When communists speak of their desire to advance the cause of labor, the question should always be asked: What is their objective? In August, 1957, streetcar and bus workers went on strike in Lodz, Poland. The workers were using this means to protest against the unfulfilled promises of the leaders of the Polish Communist government. The strike was soon brought to a halt through the use of some 3000 troops with fixed bayonets and police who fired tear gas into the milling mob. While the communists were demonstrating their brutality and terroristic tactics against labor in Poland, American communists were giving another demonstration of how they habitually ignore the truth. William Z. Foster, as the elder statesman of the Communist Party in the United States, was saying: One of the most striking phenomena of the capitalist world in recent years has been the enormous extension of the workers’ fight for democracy—among other phases, to defend their right to organize and strike.... World Socialism has enormously stimulated this struggle. The answer is a simple one. The communists, once in control, crush every opponent, while, in coming to power, they promise everything to soften the opposition. This opposition will be “softened,” however, only if we allow infiltration to take place before our very eyes without knowing it for what it is. 17. _The Communist Front_ The auditorium was packed. More than 1000 delegates and observers waved their arms enthusiastically, along with some 200 others who did not fill out registration forms to avoid leaving a record of their attendance. (The _Daily Worker_ said they were in “... fear of intimidation.”) This was the founding convention of the National Negro Labor Council, a new organization dedicated to “equality,” “social progress,” and the upholding of “civil rights.” Speeches, resolutions, election of officers, everything ran smoothly. Two days later came adjournment. A new communist front had been born. Delegates had come from all over the United States. They would now return to their home cities, start local chapters, enroll members, issue literature. A master organizing hand was at work. One thousand individuals just didn’t arrive by accident. The convention call was communist-inspired. For weeks in advance, local Party members had been arranging housing, running errands, securing finances. The Council claimed that its purpose was to aid the Negro; however, the House Committee on Un-American Activities concluded that, “rather than helping the Negro worker, it has been a deterrent to him.” The founding of the National Negro Labor Council was typical of many Party fronts created over the past generation.