The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 3, 1924, Page 12

_ (Continued From Page 1.) to his sorrow, comply with your re- quest”. The “Socialist” Minister Hen- derson had no opinions on Lenin and his work, since he has never met him As he had never said hello to Marx either, he probably would have: noth- ing to say regarding the founder of scientific Socialism of which he is sup- posed to be a follower. Henderson’s * statement is, indeed, the prize state- ment of all issued by public men re- garding Lenin. Not being a member of the labor government, G. B. Shaw felt more free to express a conviction that “a mon- ument should be erected to Lenin in London as there was to Washington, tho Lenin was treated to more cal- umny than Washington in his time in Great Britain.” The Daily Herald, the official organ of the Labor Party, writes: “Lenin rises in history as a giant compared to all his contemporaries. His great- ness consisted in the combination of iron will with deep learning and wong derful sense of reality. Among all historical figures he stands out the greatest leader of the labor movement and generally one of the greatest lead- ers of peoples in all history. The mourning which has overtaken Rus- sia is not over the Chairman of the Council of Commissars but over Illy- itch, friend of the laboring masses, a mourning over a man who wanted to conquer the world not for himself but for them”. : The I. Y. P. “New Leader”, Mac- Donald’s party paper, writes about the revolution: “When humanity will AMERICAN LABOR’S YEAR BOOK. (Federated Press Book Review.) x By SCOTT NEARING. American labor has a good right to be proud of the current issue of the American Labor Year Book, 1923-1924, published by the labor research de- partment of the Rand school. On four previous occasions this publication has appeared, but the fifth volume is More Books Given Away “Through the Russian Revolution” By Albert Rhys Williams “Industrial Revival in Soviet Russia” By A. A .Heller “The Great Steel Strike” By W. Z. Foster “A Week” By lury Libedensky SEND US $6 FOR A FULL SHEET OF RUTHENBERG APPEAL COUPONS AND TAKE YOUR PICK The Michigan Defense Needs Money — Get Behind the Ruthenberg : Appeal! LABOR DEFENSE COUNCIL 116 W. Washington St. , Chicago, IIinois will see in the ‘victory of a smal group of disciplined enthusiasts in a whole empire a monument to human will, which will tower over all our ac- complishments”. And about Lenin— “We are pygmies in comparison with him”, The French Socialist organ, “Popu- laire’ wrote on Lenin’s death: ‘We can only bow our heads before the remains of a man who has played the mest important role in the history of inYrnational Socialism since Marx and Jaures. Lenin was a great states- man and theoretician. He will re- main in history as the incarnation of the Russian revolution. He will be passionately discussed and interpret- ed. Lenin leaves this world at a time when the experiment which he began has not yet produced final results”. Amidst the reverence which the revo- lutionary French workers exhibited upon the receipt of-news of Lenin’s death, the French Socialists had to join the mourning procession. The Italian Socialist “Avanti”, at present controlled by the most re- formist Socialists, was, forced to pay tribute to the memory of the great revolutionary leader knowing the sor- row which the masses of the Italian workers have experienced upon learn- ing of Lenin’s death. The “Avanti’” writes: “The death of Lenin— a heavy loss for Russia and a heavy loss of the international proletariat. The Russian proletariat lost a great leader who could combine theory and practice and always find a way out in the most adverse conditions and in the interest of the proletariat’.. The present leaders of the Italian Social- quietly review the work of Lenin it ist party, Toratti, and Modigliani are larger and far more complete than any of its predecessors. For one thing, the whole book has been written by the research staff, Solon De Leon, director, and Nathan Fine, associate, who have abandoned the policy of compiling articles by ex- perts in different fields. The present volume contains an extensive chapter on Industrial and Social Conditions, Trade Union Organization, Labor Dis- putes, Labor Politics, Labor Legisla- tion, Workers’ Education, Labor Bank- ing, Co-operation, and similar topics. In addition it has three extensive sec- tions dealing with all the Internation- ‘als on the trade union and political field, the labor struggle in all the im- portant countries of the world, and co- operation. The usefulness of the book is great- ly increased by its list of labor con- ventions for 1924, its diary of the prin- cipal events of the international labor movement in 1923, and a very com- plete International Labor Directory, covering labor unions, labor and so- cialist political organizations, and the labor and radical press. Numerous well chosen tables of fig- ures are used, with excellent effect to illustrate the outstanding events of American labor history during the '\past two years, while the data concern- ing the international labor movement is the only available material in con- venient book form in America, and is subdivided by country, The volume contains the convention and other de- ‘cisions and activities of the constitu- ent bodies of the A. F. of L., the In- dependent organizations and the Trade Union Educational league. There are the platforms and attitudes of all the radical political parties in the United States, workers’ education groups, and a review of the principal strikes that have occurred during the past two years. - The fifth volume of the American Labor Year Book, 1923-24, should find a place on the reference shelf of every editor, librarian, teacher and lecturer who is asked for material regarding '/the labor movement. It also furnishes a thass of information to the. active propagandist for a new social order. American Labor Year Book, Vol. 5, ce cw oo SAAR GSE RMR ACARI WMO em se tenes Pennnaes tomy tes nema What The World Thought of Lenin not of that caliber. They have meek- ly allowed the destruction of the Ital- ian labor movement by the black shirted Fascisti. The Swedish Socialist leader Hjal- mar Branting wrote in the “Sozial- demokraten”; “Lenin has accomplish- ed a great historic feat, clearing with a merciless struggle his land from everything old. The developments showed that Lenin understood his eople better than anyone else and has evaluated the conditions in Russia bet- ter than the Mensheviks.” This opin- ion does not prevent Branting from accepting from his comrade in. the Second International, the Menshevik Abramovich, the claim that the Russ- ian revolution was carried out in Russia by the Bolsheviks with little or no understanding of Russian. condi- tions and against the igterests of the Russian workers. While praising Len- in’s work in behalf of the Russian people, Branting, as a leading member of the Council of the League of Na- tions, has been supporting various counter-revolutionary plots which were engineered by the League of Nations against Russia. The Old S. P. Muddie. And the American Socialist Party must not be overlooked in this re- ‘view. As of old it is in chaotic con- dition regarding policies and public ut- terances. One would think since only few people are left in the Socialist Party they would reach a common agreement regarding the place of Lenin in the labor movement. Instead of that we have Eugene Debs issuing a@ warm statement of condolence, and Julius Gerber, writing in the New York “New Leader” tnat Lenin was @ Literature - - Music -- Drama 1923-24, published by the Labor Re- search Department, Rand School of Social Science, 7 East 15th Street, New York. $3; postage 15c. CO-OPERATIVE REFERENCE BOOK The People’s Year Book for 1924 contains enormous information in short space on the co-operative move- ment of the: -world, with special emphasis on Great Britain, where it is most firmly rooted. In addition the book is a storehouse of miscellaneous statistics on cost of living, trade, public finance, and reviews of music art, the drama, and literature, The British Co-operative Wholesale saciety is the publisher. The co-operators who have publish- ed the People’s Year Book successful- ly combine a comprehensive review in a compact yet attractive form. The book correlates the co-operative activ ities in the various countries with those of the trade union and progres sive political action. From an Amer ican point of view a shortcoming of the book is the brevity of its review of our co-operative movement. Co-oporative society officers will want a copy to keep in touch with their brothers around the world; co- operative store managers will want a copy to compare their achievements with the stores run by other countries. Public libraries cannot pass over the only feference book on a world move- ment that represents more than 30,- 000,000 organized consumers. The All-American Co-operative com- mission is distributing é People’s Year Book for 1924. Send your order with $1 by check or money order to the commission at 806 B. of L. E. Building, Cleveland, Ohio, and you will get the Year Book, postpaid. Studio Players Stage “O'Flaherty, V. C.” Famous Shavian Play “O'Flaherty, V. C.,” an anti-military | play by George Bernard Shaw will be staged by the Studio players at the Westside Branch Young Workers League affair this coming Sunday. “O'Flaherty V. C. was suppressed dur- “a most despotic ruler any nation ever had,” and that “at his death capitalism was more promising in Russia than even under the Czar.” The New York Socialists held a Lenin memorial meet- ing in the Rand Hotei, while the Penn- sylvania State Socialist convention at Harrisburg voted to table a resolution of condolence on Lenin’s death. Leninism—the True Weapon. Can one really speak of Lenin and the American: Socialist Party at the same time Yes, because both are dead. But while Lenin is only dead in body, the Socialist Party is.dead both in body and spirit. A visit to 35. Eastern cities during my present lec- ture trip, brought home to me the. fact that the Socialist Party, which had previously had strong organiza- tions in these cities, has absolutely disappeared from the political arena. Here and there a few, stray old mem- bers still cling to the old firm as # habit. The only functioning proleta- rian elements working for Socialism in this country are those in the Com- munist Workers Party. It is these militants in the labor movement who have paid true homage to their great leader and teacher Lenin. Together with the French Communist organ “T/Humanite” the American Commun- ists declare: “Lenin’s name, memory, and example will remain as lights burning in the dark which will never go out. With his name on their lips and his image in their hearts, the workers of the world will continue the struggle with the methods which he has pointed out until the final ac- complishment of their ultimate aim— the establishment of a free workers society.” ing the war in England. Martin Abern, National Executive ‘Secretary of the Young Workers League is also on the program. The Young Workers League orchestra will be there en- masse. The affair is being held at Workers Lyceum, 2733 Hirsch Blvd., Sunday May 4th, at 3:30. Program starts at 4:00. Dancing from 8:00 to 12:00. Clara promises us the best of eats: You Should READ The Valley Of Enna And Other Poems and Modern Plays Price, $2.50 AND The Education of Ernest Wilmerding A Story of Social and Labor Unrest Price, $2.00 Both Books By E. C. Wentworth For Sale By All Book Sellers Both Books are in the Public Library MAC’S BOOK STORE 27 JOHN R STREET © DETROIT a Full line of Sociological and Labor Literature. : Periodicals and Newspaper <aiaimnaancctsiecic ae: LLL LLL ALLE, . | |