Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Nov. 18, 1948, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL. XVIII; NO. 27 CHARLOTT E LABOR JOURNAL ___ ______ __ CHARLOTTE. N. O, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 18. 1948 SubscriptkMr S2j90 Per T(K WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW OUR ENEMIES What Is Communism?~Read Article On Page 4 House Reports On Espionage In U. S. Her* are the Irst few paragraphs from the report on Soviet »pyi*g aod the atom bomb, released by the House committee on ua-Amorieaa activities. We don’t feel any urge to add our opinion to the bare words of the report itself. 1. These facts have been clearly established by the inves tigation of the House committee on un-American activities: (a) During the war, diplomatic representatives of the Russian government in the United States organized and di rected several espionage groups made up of American Com munists for the purpose of obtaining secret information concerning the development of the atomic bomb. (b) These espionage groups were successful in placing some of their members in highly strategic positions in va rious atomic bomb installations where they had access to the most secret and confidential information. (c) These groups were successful in obtaining and trans mitting secret information concerning the atomic bomb to diplomatic representatives and espionage agents of the Rus sian government. (d) The committee cannot accurately evaluate the im portance or volume of the information thus transmitted. It has been established, however, that certain vital infor mation was actually transmitted to the Russian govern ment, and that this information has been and will be of as sistance to the Russjgjuis in their^gvejppoifnt of the atomic bomb. 2. The committee wishes to emphasize that this reoort tells only a very small part of the complete story of Rus sian espionage activities against the United States during the war. The committee has had access to only a portion of the information contained in the files of the investigative agen cies of the Government. There is no question but that those agencies have a great deal of additional information concerning Russian espionage activities not disclosed, by this report. There can also be little doubt that, despite the efficiency of our investigative agencies, there were some Russian espionage activities which were not discovered, and which "were successful. 3. The committee has been most careful in issuing this report to name as individuals involved in espionage activi ties only those against whom clear and convincing evidence has been presented and against whom a prosecution is war ranted. The committee has excluded from this report the names of a number of other individuals against whom serious charges of espionage were made, pending further investiga tion and corroboration of these charges. 4. The committee wishes to emphasize that in issuing this report, it intends to cast no reflection upon that great majority of American scientists who are without question loyal to the United States. The committee is aware of t^e great debt which the American people owe to our men of science who are respon sible for our world leadership in the atomic field. This report is directed only against those individuals who deliberately would place in the hands of the most ruthless totalitarian dictatorship on the face of the globe a weapon which could be used to destroy our civilization. The commtttee believes that it has a solemn responsibil ity to the American people to continue its investigations until every disloyal individual who has been or is engaged in such activities is brought to justice. 5. This investigation has once more shown to the Amer ican people the true character of the Communist conspiracy in the United States. It has again demonstrated that those American citizens who are members of the Communist Party owe their primary loyalty to the Soviet Union, and will willfully violate the laws of the United States and en danger even our very security as a nation in order to serve the interests of the Soviet Union. This investigation Again has shown the necessity and propriety of the committee’s use of the question, “Are you a member of the Communist Party?” The issue involved in this question is not one of political affiliation; it is solely one of loyalty or disloyalty to the United States. Employment Remains Above Sixty Millions Washington. — Employment re mained above the 60,000,000 fig ure for the fifth consecutive month, according to reports of the Census Bureau. Bureau estimates put the total at 60,134,000 jobs which reflects a drop of 178,000 from Septem ber, but is 930,000 higher than a year ago. Unemployment, meanwhile dropped 257,000 to an October total of 1,642,000, lowest point of the year, the bureau said. That was 45/100 under a year ago. The return of young workers to school was largely responsible for the small dip in employment, the bureau explained. It added that a larger number of adult males were employed in October than in September, Action Against Subversives Imperative! Washington.—An attempt by a Commun'st-front Chicago newspaper to raise funds for the Wallace campaign by high-pressure mail solicitation of funds from European trade unions was exposed by the alertness of J. H. Oldenbroek. general secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation. The paper, “The Chicago Star,” made the nustage of approaching Mr. Oldenbroek with a request to purchase space in a special May Day edition for the ostensible purpose of conveying the greetings of the federation to American workers. Mr. Oldenbroek, who has had considerable experience in parrying the tactics of various organizations which serve the Communist Party detected immediately the intent behind the seemingly innocent request and refused to go along. Instead he denounced the scheme as a thinly disguished sham to gain support for the Wallace-for-President third party move, and branded the “Star” as a “disguised Communist Party organ.” The letter which the paper addressed to Mr. Oldenbroek and to, other European labor leaders said that a special edition would be released on May Day to promote “interna tional solidarity” among workers of the worli and stressed the importance of obtaining messages of greeting from European labor groups for their effect upon the American people. v Such expressions of friendship,, the paper’s letter said, “will help the American people in their struggle for a third party and the ictory of Wallace’s program for peace and international collaboration.” So important was this aspect considered, that the newspaper, while begging for con tributions in dollars from the organizations which it approached, made a special plea that greetings be sent even if the money was not forthcoming immediately. “Do not delay sending your greeting because of exchange difficulties,” the letter ad monished. It is to the credit of Mr. Oldenbroek and the International Transport Workers Fed eration that they did not fall for the bait extended by “The Chicago Star.” Charlotte Observer Commends Journal's Americanism Stand Our Democracy Faces Danger The Charlotte Labor Journ al. its entire staff and the labor movement as a whole are very grateful to the Charlotte Observer for a re cent editorial in which The Observer commends The Journal's first of a series of anti-subversive editions through which’ this newspa per hopes to expose many subversive elements now at work in the United States. The Labor Journal will continue to do everything within its power to promote j Americanism and the Free Enterprise System, a system I upon which thus great coun | try was founded, and which has made for us the highest | standard of living in the his* tory of any nation in the world. With the continued co-op eration of our friends, both inside and outside the labor movement, we will hence forth endeavor to redouble our efforts to combat the ever - continuing encroach ment by communists and other subversive elements upon our Amreican way of life. If these encroachments are allowed to spread and grow they can and will cause consequences of disastrous proportions. Head me Observer editori al in the opposite column. The Observer editors, too, have many times sounded the danger signal by herald ing the growth of anti-Amer ican elements in our nation. We feel highly complimented this great newspaper has seen fit to recognize our ef forts. ?! I! ©bt flforriftttf ©bstnitr UNIONS AND COMMUNISM. rpHE Communists would have no influence * in American trade unions if the etficers and members of organised labor throughout the country shared the views of the Charlotte Labor Journal and followed its commend* able example in active and effective opposi tion to communism and its program of in filtration. The Labor Journal recently began publish ing a series of editions on the subject of Com munism. explaining editorially that its pur pose was “to further enlighten its readers and fellow workers in the labor movement as to what communism means, what it has meant in the past, and what it may do to hamper real American trade unions’ operation* in both the immediate and far future." The Journal is the official organ of the Charlotte Central Labor Union and approved by the American fadeeatien of the North Carolina Federation of HtNSY A. Sinus is aditar and publisher and V. M. Witt** associate aditar. In the initial tan* at the aeries on Com munism. the paper dsvstad approximately O pet cent of Us front papa and much inside apace to the subjod. It featured under a ban ner line th* list at II* organizations recently named by Attorney Can era! Tots Cun as subversive, including U classified as com munist Ala* K featured on the front papa a lengthy article on "What is Communism?" by L. P Boutwaag, vie* president of General Electric Company. Editorially, th* Journal said: “Be aura yon read it It will enlighten you an many phase* ef communism." Under the caption, "Communism in Amer ican Trad* Unions,” th* Labor Journal said adi tonally: "Communistic activities in the Uni tad States must be stepped! Th* infiltration of Communist* into industry, government and some trade unions has too long been ignored! Ail Communists in America should be da ported! These demands and exclamations, and others, are heard in conversations as on* got* about the business at news gathering thee* days. •■Rightfully so, all men and women who are secretly at otherwise plotting the over throw of th* United States and its form at government should be tried and dealt with swiftly." The editorial, noting that "Communist agents are active in all walks of American life." warns "both industry and workers alike at the dangers which confront America dur • "I! “ infiltration, only into also into government, industry UmsI institutions. Communists are working to bring about a new order in this country which is wholly submissive to the dictate* •I M—cow ** The Charlotte Labor Journal is rendering g commendable service not only to th* cause of trad* unionism but also to th* better interests of industry and to the American way at life. 'PHK pmnr 1 1 paralyze the pine pepduction batter illustrated mine strike in F France a result ot bean flooded so pump the water back in productio To make the munist labor port ot the dock portation of home produ All of this m fnunists against ment. and. as the other day, band ot or the Russian de enjoy diplomatic about the coun and directing If the strike bring the o ment, but what by it is not clear, the seat go the cabinet, and in course, insist on In police, and courts. With prepared to But one other not be so pie a general el neat spring, almost certain be swept into Da Gitiut is convinced continue, the will win. What he ■ternly with expected to of aarttttoa out of tho Franco forced to dancer cd that ancod in therefore, I tional defer Union, and Just sifht who deal with Gratu their nuaahi I y directed by u. Subversive Elements Should Be Exposed We do not take away the rights of an individual when we insist that he tell us if he is a Communist. Not at all. We make him prove that he is a citizen before we let him vote; we make all sort of requirements before granting other rights and privileges. It is our right to know if he is one of those whose loyalty belongs to Moscow rather than to the United States, before we accept him as a fellow Union man. a school teacher, a college professor, or in any other capacity. That’s why it is silly to call inquiries into the Com munist leanings of various people by such names at “witch hunts." or prying expeditions.” Why. in some states the individual is required to state his political party before he is permitted to register! It is of greatest importance for us to know, those of us who believe in the American way of life and who love our American rights and liberties, whether those who presume to lead us in any field are Communists. This is true be cause the Communist is one who would wreck our Ameri can system. The doctrine of Communism is the direct op posite of our free demm*racy. The Communist yelps about his American rights, but put him in power and all Ameri can rights and liberties would die instantly. There are no rights in Communist countries, except those of the red dictators. We do not care how the truth about the Communist is obtained, so long as it is done in an orderly and lawful manner and those who an; not Communists are protected from needless injury. Let the committees of Congress and of the state ’ogislature get the facts; if can. If, harek and there, they discover that some leader of Organized^ Labor is a Communist, let’s know that, too, for American Labor’s great mass of members are not Communistic and will not long tolerate in positions of truth and leadership those who owe their allegiance to the Kremlin. —Washington Teamster. Threat To Our Safety Senator Bridges of New Hampshire was entirely correct when he said in recommending a special session of Con gress on the China crisis that “those Communist forces now spreading over all of North China are no simple group of indignant patriots,” but are controlled from the Krem Iiiji in Moscow and are part of the world-wide Communist revolution. Too many Americans, including some in high govern mental places, have taken the soothing syrup that the Chinese Communists are different from other Communists and that they mean no harm but merely want reforms in China. If that is true, what is the object of alj, that Kremlin directed Communist activity in Southeast Asia, running all the way from Burma to Indonesia and the Philippines? The plain strategy is to capture Southeast Asia for Com munism by means of local revolutions and then to form a junction in Indo-China by driving clear through China from Manchuria. Then Russia would have an unbroken front in Asia from the Artie to the Equator. From that position she would be very hard to dislodge, and she would be a direct threat to the safety of the United States. As Constantine Brown pointed out the other day, we fought a long and bloody war to get Japan out of that very position, and now we are about to let Russia entrench herself where we refused to permit the Japanese to stay. We emphasize again that it would be useless to send war material directly to the war lords, because they would merely revert to their old corrupt practice of throwing their support where they think it will be most advantage ous to them. It would be equally futile to try to shore up the totter ing Nationalist government, which has lost the confidence of the people. Just as we required the European nations to help them selves before we helped them, so we should insist in the strongest terms that both the Nationalist government and its armies be reorganzed under American direction. If that cannot be done so near the front as Nanking, then let the government retreat to the interior where it can be re organized without interruption, while a holding operation is mantained in the north. Both the Greek and the Turkish armies are being trained by unarmed American advisers. There is no reason that the same thing cannot be done in China. But whatever action we decide upon, the threat of a solid Communist front in the Orient extending all the way across the Northern Hemisphere is a development that we shall neglect at our deadly peril. —Charlotte Observer. The Charlotte Labor Journal recently posed a pertinent $64 question when it asked how the Communist party in the United States with only 'about 70,000 members can successfully publish the Daily Worker while neither the American Federation of Labor nor the Congress of Indus trial Organizations, each with millions of members, can afford a daily newspaper. —Charlotte Observer.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 18, 1948, edition 1
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