The Daily Worker

Solidarity Resolution Shunted to Committee With Aid of Detroit SP

By a Worker Correspondent

DETROIT, Mich.-The never-ending circus conducted by that noted ringmaster, Frank X. Martel had another session Wednesday July 18. The two points of interest to the delegates were the seating of Kroon, a member of Painters local 37, and the strike in San Francisco.
Kroon, sent to represent his local had been rejected three times on the basis that he is a Communist. The real reason is that Kroon is the very active secretary of the A. F. of L. Committee for Unemployment Insurance and Relief, which is the problem that is causing Martel many sleepless nights trying to find a way to smash this militant movement that is not separate from the A. F. of L. but a very big part of it. The method that will defeat this faker is to elect rank and file delegates from the locals and drive out the political job-seekers infesting the Central Body.
The failure to win a seat in the Central Body for Kroon shows the immediate need for an organized opposition to the machine.
On the question of the San Francisco strike, a resolution was introduced to the Central Body pledging support and greetings of solidarity with the great struggle of the California workers. This was very well received till there arose the ballyhoo man of the Socialist Party, a Mr. Davidow whom Mr. Martel introduced as a "friend of labor" (what a friend the Hotel-workers whispered, "he took us for $500 when he was our attorney at the Regional Board meetings.").
This Mr. Davidow asked that a committee of action be appointed to handle such matters in the future in conjunction with the Socialist Party. They elected a committee of five business agents and two flunkeys, or I should say that Martel picked them out of the assembled delegates, so we can look for future general strikes to be taken care of.
A problem that is worrying some of the native delegates is the one of just why the federal auto unions do not affiliate with the General Body. The reason, brothers and sisters, is that Mr. Collins just refuses to give Martel his cut, so Martel is doing all he can to prevent you from affiliating to the Central Body; the action of the White Motors local in Cleveland is a living example of what you should do. That is a rank and file control union.