The Daily Worker

DELEGATES TO C. F. OF L. FIGHT SAKLATVALA BAN
Fight Non-Concurrence After Delay

By ARNE SWABECK

In the Chicago Federation of Labor meeting held last Sunday, once more an effective protest was voiced against the barring of the British Communist Shapurji Saklatvala, member of parliament from the Battersea district, London, denied admittance to the United States by Secretary of State Kellogg where he intended to participate in the congress of the interparliamentary union.

The protest grew in volume as the delegates one after another put themselves on record emphatically opposing the action of the executive board turning down a resolution of protest against this exclusion which had been referred to it.

Fitz Attacks Communists

The board members under the leadership of President Fitzpatrick tried to justify their reactionary stand by launching an attack upon Communist delegates and the Workers (Communist) Party.

While a glance at the background of this clash will reveal that the methods of the present trade union bureaucracy is everywhere the same, it also shows how deep is the conflict between these methods and the class interests of the rank and file workers.
DELEGATES TO C.F. OF L. FIGHT SAKLATVALA BAN

Fight Non-Concurrence After Delay

(Continued from page 1)

Subsequent to the barring of Saklatvala, the resolution of protest was introduced in the Chicago Federation of Labor signed by delegate Andrew Overgaard, the speeches made by many delegates supporting the resolution at that time showed that they clearly perceived the dangers to the working class in the collaboration of Mr. Joynson Hicks, the representative of British imperialism, and Secretary Kellogg representing American imperialism.

To them proof had been furnished that, despite the gathering war clouds on the world horizon, in opposing the interests of the workers, the various national capitalist groups are quite capable of acting unitedly.

A Workers' Representative

Saklatvala, an avowed Communist had announced the purpose of his coming to United States as one of making propaganda for the interest of his class and these delegates accepted the proposal of referring the resolution of protest to the executive board with the understanding it would be sure of being endorsed, tho perhaps revamped and reformulated.

After several weeks' delay, the executive board, however, recommended nonconcurrence.

Last Sunday, Anton Johannsen, delegate of Carpenters' Local No. 1367 protested this action, stating that he did not want to become a party to the joint designs of the representatives of the British and American imperialism, that the issue involved was primarily one of free speech which the Chicago Federation of Labor must at all times fight for.

Delegate McCabe, of Painters' Local No. 180, joined his protest together with Delegate Walt of Structural Iron Workers, No. 1 and others who all stated that they had been led to believe that the intention in proposing to refer the resolution to the executive board would mean favorable action with perhaps some changes in phraseology.

The writer also spoke stating that international working class solidarity demands that the Chicago Federation of Labor puts itself on record opposed to the high-handed exclusion of Secretary Kellogg and the endeavors of Wall Street to unite world capitalism against the working class and its representatives.

Delegate McVey, of the Lathers' Union, while trying to defend the executive board still believed the action had been unwise and even admitted that Chicago Federation of Labor was going backward, particularly on the labor party issue.

Some of the members of the executive board spoke, others rallied to their support. For instance Delegate Flora and Ben Feris who made no effort whatever to defend the board action but merely indulged in attacks on Communists.

Peak of Reaction

The peak of reaction, however, was reached in the speech made by President Fitzpatrick. From start to finish a tirade against the Communists, with no explanations of why Chicago Federation of Labor should become a tool of world imperialism by rejecting the protest resolution against the barring of the British working class representative, Saklatvala.

"These Communists," said Fitzpatrick, "while bringing resolutions here seemingly for the workers are using this hall and this audience for their propaganda and are using all means to destroy us."

This is the stuff usually peddled by labor fakers from the very highest ranks who assume that they are the trade unions and that criticism of them or their wrong policies is an attack upon the unions.

What They Do.

The Communist Party and its members in trade unions or in delegate bodies has definitely declared its intention to fight relentlessly against all the so-called trade union leaders who by their actions collaborate with the bosses and directly oppose the interests of the rank and file members of the unions.

President Fitzpatrick by his stand against this protest resolution has once more taken a step against international working class solidarity.

Can't Fool Them Forever

The sentiment in the Chicago Federation of Labor clearly demonstrated that it is becoming increasingly difficult to fool the workers by the statements that a good proposal coming from the Communists thereby becomes a bad proposal.

It is precisely the complete failure of the present trade union leadership to voice the needs of the organized workers, to bring forward a concrete program for the strengthening of their ranks for more effective fight against capitalism and the growing exploitation which necessitates that the Communists stand up and fight against this failure and propose the measures which are needed. The measures which will not only serve as a means to gain temporary relief, but will increasingly strengthen the working class and lead it to ever greater struggle.