CRITICISM OF FULBRIGHT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920120-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 120
• Publication Date: April 28, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

STATINTL
Sanitized - Approved For Releas
NORTHERN' APR 2 8 1964
VT GINLA SUN
Inside Labor
Criticism
uri. gt
By VICTOR DIESEL
Senator J. William Fuibright is
being tackled by some heavy-
weights who are coming in from
left of center and not from the
right wing.
Influential labor leaders re-
sent the Senator's statement
that Fidel Castro is a "distaste-
ful nuisance but not an intolera-
ble danger." The national union
leaders, especially those close
to Mr, Labor himself, George
Meany, interpret this to mean
that the gentleman from Arkarn
sas believes the cold war is
They don't agree. Further-
more, they plan to take their
viewpoints directly to the White
:louse and to Secretary of State
Dean Rust: to make clear that
they see a parallel between Fi-
del Castro's iron Commuism
and Adolf Hitler's iron cross
Nazism.
They are 'flatly Charging Sena-
tor Futbright with appeasement.
And they are aiming for a head-
on collision with hini if he con-
tinues his effort to make his views
the nation's foreign policy.
The Senator already has been
hit hard by AFL-CIO President
Moany, who eschews diplomatic
talk for the bluntness of which
he is a - master. Meany's first
attack on Fulbright was unleash-
ed' recently at the United Auto
Workers' Convention. His criti-
cism of one of the nation's top
foreign policy makers, went un-
noticed by the public.
only interested in international
labor, we are interested in for-
eign policy," said Meany whose
organization spends over $1.5
,million annually to aid anti-
Comnlunist movements abroad.
"Ve are interested in preserv-
ing a type of society in America
under which it is possible to
maintain free trade unions.
"The chairman of our Senate
Foreign Relations Commit cc
.came out. with a sn~rac~?i;;:~
that we should accept th!a :.lea
of Castro as a penman nl way
of life. While he concedes I rep-
resents a threat to atl of Latin
America as well as us, he says
we must be realistic,, and prac-
tical and accept '._. I would like
to say that this i, .the sixth year
of the reign of Mr. Chstro and
he is still going strong.
"Cuba is still a base of Soviet
Union and - democratic propa-
ganda for the Western hemi-
sphere, and I don't thiink we can
afford to get tired and just say
that this man is a fact, a real-
ily, and we have got to accept
him."
After this call for a continuing
fight on Cuban Communism,
Meany hit Ful:bright With the
appeasement charge.
Meany then pointed out, that _
the ittierian gas chambers and
other persecutions followed the
Neville Chamberlain ?-peace in
our time" statement after
Munich.
"We all know the result of
that," Meany concluded, "and
we all must know by now that
appeasement of any form of
dictatorship has; no real future
as far as those who believe in
freedom are concerned. We
can't afford to ;et tired. . "
It is certain that this attack
on ithe Senator was only the
first of many which will come
out of national AFL-CIO head-
quarters here. There is concern,
in Meany's circle that national
silence will be taken for acqui-
escence to Fu.lbright's policies.
The unionists believe that the
Senator's speech is a trial bal
loon sent aloft for the State
Dept. There is fear that some
elements in that Department:
are planning to pressure Presi-
dent Johnson into attempting a
reapprochement with Fidel Cas-
tro on the theory that he is a'
Castro-ite firsit and a Khrush-.
chcv.ite and Mao-ist last-and
that he might be induced to
"Tito" (break) his close ties i
with Moscow and Peking.
The AFL - CIO International'
Dept., which has been revital-
ized under its new director, Jay
Lovestone, will seek conferences
with President Johnson, Dean
"Back in 103.4 the de_mocra-
;ties of Western Europe 7t
tired," Meany said, "They got
tired of fighting for freedom and
at that time, of course, very few
people in America were con
corned with the problem of
Adolf Hitler. Tile labor mo e-
ment, of course, was concern-"
We recof;n'.zec what was it:;,2-
pening 4,000 miles away a; a
threat to our way of life.. .
"England and France Were
close to this problem, !but they
,got tired, and in 1938 tuey de-
cided to accept Hitler as a way of
life, as a fact, and at Munich Rusk and other government
they turned over to him the SuJ leaders in an effort to head off
detenland. This, of course, was What they believe is a concerted
when France was relaxing be, trove to recognize Communist
hind the Maginot Tine and while Cuba.
England was asleep, Oh, yes, There's a showdown in the
you remember, Hitler wasn't sa making - and not behind the
bad, they said." scenes either
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920120-9