ABSTRACT
Again the American Communist movement found itself in one of those demoralizing factional struggles from which it could not extricate itself alone. The stage was set for the first plenipotentiary from Moscow. The mission of Louis C. Fraina, Charles E. Scott, and Sen Katayama in 1921 had not been entrusted with the same full powers. The decision to send a representative came during the negotiations with John J. Ballam and L. E. Katterfeld in Moscow. The news was broken to the Americans in a letter of March 30, 1922: The Communist International sends its plenipotentiary representative to America, whose task will be to help you in overcoming the still existing difficulties. Some time in 1919, Morrow began to work in his spare time for a new employer, the Department of Justice, as Special Agent K-97. The Bridgman raid came at a most unfortunate moment for the advocates of an open Communist party.
