May, 1939, 1939

The work of repairing the union continued during May. Butler prepared an analysis of STFU locals, which unfortunately does not appear in the papers; however, see the covering letters to organizers D.A. Griffin and J.F. Hynds which discuss ways of reviving the locals (8), and Mitchell to Blaine Treadway on the same subject (9). Reports on the rebuilding effort in Oklahoma arrived from W.R. Purcells (13) and Guy Thomas (13, 28). Butler tried to persuade Kester declined, citing his many obligations (10). The union attempted to pressure Prosecuting Attorney Bruce Ivy to investigate the violence at Crawfordsville, but Ivy proved evasive (13,16,26). Also of special interest are two letters from J.E. Clayton on his plan to purchase the Lowden plantation near Gould, Ark. to resettle black sharecroppers (4,6,and June 9) and two long letters from J.C. Thompson, a Louisiana Socialist, commenting on the recent Southern Socialist Conference (15 and June 1). The NEC met on May 13, but no minutes appear