Davis' Diplomacy

The American Federation of Teachers is the labor union of U. S. schoolteachers, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Until a year ago A. F. T. was fonder of a fight than of its dignity. Its conventions were lively and acrimonious. Last week, retiring to the little town of Cedar Point, Ohio (an amusement resort) for its 22nd annual meeting, A.F.T.. by compromise and finesse, succeeded in attracting almost no public attention.

The federation this year had reasons for avoiding doctrinal fireworks. Chief reason: its coming of age in Chicago, where Local No. 1 (thanks to memories of payless pay days and a political spoils system in the school system) has enrolled 8,500 of the city's 13,000 teachers and gained for the federation its first majority in any city. Last week, having doubled its membership in two years, for the first time A. F. T. set its cap hopefully for the conservative rank & file of the nation's 1,000,000 teachers, of whom it has so far enrolled a scant 3%, some 30,000 members in 250 locals.

The Chicago delegation, biggest at the convention, came determined to squelch the left-wing New York local. But no squelching was done. Opening the meeting, President Jerome Davis earnestly pleaded: "One of the greatest tasks confronting our federation is how to build unity with all the forces that are opposing dictatorship and fascism. We must do our utmost to make unity the keynote of our present convention." The rest of the 500 delegates proceeded to support Chicago's resolutions, condemn the Kelly-Nash machine's "interference" with Chicago's schools, elect two Chicagoans to the executive council. They also watered down a resolution on the Spanish war, contented themselves with asking the U. S. to end the arms embargo against the Loyalists.

Skillfully, President Davis buried the chief bone of contention: the A. F. of L.C. I. O. issue, on which the teachers' federation is sharply divided. So touchy is this subject that a referendum authorized by the last convention has not yet been held. Having made peace with A. F. of L.'s President William Green, President Davis last week pulled a surprise out of his academic cap: an offer from Mr. Green to let the teachers' organization, which has refused to pay the special assessment for fighting C. I. O.. use the assessment for its own organizing work. The convention unanimously approved this face-saver, kept itself in good standing with both camps of Labor.

At week's end. President Davis was re-elected to a third term, beating Chicago's vivacious Lillian Herstein, 336 to 274. Well pleased at the convention's harmony, the teachers' president had other reasons for celebration. A free lance since he was fired from Yale two years ago and became an academic freedom case, Professor Davis announced to the convention that in September he would begin a new job, as head of a department of human relations in an unnamed eastern university.

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