FEUD BETWEEN LEADERS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1935, Page 11

FEUD BETWEEN LEADERS

LABOUR IN AMERICA

FEDERATION OFFICER

RESIGNS

.(Received November 25, 9 a.m.1)

WASHINGTON, November 23,

A long-smouldering feud within the ■ranks of the American Federation of Labour came to a head today as Mr. John Lewis, president of the powerful Coalminers' Union, sent a curt letter resigning the vice-presidency of the federation to the President, Mr. William Green. In the broadest terms the controversy between the two hinges on the Conservative' and Radical policies, Mr. Green upholding the traditional non-partisan straight trade unionism, and Mr. Lewis wishing to organise the workers in mass production industries such as the automobile industry into great industrial unions.

At the recent American Federation of Labour convention Mr. Lewis castigated Mr. Green and fiis associates for failure to organise more than 4,000,000 of the nation's 25,000,000 or more workers. Incidentally, Mr. Lewis, while renouncing Communism, objected to Mr. Green's policy of completely purging the federation of such elements. Mr. Green's policy was generally supported by delegates at the convention, and apparently, feeling that he was in a strong position, he subsequently bitterly attacked Mr. Lewis. In face of this attack, Mr. Lewis has resigned.

For the present the miners will retain their membership of the federation, but it is predicted that Mr. Lewis eventually will attempt to. form a national organisation in opposition to the American Federation of Labour which inevitably will lead to a long period of strife within the ranks of American labour