The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 16, 1924, Page 5

January 16, 1924 THE DAILY WORKER MYERSCOUGH ON STRUGGLE INU MLW. A Progressive Forces Mobilize For Ind‘anapolis Convention BY THOMAS MYERSCOUGH Sec’y Progressive Miners’ Committee Every miner who has been elected as a delegate to the convention of the United Mine Workers of Amer- ica, which convenes at Indianapolis, Ind., on January 22nd, can consider himself a lucky man indeed. This because he will be a part of what promises to be the most important convention ever held by the Miners or any other union. The men of the mines are going to this gathering with a determina- tion to put an end to the systom of things in the organization, that has allowed them to drift into the present deplorable condition of ser- vitude through ‘the method of inter- mittent employment and subsequent near-starvation. This convention will be treated to many clashes be- tween the forces of the administra. tion and the young, but steadily growing, Progressive group. In past conventions it has been the custom of the “machine,” as the adminis- tration forces are best known, to isolate the grievances of the rank and file from the real issues. This is invariably accomplished by the use of convention strategy, by political int#igue or any other accomplishment of their ulterior method considered necessary to the Purposes, Progressives a Factor. ‘ Nearly every convention of ‘the miners’ union in the past has wit- nessed a rebellious group from some section of its jurisdiction who have come with the hope of getting consideration ‘at the hands of the delegation assembled, only to find that the men knew nothing of their troubles, or if they did, it was from information received from the scheming administration, who could not afford to allow a presentation ‘of the facts on the convention floor. The result usually 1s that such dele- gations wend their weary way home at the-.end of the convention, dis- mayed, disillusioned and often with the determination to take things as they come in the future, and in this Manner become useless to the or- ganization, except, from a dues- paying viewpoint. They return to their local unions and truthfully tell their respective constituencies, that “we never had @ thanite,” ~~ However, “a> new hope has been instilled in these forward looking elements by the formation of the “Progressive Committee.” This committee, composed of the real union men from all sections of the country and Canada, have also served to throw a new fear into the hearts of the jofficials and "pie- card artists,” because of the man- ner in which they’ have conducted themselves. This is demonstrated by the fact that immediately after the June 2-3, 1923, conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., the National Executive Board issued a circular letter to the entire Yabor movement, to the effect that we were a Dual Union, and that wherever we presented ourselves, we should] be treated as such. The re- sults obtained by this letter were also proof of our strength, because in nearly every union to which it was sent the workers voted it into the waste basket. . Will Not Be Led Astray. We are going to the convention to wage a real battle for our class, and the men who now rule with an iron hand, and who, incidentally, are the ones who led the fight for the expulsion of “Bill” Dunne from the Portland (A. F. of L.) conven- tion, will find that there are a lot of potential “Bill Dunne’s” in the U. M, W. of A., and that they can not be fooled, coaxed, bribed or browbeaten into submission, They will find that the Progresives under- stand a few things about the labor movement, and also that they un- derstand the present rotten eco- nomic structure of society, and will not be led astray by any of the methods usually employed. We are going to raise issues that concern the membership, and we will be prepared to fight every inch of the way for, such things as the “Restoration Membership and Autonomy” for the Kansas and Nova Scotia miners respectiv the participation of our the building of a real “Labor Par- ty” “Nationalization of Mines” and for ten other very im- portant issues. We have “13” such and we are not one bit su- perstitious, in fact we are not built In addition we have the for necessary, constitutional c! i which will make our organization the fighting, working-clas body it was intended to be by those founded it, and change it from its status as a wealth providing plear- ure vehicle, the dynasty who now rule, and who have run it to sy 4 verge of ruin, vide every 1 “The eresive convention Rin readl will battle , tor iis ie This is the first of a series of three articles on the Youth movement of Russia and what the American workers movement can learn from it. The other articles will be published in early issues of THE DAILY WORKER. Watch for them. By WILLIAM F, KRUSE. If you want to get a kick: out of life just consider for a minute the young people of the youngest great nation on earth, the youth of Soviet Russia! Youth is always inspiring. Strong, supple, forward-looking, ever- lastingly active, forever seeking new things to do and new ways of doing tio: will pro-|policemen, and that unless he told ry dologs te, with a facts ee ners. bis brome the: fe ‘progeeaive “Minot” | prison, "eine stood firm. “they take said, “But it is true, Mother, Ian't ate, and|door they ask him has | nothing. hsy to| their automobil them. in their heritage of the past. Theirs a new day into a far-flung land for ages called “Darkest Russia.” The ages of oppression had left a deep mark on the human material out of which the new order wag to be built, The greater part of the older generation was indelibly branded with the marks of its life in slavery —lethargic in personal habits, primi- tive in/industry, and dully submis- sive in matters of politics and re- ligion, But with the youth it was a dif- ferent story. For them Time and Life began in November, 1917. While Bolshevik theory and tactic wag laid down by men whose party record ran back twenty years many thou- sands of “beardless boys” swelled the ranks of the Red Guard, there to see years of service and hardship that trained and tempered them for ca Pas of responsibility they now old, The Communists (in Russia at least) fully recognize that a virile, active youth movement is a proleta- rian political movement, is the only conceivable guarantee of final suc- cess, Youth plays a most important part in any severe struggle, hence a primary requirement of the Com- munists ig that they help their youth to mobilize the young masses on the workers’ side of the class line, Par- ticularly in a country like the United States, where the combined propa- ganda of school, motion picture, newspaper, workplace and church ex- ercise a tremendous anti-labor in- fluence upon our young. The Com- munist movement cannot afford to leave the slightest possible help un. given in the strengthening and en- couragement of the youth move- ment. 4 Many factors favor our youth in the campaign to win over their fel- lows... Yeuth js naturally receptive to new ideas, especially when pr2- sented by its own kind, in its own language, in pugnacious opposition to the hated hoary authoritarianism of schoolmaster or workmaster. The returns to the Purty from energy and money spent ou youth work are manifestly greater than can be ex- pected on any othor field. Through workshop, school, sport,-cducstional: or social club many avenues extend toward the confidence ef the young mass, and these roads are ret so beset by obstucie of economic fear, ingrown prejudice, or mental and physical exhaustion as is the case with the older “worker. -Finally, when the young convert ig won, not only is his “expectancy” of party life much re but he throws into the work of the movement a much larger quantum of free time and energy, and, being less responsibility bound he dares tasks and assumes sacrifices often beyond the power of his eld- ers, A YOUNG SPARTACIST It was during the revolutionary struggles in Berlin in January, 1919, and the nine-year-old Heinz was alone im the house. His mother had gone out to market. He had not seen his father for two weeks. Heinz knew that the police were looking for him. They wanted to put him into prison because he is a Spartacist. But the police won't find him, the silly devils; they don’t know at all what a Spartacist is. If they knew what fine stories his father told when he was at home they pwouldn’t say that the Spartacists were criminals, destroyers, robbers, vagabonds, Heinz knows also what the Spartacists want. That the gluttons and the big bellied, the fine ladies and gentlemen should work and that the workers should receive enough wages to live and eat well. That is why the rich hate the Spartacists. But his school comrades do not know this. He is the only Spartacist in his class, Yesterday y wanted to beat him, but packed up against the wall and loosening the strap from his school books he swung it continu- ally, so that none of them had suffi- cient courage to seize him. Then two others joined him and stood at his honed and be Si three and stood clos: er. eins listened, “Toeoeka is com- a the stairs. There must be several. They are knocking on the ‘who|door, and it opens and three men walk in. Smiling in a friendl they ask for his father, Hi that his father has “Where to?” That he Then they tell him that they are 'y would in with them. mi a a is 7 The present rulers of Russia had a tremendous handicap to overcome | the night, he arrived home. oer was the task of bringing the light of Youth Views By HARRY GANNES* Want to Organize 500,000 Youths. Because in every land that he vis- ited there is “unmistakable signs of social and intellectual unrest,” and because “organized labor and the youth movement of Europe are increasingly rising in protest against recurring war,” the right reverend Sheridan Eddy, Associate General ecretary of the international ‘com- mittee of the Young Men’s Chris- | tian Association, thinks there should | be in this country a youth move- ment to offset the possibilities of the youth becoming revolutionary. This/ was all brought out in a speech) by this sky-pilot recently delivered at Indianapolis, Ind., before nearly 8,000 theological student-delegates in conference, The plan proposed by the Y. M. C. A. leader is expected to embrace 500,000 young men and women be- tween the ages of 14 and 21—just the age the Young Workers League of America is concentrating on. Here we have the initiation*of a) counter-revolutionary youth move- ment based on the knowledge that there is a class streggle, and that} the best. way. to fight unrest and discontent is to organize against it—especially the youth, When it is remembered that the Y. M. C. A. was in the forefront in spreading war hysteria; that it did everything it could to intensify | hatred in the interest of the Amer-| ican capitalist, [t is ‘worse than} hypocrisy to see the leaders of this army-auxiliary (the Y. M. C. A.) talk about the necessity for organ- izing the youth on the basis of peace and the love of God. 4 * * Abern Speaks at Cleveland Liebknecht Day will be celebrated by the Young Workers’ League of i Cleveland, Ohio, at a meeting in Labor Temple, 2536 Euclid avenue, * Abern, national secretary of the Young Workers League, will be the main speaker. After the speeches there will be a dances + Kruse Speaks for Y. W. L. The Englewood Young Workers League will hold its regular educa- tional meeting, Wednesday, Jan, i6, at Carpenters Hall, 6414 S. Haisted St., with William F. Kxuse as the speaker. The subject will be: “The ussian Youth.” Amalgamation means strength! COLUMN I up a wide flight of stairs into a well lighted room in which there is a large, broad shouldered man. This man asked him his name in a very friendly manner, how old he was, whether he liked going to school and if he was hungry. Heinz answered yes to the last question, he nad, in- deed, eaten nothing since his poor dinner. The man telephoned, and almost immediately afterwards a sol- dier came with some bread and saus- age and coffee. Heinz tasted it and became quite talkative, and the big man leuehed and asked him all pos- sible questions, After Heinz had eaten, the big man put a packet of chocolate before him on the table, and as Heinz was about to take it, he asked him where his father was, Heinz was fright- ‘ened and drew his hand back. The big man said all sorts of flatte: i to him and promised him all sorts of beautiful things. Angrily Heinz jumped from the chair and said: “A young Spartacist doesn’t betray his father!” The big man, astounded, stood up and threatened him with imprisonment. At this moment the door opened and the man was called outside. He went out and left the door standing open. Heinz made use of this moment, seizing his he quickly ran to the door and ogling round everywhere, fled down 5 then down the stairs to the The two soldiers, who stood duty in the doorway, let him pass, On the street, he ran as fast as he could toward home. In the middle of r was both terrified and hay that her Heinz was once again her. Exxcitedly he told her all and it? A young Spartacist doesn’t be tray his father!" | ed in the cause of the liberation of | | freed. "| ot the d His| the sight “of MESSAGE FROM MARTY, WHO LED FRENCH MUTINY Greets U. S. Workers Thru “The Daily” Andre Marty, the leader of the mutiny of French sailors of the Black Sea Fleet in 1919 writes to the “Daily Worker’. Thru the Daily Worker he speaks to the American workers, \ French _ sailors refused to fight against Soviet Russia, refused to erush the First Workers’ Republic, refused to fire upon workers who had emancipated themselves from the rule of capitalism. They hoisted the red flag on the roud battleships of imperialist 'rance, they sang the International, they mutinied. And for this, punish- ment was meted out to them. But the combined protest of French work- ers freed them, It was well enough to shoot down mutineers in 1917 in the great mutiny which broke out during the war in the French army, but the workers were awakened in 1919, and it was not so easy to cai out mass executions, especially as these mutineers had act-| the world’s workers. | The people of Paris showed by their votes that they wanted Marty| The people of Paris elected | him scores of times to office as aj sign of their solidarity until the gov- yrnment no longer dared to keep} Andre Marty in prison. The article which follows tells its own story: Perpi, Saturday, Dec. Dear Comrades:— I am sending you an article with my.photo for the “Daily Worker.” I hope that it will reach you in time) for the first number. | You will give me great pleasure| by sending me the number in which it will appear. | Be assured dear comrades of my| best and sincerest wishes. ANDRE MARTY. an, 22, 1923. Address: Andre Marty, Hotel Central, Place Arago, Perpignan (Pyrenees Orientales) France. | * * | Perpignan (Pyrenees Orientales), France, Dec. 29, 1923. | Dear Comrades: ; I learn with joy that on Jan. 138, you will launch the “Daily Worker”, * * \every stage of his journey, William F. Page Five The German Relief Drive is On By ROSE KARSNER. When the condition of the Germ portions, the Internationa] Arbeiter Hilfe Komitee, of which the Friends GREETINGS of Soviet Russia is the American branch, sent out a call for help. This call went to all countries, S Other countries are also helping. Norway sends cod liver oil, Holland sends milk,-Spain sends dried fruit. France supports a kitchen, The Friends of Soviet Russia, which has declared itself also the Friends of Workers’ Germany, has opened a nation-wide campaign un- der the auspices of Committee for ,International Workers’ Aid for the opening of an American Soup Kit- chen in Germany. Toward this end it is necessary to raise $500 for initial outlay and to pledge $2,000 a month for the sup- port of the kitchen. In response to a call sent to all FSR Locals, Boston, New York, Chi- | from the an workers grew to unbearable pro- a City Central oviet Russia was che first to respond. Committee Czecho-Slovakia is sending meee of the Workers Party, cago, San Francisco, Superior, Cleve- | land, Milwaukee and Flint, Michigan, | have already arranged for German} Relief Conferences. | A meal coupon book has been sent | Washington, to 60,000 individuals and organizers. | Results are beginning to come in| D. cy and encouraging words come daily | to the national office. | BOOST OOD ta aah dant 280,000 worth 04 | THE DAILY! Id clothes and medicines were raised bs the FSR. They expect to do at|| | Every Member of the English Branch, least as well for the German work-| Jewish Branch constitute the first proletarian gov- ernment of the world. Comrades, in spite of the dark forces which crush you, I am sure that you will take up again with success the final fight for your eman- cipation; I am sure that, rationalists as you are, you will easily strike down the capitalist state of King Dollar, to replace it by the “free organization of the laboring masses”, as our comrade Lenin so well said at the First Congress of the Communist International. And it is to wish~you, not good luck, but quick success, that I have asked the “Daily Worker” to receive my fraternal letter in its columns, being certain that it will give pleas- ure to the American workers, in showing them that from a secluded spot in the Pyrenees the comrades of the French -Section of the Com- munist Party think of them with all their soul and with all their might. ANDRE MARTY, mechanician, sentenced to twenty years of hard labor, freed from the pri- son of the French Republic on} July 17, 1923. Get unity thru the Labor Party! Special Music for Kruse Film In addition to bringing back with him motion picture film that recorded Kruse, pictorial editor of the Friends of Soviet Russia, brought back a col- lection of the latest Russian songs, comprising everything written cr adopted since the revolution. Rudolph Liebich, one of the fore- most composers in America, is-arrang- ing orchestrations of these selections, and they will be used ag musical ac- and I am happy to send you my wish- es for success to the organ which) will defend the American working class under the direction of the} Workers Party. | 1 know how hard wi!! be your task.| In free America King Dollar reigns| as absolute a master as the monarchs| &vening, Jan. 20th. Martin) or our old Europe. “Nowhere in the) -Micago, fi-— world do the money powers display more cunning and ferocity in ‘their fight against the workers. But no- where are the workers more ardent companiment of the new film to be routed by the Friends of Soviet Rus- sia for the benefit of the German Workers Relief Campaign. Any locals desiring dates for this film should immediately communicate with the National Office, Friends of Soviet Russia, 32 S. W: 4 eire icin ibiorieaaipeaener ca eneel Work Daily for “The Daily!” and more tenacious in the fight.! Against the formidable trusts they oppose enormous masses; and the memory of those colossal strikes of miners and railwaymen, those strikes which lasted for months, is still vivid in my mind; we are pretty small, we Europeans, beside these formidable! movements. The “Daily Worker’, will serve as a link and as an inspi-' ration to thousands of wage-workers who perish, who waste away, for the greater good of capitalist combines, I have no doubt of its rapid expan- sion, or of the enormous importance of the doctrine which it will spread.) It will grow up quickly, I am sure,| and the spectre of social revolution will soon haunt your selfish and pleasure-seeking exploiters. Ah yes, I know: Against you are all the forces of finance, of darkness, | of police: you will vanquish them,! and you will be victorious under the! magnificient symbol of the sickle and hammer surmounting the red flag. Five and a half years have already! passed since the time that thousands, and thousands of us, soldiers and sailors, were distributed all along the, most without -any connection with France, we were told terrible stories about the Bolsheviki; and they want- ed to make us crush this magnificient proletariat whose disarming was awaited by the White Terror assem- bled behind us so that its fighting spirit could be drowned in rivers of blood. But we had read the procla- mations: “French soldier! ench sailor! You are a worker or a sac sant! You have before you workers or peasants! Before shooting look and think!” And the French soldiers did look and think, and did not shoot. Like their American comrades at Archangel, the regiments which had mutinied had to be quickly led back to the rear and had to be sent back home. And it was tWen that the sailors saw along the whole coast, on all the buildings, the red pennant, al- ways colored anew by the blood of the workers; and the sailors under- stood. On April 20, 1919, the day after my arrest, at 8 o’clock in the , on Easter Day, the sailors readnaughts “Jean Bart" and “France” solemnly hoisted at the fore-mast the red pennant, and with bare heads, and motionless, they sang Sout ae ee That BR og a ive , everywhere, at the red emblem, the crews mutinied! ters had a us et force un) len’ ‘or its bru- tall , the formidable organization e capitalist state; and never- theless, despite our total lack of co- ordinat it any other support utionary faith, we government of Kare ‘ond passe peas- allowed to | GREETINGS to THE DAILY WORKER from Russian Branch, Kenosha, Wis. GREETINGS to THE DAILY WORKER! Local arenes 989 Williams Takes ap] Duties as Official of West Va. Mines (Special to “The Daily Worker”) ‘BARRACKVILLE, W. Va.--R. M.} Williams has entered upon his du- ties here as Vice-President of Dis- trict 17, United Mine Workers of America. Williams was elected at a special election Dec, 11, 1923, over William Petry, the vice-president at that time, and Nick Aiello, former President of Sub-District 4, of Dis- trict 17 (Fairmont field). This election was ordered at a Special District Convention corvened Sept. 4, 1923, thru the efforts of Williams, who claimed his name had been improperly erased from the ballot at the regular election in 1922, It is generally understood that the Administraton was opposed to Wil- liams, The election of Williams is signifi- cant in that he has repeatedly de- clared against the policy of intoler- ance for the Progressive Miners and the Communists and in favor of free speech for these or any other groups of union members who may have honest differences of opinion from the Administration or the majority of the union membership. erg and their families. and Finnish Branch Is With You. GREETINGS from Workmen’s Circle, Branch No. 506, Washington, DG. Freiheit Branch. BOOST THE DAILY! GREETINGS from the Finnish Branch of the Workers Party, Hart- ford, Conn. "Don’t be a “Yes, But,” supporter of The Daily Worker. Send in your sub- scription at once. Work Daily for “The Deily!” — r WE HAIL OUR FIRST COMMUNIST ff DAILY IN ENGLISH. ogy WORKER! You can count on our unanimous support for our organ. THE N. W. JEWISH BRANCH, .CHICAGO, OF THE WORKERS PARTY. NEBRASKA’S GREETINGS, Hail the Daily Worker, Champion of our class; With clarion call to labor, Raise up a dormant mass. Chicago, IIl., of the Sheet Metal Workers’ Union. GREETINGS from the English Branch, Erie, Pennsylvania. Greeting from MORRIS WARSHAW k Greetings from JOHN DOUGAN Milford, Utah 4 Years of hope are now achieved, Advancing on the foe, Capitalist lies to batter down; And truth to workers show. Nebraska greets our Comrades, Thru our English Daily new; That links our movement closer yet, Adding millions to our few. Omaha Workers Party Branches. ENGLISH—JEWISH—SOUTH SLAVIC. GREETINGS TO THE DAILY WORKER from LOCAL UNION NO. 1367 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Meets every Monday evening at Wicker Park Hall, 2040 W. North Avenue.