing it in power...
...Louis Post Dispatch "sports staff...
...j . There was some debate about the phraseology of ADA's appraisal of the Democratic Party...
...ti To the extent that a "negative" purpose was stated or implied at this convention, such an attack was...
...In a compromise statement it was agreed that ADA "recognize, that cooperation with, the Fair Dea^ elements ofthe Democratic Party offers the best opportunity on the national level for the achievement of liberal purposes," with the added caveat that this "by no means indicates support of all Democratic Party policies or organizations in every state and locality...
...general report of ADA'S second annual convention will be followed, in future issues, with more detailed discussion of the proceedings, in which ADA leaders ihemselves will participate...
...tional canvas of Congressional districts will be made to "ascertain now" wherf it is possible to "re-elect liberals and unseat conservatives in 1950...
...Likewise, ADA was a considerable force in the Democratic Party convention, credited with having carried the civil rights program- at that convention...
...The agenda, drafted many months in advance, was rejuggled during the last two weeks to provide the ADA gathering with the sort of dynamic necessary to strike back at the Dixiegop coalition...
...The critical problem of the future control of the German coal, Iron and steel .industries of the Ruhr...
...Willian Hastie, Governor of the Virgin" Islands, reminded the convention that "in the...
...3. The future relationship of the IMF with the world labor movement which Is expected to be set up In the.near future.and Its working relationship with 17 other world .trade union organizations operating In other Industries...
...In this situation, as well as in its long-range orientation, ADA conceives itself an organization that can, and will, bring together labor, liberal, farm, consumer, veteran, and minority elements into something resembling a better integrated movement with common approaches and strategy...
...It also had the negative job of breaking the grip, of the Communists on progressive thinking in this country...
...The militant sub-head was an afterthought occasioned by the behavior of the 81 Congress...
...Illinois Senator Paul H. Douglas, in one of the first addresses to the convention, proposed that the coalition of Republocrats be broken by a "coalition of liberal Democrats and Republicans in both houses...
...directed primarily against the coalition of conservative Republicans and Southern Democrats in Congress...
...Emphasis Daily Worker's...
...Toomey, former St...
...2—To elect a clear liberal majority to Congress in 1950...
...In the 1948 convene tion, ADAers in most parts of the coun* try found themselves working for candidates of the Democratic Party...
Vol. 32 • April 1949 • No. 16
